mich liberty militia

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this is generic node for Mich

see wolverine WHITMER KIDNAP BOMB PLOT

recall devos funding (grifter bros?) ~ stay at home order

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Who are Michigan’s militias? Armed ‘patriot’ groups resurface during anti-government climate - mlive.com

Who are Michigan’s militias? Armed ‘patriot’ groups resurface during anti-government climate

:{Updated: Jan. 31, 2021,

1/25

Michigan Capitol ahead of potential protests

Malachi Barrett | mbarret1@mlive.com

Groups that love guns and hate government have found a cozy home in Michigan, raising concerns among state leaders as threats of violence among such organizations continues to rise.

Militia activity drew national attention last year after the FBI foiled a plot to kidnap and possibly assassinate Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, but anti-government groups have lurked in shadowy corners of Michigan for decades. Previously on the fringes of society, these groups have stepped into the public during coronavirus protests, Black Lives Matter uprisings and “stop the steal” rallies, sometimes attending demonstrations to recruit new members.

The Department of Homeland Security Wednesday warned domestic extremists represent a heightened threat in the weeks after the presidential inauguration. DHS cautioned violence could stem from anger about President Joe Biden’s electoral victory, COVID-19 restrictions, racial tension and “perceived grievances fueled by false narratives.”

Sam Jackson, an assistant professor at the University of Albany in New York, uses the term “patriot militia” to describe anti-government extremists that rose to prominence in the last year. Jackson said these groups, wrapped in the iconography of the founding fathers, frame themselves as the “real Americans” defending the country against tyrannical internal threats.

Michigan can expect to see more of this militia activity in 2021, according to the Armed Conflict & Event Location Data Project, which collects and analyzes data on political violence across the world. Hampton Stall, a senior researcher at ACLED, said the resurgence of militia groups comes at a time when conservatives are embracing “a politics of resistance and expressing disaffection.”

Is more militia activity inherently dangerous? That’s a question that remains top of mind for people who track anti-government groups.

“The real risk is from the one guy who decides that this needs to be dealt with and he’s the one who’s going to turn himself into a ‘hero,’” said Lane Crothers, a professor at Illinois State University who studies far-right groups. “I think we have to accept that ours is a society filled with extraordinarily soft targets.

“So the question is, do these people decide that they want to create maximum mayhem, or do they want to actually destabilize governance and governing officials?”

Most members of militia groups are unlikely to cause any destruction, Crothers said. However, there’s a higher potential for people to go down “rabbit holes” of misinformation and become radicalized as more people become involved, he said.

Members of the Wolverine Watchmen, a small militia cell that plotted to kidnap Whitmer, attack the state Captiol and kill police, also viewed themselves as patriots fighting a tyrannical government, according to federal court records. The group believed Whitmer and other Democratic governors were violating the U.S. Constitution and should be overthrown.

The Wolverine Watchmen had only been active for a year before its members were arrested last October, though many of them had close connections to other militias. The 13-member group was allegedly co-founded by suspects Pete Musico and Joseph Morrison, who operated a training site in Munith.

It’s difficult to know exactly how many militia groups are operating and how dangerous they could be; militias come and go over the years, often splintering due to personality conflicts or disagreements about tactics.

Below an overview of groups that are active in Michigan, based on interviews with researchers, news reports and other publicly available information.

A Michigan Militia Corps. patch is seen in this 2010 MLive.com File Photo.

Michigan Militia Corps of Wolverines

Michigan has been central to the modern militia movement since it began in the 1990s.

Militias of that time grew in response to a 1994 law requiring federal background checks for handgun buyers and the deadly Ruby Ridge standoff two years earlier. U.S. marshals attempted to arrest Randy Weaver for failing to appear in court for firearms charges, leading to an 11-day siege of his isolated Idaho cabin and the death of his wife and son by federal agents.

The MMCW, also simply known as the Michigan Militia, was originally formed by gun store owners and veterans in 1994 in response to perceived encroachments by the federal government. It was originally led by Norman Olson, U.S. Air Force veteran who no longer lives in Michigan.

As Olson explained during testimonybefore a Senate subcommittee on anti-terrorism in 1995: “Simply stated, the growing threat of centralized federal government is frightening America, hence the emergence of the citizen militia.”

The MMCW declined to comment for this story, but the group’s origins are well documented by researchers due to its prominent role in the American militia movement. JoEllen Vinyard, a retired Eastern Michigan University history professor, described the group as an alliance of regional militias bound by an obligation to defend against federal overreach.

Vinyard writes in “Right in Michigan’s Grassroots: From the KKK to the Michigan Militia” that militias of the 90s were heavily involved in their local communities and tried to overcome negative perceptions attributed to them. Vinyard said today’s anti-government groups appear more chaotic and determined to cause trouble compared to far-right militias she studied at the turn of the century.

The MMCW attracted unwanted attention after it was discovered that two men who carried out the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995 attended an MMCW meeting. Though Timothy McVeigh and Lapeer native Terry Nichols were not members of the MMCW, the incident caused significant harm to the militia movement’s image.

The MMCW underwent a change in leadership and expelled members that had advocated violence.

In 1999, former members of the MMCW were sentenced to prison for plotting to kill government officials and commit terrorist attacks. Prosecutors said three men who formed the North American Militia plotted to assassinate then-Gov. John Engler, U.S. Sen. Carl Levin and federal judges, and plant bombs at federal buildings in Battle Creek and Portage.

A manual on the MMCW’s website dated 2015 outlines the command structure and sets requirements for annual meetings, dress code and expectations of behavior.

The MMCW is organizedin a military-style hierarchy with a state commander, county commanders and multiple brigades per county managed by a brigade leader. Members also hold a “rank” modeled after military branches, ranging from private to general.

New members are required to attend three field training exercises during a probationary period, then swear an oath to defend the Constitution from all enemies, “both foreign and domestic.”

The militia continues to hold training sessions and meetings, with a recent training session scheduled for Jan. 9 in Adrian. It maintains affiliations with regional groups like the Southeast Michigan Volunteer Militia and Genesee County Volunteer Militia, among others.

MMCW claimed to have thousands of members in the 90s but is believed to be much smaller today. Crothers said the Michigan Militia provided a template for other militia groups across the country.

Timothy Teagan, a member of the Boogaloo Bois movement, stands with his rifle outside the state capitol in Lansing, Mich., Sunday, Jan. 17, 2021. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Boogaloo Bois

Researchers who track extremist groups describe the “boogaloo bois” as a loosely organized network of far-right activists preparing for a violent civil war.

The group’s name is a reference to a 1984 comedy film “Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo.” By the logic of the joke, a second civil war would be a sequel of sorts.

Stall said the idea originated in firearms messaging boards on 4chan, an online forum. Neo-Nazi groups also used the messaging board to advocate using violence to instigate a race war that would destabilize the government.

