Evidence points to danger coming from the far right. It’s nice to get feedback, as I did from Robert J. Schappert III in Friday’s paper, but what I’m really looking for is evidence.
Five months ago, locals demonstrated peacefully near the Rehoboth Outlets following the death, in Minneapolis, of George Floyd while in police custody.
Shortly afterward, Dennis Forney quoted Rep. Steve Smyk saying that violence here was averted only because of a strong police presence. Organized elements from out-of-state, he said, had come here to loot and wreak havoc.
The evidence was weak and I said so. A follow-up column was more of the same, which I also noted.
My second comment prompted Schappert’s Friday letter, which was the weakest of the bunch.
Here’s an example: Schappert said, “You should know that George Soros reportedly funds these organizations behind the scenes.”
He then added, “Where do you think the funds come from to supply rioters with pallets of bricks and water bottles to throw at law enforcement?”
Snopes.com investigated and debunked a variety of these rumors, including one blaming police departments for placing bricks as “bait” for protestors to pick up and use - thus discrediting the protest movement. I don’t believe that either. Read the report and decide for yourself.
But according to Schappert, these water bottles prove that Soros was funding them.
Since I respect police officers and the work they do, I don’t take Schappert’s letter as a reflection on their investigative skills.
There are, however, dark undertones to unsubstantiated charges against Soros that should be beneath the president of the local FOP.
Here’s why I’m skeptical of the antifa-coming-to-the-outlets story.
It’s not that antifa, short for anti-fascists, doesn’t exist. It’s that there’s far more evidence of danger from right-wing extremists, such as the Proud Boys, the Boogaloo Boys (or “Bois”) and QAnon.
There’s also evidence that far-right extremists conduct attacks that can be pinned on antifa.
• On June 6, Steven Carillo, a sergeant at Travis AFB, was arrested in connection with two attacks on California security and law enforcement personnel. One security guard and one police officer died. Carillo, linked to the Boogaloo movement, used the George Floyd protests as cover to attack police officers, according to the FBI.
• On Oct. 23, a self-described member of the Boogaloo Bois was arrested for allegedly firing 13 rounds from an AK-47 into a Minneapolis Police building. Then there’s the case of Evropa, a far-right group that attracted a lot of attention by posing on Twitter as antifa. Twitter disabled the account.
• According to a June 2 Fox News report, the phony-antifa account called for “violence in white, residential neighborhoods around the country.” Which, oddly, sounds similar to what Smyk and Schappert were saying.
• In August, Facebook took down 790 QAnon accounts. Facebook said, “We have seen growing movements that, while not directly organizing violence, have celebrated violent acts” and “shown that they have weapons and suggest they will use them.”
• A June report issued by the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security said that white supremacists sought to bring about a second civil war by “intentionally instigating violence at First Amendment-protected activities.”
• On Oct. 8, 13 members of a self-styled “militia” - or vigilante - group were arrested for plotting to abduct, put on “trial,” and possibly execute Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan. One was from Delaware.
That this hasn’t received more attention speaks to the crazed viciousness of today’s politics. Trump didn’t even pause his attacks on Whitmer.
Which brings us to our president, telling the Proud Boys to “stand by” and refusing to denounce QAnon.
QAnon, by the way, originated as a story about top Democrats running a child sex-trafficking ring out of the basement of a Washington, D.C. pizza shop. Years ago, a story this ridiculous might have seemed amusing.
Or at least coming from the fringe. No more. Thanks to Trump, it’s mainstream.
As I said before, if there’s evidence about antifa coming to Delaware, let’s hear it. Nationally, however, the evidence points overwhelmingly to the far right as the chief source of domestic terrorism.
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