Mornings on the Mall 06.12.20
Hosts: Mary Walter and Vince Coglianese
Guests: WaPo’s Dana Hedgpeth, Tom Fitton, Julio Rosas in Seattle and Bret Baier
5-A WORRY TROLLING OF SECOND WAVE OF CORONAVIRUS:
No cases of coronavirus have been linked to two Missouri hairstylists who saw 140 clients last month while symptomatic, county health officials said.
Both stylists worked at the same Great Clips location in Springfield. The clients and the stylists all wore face coverings, and the salon had set up other measures such as social distancing of chairs and staggered appointments, the Springfield-Greene County Health Department said this week.
Of the 140 clients and seven co-workers potentially exposed, 46 took tests that came back negative. All the others were quarantined for the duration of the coronavirus incubation period. The 14-day incubation period has now passed with no coronavirus cases linked to the salon beyond the two stylists, county health officials said.
During the quarantine, those who did not get tested got a call twice a day from health officials asking whether they had symptoms related to Covid-19, said Kathryn Wall, a spokeswoman for the Springfield-Green County Health Department.
“This is exciting news about the value of masking to prevent Covid-19,” said Clay Goddard, the county’s director of health.
DOJ BRINGS HAMMER DOWN ON MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD… KERRI KUPEC: NEW: DOJ Letter “During a crisis it is important for people of faith to be able to exercise their religion. Montgomery County has shown no good reason for not trusting congregants who promise to use care in worship the same way it trusts political protesters to do the same.” (LETTER)
5-D — JUDICIAL WATCH ASKS BOWSER TO PAINT MESSAGE ON DC STREET
Judicial Watch Asks DC Mayor for Permission to Paint ‘Because No One is Above Law!’ on Capitol Hill Street
Conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch has asked Mayor Muriel Bowser for permission to paint its own message on Washington, D.C., streets, after the mayor allowed “Black Lives Matter” to be painted on a road leading to the White House before “Defund The Police” was added by protesters.
Judicial Watch asked Bowser and D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine for permission to paint “Because No One is Above the Law!” on a Capitol Hill street.
“Mayor Bowser made a decision to turn D.C. streets into a forum for public expression. Judicial Watch seeks equal access to use this new forum to educate Americans by painting our organization’s motto and motivation, ‘Because No One Is Above the Law!,’ on a Capitol Hill street,” Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said in a statement.
The conservative group said it is prepared to sue, if their request is denied, on the basis of “viewpoint discrimination.”
“This rule of law message is timely, as it is a reminder that rule of law applies to – and protects – all Americans,” Fitton said. “If we are unlawfully denied access and face viewpoint discrimination, we are prepared to go to court to vindicate our First Amendment rights.”
D.C.’s liberal mayor had “Black Lives Matter” painted in bright yellow letters on the street that runs into the White House amid the ongoing protests against police brutality and racial injustice in the wake of the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis last month. Floyd died in police custody on May 25 after a police officer kneeled on his neck for more than 8 minutes.
5-E – STARBUCKS BANS EMPLOYEES FROM WEARING BLM TAGGED CLOTHING
According to an internal bulletin obtained by BuzzFeed News, store managers had been contacting senior leadership on behalf of employees who wanted to wear BLM-related attire as protests continued to sweep major cities and small towns across the country.
In response, management, according to the memo from last week, argued that wearing clothing and accessories highlighting Black Lives Matter could be misunderstood and potentially incite violence. The bulletin pointed employees to a video, which has now been removed, in which its VP of inclusion and diversity explained that “agitators who misconstrue the fundamental principles” of the movement and could use them to “amplify divisiveness.”
6-A — MILLEY APOLOGIZES:
Joint Chiefs Chairman Milley says it was ‘mistake’ to appear with Trump in Lafayette Square
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley on Thursday expressed regret for accompanying President Trump during a photo-op last week at Lafayette Square amid protests, calling the decision “a mistake” – in the latest sign of friction between the White House and the military over the response to racial unrest.