“The movement is difficult to characterize because of some of the movement wants the civil war to happen, while some of the movement might say we don’t want it to happen but we think it’s inevitable, so we want it to start under our terms and we’re going to encourage it to start now rather than later,” said Jackson, the University of Albany professor.

Similar to the Proud Boys, irony and humor pervades the boogaloo movement. The boogaloo is sometimes referred to as the “big luau,” so members often don colorful Hawaiian shirts along with rifles and tactical gear.

Several of the men arrested for plotting to kidnap Whitmer were affiliated with boogaloo or expressed sympathy for the movement on social media. Joseph Morrison, the leader of the Wolverine Watchmen, used the alias “Boogaloo Bunyan” in online circles.

“We make up a lot of different mentalities,” said Timothy Teegan, a 22-year-old member of the movement. “We’re constitutionalists, we’re volunteerists, anarchists; people who are lovers of liberty and just want to be left alone by their government.”

Some boogaloo bois have also positioned themselves as pro-Black Lives Matter or in support of anti-fascist protest movements. However, Stall said boogaloo bois generally are “pretty far to the right,” though there are different factions within the movement.

Phil Robinson, a member of the Michigan Liberty Militia, spoke at Thursday, Sep. 17's gun rights rally about how some groups that show up distract from Second Amendment issues. Photo by Nicole Hester, MLive.Nicole Hester

Michigan Liberty Militia

The Michigan Liberty Militia, founded in Barry County in 2015, was a common fixture at political demonstrations across the state last year.

Members of the militia attended protests against Trump’s election loss and COVID-19 executive orders and opposed the removal of a civil war statue depicting a Confederate soldier in Allendale Township.

Michigan Liberty Militia members were a common fixture at anti-lockdown rallies organized by the American Patriot Council, an activist organization created to “restore and sustain a constitutional government.” The ACP maintains a “criminal watch list” of public officials that purportedly violated the Constitution, including Whitmer, Attorney General Dana Nessel and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson.

The ACP was a primary organizer of an April 30, 2020 rally where armed protesters entered the Michigan Capitol, including several men who were later arrested for allegedly plotting to kidnap Whitmer. Protesters demanded entry to the House chambers, while others loomed in the Senate gallery over lawmakers.

Two of the men arrested in the Whitmer kidnapping plot, William and Michael Null, are associates of the Michigan Liberty Militia and were often photographed wearing the group’s insignia during anti-lockdown protests.

Michigan Liberty Militia leader Phil Robertson has been quotedsaying the Null brothers are not guilty. Stall said he considers Wolverine Watchmen to be an offshoot of the Liberty Militia.

“I’d say probably the most important militia actors right now are the Michigan Liberty Militia and the Michigan Home Guard,” he said.

Other groups were quick to distance themselves from the Wolverine Watchmen. Federal court documents show members of militia groups shared information about the plot with authorities.

Michigan Home Guard

The Michigan Home Guard claims to be the largest and most active militia group in the state. The group did not respond to a request for comment but maintains a website that includes some details about its organization.

The Michigan Home Guard describes itself as a nonpartisan “homeland defense force training to protect the Constitution and the people of the United States of America and the State of Michigan.” Members are required to attend two training sessions each quarter to remain in the militia.

The militia has several district leaders led by Rick Foreman, the group’s commander. Foreman did not respond to attempts to reach him.

Armed members of the Michigan Home Guard stood outside Karl Manke’s barbershop last spring as the Owosso barber defied state orders that required he close his business.

Adam Fox, the accused ringleader of the plot to kidnap Whitmer, was reportedly kicked out of the Michigan Home Guard for threatening other members. The militia issued a statement last year condemning the Wolverine Watchmen plot.

Proud Boys rally in downtown Kalamazoo

The Proud Boys

Stall described the Proud Boys as a “far-right street movement” known for brawling with left-wing activists. The national organization has been designated a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

In Michigan, local chapters of The Proud Boys participated in anti-lockdown protests, appeared at former President Donald Trump’s campaign rallies and clashed with counter-protesters in the streets of Kalamazoo during an August 2020 march through the city.

The Proud Boys aren’t a militia but are evolving into a more militant organization, Stall said. The use of military-style equipment may have been a response to violence at demonstrations in Kalamazoo and other cities like Portland, he said.

“Michigan’s chapter of the Proud Boys, more so than pretty much any chapter across the country, are way more likely to show up with long rifles and plate carriers and be pretty decked out and look like a militia platoon,” Stall said.

According to a website for The Proud Boys Michigan chapter, members must support Trump. The webpage outlines four ranks of membership.

Members in the “second degree” are expected to “get the crap beaten out of you by at least five guys until you can name five breakfast cereals” and are prohibited from masturbating. The highest degree of membership is bestowed on members who engage in a “major conflict for the cause,” including being arrested or being involved in a “serious physical fight.”

The Proud Boys were active across Michigan last year.

Fennville City Commissioner Morgan Bolles faced calls to resign after the Holland Sentinel reported on his involvement with The Proud Boys. Bolles said he hassince disconnected from the group.

Members of the group spoke before the Grand Traverse County Board of Commissioners during a March 2020 hearing on a resolution to make the county a “Second Amendment sanctuary.” Three months later, The Proud Boys held a counter-protest in Traverse City in response to a Black Lives Matter demonstration.

Earlier this month, Grand Traverse County Vice Chair Ron Clous displayed his rifle during a public meeting livestream when a resident expressed concerns about The Proud Boys’ involvement in the Jan. 6 Capitol riots. Clous, who did not respond to a request for comment, told the Traverse City Record-Eagle he would not denounce the Proud Boys, saying that they “were decent guys and they treated us with respect.”

Commission Chair Rob Hentschel, who laughed on camera when he saw the gun, also defended The Proud Boys. Hentschel said he did not see how they are a hate group because the group’s membership includes people of color.

Proud Boys Chairman Enrique Tarrio is a Cuban-American and served as also the Florida director of “Latinos for Trump” on the former president’s campaign. Stall, the ACLED researcher, said the group loves to highlight Tarrio’s leadership when confronted with accusations of supporting white supremacy.

“White supremacist is a descriptor that doesn’t necessarily mean that your group is all white,” Stall said. “It just means that you’re supporting a system that places white people above other people, and I think in a lot of cases the organizations is still that. They are far-right, and will a lot of times dip into bald-faced fascism.”

Three Percenters

This is an example of how defining extremist groups can be tricky. Three Percenters (III%ers) are part of the militia movement but not a specific group itself.

Instead, the term refers to a discredited historical claim that only 3% of residents in colonial Americans took up arms to fight against the British. The concept of a small group of patriots standing against tyranny is a core belief of militia members.

