None of what transpired in Richmond, Virginia over this past weekend should have ever been a surprise to anyone paying attention at either the local or state level. While the government and media have danced the last few months over COVID-19 and whether cities were going to "re-open" little attention was paid as groups organized in response to the George Floyd death in Minneapolis, Minnesota over a week ago.
City leaders failed their citizens. It seems apparent leaders routinely fail to grasp history or recognize that there are always patterns that can be demonstrated and analyzed. How could city leaders not comprehend the siege upon Richmond that was coming? How could they not not see any signs that a storm was on the horizon? Was there no history of violence or rioting to point to to justify securing the city? Were not the examples of Ferguson or west Baltimore coming back to them? Charlottesville 2017? Once again major riots and violence under the leadership of Virginia Democrats.
Many Virginians have lost faith in government and rightfully so. Governments that would put clear political objectives over the public welfare. A city can virtually shut down due to "perceived threat" like Covid-19 but the city cannot be secured to prevent widespread impending violence and rioting? An annual permitted rally held at the State Capital by law abiding citizens can warrant a "State of Emergency" and citizens Second Amendment rights infringed through "Executive Order" in Richmond like in January during Richmond's annual "Lobby Day" yet the government when under siege cannot bring itself to take any measure other than a "curfew" to protect citizens and property from those bent on rioting and looting?
The message from cities like Richmond, Va is clear. It will only impose restrictions on those that it deems as political adverseries. The media is not reporting that the very groups involved in Richmond and other urban centers across the country are funded by the very same groups and people as many of these leaders elected to office that are responsible for public safety. The media does not want to report this fact or how massive groups of armed "protesters" could get bussed in from multiple localities logistically and who is behind the funding and organization of events.
While the politcial class often wants to change the conversation and avoid having to address the very nature of these groups and the tactics they employ far too often the ties are clear. These ties represent a clear and present danger to the public safety of every Virginian. The very literature found on the ground in Richmond documents how the Democratic Party is in full suppoort of the destruction offering bail and bond services for any taken into custody. This is where peaceful assembly turns into political endorsed rioting with no consequence as rioters and looters know they have the support of those in positons of authority.
Pay close attention to the news this week and look for stories where rioters and looters detained are released without prosecution only to return the the streets again because of the organized will not to hold them accountable. Remeember all those District and Commonwealth Attorney races last November that were bought by outside money in the Commonwealth of Virginia? It will be these individuals that determine whether the Commonwealth presses charges regarding felony property damage.
When the same people who fund the campaigns of the elected authority are the same ones funding the rioting organizations where does that leave justice?
Those that have doubts concerning the orgins of the riots should simply evaluate the weekends events in totality. The individuals in Richmond inciting violence and rioting were heavily organized. They were supporterd financially and provided enough funding to recruit and mobilize hundreds of individuals and have them bussed in. One such bus had license plates from Illinios. Individuals were assembled and organized into teams. One such group appeared to have clear defined leadership bearing ipads or tablets directing individuals while another group began moving cases of water bottles for staging throughout the city. These individuals were organizing and gearing up for nightfall not to participate with peaceful marchers in the city during the afternoon.
The siege to the city was an operation. Carefully planned and orchestrated on a city unprepared to hold back the violence. Teams were set about the city. It was not long before various quarters of the city from Monument Avenue to Virginia Commonwealth University area were almost completely under the control of the roaming teams set upon the city. In fact, near the Lee Monument one could visibly see rooftop spotters and at the base of the building detailed Antifa supporters providing what clearly was security. This is not the action of peaceful protesting but rather a coordinated military style operation using tactics employed by only those with the knowledge of how our military operations are conducted.
As literally hundreds worked diligently to deface the monuments it became clear they were the intial targets. Many groups like Monumental Lies have come into the city from elsewhere in the past regarding the Confederate Monuments and this weekend there were clearly coordinated efforts between those associated with Antifa, Black Lives Matters and BAM (By Any Means) to reek havoc upon the former Confederate capital. One such member could be heard chanting "Just like Charleston" which had come under siege the night before. Were these groups the very same that rioted in South Carolina the night before? Had they merely moved on to Richmond to continue the rioting?