Milley made the remarks during a remote video speech to graduates at National Defense University, advising young officers to “always maintain a keen sense of situational awareness.”
“As senior leaders, everything you do will be closely watched,” he said. “And I am not immune.
“As many of you saw, the result of the photograph of me at Lafayette Square last week. That sparked a national debate about the role of the military in civil society,” Milley continued. “I should not have been there. My presence in that moment and in that environment created a perception of the military involved in domestic politics.”
He added: “As a commissioned uniformed officer, it was a mistake that I have learned from, and I sincerely hope we all can learn from it.”
Thursday was the first time Milley addressed the visit to Lafayette Square since the incident earlier this month.
Milley did not address the issue of renaming the 10 U.S. Army bases named after Confederate generals – after President Trump made clear a day earlier he would not support such a discussion – but acknowledged the U.S. military’s “mixed record on equality.”
6-B/C — BIDEN NEWS:
NYT: Biden says Floyd’s death is having a bigger impact than the King assassination
Former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. said on Thursday that the killing of George Floyd in police custody had a larger effect globally than the assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968.
“Even Dr. King’s assassination did not have the worldwide impact that George Floyd’s death did,” Mr. Biden said at a roundtable event in Philadelphia.
Mr. Biden noted that “television changed the civil rights movement for the better,” and added that the prevalence of cellphones today had “changed the way everybody’s looking at this.”
‘Uh With Uh I Don’t Know:’ Joe Biden Appears To Lose Train Of Thought During Coronavirus Roundtable
Former Vice President Joe Biden appeared to lose his train of thought Thursday, during a coronavirus roundtable discussion hosted by the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee’s campaign.
The roundtable was organized to discuss safety measures as most of the U.S. reopens for business.
“You know the rapidly rising umm uh in with uh with I uh don’t know,” Biden said at one point during the event.
6-D — INTERVIEW – DANA HEDGPETH – WASHINGTON POST – discussed the DC area loosening restrictions around the DC area today and Monday.
MARYLAND
– MD GOVERNOR HOGAN LOOSENING RESTRICTIONS TODAY, MOCO LIKELY TO REOPEN NEXT WEEK:
Hogan announces wave of reopenings, including day cares and gyms, as region lifts more restrictions in Maryland.
Montgomery County plans to move to Phase 2 of reopening next week.
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) announced Wednesday that the state’s day cares, gyms, malls, school buildings, casinos and amusement parks can reopen within the next 10 days — an extension of its Phase 2 reopening. Restaurants will be able to offer indoor dining with 50 percent capacity.
Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich (D) said Wednesday that the state’s largest jurisdiction will probably enter its next phase of reopening next week — a timeline he said was “in the same ballpark” as the District and Prince George’s County, neither of which has made an announcement — but Elrich did not provide a date.
– PRINCE GEORGES COUNTY REOPENING ON MONDAY: Prince George’s County will enter next phase of coronavirus recovery on Monday, loosening more restrictions. Indoor restaurant dining and retail store operation will be allowed in Prince George’s, both at 50 percent capacity.
Maryland’s Prince George’s County announced Thursday it is moving toward its next phase of reopening, part of a collective shift toward looser pandemic restrictions in the Washington region that some health experts warn may be happening too quickly.
Prince George’s County executive Angela D. Alsobrooks (D) said declining rates in new covid-19 deaths, hospitalizations and coronavirus infections support moving to a second phase of reopening Monday — when, among other things, restaurants can offer dine-in service and swimming pools can open, both with social distancing restrictions
Prince George’s officials said the second phase of reopening will mean restaurants can offer dine-in service and retail stores can stop limiting operations only to curbside service, provided those businesses limit customers to 50 percent of capacity.
Outdoor pools — both public and private — can open at 25 percent capacity, but indoor pools will remain closed, officials said. Parks can reopen and youth sports teams will be able to begin practicing in groups of 10 or less.
NORTHERN VIRGINIA REOPENING
– Northern Virginia to ease coronavirus restrictions Friday;
Northern Virginia and Richmond will move to the next phase of shutdown recovery starting Friday, Gov. Ralph Northam announced, as data shows the novel coronavirus appears to be slowing its spread across the region.