“Three percenters isn’t an organization, there’s no chain of command,” Jackson said. “Instead, it’s a broad movement of unaffiliated groups that have adopted the rhetoric or the language of Three Percenters into their name or into their group iconography or something like that.”

Last summer, a self-proclaimed Three Percenter leader in Wisconsin said he had hosted rifle training for some of the men who were arrested for planning to kidnap Whitmer.

Clinton Township resident Don Atkinson, 50, wore Three Percenter patches on camouflaged fatigues while standing outside Lansing’s Capitol on the day of President Joe Biden’s inauguration. Atkinson, a U.S. Air Force veteran, said the patch is a “patriotic symbol.”

Atkinson was shocked by the Jan. 6 riots and expressed concern about militias participating in protests. Atkinson, armed with a rifle, said he didn’t trust the election result but is willing to give Biden a chance as the new president.

“I mean, I’m not sure what I could to do shoot him down, so to speak,” Atkinson said.

The Base

The Base is a violent neo-Nazi group focused on starting a “race war” in the U.S. and establish a white ethnostate. A national FBI counterterrorism operationresulted in the arrests of several terror suspects in the last year, including Michigan residents Justen Watkins, 25, and Aflred Gorman, 35.

Watkins was allegedly the group’s self-proclaimed leaderand ran a paramilitary “hate camp” in Northern Michigan.

Watkins and Gorman were charged with felony counts of gang membership, unlawful posting of a message and using computers to commit a crime. They were arrested in October, weeks after the Wolverine Watchmen were apprehended.

The charges stem from a December 2019 incident where The Base mistakenly targeted a Michigan family’s home they thought belonged to a podcaster who covers the neo-Nazi movement.

The Department of Justice found tactical gear, Nazi memorabilia and weapons during a raid of a Bad Axe farmhouse owned by the father of Watkins’ friend.

According to Michigan Attorney General’s office, The Base was founded in 2018 and purports to be training for a race war to establish white rule in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

Challenges in 2021

Law enforcement officials and researchers who track right-wing groups warn more unrest could be on the horizon. The forces which led to the rise of armed militias haven’t gone away.

Vinyard argues in her book that anti-government groups gain mainstream appeal in times of crisis. The global pandemic, shattered economy and contentious election created a volatile environment and plenty of reasons to distrust the government.

“People think that they don’t have some legitimate grievances, and they do have some legitimate grievances,” Vinyard said in an interview. “We’ve been brought up on the American dream, and many of these people in the rank and file are people who feel like they haven’t achieved the American dream. They get misinformation, maybe the internet has also fed all of this, but they feel aggrieved.”

Biden has entered office with a pledge to fix the country’s ongoing crises and restore unity. But the new administration is also expected to provide militias with an opponent to rally against.

Stall said militias are usually mobilized when Democrats take office. Biden’s plans to enact new gun control laws will undoubtedly incite far-right groups, he said.

Crothers said extremist groups will likely remain on edge regardless of what Biden does in office. Demonstrably false information and conspiracy theories were a driving force behind extremist activity last year, he said.

“There are people living in an alternate information universe, who are in a conversation with each other, in which the actual facts have long since stopped mattering,” Crothers said.

READ MORE ON MLIVE:

Domestic terrorism represents growing threat to United States

Michigan congressman backs bill to track domestic terrorism, stop neo-Nazis from infiltrating police

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mich 3 %

The Liberty Vanguard

P.O. Box 231

Jamison, PA 18929

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apologized?

Yes, that is correct. Michael Joseph Foy, a former Marine from Wixom, Michigan, was sentenced to prison for assaulting a Capitol Police officer with a hockey stick during the January 6th Capitol riot. He was found guilty of assaulting a law enforcement officer and obstructing an official proceeding.

Foy used the hockey stick to strike officers at least 11 times in 16 seconds. He hit one officer who had already fallen, and his actions were described by the prosecution as some of the most vicious violence during the melee. Foy served in the US Marine Corps from 2015 to June 2020. He was sentenced to 3 years and 4 months in prison.

newsweek

Michigan man who is accused of beating police officers with a hockey stick during the January 6 insurrection at the Capitol has been denied bond.

Michael Foy, 30, of Wixom, was described by prosecutors as "among the most violent of all participants" during the attack in Washington, D.C.

Foy, a former U.S. Marine, is accused of attacking police with a hockey stick wrapped in a Donald Trump flag at least 10 times as they guarded the entrance to the building. He also threw what appeared to be a "sharpened pole" at the officers.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Patricia Morris ordered Foy remain detained until his case is moved to the district court in Washington, D.C., citing concerns about his mental health and the allegations of violence against him.

According to a written statement from Assistant U.S. Attorney Hank Moon, Foy was videoed striking police officers with a hockey stick nearly a dozen times on January 6.

"Not satisfied with assault, he then appears to have rallied others to join him before crawling through a destroyed window and into the Capitol, weapon in hand," Moon said.

Moon said the scene inside the Capitol became"chaotic, graphic, and brutal."

"Rioters hurled projectiles at the officers and physically assaulted them, often using weapons like poles, bottles, and, in Foy's case, a hockey stick," Moon added.

"Several officers were dragged into the crowd, stripped of their protective gear, and beaten. Other rioters used crowbars and other tools to knock the windows out of the Capitol so rioters could enter.

"At one point, before the worst of the melee began, Foy threw what appears to be a sharpened pole at the officers. A few seconds later, one of the rioters rushed the officers, knocking one of them to the ground. Foy jumped at the opportunity, immediately rushing towards the officers with his hockey stick raised."

Other videos allegedly show Foy assaulting a Capitol Police officer who was on the ground trying to protect himself.

"Foy's conduct here is some of the most violent that occurred at the riot on January 6," Moon said. "He, a former Marine trained in combat, brought a hockey stick to a riot at the Capitol, and when things started to get out of hand, he took a leading role in the violence."

When FBI agents arrested Foy at his home on January 21, they found a hockey stick at his residence.

Foy's attorney, Colleen Fitzharris, raised her client's military service and lack of prior criminal convictions while arguing he should be released from custody.

"When we look beyond a single day in a 30-year life, we see a steady history of compliant, law-abiding behavior," Fitzharris said.

Foy has also reportedly been struggling with alcohol addiction, post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.

Foy is charged with entering a restricted building with the intent to disrupt government business while carrying a dangerous weapon, interfering with law enforcement during civil disorder, forcibly assaulting an officer of the U.S., and obstructing an official proceeding.

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beast

Crime & Justice

Former Marine Charged in Riots Hurled ‘Sharpened Pole’ at Capitol Police: Feds

‘CHAOTIC, GRAPHIC, AND BRUTAL’

Prosecutors said Michael Foy’s actions during the Jan. 6 riots “were among the most violent of all participants.”