These groups clearly came prepared. They created staging areas. They set up communications and moved groups from area to area while othewr groups clashed with police. They had small drones. Once police began to respond groups were directed to egresss and shift toward other objectives. It should have become clear that there was coordination. The city in effect for three nights was at the mercy of these groups which could target at will virtually any location.
Making matters worse the Mayor of Richmond sent the wrong message in an apology for the deployment of tear gas by police in an effort to keep units from becoming seperated from one another amidst the escalating tension while a number of the rioters mixed in with peaceful protesters. Antifa elements merely became embolden by the messaging from the Mayor and even became more brazen by setting more fires.
Many leaders in the coming days will use the responses of the police as justifciation to reduce what they call the "militarization" of the police forces but of course this is exactly what Antifa, BLM and BAM hardliners and those supporting them want. These groups are unprepared today to clash with police if the police were permitted to use force. As tt stands today the main role being utilized by police has been a "show of force" and not actual force. If Antifa can strip the police of the bulk of its military style weaponery through the help of the political class than untilmately this last weekend's chaos will simply be a precursor to full insurrection in America.
And insurrection is the true goal of Antifa.
In effect Antifa elements for four nights used peaceful protesters as "human shields". Mixed with them and agitated and incited violence along the way and even "jumped" those they identify as anything counter to thier movement.
And the only response that the city would get from Mayor Stoney would be a curfew order.
Further proving the fact that Stoney and his fellow Progressives never understand or comprehend that criminals do not obey laws or orders. The nation has witnessed Antifa in the past and the destruction it leaves behind. One would think they would learn lessons regarding all the gun control laws that never seem to reduce gun violence but they never seem to. They either ignore the facts or simply place political agendas before the public safety of those living in the city.
Over the weekend even members of the Virginia General Assembly like Delegate Lee Carter (D) not only praised the results of the protest but participated himself in confronting police. Others like Delegate Joshua Cole (D) tweeted resources to those participating should they be taken into custody and require bail. Many legislators will use this weekend to advance further political agendas just as Presidential and Congressional candidate of both parties while cities are left to recover from the chaos. Many which will not recover for a decade.
The people are losing trust in the cities. Many will leave the cities once again. Its happened before. Richmonder's knopw this all too well. It took the city twenty years to see people return to live in the city and now city leaders have placed all that progress in jeopardy.
IThe events of the alst week will expose once again the extreme "activism" that supercedes "leadership" in the Virginia General Assembly and state government. The majority sat on their hands while the fires blazed.
The mere notion that law abiding gun owners from all over Virginia converging on Richmond for an annual event in January was a "perceived threat" to the public but riots that began Friday night were never in fact treated with the same level of concern. It took three days for the local and state government to respond but by that time the Antifa elements had already been successful at implementing the targeted siege organizationally.
Richmonders need to to take a hard look at city leadership. A leadership that apparently is willing to put politcial expediency before public safety and property.
The City Police stated the following:
"We do have anti-fascists, we have some anarchists, to a large degree, but there's people from outside of this state and outside of this area that we know that are involved and we're doing our best to identify them and backtracking what their affiliations are," he said. "I think that's clear. When you look at the things that they're targeting... I think we can all understand attacking the symbols of the past and of the racist past. But when you look at trying to burn down a VCU dormitory, or burn down people's homes, or burn down and loot the stores that we depend on every day. Those things don't correlate at all. So, you know, I think there is a much more organized effort, and we're doing our very best to determine where that's coming from and who's pulling the strings."
Sponsor- Forage
To learn more on how to earn Ethereum (1 ETH = $232 per) you can convert to USD copy and paste this link and join the Forsage community.
https://tinyurl.com/yarss9h9
No comments:
Post a Comment