The looser restrictions include opening restaurants for indoor dining at half capacity and allowing gyms and fitness centers to reopen indoors at 30 percent capacity. Most of Virginia entered Phase 2 earlier this month, but Northern Virginia and Richmond were granted delays because they had been hit harder by the pandemic.
In addition, Northam (D) said Virginia students will return to school in the fall if the state continues to limit the spread of the virus.
Phase 2 of the education reopening plan allows for in-person teaching for prekindergarten through third-grade students, students with disabilities and students who are not fluent in English. Strict social distancing protocols must be enforced; on school buses, just one child may be assigned to each seat, Northam said.
School assemblies and other large gatherings are limited to 50 people; school clubs and extracurricular activities may be reinstated as long as students follow social distancing guidelines. Student-athletes are permitted to resume practices, so long as they keep 10 feet away from one another and disinfect shared equipment, such as helmets and uniforms, between uses.
Northam sounded confident the state will be in Phase 3 in time for school to open, but officials said that will depend on current favorable trends continuing. Local schools may impose tighter restrictions if they need to.
6-E — HOLLYWOOD GETS PREACHY
Sarah Paulson, Kristen Bell, Aaron Paul and other white celebrities are slammed for ‘tone deaf’ I Take Responsibility PSA video that smacks of ‘white guilt’
By BRIAN GALLAGHER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
Three months after Gal Gadot and other celebs caught backlash for their video singing Imagine, another group of white celebs are facing backlash for another PSA.
Confluential Content, a production company that produces OWN’s Black Love and Sony’s The Perfect Guy, teamed up with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) for a video called I Take Responsibility.
The two-minute video features white celebs such as Sarah Paulson, Aaron Paul, Aly Raisman, Ilana Glazer, Stanley Tucci and many more taking responsibility for perpetuating racism in their lives, vowing to take action, which has drawn backlash from many on social media.
The black and white video begins with Sarah Paulson saying ‘I take responsibility,’ followed by Aaron Paul and Kesha.
Bethany Joy Lenz added that she takes responsibility, ‘for every unchecked moment,’ while Kristen Bell added she is responsible, ‘for every time it was easier to ignore it than to call it out for what it was.’
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-8412825/Sarah-Paulson-Aaron-Paul-team-NAACP-Responsibility-PSA-video.html
6-F — IT’S OFFICIAL: GOP CONVENTION IN JACKSONVILLE
Republicans pick Jacksonville, Florida, as convention site for Trump to accept nomination
The move to the crucial battleground state comes after the committee was at loggerheads with North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, whose was reluctant to ease COVID-19 restrictions.
The Republican National Committee announced Thursday that it had selected Jacksonville, Florida, as the site where President Donald Trump will accept the party’s nomination after bailing on Charlotte, North Carolina, over coronavirus restrictions.
“We are thrilled to celebrate this momentous occasion in the great city of Jacksonville,” RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said in a statement. “Not only does Florida hold a special place in President Trump’s heart as his home state, but it is crucial in the path to victory in 2020. We look forward to bringing this great celebration and economic boon to the Sunshine State in just a few short months.”
The move to Florida, a crucial battleground state, comes after the committee was at loggerheads with North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, whose was reluctant to ease COVID-19 restrictions.
The convention is scheduled for the week of Aug. 24; Trump will accept the Republican presidential nomination at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena.
There is still a plan to hold all convention business in Charlotte because of contractual obligations between the city and Republican National Committee.
Jacksonville is one of the largest cities in the U.S. to be led by a Republican mayor, Lenny Curry, the former head of the state’s Republican Party and an ally of Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has eased restrictions in the state. DeSantis said in a statement that he was “honored” to host the convention. Curry called it “a huge win” for the city.
Others have also noted that despite nationwide reckoning over racial discrimination in the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd, Trump’s acceptance speech, which traditionally occurs on the final day of the convention, falls on the 60th anniversary of one of Jacksonville’s most horrific events during the civil rights movement — Ax Handle Saturday.