Pilar Melendez

Senior National Reporter

:{Published Jan. 25 2021

Criminal Complaint

A former Marine charged with assaulting police officers during the Capitol riots with a hockey stick also launched a massive, “sharpened pole” at cops during his attack, authorities revealed.

Michael Joseph Foy, a 30-year-old from Westland, Michigan, was charged Friday with several crimes, including obstruction of law enforcement and forcibly assaulting an officer, after striking cops with a hockey stick “at least 10 times” during the Jan. 6 riots. In a detention memo filed Sunday evening, federal prosecutors also revealed that at one point during the melee, Foy “threw what appears to be a sharpened pole at the officers.”

“Foy’s actions on January 6 were among the most violent of all participants,” prosecutors state in a 15-page detention memo arguing for Foy to be held as he awaits trial. “Foy is both a danger to the community and poses a risk of nonappearance.”

During a Monday hearing, a federal magistrate judge ordered Foy, who served 5 years in the Marine Corps and is trained in combat, to remain behind bars after prosecutors played footage of his violent attack for the court. Foy's court-appointed attorney argued that his client has had a hard time adjusting to civilian life after he was discharged from duty.

Rioter Beat DC Cop With Hockey Stick at Capitol Siege: DOJ

‘LET’S GO’

In the detention memo, prosecutors state that moments after Foy threw the pole at the officers trying to defend the Capitol from thousands of MAGA supporters, rioters rushed officers and knocked one to the ground.

“The scene is chaotic, graphic, and brutal. Rioters hurled projectiles at the officers and physically assaulted them, often using weapons like poles, bottles, and in Foy’s case, a hockey stick,” the detention memo states. “Several officers were dragged into the crowd, stripped of their protective gear, and beaten. Other rioters used crowbars and other tools to knock the windows out of the Capitol so rioters could enter.”

Prosecutors state Foy jumped at the opportunity to attack the cops, “immediately rushing towards the officers with his hockey stick raised.” The memo adds that videos from the insurrection show the former Marine “violently assaulting Capitol Police Officers—including [one] officer on the ground, unable to fully protect himself.”

Video captured from inside the mob shows that Foy “swung (and appears to have struck officers with) his hockey stick no fewer than 10 times.” The assault was captured in a New York Times video and on body-camera footage from one of the officers on the ground who was hit by Foy’s hockey stick, prosecutors state.

Screen_Shot_2021-01-25_at_1.34.22_PM_za05kn

Criminal Complaint

After Foy repeatedly beat officers “in the face, head, neck, and body area,” he took “a leadership role in the chaos” and encouraged the crowd to charge into the Capitol through broken windows, the memo notes. Foy crawled through a broken window into the Capitol with his hockey stick in hand.

“Foy’s actions were some of the most aggressive and violent at the January 6 riot. Far from a mere participant, Foy took a leadership role: he personally attacked officers and appears to have led others into the Capitol,” the memo states.

The memo notes that Foy’s conduct has only “escalated” since he participated in a Nov. 6 protest at the TCF Center in Detroit. The rally, where Foy was pictured wrapped in an American flag, was held in support of former President Donald Trump and in outrage over the election results in Michigan—where President Joe Biden won. There is no indication Foy brought a weapon to the Nov. 6 protest—a stark contrast to the violent assault at the Capitol just two months later.

Gym Owner Who Defied Lockdown Attacked Cop at Riots: Feds

‘WHAT PATRIOTS DO?’

Pilar Melendez, Danika Fears

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Prosecutors also expressed concern over Foy’s alleged substance abuse, noting the 30-year-old reported drinking “ten beers per day, as recently as January 20—the day before he was arrested.”

Foy has access to two long guns at his home. His mother, who offered to be his “third-party custodian” if he was released, also has about 10 firearms in her home but said she would remove her weapons, prosecutors said.

“Michael Foy poses a demonstrated danger to the community and to himself if released on bond. He stormed the Capitol and assaulted police officers. His conduct was more than violent, it was reckless. The severity of his conduct coupled with his current mental health issues make Foy a danger to the community and to himself,” the memo reads.

Pilar Melendez

Senior National Reporter

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fbi

Based on further investigation, the FBI was able to determine that the individual identified above was Michael Joseph Foy, the son of Joseph Foy. Specifically, on or about January 19, 2021, the FBI discovered a Facebook account for Joseph Foy (JOSEPH), from Detroit, Michigan, and currently residing in Westland, Michigan. I have reviewed the Driver’s License photograph for JOSEPH, and it matches the photographs posted on JOSEPH’s Facebook account. Additionally, JOSEPH’s current address is listed in Westland, Michigan. JOSEPH’s Facebook page also contains a post dated January 6, 2021, and the post has a photograph of a male, dressed in the same clothing and carrying a hockey stick with a Trump flag draped from it, similar to that carried by the male in the aforementioned video and pictures. This man is wrapped in an American Flag and standing in front of the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C. A comment from another Facebook user asked, “Was he the guy sitting in Nancy Pelosi’s chair?” JOSEPH replied, “[Facebook user] he was raised better,” suggesting that JOSEPH could be self-identifying as the man’s father.

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click vid

WIXOM, Mich. – Michael Joseph Foy, a Marine from Wixom, has been charged with attacking a police officer with a hockey stick during the deadly siege on the U.S. Capitol Building that left six dead.

Authorities believe Foy may have went to the U.S. Capitol with sinister intentions.

A video that captured a violent riot breaking into the U.S. Capitol Building as D.C. Metro Police tried to keep them out went viral worldwide. A man can be seen in the video using a hockey stick as a weapon to chop away at a police officer who had been knocked to the ground.

The video is one piece of evidence that led FBI agents to a condo in Wixom and to Foy.

Neighbors said Foy rented the condo with his brother. Sources said Foy didn’t speak about politics or President Donald Trump often, but he still was front-and-center in Downtown Detroit during protests when votes for the 2020 U.S. General Election were being counted.

Steve Dolunt is a retired Detroit Police Assistant Chief and law enforcement expert.

“It’s a hockey stick. He’s hitting him very very hard,” Dolunt said of the viral video. “He uses the stick as a weapon.”

Dolunt said it looked like Foy could have killed the police officer.

“He could have and didn’t care who was in his way and what he did,” Dolunt said.

Foy is a Marine, but it’s unclear the circumstanced under which he was discharged. At some point, Dolunt said he had been radicalized and the hockey stick was brought for a reason.

“It appears that his intent was initially to damage property,” Dolunt said. “But then he went overboard and violently attacked a police officer. It doesn’t matter if it’s a police officer or an average citizen, you can’t do that. It’s against the law.”

Foy remains in federal custody. If convicted, he could be in jail for 20 years.

“Our official statement is that our hearts are broken,” read a statement from Foy’s father. “We love our son very much.”

Foy is expected to return to court Monday.

