The Christmas Uprising

## Information

### Location

Los Santos including:Mission Row Police DepartmentLegion SquareSan Andreas Supreme Court and Parliament

### Attackers

Los Santos Police Department,San Andreas State Troopers,State Security Bureau,Armed Russian-speaking men,Federal Investigation Bureau,San Andreas National Guard,Marine Force Reserves,

## Results

### Casualties

Attackers:4 dead officers, 2 dead National Guardsmen, 17 injured/wounded officers, 8 injured/wounded Guardsmen

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Defenders:
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Estimate of 20-35 injured and wounded, 6 dead, 8 captured/arrested

### Result

Ceasefire with no definitive conclusion

The Christmas Uprising was a series of events that led to martial law and a civil war in the State of San Andreas between criminal elements and civilians against the Los Santos Police Department, San Andreas State Troopers, Federal Investigation Bureau, San Andreas National Guard, Marine Force Reserves and State Security Bureau from December 19th to the 21st.

## The Grove Street Protest

There was a protest with some violent action by uniformed and unmarked law enforcement on December 19th when Bill N-04-2020 was enacted by Premier James Baker. This was preceded by law enforcement setting up on Grove Street with two Lenco Bearcats and a Cadillac Gage Commando APC. They then proceeded to clear the street of civilians and cars and search every house on Grove Street.

During this a protest began forming near the convenience store at the end of Grove. It mostly consisted of residents from Grove who had seen or heard about the house raids and were angry with them. A group of around 15 people had gathered and began hurling verbal insults at the officers manning the barricade.

After around 15 minutes an officer identifying as an SSB officer ordered the crowd to disperse. Some time passed and the crowd began getting more belligerent which led to an officer of the SSB using BZ Gas cannisters on the crowd in an attempt to disperse the crowed. This only made them angrier.

SSB then began blaring random sounds commonly used in Psychological Warfare Operations to drown out protestors or drive besieged people insane. The police left Grove Street without further incident and reportedly searched housing on Mirror Park Boulevard and Paleto Bay.

## The Downtown Protests

A protest began at Mission Row Police Department in the early hours of the day on December 20th. The exact situation which led to the initial protest remains unclear. Some say it was caused by a wrongful arrest earlier in the day. Others say it was due to two Russian-speaking individuals black bagging someone's head.

#### Initial Protest

The initial protest formed on the sidewalk in front of Mission Row. Two men in grey uniforms armed with AKMs stepped out of Mission Row Police Department and stood on the steps above the protestors. Reports and witnesses said that for awhile they said nothing. They then began speaking Russian to each other and towards the crowd. The number of protestors continued to grow on the steps and insults similar to the day before began being thrown out. Slowly LSPD and SAST officers began to arrive and the number of officers on the steps grew.

At this time a firetruck that had been commandeered by SSB arrived outside MRPD and parked near the steps behind the protestors. As the crowd grew the officers on the steps retreated back into MRPD and stood at the doors. The protestors moved up to the doors and began kicking them and yelling that they were going to storm the building. At this time, a short burst of water from the firetruck was blasted at the crowd. Then more continuous use began and severely injured several protestors as the water pushed them up against the building.

#### Sinner Street Protest

As the firetruck sprayed the crowd it dispersed and retreated across the Street from Mission Row. Officers moved out of the station and SAST arrived in force from the rest of the state forming a line and forcing protestors onto the sidewalk. Several arrests were made and the violence began to escalate with punches being thrown by protestors and law enforcement.

At this time in both Dark Web and Twitter a meeting for the protestors was called at Legion Square and the number of protestors began decreasing. During this an incident happened where an officer deployed a taser on a protestor and violence erupted with punches and some gun shots. Two more people were taken into custody at this time. Officers then retreated into Mission Row when SSB officers ordered all department to a meeting. During this meeting the officers were ordered to get into tactical gear, arm themselves with a Carbine Rifle and to prepare for violence from civilians.

## Uprising Begins

#### Siege of Mission Row

The shooting began when several cars began driving in front of MRPD and shooting at officers and the building. Officers positioned on balconies and the roof returned fired on these cars with an LSSD Marksman eliminating a suspect that had a gun out on Atlee Street. Several officers were injured during this phase of the siege but several of the cars attacking were disabled and occupants killed or injured.

At this time several helicopters flown by rebel pilots arrived and began landing sharpshooters on the roof of building overlooking Mission Row. It was now night in the city and officers had trouble spotting the shooters on various roofs. This is where law enforcement would suffer their greatest number of casualties. Several rooftop police shooters were taken out and a sniper also shot through the front doors of Mission Row killing multiple officers and injuring many who tried to help their downed comrades.

#### Street Battles

SSB at this time led a flanking infantry force out the back of Mission Row at the same time a CGC APC arrived operated by the FIB, under the command of Aldric Picard. With the help of the APC and supporting infantry forces Atlee Street and the rooftops were cleared of combatants. At this time a second infantry force led by another SSB officer pushed out the front of Mission Row with an assault force successfully ending the 40 minute siege of the police headquarters. The first task force pushed up on foot all the way into Legion Square and the garage area.