Sixty years ago, several members of the NAACP’s youth council participated in a sit-in at a whites-only lunch counter and were later chased through the streets of downtown Jacksonville by a mob of 200 white people, who attacked them with ax handles and baseball bats.
Trump’s campaign and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
7-A — SEATTLE:
- Trump tells Fox News he won’t ‘let Seattle be occupied by anarchists’
President Trump told Fox News’ Harris Faulkner in an exclusive interview Thursday that his administration is “not going to let Seattle be occupied by anarchists.” https://www.foxnews.com/media/trump-seattle-occupied-anarchists-straighten-it-out
‘I’M ANGRY’… Seattle Police Chief Says Abandoning Precinct ‘Was Not My Decision’
Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best, in a Thursday address, told officers that it was not her decision to abandon the East Police Precinct located in what protesters are now calling the “Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone.”
The “Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone” formed after the Seattle Police Department evacuated the East Precinct Monday giving way for protesters to set up barricades, and signs near the Zone’s entrance that read, “You are now leaving the USA.”
After days of protests over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody, Seattle police boarded up and left the East Precinct building Monday night – and then a crowd of protesters set up barricades in the surrounding area, declaring it an “autonomous” and “cop-free zone.”
Images of the barricades show hand-written messages including “Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone” and “You are now leaving the USA.”
“You should know, leaving the precinct was not my decision,” Best said in the address. “You fought for days to protect it. I asked you to stand on that line. Day in and day out, to be pelted with projectiles, to be screamed at, threatened and in some cases hurt. Then to have a change of course nearly two weeks in, it seems like an insult to you and our community.”
“Ultimately the city had other plans for the building and relented to public pressure. I’m angry about how this all came about.”
WARLORD PATROLS CHAZ… “We are the police of this community now!” … “We got to the point where addressing the point physically was the best way to get our point across.” … The Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone Has Already Had Its First Incident Of Self-Appointed-Police Violence (VIDEO)
The denizens of this new experiment in police-free living were probably envisioning a utopia full of peace and community love. Instead they got a new self-appointed police force led by a rapper named Raz Simone.
Early this morning someone posted a video clip to Reddit which shows Simone and a group of people confronting a graffiti artist. Things escalate and eventually the tagger is assaulted by someone in the group and has his phone taken away. […]
tl;dw: Man was tagging over someone else’s art, Raz and group approach and separate him from crowd, chasing him for two blocks. He begins to film them with his phone, they take it from him. He tries to get it back and they attack him, kicking him in the head and breaking his glasses. At one point, Raz threatens to shoot the man. They then begin to gaslight him that it was all his fault. Audio only for most of the end, because woman in Raz’ crew filming puts the phone in her pocket while the stream continues.
TUCKER: ‘Not a Big Deal, a Brand-New Nation Within Our Own Borders’ (VIDEO)
“[S]o CHAZ is a nation without leaders. It is a flat system. It is anarchy. How long can it continue? Probably not very long. Anarchy isn’t built to last. In the end, the strong always dominate the week. And, in fact, it’s already happening. It took barely a day for the nation to get its first warlord, and it was quite a promotion for him. Just a week ago, Raz Simone was an up-and-coming rapper. He was also a super host for Airbnb. Now, he has a monarch. In videos taken within CHAZ, Simone is seen patrolling the area with his allies. They have guns. They’re declaring ‘we’re the police now.’ In one clip, the monarch’s men assault a citizen of CHAZ for spray painting graffiti inside the zone. Just like the mafia, CHAZ doesn’t put up with nonsense like that in their own neighborhood.”
Solan wondered whether the surrender of one police facility would eventually mean others, including the precinct “which houses the 911 call center,” which would stop all police service in the city.
“So where is the reasonableness here?” he asked. “Where is the safety of the reasonable community of the city of Seattle? To me, that is absolutely appalling, and I am embarrassed being a Seattle resident to even talk about this.”
Reacting to the defund the police movement, the police union chief noted that success in this area would mean lack of much-needed training, which would eventually mean a decline in the “quality” of “police service.”