Related:

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About the Authors

Shawn Ley

Shawn Ley is an Emmy-Award winning reporter. In more than 20 years covering stories in television news, Shawn’s reporting has taken him from war-torn eastern Europe, to reporting from an F-16 fighter jet and now to the fast and furious breaking news of Detroit.

Dane Kelly headshot

Dane Kelly

Dane is a producer and media enthusiast. He previously worked freelance video production and writing jobs in Michigan, Georgia and Massachusetts. Dane graduated from the Specs Howard School of Media Arts.

[### Marine vet who hit police with hockey stick at Capitol gets 3 ...

_Marine Corps Times_

https://www.marinecorpstimes.com › 2024/03/01 › mar...](https://www.marinecorpstimes.com/veterans/2024/03/01/marine-vet-who-hit-police-with-hockey-stick-at-capitol-gets-3-years/)

Mar 1, 2024 — Marine veteran Michael Joseph Foy swung his hockey stick at police officers, hitting them at least 11 times in 16 seconds.

Missing: beat ‎| Show results with: beat

[### Michael Foy's January 6 attack on police with a hockey stick

AP News

https://apnews.com › projects › michael-joseph-foy](https://apnews.com/projects/january-6-cases/michael-joseph-foy.html)

Video shows Michael Foy, circled in red, repeatedly attacking police with a hockey stick while other rioters use a host of makeshift weapons.

[### Video shows Wixom man beating cops with hockey stick in ...

Detroit Free Press

https://www.freep.com › michigan › detroit › 2021/01/29](https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2021/01/29/us-capitol-riot-hockey-stick-michael-foy/4310498001/)

Jan 29, 2021 — The federal government has released body cam video from the Jan. 6 US Capitol riot that it says shows a Wixom man assaulting police officers with a hockey ...

[### Oakland County man sentenced in Jan. 6 insurrection ...

ClickOnDetroit | WDIV Local 4

https://www.clickondetroit.com › local › 2025/01/21](https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/local/2025/01/21/oakland-county-man-sentenced-in-jan-6-insurrection-released-from-prison/)

Jan 21, 2025 — Michael Foy, of Wixom, was charged and sentenced for attacking a police officer with a hockey stick during the deadly siege on the U.S. Capitol.

[### Man Accused of Beating Officer With Hockey Stick in ...

_The New York Times_

https://www.nytimes.com › U.S. › Politics](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/21/us/politics/michael-joseph-foy-arrested-capitol-riot.html)

Jan 23, 2021 — Federal authorities in Michigan have arrested a man suspected of using a hockey stick to repeatedly hit police officers during the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol.

[### Michael Foy, Former Marine Who Beat Officer With Hockey ...

Newsweek

https://www.newsweek.com › capitol-riot-michael-foy-...](https://www.newsweek.com/capitol-riot-michael-foy-hockey-stick-1564455)

Jan 26, 2021 — Michael Foy, 30, of Wixom, was described by prosecutors as "among the most violent of all participants" during the attack in Washington, D.C..

[### 11 Strikes in 16 Seconds: One Capitol Rioter's Violent ...

U.S. News & World Report

https://www.usnews.com › News › Political News](https://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2024-09-06/11-strikes-in-16-seconds-one-capitol-rioters-violent-attack-on-police-with-a-hockey-stick)

Sep 6, 2024 — A US Marine Corps veteran from Michigan attacked police officers with a hockey stick, wildly swinging it at least 11 times in 16 seconds.

Missing: beat ‎| Show results with: beat

[### Michael Foy

ClickOnDetroit | WDIV Local 4

https://www.clickondetroit.com › topic › Michael_Foy](https://www.clickondetroit.com/topic/Michael_Foy/)

WASHINGTON – The Wixom man accused of beating a police officer with a hockey stick during the Capitol riot on January 6 was denied bond on Monday. Attorneys for ...

[### Michigan Man Sentenced to Prison for Assault of a Law ...

Department of Justice (.gov)

https://www.justice.gov › usao-dc › michigan-man-sent...](https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/michigan-man-sentenced-prison-assault-law-enforcement-officer-and-obstruction-during-jan)

Feb 28, 2024 — Michael Joseph Foy, 32, of Wixom, Michigan, was sentenced to 40 months in prison and 24 months of supervised release by US District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan.

Missing: Marine ‎| Show results with: Marine

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an 1123

in 2020, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer was, according to the FBI and U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) officials, the target of a kidnapping plot by far-right militia extremists. The would-be kidnappers, angry over Whitmer's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, reportedly planned to subject her to a fake "trial" and execute her if convicted.

Altogether, 14 people faced federal criminal charges for their alleged roles in the plot; five were convicted by a jury, four entered "guilty" pleas, and five were acquitted. Two of the ones who were acquitted, twin brothers Michael and William Null, were recently honored by far-right Michigan State Rep. Rachelle Smit — who, the Daily Beast reports, honored them at a late-October ceremony."

In a report published on November 8, the Daily Beast's Kelly Weill emphasizes that Smit and other far-right MAGA Republicans are seriously distorting the facts in the plot to kidnap Whitmer.

At the ceremony, Weill reports, Smit gave Michael and Wiliam Null a certificate that read, "Michael Null is an outstanding example of the kind of person who is not content to sit idly while the forces of tyranny attack our Republic. Through his courageous efforts to expose the government's false-flag Whitmer conspiracy, he has made it clear that we all have opportunities each and every day to put our love of country to good use in helping out our fellow citizens."

The certificate also said, "Michael Null could have given up. His government — state and federal — betrayed him: it sent members of its secret police forces to concoct a plot to 'kidnap' Gretchen Whitmer, and to persecute innocent men in this government-orchestrated conspiracy, for the purpose of political theater and political gain."

But Smit, according to Weill, downplays the fact that nine of the defendants in the Whitmer case were either convicted or pled guilty.

"When the FBI announced the arrests of 14 men accused of plotting to kidnap Whitmer, Michigan’s Democratic governor in 2020, commentators on the right were quick to call it a hoax," Weill explains. "While on the 2022 campaign trail, Michigan Republicans even falsely accused Whitmer of concocting the plot herself. When two men were acquitted in the scheme, a GOP gubernatorial candidate running against Whitmer baselessly asserted that 'the FBI conceived a plot to kidnap Gretchen Whitmer and preyed on Michiganders to push it along.'"

The MAGA gubernatorial candidate that Weill is referring to is Garrett Soldano.Far-right conspiracy theorist Julie Kelly, Weill notes, has also described the kidnapping plot as a "hoax."

In response to Smit honoring the Hull Brothers, former Michigan GOP Chairman Jeff Timmer told the Beast, "It's this normalizing, inch by inch, of political violence, making what would've previously been intolerable tolerable in the sense that we just have become numb to it. It's not too distant — if it's distant at all — from the Republican Party, its elected officials, and its party officers…. many of whom, prominent members of Congress from Michigan, members of the legislature, members of the elected party apparatus, have ties to these people who were part of the kidnapping plot."

