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When Armed Vigilantes Are Summoned With a Few Keystrokes
New York Times ^ | October 16, 2020 | Neil MacFarquhar

Posted on 10/16/2020 11:26:44 AM PDT by karpov

Tapping on his cellphone with a sense of purpose, Kevin Mathewson, a former wedding photographer and onetime city alderman in Kenosha, Wis., did not slow down to fix his typos as he dashed off an online appeal to his neighbors. It was time, he wrote on Facebook in late August, to “take up arms to defend out City tonight from the evil thugs.”

One day earlier, hundreds of residents had poured onto the streets of Kenosha to protest the police shooting of 29-year-old Jacob Blake. Disturbed by the sight of buildings in flames when he drove downtown, Mr. Mathewson decided it was time for people to arm themselves to protect their houses and businesses.

To his surprise, some 4,000 people responded on Facebook. Within minutes, the Kenosha Guard had sprung to life.

His call to arms — along with similar calls from others inside and outside the state — propelled civilians bearing military-style rifles onto the streets, where late that night a gunman scuffling with protesters shot three of them, two fatally. The Kenosha Guard then evaporated just as quickly as it arose.

Long a divisive figure in Kenosha, Mr. Mathewson, 36, who sprinkles his sentences with “Jeez!” and describes himself as “chunky,” does not fit the typical profile of a rifle-toting watchdog, although he said he supported President Trump on Second Amendment grounds. The rise and fall of his Kenosha Guard reflects the current spirit of vigilantism surfacing across the country.

Organizations that openly display weapons have existed for decades, with certain hot-button issues like immigration or Second Amendment rights inspiring people who think the Constitution is under threat. Anti-immigrant and Islamophobic sentiments are rife, and some militant groups, like the Oath Keepers or the Three Percenters, train together under established hierarchies.

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; US: Wisconsin
KEYWORDS: banglist; civilunrest; kenosha; kevinmathewson; kylerittenhouse; rittenhouse; wisconsin
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To: karpov

They want to defund the cops, so what do they expect?


21 posted on 10/16/2020 12:04:03 PM PDT by Tzimisce
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To: Drew68

Actually this turd is old enough to know better.


22 posted on 10/16/2020 12:09:44 PM PDT by Trailerpark Badass (“There should be a whole lot more going on than throwing bleach,” said one woman.)
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To: T-Bird45
What hell do moslums and immigrants have to do with people taking arms in Wisconsin to protect life and property from communists? This entire article is full of shit. Rittenhouse wasn't involved in a scuffle, he was attacked by multiple grown men, some armed with guns. Leave it to the NY Slimes to get almost every fact wrong.
23 posted on 10/16/2020 12:14:41 PM PDT by Rdct29 (Democrats are the new Nazi's. They think they deserve total control over the people)
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To: karpov

Oh I see. They want to “scuffle” us to death.

Keep shooting them. They hate it!


24 posted on 10/16/2020 12:30:09 PM PDT by The Toll
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To: karpov

Yet the NYT, continuing its long Stalinist tradition, has no concern about the BLM and Antifa flash mobs that prompted Kenosha residents to take up arms.


25 posted on 10/16/2020 12:38:52 PM PDT by Fedora
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To: karpov

“ Mr. Mathewson, 36, who sprinkles his sentences with “Jeez!” and describes himself as “chunky,” does not fit the typical profile of a rifle-toting watchdog, ”

Ha ha he sounds pretty typical to me. God love him.


26 posted on 10/16/2020 12:42:24 PM PDT by Persevero (I am afraid propriety has been set at naught. - Jane Austen)
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To: karpov

The Kyle Rittenhouse incident took place on a Tuesday. I never see it reported that the previous night, Monday, BLM/Antifa rioters tried to invade some Kenosha residential neighborhoods and were met by armed homeowners, who fired on the rioters, who in turn got back into their cars and left. Blue collar Wisconsin is not Madison or Milwaukee, and is not to be trifled with.


27 posted on 10/16/2020 12:46:44 PM PDT by myerson
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To: karpov

Good to know vigilantes are here to defend a commie take over of our country. If a civil war ensued its worth the effort


28 posted on 10/16/2020 12:47:28 PM PDT by kenmcg (tHE WHOLE)
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To: elpadre
that is why we have the Second Amendment.

What's left of it.

29 posted on 10/16/2020 1:15:52 PM PDT by unixfox (Abolish Slavery, Repeal the 16th Amendment)
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To: karpov

So this wasn’t an organization, it was just an idea.


30 posted on 10/16/2020 1:29:38 PM PDT by Do_Tar (To my NSA handler: I have an alibi.)
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To: karpov

Calling out the militia is a time honored tradition.


31 posted on 10/16/2020 1:58:27 PM PDT by JimRed (TERM LIMITS, NOW! Build the Wall Faster! TRUTH is the new HATE SPEECH.)
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To: karpov

So defending yourself from thugs is a bad thing now!. NYT can kiss my a$$!


32 posted on 10/16/2020 2:07:42 PM PDT by packrat35 (Pelosi is only on loan to the world from Satan. Hopefully he will soon want his baby killer back)
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To: karpov

Citizens defending their property are now “armed-vigilantes”. If that were really true, there would be a lot more casualties. It’s not like it would be difficult to find a target if that’s all you wanted to do.


33 posted on 10/16/2020 2:25:11 PM PDT by nhbob1
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To: DoughtyOne

My brother... :^)


34 posted on 10/16/2020 6:25:11 PM PDT by NFHale (The Second Amendment - By Any Means Necessary.)
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To: DoughtyOne

“...Lets go after those redneck racists instead...”

Chuckle... they should be careful... we shoot back... :^)


35 posted on 10/16/2020 6:25:57 PM PDT by NFHale (The Second Amendment - By Any Means Necessary.)
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To: PIF

That works!!!!


36 posted on 10/16/2020 6:28:28 PM PDT by NFHale (The Second Amendment - By Any Means Necessary.)
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To: NFHale

In numbers...

“:^)


37 posted on 10/16/2020 6:50:31 PM PDT by DoughtyOne (If you're neverTrump at this point, drop the charade, you're just I never the United States.)
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To: NFHale
d":^)

__________________

TRUMP - PENCE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
.....2020.....2020......
__________________
||
||
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ || ///////////////////////////////////////////

38 posted on 10/16/2020 6:51:24 PM PDT by DoughtyOne (If you're neverTrump at this point, drop the charade, you're just I never the United States.)
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To: DoughtyOne

The man lives in their heads all day, all night, all week...


39 posted on 10/16/2020 6:52:28 PM PDT by NFHale (The Second Amendment - By Any Means Necessary.)
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To: NFHale

I think they can hear him laughing at them 24/7.


40 posted on 10/16/2020 7:16:28 PM PDT by DoughtyOne (If you're neverTrump at this point, drop the charade, you're just I never the United States.)
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