After Carlson played a clip of Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan describing the protesters as engaging in “patriotism” rather than “terrorism,” Solan said officer morale “is the lowest I have ever seen in my career.”
Seattle police say they are not responding to calls for assistance while armed protesters operate checkpoints and have declared a portion of the city as “cop-free” and an “autonomous zone.”
The area is called the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ) by the forces who have occupied it, KOMO News reported Thursday morning.
Antifa-affiliated groups and armed members of the far-left John Brown Gun Club seized control of the neighborhood, according to the City-Journal, which also reports that they set up barricades with a cardboard sign declaring “you are now leaving the USA.”
President Donald Trump has called the activists “domestic terrorists” and has urged Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan to deal with the problem in her backyard, Durkan told Trump Thursday to “to go back to your bunker.” Trump urged both the Washington governor and mayor to “take back your city NOW.”
7:35 AM – INTERVIEW – TOM FITTON – President, Judicial Watch
Judicial Watch Asks DC Mayor for Permission to Paint ‘Because No One is Above Law!’ on Capitol Hill Street
Seeks Equal Access to New Free Speech Forum After DC Government Authorized Painting of Political Slogan on DC Street
(Washington, DC) Judicial Watch announced today that it has formally asked District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser and DC Attorney General Karl Racine for permission to paint “Because No One is Above the Law!” on a Capitol Hill street (Independence Ave, SW between 2nd and 4th Streets SW). The Judicial Watch message would be the identical size and coloring of the DC Government’s “Black Lives Matter” political message on 16th Street NW.
On June 5, 2020, after days of protests and riots in Washington, DC, Mayor Bowser authorized the painting of “Black Lives Matter” on 16th Street NW, and later allowed “Defund the Police” to be painted alongside it.
“Mayor Bowser made a decision to turn DC streets into a forum for public expression. Judicial Watch seeks equal access to use this new forum to educate Americans by painting our organization’s motto and motivation, ‘Because No One Is Above the Law!,’ on a Capitol Hill street,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “This rule of law message is timely, as it a reminder that rule of law applies to – and protects – all Americans. If we are unlawfully denied access and face viewpoint discrimination, we are prepared to go to court to vindicate our First Amendment rights.”
7-E — POLICE GET CALLED ON MARYLAND FAMILY FOR STUDENT HAVING A BB GUN IN THE BACKGROUND OF HIS ONLINE CLASSROOM VIDEO:
‘I felt violated’: Police search Maryland house over BB gun in virtual class
BALTIMORE, Md. (WBFF) – A Baltimore County family is warning other parents after they say police were called to their house over something that happened during a virtual school lesson. The incident is raising concerns over privacy and safety in the era of online learning.
As a Navy veteran with four years of active duty, Courtney Lancaster has extensive knowledge of guns, how to use them and how to store them.
Her 11-year-old son, who owns BB guns, is a boy scout in fifth grade at Seneca Elementary School.
“He’s just a very intellectual child, but he’s all boy as well. He loves to be outside and play and ride his bikes and that sort of thing,” Courtney told Project Baltimore.
In his pursuit of becoming an Eagle Scout, Courtney says her son has learned how to shoot a BB gun and an airsoft gun. He’s also taken three levels of archery lessons.
His mother says he stores his bow and guns on this wall in his bedroom. It’s never been a problem until June 1, when police pulled up outside her house.
Courtney says she was home with her son who’s been doing virtual learning since schools shut down in March.
“So, I answered the door. The police officer was, he was very nice. He explained to me that he was coming to address an issue with my son’s school,” Courtney told Project Baltimore. “And then explained to me that he was here to search for weapons, in my home. And I consented to let him in. And then I, unfortunately, stood there and watched police officers enter my 11-year-old son’s bedroom.”
Courtney was told someone had seen the guns in her son’s bedroom during a Google Meet class on his laptop.
“I thought, this is outrageous. This is despicable,” she said. “I had no idea what in the world could this be over? BB guns never even once entered my mind. How many 11-year-old boys have BB guns?”