Barbara McQuade, a former federal prosecutor and frequent legal analyst for MSNBC, described honoring the Hull Brothers as "a very dangerous and reckless move."

McQuade told the Beast, "They were acquitted at trial. And certainly, that means that the jury found that the government had failed to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt, and we should respect that verdict. But it's quite another thing to celebrate political violence."

*Read The Daily Beast's full report at this link (subscription required).

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https://www.alternet.org/2021/03/republican-paramilitaries/

no lnx

ron Johnson said recently that he wasn't scared when, on January 6, armed insurgents sacked and looted the United States Capitol. They "love this country," the Wisconsin Republican said. But "had the tables been turned and President Trump won the election and tens of thousands of Black Lives Matter and antifa [stormed the seat of government], I might have been a little concerned."

That statement was disturbing not only for the implicit racism it carried, but for the stunning confirmation of what's becoming clear to those of us who are paying attention. The Republican Party has a paramilitary problem, and it isn't new.

During his 2016 campaign, Donald Trump alleged, without proof, that the electoral system was fraudulent, raising concerns about the impact that his false accusations would have in the event of his defeat. His unexpected victory opened the door to the far-right fringe and legitimized efforts that contributed to strengthening the ties between them. Many feared that this close relationship would be critical in the 2020 presidential election cycle, with rising domestic tensions and the role that paramilitaries would play in addition to Trump's false claims about the election.

It has been clear for some time now that the Republican Party had a more-than-welcoming attitude toward certain paramilitary groups.The deadly events in Charlottesville in 2017, although fundamentally led by white supremacists called by the former president "very fine people," also had protection services provided by paramilitaries. The following year, more signs of backing for their man in the White House came from Trump-supporting paramilitary groups targeting Muslims. In Oregon, a walkout staged by Republican state senators, in 2019, gained support from paramilitary groups that made credible threats against a planned rally.

For almost three decades, these paramilitaries (thought to be in the hundreds across the country) have viewed the government as the adversary. With a friend residing in the White House, however, these groups experienced an identity crisis. This need for an enemy explains the shift into targeting immigrants and religious minorities. It wasn't just to please their man. It was to embrace a cause allowing them to grow.

After Trump won, there was an increase in the number of paramilitary groups, but the GOP has been no stranger to them. In 2017, a local chapter of the Republican Party in Oregon passed a resolution allowing paramilitaries (the Oath Keepers and the Three Percenters, for instance) to provide security at the local party events. These groups are part of the Patriot Movement, a loose far-right network affiliated with the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing and armed confrontations in Nevada and Oregon in 2016.

The Republican Party seems to be very comfortable with these groups around, as we have seen in Nevada, Oregon, Michigan, and other states. However, this is not a recent venture, since the accounts of strengthening ties can be traced back even before Trump won the election in 2016. The openness about their common interests is perhaps new, but it's not surprising. Alarms were sounded when state Senate Majority Leader, Republican Mike Shirkey of Michigan, participated in a rally organized by paramilitaries that stormed the Michigan Capitol back in April 2020 alongside a member of a group involved in the planned kidnapping of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

Though Michigan has a history of paramilitaries, the state GOP had tied itself to them, especially since the election as party co-chair of Meshawn Maddock. She organized a protest to interrupt ballot counting in Detroit, where paramilitaries were present.

Johnson's statement is outrageous, not only for the racism, but also for the approval of white armed groups as opposed to unarmed groups as well as the acknowledgement that he didn't feel threatened by them since they were exercising their freedom. Compare that to his comments about BLM and Antifa, but that's another discussion.

The connections the Republican Party has with paramilitaries are not ambiguous, yet the ongoing investigation into the Capitol attack will likely provide more evidence of the extremely disturbing behavior of the formerly conservative party. Ties between not only Trump and his associates, like Roger Stone, whose security detail included members of the Oath Keepers, but the GOP at state and local levels, should bring into the discussion how one of the major parties in the country is going to stand for democracy while leading a double-life with paramilitaries bent on racial supremacy.

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https://www.alternet.org/2020/12/michigan-election/

hunter kos

the *Detroit Free Press* reports that the Michigan House and Senate buildings will be closed both to staffers and the public on Monday as the state's electors to the Electoral College meet to cast their votes for the state's presidential winner, Joe Biden. The Capitol was already expected to be closed to the public during the Electoral College meeting; this new, expanded closure also includes the building's legislative staff.

While neither Michigan State Police nor a spokesperson for the House Speaker's office would explain the reason for the closure, other than it being due to "security concerns," State Rep. Kevin Hertel tweeted that it was due to "credible threats" that "have been made as Michigan's electors" meet.

The state has been a hotspot of fascist militia activity. Michigan legislators has been the subject of armed protests by the far right and the Michigan governor, a Democrat, was the intended victim of a domestic terrorism plot in which members of a far-right group sought to kidnap and possibly execute her over the state's pandemic safety measures.

Only a week ago, armed rightwing protesters with the intellect of flatworms demonstrated at the house of Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson over rabid Republican conspiracy theories claiming Joe Biden's win over Donald Trump was fraudulent and/or a conspiracy.

There is no word on what security measures are in place as a response to the apparent "credible" threats aimed at disrupting the electors' official vote. Michigan state Republicans, however, have repeatedly encouraged the state's violent conspiracy theorists, most recently by inviting Trump "lawyers" Rudy Giuliani and Jenna Ellis to present their election conspiracy claims to the Republican-led House.

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ref

wapo no lnx

Armed protesters alleging voter fraud surrounded the home of Michigan’s secretary of state

Michigan state officials decried protesters who gathered outside Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson's home, accusing the group of “terrorizing” her family. (Paul Sancya/AP)

By Katie Shepherd

Dec. 7, 2020

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson had just finished wrapping string lights around her home’s portico on Saturday evening and was about to watch “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” with her 4-year-old son when a crowd of protesters marched up carrying American flags and guns.

About two dozen protesters chanted “Stop the Steal” and accused Benson, a Democrat and Michigan’s chief election officer, of ignoring widespread voter fraud — an echo of President Trump’s continued unfounded claims as he seeks to overturn the results of the election that President-elect Joe Biden won.

“She’s decided to completely ignore all of the credible, credible, fraudulent evidence that has been continually pointed out,” demonstrator Genevieve Peters said of Benson, as she live-streamed the protest in Detroit on Facebook. “We’re out here in front of the secretary of state’s house and we want her to know we will continue to be here.”

Although the group dispersed with no arrests when police responded just before 10 p.m. Saturday, Michigan state officials accused the group of “terrorizing” Benson’s family.

