For years, smug TV types have scoffed at the right’s objection to burning and looting that predictably followed most any politically charged event. The tide, finally, has begun to turn.
Chris Cuomo summarized his side’s argument quite well when he huffed, days after the George Floyd riots first began, ‘Please, show me where it says that protests are supposed to be polite and peaceful.’ He got absolutely smoked in a viral video by a kid eating ramen right out of the package.
AOC went further, saying that ‘making people uncomfortable’ is the POINT of protests.
Not surprisingly, since it serves as an effective tool of pushing an agenda and cowing naysayers, the violent demonstrations only got bolder. CHAZ/CHOP. Burning down police stations. Squad cars on fire became almost routine. Federal buildings under siege for a hundred days and more. That escalated to actually shooting at ICE.
The pendulum has now begun to swing the other direction. Even in Portland.
A ‘protester’ that struck an ICE agent in the head with a rock has now pled guilty to assault and faces 30 months in prison, and 3 years of supervised release. It was part of a larger Antifa-affiliated push that actually breeched the perimeter of the ICE facility itself.
Under a plea deal, Robert Jacob Hoopes had pleaded guilty to a charge of aggravated assault of a federal employee with a dangerous weapon. According to court documents, Hoopes threw a rock that hit an officer in the head and opened a gash over his eye during a protest last June.
Besides the prison time, U.S. District Judge Adrienne Nelson in Portland also sentenced him to three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay over $8,000 in restitution. — AP
Post Millennial adds significant details the AP was happy to omit.
Hoopes was among a group of black-clad demonstrators who used a makeshift battering ram to strike the ICE facility’s main entrance doors, causing more than $7,400 in damage to federal property. While Hoopes committed the act in “concert” with other agitators, the affidavit states that he was “leading the charge.” The defendant also barricaded the facility’s doors with objects and debris, according to video evidence. — PM
The DOJ put out a press release which included statements that would have been clearly bipartisan once upon a time, but are becoming increasingly one-sided of late.
“Today’s message is clear – violence is not a protest. When you cross the line and assault a federal officer, you will be prosecuted,” said U.S. Attorney Bradford. “My office will continue to pursue those who seek to harm our law enforcement partners.”
“The FBI will not stand idly by and allow federal officers to be assaulted by rioters,” said FBI Portland Acting Special Agent in Charge Matt Torres. “We will investigate any perpetrator using violence to express their views and hold them accountable.” — DOJ
Violence is not a protest.
Just like the young guy with the ramen told us all those years ago.
And yet it continues, with pre-fab signs and thousand of dollars worth of sophisticated riot gear.
Is it any WONDER that folks like Ted Cruz are trying to expand the RICO act to the groups (foreign and domestic) who pour money into these astroturfed ‘protests’?