The rest of the streets around Mission Row were cleared by remaining police forces. Lenco Bearcats began arriving on scene to transport officers to continue the fights and arrest the ringleaders of the uprising. At this time several technicals operated by the rebels arrived in Los Santos from somewhere outside of the city. They opened fired on officers but began falling to the CGC APC.

Street battles erupted between officers and rebels in a wide area around the city. Involving both infantry combat and technical warfare. Eventually a UH-60 Blackhawk operated by the SSB arrived above the city and began providing cover for the officers which largely ended the sprawling combat happening around the city with most rebel forces retreating into hiding or beginning to participate in guerilla warfare attacking officers using civilian vehicles.

## Peace Talks

The Federal Government led by Department of Justice Director Peter Pembrook intervened in the ongoing state unrest and opened up dialogue with the rebels. They called for a meeting at Parliament in Rockford Hills. Leaders of the Mafia and CGF arrived to discuss terms for ending the uprising, which also implicates themselves as the ringleaders of the uprising which could lead to federal charges of treason or sedition. The latter leading to a possible death sentence.

Demands from the rebels included: Repealing Bill N-04-20 "The Emergency Powers Act" and N-05-20 "The Enabling Act", ending the gang injunction against CGF, stripping the Mechanic building from their current owner and giving it to Tony Lupo, enforcing stricter regulations on law enforcement's use of their vehicles and firing a few specific officers. Federal negotiators discussed these terms with state officials and came back with an offer to repeal N-05-20 and end the injunction but in return rebels must surrender their weapons immediately to guarantee the ceasefire while the other demands are worked on.

The rebels rejected the counter offer and began yelling and insulting the federal negotiators and state officials present. Without being willing to give any concessions themselves, the rebels effectively ended negotiations and federal negotiators left the building. A few attempts were made over Twitter by Tony Lupo to continue negotiations but state officials were unwilling to go back to the table due to the behaviour of rebel members during the initial peace talks.

## National Guard Deployment

In the final stages of the uprising, Peter Pembrook ordered the state level martial law to be removed and then ordered the National Guard to be called up. Large numbers of law enforcement were mobilized into the National Guard at Fort Zancudo. They mounted up in seven HMMWVs armed with a .50 calibre M2 Browning and then travelled along Great Ocean Highway towards City Hall.

Upon arrival at City Hall the column took sniper and street level fire from combatants. UH-60 Blackhawks operated by the National Guard also arrived on scene and provided close air support for ground forces. Several people were arrested and killed during this initial fighting. Four rebels were eliminated by humvees, snipers and air support and two people were arrested. Several national guardsmen were injured during fighting in a construction building and from snipers shooting into their open-top turrets.

These injured guardsmen were eventually rushed to Pillbox Medical Centre and received treatment for gun shot wounds and blunt force trauma. Two guardsmen died from their wounds.

After the City Hall formation moved on, the National Guard broke into smaller groups and began patrolling downtown Los Santos. This lasted for around 45 minutes before Peter Pembrook ordered the National Guard to stand-down and city officials ended the conflict on a ceasefire.

## Consequences

Both sides have claimed victory during this uprising after the ceasefire was called by city officials. However, the laws and injunctions which people rose up against remain in place and no significant changes have been made in regards to anything which started the fighting. Democratic rights within the state have not been restored and the Premier/Governor has not resigned from his position. The State Security Bureau which appears to be a Russian-led secret police is still in power and remains at large within the state.

Without significant mediation and talks during the 96-hour ceasefire it is almost guaranteed that another uprising is soon to follow.

#### Criticisms

Who is at fault for the actual breakdown of the protest into a shooting battle depends on which side is asked. The facts of the matter do not make it clear who actually began the violence. The spraying of protestors at the front of MRPD is often blamed but peaceful protests continued for around 40 minutes after that happened. So it is doubtful that it is what led to actual shooting.

The rebels are criticized for lacking focus or an organized plan to defeat the much more organized and trained state forces. The majority of rebels were also made up of known criminal organizations which commit some of the greatest amounts of violence within San Andreas. The demands made by Tony Lupo, who is a kingpin in CGF also put his own personal business aspirations ahead of the cause of the rebellion.

At the end of the day, the rebellion did not meet its expressed goals and therefore did not win this uprising. The cost of the losses for them greatly outnumber what the state lost and is able to produce in the meantime. They also revealed to the state and federal authorities who ran the uprising, which will most likely lead to their arrest and possible death sentences which could permanently end the hope of San Andreas to bring back freedom and democracy.

Some civilians who joined the National Guard during the end of the uprising criticize rebels for choosing an anti-police fight rather than working with police to try and turn them against the current government which has passed unconstitutional laws and stripped San Andreas of democratic rights. Choosing to fight all law enforcement took critical allies and firepower away from the rebellion which could have brought a swift end to the Baker Regime.

## Notable People

Lexi Point, Head of Pillbox Hill Medical Centre, at great risk to her person treated injured and dying officers in Mission Row during the Siege of the building and continued working throughout the fight to heal protestors, civilians, officers and guardsmen.

Aldric Picard, Deputy Director of the FIB, was responsible for taking out 3 Rooftop Snipers on the Capital Building when he charged the rooftop, his efforts saved the lives of multiple National Guardsmen who were under heavy fire.