“They shouted baseless conspiracy theories about the election, and in videos uploaded to social media, at least one individual could be heard shouting ‘you’re murderers’ within earshot of her child’s bedroom,” Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel (D) and Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy (D) said in a joint statement on Sunday. “This mob-like behavior is an affront to basic morality and decency.”

They added that “terrorizing children and families at their own homes is not activism.”

Vitriolic rhetoric has led bipartisan leaders to warn that Trump’s baseless attacks on the election are endangering election officials’ lives. Multiple Michigan officials have reported being threatened and harassed over the election results, as have officials in Georgia, Arizona, Vermont, Kentucky, Minnesota and Colorado.

Election officials warn Trump’s escalating attacks on voting are putting their staffs at risk

Benson also tied the Saturday protest to ongoing efforts by Trump’s supporters to undermine the election since polls closed on Election Day. On Nov. 4, election challengers shouted “Stop the count” inside a Detroit vote-counting center. About two weeks later, GOP appointees on the Wayne County Board of Canvassers initially refused to certify election results in the Detroit area, but later reversed course and formalized Biden’s victory.

Trump and his campaign have also challenged the election results in Michigan, calling on a discredited witness who went viral for her strange testimony on alleged election fraud, which she presented without evidence, in front of a state House panel.

Trump campaign’s star witness in Michigan was deemed ‘not credible.’ Then, her loud testimony went viral.

“Through blatantly false press releases, purely political legislative hearings, bogus legal claims and so called ‘affidavits’ that fail to allege any clear or cogent evidence of wrongdoing, those unhappy with the results of this election have perpetuated an unprecedented, dangerous, egregious campaign to erode the public’s confidence in the results of one of the most secure, accessible and transparent elections in our state’s history,” Benson said in a statement Sunday.

The individuals gathered outside my home targeted me as Michigan’s Chief Election officer. But their threats were actually aimed at the 5.5million Michigan citizens who voted in this fall’s election, seeking to overturn their will. They will not succeed in doing so. My statement: pic.twitter.com/RSUnPSN4Aa

— Jocelyn Benson (@JocelynBenson) December 7, 2020

Benson is far from the only elected official who has been targeted this year by protesters at their residences.

People displeased with the coronavirus restrictions put in place by Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) gathered in front of her Lansing home in April. Protesters opposing police violence against Black men this summer targeted mayors at their homes in Los Angeles; Portland, Ore.; Chicago; Seattle, and St. Louis.

Armed protestersalso flooded the Michigan Capitol in April to demand legislators put an end to a stay-at-home order in the state. The state’s Republican lawmakers complied, but Whitmer extended restrictions with executive orders anyway.

Public officials, including Benson on Sunday, have largely defended the right to protest while opposing demonstrations that target elected leaders at their homes.

“A line is crossed when gatherings are done with the primary purpose of intimidation of public officials who are carrying out the oath of office they solemnly took,” Benson said.

But Benson also said Saturday’s protest wouldn’t lead her to abandon her responsibility to defend the election results.

“Through threats of violence, intimidation, and bullying,the armed people outside my homeand their political allies seek to undermine and silence the will and voices of every voter in this state, no matter who they voted for,” Benson said. “But their efforts won’t carry the day.”

She called Michigan’s election results “unequivocal” and said she would defend the votes of 5.5 million Michigan citizens. With 2,804,040 votes, Biden won 50.62 percent of the vote in Michigan, surpassing Trump by more than 154,000 votes. The state’s results were certified on Nov. 23.

“The will of the people is clear,” she said. “And I will stand up every day in my job for all voters, even the votes of the protesters who banded together outside my home.”

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an 1220

texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit asking the U.S. Supreme Court to throw out the election results in four states that President-elect Joe Biden won: Michigan, Pennsylvania, Georgia and Wisconsin. Michigan's Democratic attorney general, Dana Nessel, slammed Paxton for his frivolous lawsuitduring a December 9 appearance on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" — stressing that Paxton's "publicity stunt" is showing a deep contempt for democracy. She also compared the barrage of GOP election lawsuits to the character Jason, a hockey mask-wearing serial killer in the "Friday the 13th" series of horror movies.

"This post-election process has been like a 'Friday the 13th moment," Nessel told "Morning Joe" host Mika Brzezinski. "No matter how many times you shoot Jason or you stab Jason or you electrocute Jason, he just keeps on coming back at you over and over again — and he just won't stay down…. The claims (in these lawsuits) have been debunked time and time again, but it continues to erode people's faith and confidence in our electoral system. And that's the real lasting and damaging element of this, unfortunately."

Nessel noted that numerous GOP election lawsuits have been rejected or thrown out in the courts, including a Pennsylvania-related lawsuit that the U.S. Supreme Court has refused to even consider. Republican supporters of President Donald Trump have filed one lawsuit after another attacking the election results and claiming, without evidence, that Trump was the victim of widespread voter fraud. Paxton, in his lawsuit, alleges widespread voter fraud in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Georgia and Wisconsin but offers no proof of it.

"Everything about this lawsuit is egregious and disturbing," Nessel told Brzezinski. "But we have to take it seriously from the perspective of….. the lasting damage it is doing to our democracy."

According to Nessel, "The Texas AG seeks to overturn the will of the voters in four other states that he certainly does not represent. But he is essentially asking that the slate of electors for Biden in all four of these states — where, of course, the election has already been certified — be instead overturned, and that a slate of electors be chosen by the Republican legislatures to reflect a Trump win in all four states where we know very well that Biden won. And in my state, it was by over 150,000 votes. The vote was not even close."

On "Morning Joe," Nessel also discussed a frightening incident in which armed Trump supporters recently surrounded the home of Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and shouted what Benson described as "baseless conspiracy theories about the election." Like Nessel, Benson is part of the Democratic administration of Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who was recently the target of a kidnapping plot by far-right white nationalists and militia members.

Grateful to state & local law enforcement who are working to protect my family, but by far the biggest thanks of al… https://t.co/IEoDM88nCg

— Jocelyn Benson (@Jocelyn Benson)1607304127.0

Nessel told Brzezinski, "This could all end tomorrow if Donald Trump would do the decent thing and concede the election…. Instead, he continues to cling to their false (accusation) that he was somehow cheated out of this election."

