Free Republic

This week, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the drafting of a new piece of legislation that would expand the state’s Stand Your Ground law. He is calling the legislation an “anti-mob” bill and it seems specifically targeted at the Black lives Matter movement and the ongoing protests against police brutality that have swept across the United States in recent months. The new legislation, if it becomes law, would allow armed citizens in the state of Florida to shoot, and potentially kill anyone that they suspect of looting a home or business. According to the Miami Herald, the legislation is an...

Attorney General William P. Barr told federal prosecutors in a call last week that they should consider charging rioters and others who had committed violent crimes at protests in recent months with sedition, according to two people familiar with the call. The highly unusual suggestion to charge people with insurrection against lawful authority alarmed some on the call, which included U.S. attorneys around the country, said the people, who described Mr. Barr’s comments on the condition of anonymity for fear of retribution. The attorney general has also asked prosecutors in the Justice Department’s civil rights division to explore whether they...

Minneapolis city councilors told the city police chief on Tuesday that their residents are feeling “terrorized” and say police are “nowhere to be seen” months after the police killing of George Floyd set off protests against police brutality. The Minneapolis City Council called on Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo to address constituents’ reports of increased street racing, carjacking, robberies, assaults and shootings. The meeting this week came months after the city council unanimously voted to amend the city’s charter to allow the city police department to be dismantled. The proposal, which would need to be voted on as a ballot...

Support for the Black Live Matter movement dropped by 12 percentage points since June, according to a new poll from the Pew Research Center. Fifty-five percent of U.S. adults said that they supported the racial justice movement in the September survey, compared with 67 percent in June who said the same. Among Black Americans, support for the movement has remained the same at roughly 87 percent. White Americans' support for Black Lives Matter went down from 60 percent in June to 45 percent in September and among Hispanic Americans support decreased from 77 percent to 66 percent. Support for the...

Nine protesters have been issued trespassing summonses for marching onto a private St. Louis street in June, a demonstration that prompted a couple to emerge from their home with guns to confront the demonstrators. Mark and Patricia McCloskey were both charged in July with unlawful use of a weapon in a polarizing case that landed them a spot at the Republican National Convention last month. Police spokeswoman Evita Caldwell on Friday confirmed that nine protesters have been issued summonses but said the St. Louis City Counselor's office is still deciding whether to issue charges on the citations. The Rev. Darryl...

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U.S.—Communist marches around the country are peacefully intensifying. But the marchers have found a new target of their ire: restaurants. Never having seen people with plenty of food to eat, the commies are becoming agitated and confused and are calling for the closure of the evil capitalist eating establishments. The communists were confused and frightened by the sight of people eating food aplenty. Concluding it was part of a sinister capitalist plot to take over the world and then raise the living standards for everyone, they demanded the restaurant be shut down. "You guys are eating food? Smells like evil...

U.S.—Videos have emerged from across the country of protesters attempting to stop traffic, futilely pushing back against racist trucks and bigoted Hummers. But, sadly, stopping traffic somehow hasn't ended racism. So rioters are being forced to turn to a new strategy: blocking train tracks to stop freight trains in the name of social justice. "Turn around and go the other way!" shouted enraged protesters outside Portland as a freight train hurtled toward them at 60 miles per hour. The engineer, being a racist, refused, and continued to go right toward them, blowing his horn, which is apparently some kind of...

Protesters in Portland threw rocks and fire bombs at police who in turn used tear gas on Saturday night and at least one person was injured, on the 100th day of demonstrations in the Oregon city against racism and police brutality. Police described what they called “tumultuous and violent conduct” by protesters on the city’s Southeast Stark Street. "Fire bombs were thrown at officers, injuring at least one community member", police said on Twitter while re-tweeting a video posted by a New York Times reporter showing fire bombs being thrown and a protester running with his legs on fire. Police...

President Donald Trump criticized CNN on Monday after a reporter asked him to condemn his supporters who were in Portland on Saturday night. During a White House press conference with the president, CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins asked Trump to condemn a group of his supporters who traveled to Portland for a counter-protest on Saturday night. Some of Trump’s supporters were reportedly firing paintball guns at protesters from their pickup trucks as leftists threw objects and debris at them. Aaron J. Danielson of Portland, identified as a Trump supporter, was shot dead during the clash between the different groups.