According to emails Courtney later exchanged with a school administrator, a screenshot was taken during the online class. The principal of Seneca Elementary was notified. Courtney says she was told the school safety officer then called police.
“I felt violated as a parent, for my child, who’s standing there with police officers in his room, just to see the fear on his face,” she said.
Courtney says the police officers were in her home for about 20 minutes and found no violations. No laws were broken and no dangers present. They left without any further action, but Courtney wasn’t done.
Since that day, she has written school administrators, the superintendent and the school board, demanding answers. She says the principal initially compared bringing a weapon to a virtual class to bringing a gun to school.
She was also told she could not see the screenshot of her son’s bedroom, because it’s not part of his student record.
“It’s absolutely scary to think about,” Courtney said. “Who are on these calls? Who do we have viewing your children and subsequently taking these screenshots that can be sent anywhere or used for any purpose?”
Project Baltimore reached out to Baltimore County Schools requesting an interview. We received this statement, “Our longstanding policy is to not debate individual circumstances through the media. There are multiple ways for families to share concerns with us. In general terms, the safety of students and staff is our chief concern, whether we are meeting in classrooms or via continuity of learning.”
Courtney says she understands the safety concerns, but no one called her first before involving police.
“There’s no more trust. There have just been a series of lies and just no cooperation,” she said.
Now, she worries about the future of virtual learning without clear policies in place.
“So, what are the parameters? Where are the lines drawn? If my son is sitting at the kitchen island next to a butcher block, does that constitute a weapon? It’s not allowed at school, right? So, would my home then be searched because he’s sitting next to a butcher block,” Courtney said. “I feel like parents need to be made aware of what the implications are, what the expectations are.”
8-A — CRAZY PROTESTERS
Two National Guard soldiers found pieces of glass baked into a pizza they had ordered to their Washington D.C. hotel, the Post and Courier reported.
A Department of Defense report said that the South Carolina National Guard soldiers ordered pizza to the Marriott Marquis Hotel in D.C. while they were deployed to assist police in handling the George Floyd protests, according to the Post and Courier.
The soldiers used UberEats to order the food from an unnamed restaurant. They noticed the shards of glass in the cheese and dough before they started eating, the Post and Courier reported.
BOSTON GLOBE: Berklee College of Music says it is “deeply sorry” for allowing Boston police officers to use the school’s restrooms
Berklee College of Music says it is “deeply sorry” for allowing Boston police officers to use the school’s restrooms, following the downtown protests on May 31 in the wake of the killing of George Floyd.
And the school says it will not happen again.
In a joint statement Wednesday night, Berklee President Roger Brown, chief financial officer Mac Hisey, and public safety chief David Ransom said the college had heard expressions of anger and betrayal from their community, after giving Boston police officers, who were staged at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue and Boylston Street, access to the Back Bay school’s restrooms.
“Boston Police of course have jurisdiction over the roads and other public spaces around our campus, but not inside our buildings,” Berklee officials said. (Like many colleges, Berklee has its own public safety department.)
“The decision to allow them into our facilities was ours,” the statement continued. “This was not a formal decision by the institution, but an informal one, made on the spot.”
8-B/C — INTERVIEW – JULIO ROSAS – TOWNHALL.com – IN SEATTLE
TOPIC: Describes The Scene From The “Autonomous Zone” In Seattle
The recently dubbed ‘Autonomous Zone’ is a section of a Seattle neighborhood where police officers have effectively abandoned the area due to violent clashes with demonstrators calling to ‘Defund the Police’. Protesters have taken control of the area spanning six blocks.
– Julio Rosas @Julio_Rosas11: My latest report from the “Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone“: Things are getting dangerous for people who are accused of wrongdoing. In one instance, an accused thief was surrounded by a crowd and interrogated, with one person brandishing a bat in his face. https://twitter.com/Julio_Rosas11/status/1271166157412634624
– Julio Rosas @Julio_Rosas11: Jun 11: Protesters called the fire department about the dumpster fire. https://twitter.com/Julio_Rosas11/status/1270968437179740160
Cracks Are Starting to Appear at Seattle’s ‘Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone’
By Julio Rosas| @Julio_Rosas11|Posted: Jun 11, 2020 3:35 PM
Seattle, Wash. — In a shock to no one, days after Seattle’s government gave the area around the city’s East Precinct to protesters following days of unrest, there are tensions within the loose coalition of people occupying the area and evidence they still are relying on city’s services to help the “Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone.”