City workers built a wall of concrete blocks to fortify the police department’s East Precinct on Friday, following a suspected arson attack this week while officers were inside the building. The barrier wraps around the building at 11th Avenue and Pine Street — where during confrontations this spring, police temporarily abandoned the precinct, while demonstrators set up the Capitol Hill Organized Protest or “CHOP” on the street and Cal Anderson Park, before the city retook the territory in early July. “Officers will continue to be stationed in the precinct and respond to 9-1-1 calls in the area,” a city statement...

On Friday, Evita Duffy of The Federalist spoke with more Kenosha locals about the outburst of violence that rocked the town this week, following the police shooting of Jacob Blake, and captured the National Guard heading towards the city that afternoon. Kenosha Locals SPEAK OUT About Riots (4 min video) Additional Interviews: Sam is an Indian immigrant who owns a family-run car dealership that was destroyed by BLM arsonists. “What did we do to deserve all this?” said Sam. Sam told The Federalist his family has been “in tears” the last few days. BLM rioters burned his lot two nights...

SNIP What would you say to people who are concerned about essential places like grocery stores or pharmacies being attacked in those communities? When it comes to small business, family owned business or locally owned business, they are no more likely to provide worker protections. They are no more likely to have to provide good stuff for the community than big businesses. It's actually a Republican myth that has, over the last 20 years, really crawled into even leftist discourse: that the small business owner must be respected, that the small business owner creates jobs and is part of the...

The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Thursday that 74 people are facing federal charges stemming from clashes in Portland, Ore., amid protests over systemic racism and police brutality. Portland’s months long demonstrations, sparked by the killings of Black Americans like George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, have largely been peaceful, though have at times turned violent and led to looting and clashes with law enforcement, including federal agents deployed to the city this summer to protect federal property. “Violent agitators have hijacked any semblance of First Amendment protected activity, engaging in violent criminal acts and destruction of public safety,” U.S. Attorney...

A group of Black Lives Matter activists were caught on video in three separate instances harassing diners at Washington, D.C., restaurants on Monday who refused their demand to raise a fist in solidarity. A lone woman, in one video, is seen surrounded by white activists raising their fists and shouting: "White silence is violence! White silence is violence!" Later, they chant, "No justice, no peace!"

Rocks and bottles were thrown, paintball guns fired, and lasers targeted officers during a riot Saturday night into Sunday morning. On August 22,, 2020, a group of about 250 people gathered at Normandale Park at Northeast 57th Avenue and Northeast Halsey Street. At about 9:15p.m, the gathering proceeded to march to the south. Many participants in the march carried hardened shields, helmets, armor, gas masks, and wore all black clothing. At least one participant targeted the Portland Police Air Support Unit airplane with a green laser. This is extremely dangerous and could cause disorientation for the pilot, in addition to...

Federal agents in Bend, Ore., clashed with hundreds of protesters late Wednesday night after an hourslong standoff sparked by the arrest of two men by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, who said they were a "threat to the public." Bend's episode, which is about a three-hour drive from Portland, was the latest in tensions among protesters, local police and federal agents.The protest spanned hours, as two unmarked ICE buses were blocked by protesters who apparently witnessed the arrests. Shortly before midnight, federal agents removed the two detained men from a bus and left the scene. The protesters also dispersed,...

the genuinely privileged class in America’s big cities consists of radical progressives, who flout mask requirements at mass demonstrations, deface public property with graffiti, and riot and destroy while being called “mostly peaceful demonstrators.” ... The two rioters grabbed national attention when they were arrested because of their elite and privileged backgrounds. ... Colinford Mattis.. embodies elite credentials via affirmative action, “plucked” in Miller’s word, from East New York and educated at elite St. Andrew’s prep, Princeton (where he was a member of two elite eating clubs), and NYU Law. Urooj Rahman, born in Pakistan and brought to the USA...

Eight Pennsylvanians have been federally charged with criminal activity during protests in downtown Pittsburgh at the end of May, U.S. Attorney Scott Brady said Wednesday. Prosecutors allege the charged people engaged in violent demonstrations on May 30 as others peacefully demonstrated as part of protests over the police-involved death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. "Throwing [improvised explosive devices] IEDs and bricks at police officers, throwing projectiles at and striking police horses, and setting police cruisers on fire are not the protected First Amendment activities of a peaceful protest; they are criminal acts that violate federal law," Brady said in a...