While the zone has been relatively peaceful, it took less than 48 hours for an armed local, a rapper by the name of Raz Simone, to start “policing” the area with firearms. This led to a tense confrontation with a tagger that resulted in an alleged assault of a streamer who recorded the interaction.
The problems have not stopped there. In addition to still utilizing the city’s power, water, and porta-potties, the occupiers called the Seattle Fire Department after a dumpster fire was started just outside the “Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone” as it threatened to set a nearby building on fire.
Without the presence of police in the area, things can be dangerous for people accused of wrongdoing. In one instance, a young man was accused of stealing a phone from another protester. A crowd quickly surrounded him and tried to interrogate him, with one individual brandishing a baseball bat in the man’s face. The accused thief was clearly frightened and explained he did not steal anything, to which the crowd asked why did he run away.
The situation was resolved after it was discovered the phone was never stolen, but it only came after the man was able to once again run away from the crowd.
President Trump has tweeted that if the city of Seattle or Washington state refuses to get the situation under control in the “Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone,” then the federal government will have to step in. https://townhall.com/tipsheet/juliorosas/2020/06/11/cracks-appear-capitol-hill-zone-n2570461
8-D — 8:35 AM – INTERVIEW – BRET BAIER – Anchor of “Special Report” on Fox News Channel weekdays at 6 pm and author of the latest book “Three Days at the Brink: FDR’s Daring Gamble to Win World War II”
TOPIC: News of the day
8-E — CONFEDERATE STATUES AND MONUMENTS DEBATE IN VIRGINIA AND CONGRESS:
– Citing dangers to protesters, Northam urges them to stop pulling down monuments
At least three Confederate statues have been taken down by protesters in Virginia since demonstrations began in late May, and with at least one person getting severely injured in the process, Gov. Ralph Northam urged protesters to be safe and let the local governments handle the monuments’ removal instead.
“I know these statues are causing a lot of pain, but pulling them down is not worth risking someone’s life,” Northam said at a press conference in Richmond.
On Wednesday night in Portsmouth, protesters began by throwing paint and tagging graffiti onto the statue honoring the Confederate dead. Gradually, they began beheading the four figures, hitting them with tools and removing a rifle and sword from their arms. One of the figures was pulled down using a tow rope and fell onto Chris Green, who was standing underneath it. Green was taken to the hospital, where he is being treated for life-threatening injuries, according to the Virginia State Police.
Also on Wednesday, protesters in Richmond took down the statue of Jefferson Davis, the president of the Confederacy, on Monument Avenue, the Washington Post reported. The statue was towed away by a truck a little before midnight.
– Man injured when Portsmouth Confederate statue fell on him is fighting for his life. Gov. Northam encourages protesters to let statues be removed ‘the right way’
Chris Green, who had been trying to get people out of the way when one of the four Confederate statues on the monument in Portsmouth fell on him Wednesday night, is in stable condition, according to state police.
Green, 45, was with hundreds of others who rallied around the statues Wednesday after the City Council put off taking action on removing the monument in a meeting earlier that night. Demonstrators beheaded the four statues and pulled one down with a tow rope.
When the statue came down, Green was under it. He remains hospitalized in stable condition, Sgt. Michelle Anaya, spokeswoman for Virginia State Police, said Thursday night. Portsmouth Police asked state police to investigate the man’s injuries. Whether any charges are filed from the incident would be determined by the commonwealth’s attorney, Anaya said.
Green lost consciousness after his head was cut open. Protesters first took a knee and then began to disperse as Green was taken to the hospital.
https://www.pilotonline.com/news/vp-nw-man-injured-20200611-3mp5z4smffanni7qr4dxkpja34-story.html