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https://www.alternet.org/2020/10/michigan-republicans-struggle-with-recognition-of-their-own-roles-in-fueling-militia-kidnap-plot}:

david n kos

discovering that terrorists can look like the guys next door is a jarring thing, especially if that's not how you've been conditioned to think of such matters. In Michigan this week, cognitive dissonance has been thick on the ground—especially as public officials who came too close to the plotters and their incendiary rhetoric have tried to wrestle with the consequences of last week's arrests of 13 Michigan militiamen who schemed to kidnap and assassinate Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

A local sheriff who had appeared onstage at an anti-Whitmer rally this spring suggested to a TV interviewer that maybe the plotters—some of whom he knows personally—were just trying to make a citizens arrest. A Republican state legislative candidate opined that the arrests were "a totally bogus sham." And the state's Republican Speaker of the House, who has helped stoke the incendiary "tyranny" rhetoric that fueled the plotters, chastised Whitmer for pointing out the connection between the plotters' actions and the rhetoric used by Donald Trump and Michigan Republicans. [vid rally w. da bois and dar]

Dar Leaf, the sheriff of Barry County—where two of the accused domestic terrorists, William and Michael Null, reside and were arrested by the FBI Thursday—told a Grand Rapids interviewer that he believed the men might have been within their rights.

"It's just a charge, and they say a 'plot to kidnap' and you got to remember that. Are they trying to kidnap? Because a lot of people are angry with the governor, and they want her arrested. So are they trying to arrest or was it a kidnap attempt? Because you can still in Michigan if it's a felony, make a felony arrest," Leaf told Fox17 reporter Aaron Parshegian.

He added: "The two gentlemen that I know of from my county, were they involved in that? I don't know. They're innocent till proven guilty. And we really, really should be careful, trying to try them in the media."

The evidence unveiled by the FBI included multiple instances of surveillance of Whitmer's summer home, where the militiamen—who called themselves the Wolverine Watchmen—planned to abduct her, as well as multiple instances in which the men discussed killing her. The evidence also showed that not only had the men originally planned a paramilitary assault on the state Capitol, they also made plans to kill law-enforcement officers. The discussion of a "citizens arrest" of Whitmer was largely rhetorical.

Leaf's comments created an uproar. Shortly after the interview aired, Michigan's attorney general, Dana Nessel, ripped into him on Twitter:

As Michigan's top law enforcement official, let me make this abundantly clear-Persons who are not sworn, licensed members of a law enforcement agency cannot and should not "arrest" government offficials with whom they have disagreements. These comments are dangerous.

Leaf tried to defend the remarks subsequently by insisting that he only wanted to ensure that men weren't being "tried in the media."

"I don't want anybody to think I'm sympathetic towards these charges, right, these are very, very serious charges," he said. "What I don't want is I don't want us to be trying it in the media and we mess it up in the justice system somewhere, 'cause they can't get a fair trial."

Leaf told MLive: "The governor has the right to govern and also the right to be safe." Yet he went on to criticize officials like Whitmer and Nessel for blaming people like Trump and himself for creating an atmosphere empowering fringe groups.Leaf said the militia movement "has been brewing for quite some time" over what he described as "a gradual and growing loss of rights."

In fact, as Jen Hayden explored earlier, Leaf is a member of a law-enforcement organization closely aligned with the "Patriot" militia movement with which the plotters identified. He also was an outspoken critic of Whitmer's anti-COVID-19 pandemic orders.

At a May 18 "Michigan Patriots Rally" held at Rosa Parks Circle in Grand Rapids, Leaf had appeared onstage with several militiamen, including Michael Null. In his speech, he compared Whitmer's stay-at-home orders to being held unlawfully under house arrest. Leaf had also described Owosso barber Karl Manke—who had defied the governor's order by opening his shop—a "little version of Rosa Parks."

Meanwhile, Republican legislative candidate Paul Smith of Sterling Heights angrily denounced the arrests on Twitter.

"What a totally bogus sham," Smith commented. "These citizens never did anything illegal. Law enforcement is employed to punish people who COMMIT crimes, not people The Governess simply HATES. You can legally hurt Whitmer by voting out her minions."

State Republican leaders were appalled, and announced they had withdrawn financial and other support for Smith's candidacy, calling the remarks "conspiracy theories and hateful remarks."

"If you can't denounce the evil plans and actions of these white nationalists, we don't want you in our caucus," Republican House Speaker Lee Chatfield said. "In fact, if there's any 'Republican' who thinks like this guy, we don't want your vote either. We don't support domestic terrorism."

Chatfield, however, also chastised Whitmer for her remarks laying some of the blame at Trump's feet that week: "Just last week, the president of the United States stood before the American people and refused to condemn white supremacists and hate groups like these two Michigan militia groups," Whitmer said, adding that extremists had "heard the president's words not as a rebuke but as a rallying cry—as a call to action."

In a Twitter thread, Chatfield criticized Whitmer, claiming she had kept the investigation under wraps: "Why weren't we warned of the plot to take hostages at the Capitol? The plot by these terrorists was against us too. Why weren't House sergeants warned? You knew and we weren't even given a warning. We had people working in the building and their lives matter too." However, it was the FBI, and not Whitmer, who had overseen the sharing of information with potential victims.

Chatfield also suggested that she shared in the blame: "Hatred and violence are wrong, and that's why I've continually denounced it," he wrote. "And I agree, it's time to tone the partisan rhetoric and 'the heat down.' Will you do the same for President Trump? Will the [lieutenant governor] do it to the entire GOP? We have to make this decision together."

However, Chatfield and other leading Michigan Republicans, had played their own not-insignificant roles in whipping up anti-Whitmer hysteria, as Michigan journalist Joshua Pugh pointed out on Twitter. When "Patriot" protesters had locked down Lansing with an anti-Whitmer protest on April 15 that featured Confederate flags and incendiary rhetoric, Chatfield had greeted them by waving a flag out his window and tweeting out encouragement.

Republican Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey had been even more incendiary. On the floor of the Senate during a subsequent Lansing protest—during which armed militia members were watching from the gallery above—Shirkey had called the governor a tyrant: "If she does not recognize the end of the emergency declaration, we have no other choice but to act," he said, not clarifying what kind of action he intended.

After Thursday's arrests, Shirkey was defiant: "This is no time to be weak in our commitment to freedom," Shirkey told a "Let MI People Go" rally at the Capitol. "We need to be strong…and not be afraid of those who are taking our freedoms away from us."

Shirkey also told the crowd at Thursday's rally that they were not the same people involved in the plot to kill the governor. However, the *Detroit Free Press*identified several of the arrestees as participants at the earlier protests against Whitmer's orders.

In Barry County, Leaf's remarks sparked calls for his resignation. Local residents organized a protest demanding he step down or face a recall movement—but that protest was called off when organizers became concerned about the safety of participants amid the likelihood of armed right-wing counter-protesters.

"Whereas I truly believe in the statement we were trying to make, I cannot in good conscience compromise the safety of my fellow Barry County residents," organizer Olivia Bennett wrote on the event's Facebook page.

"I have come to this conclusion for a couple reasons. First, there were many concerns about confrontational counter protesters. Second, this protest garnered enough attention this weekend that crowd size was a concern given short notice, security, and capacity at the commissioners' meeting."

Bennett tried to clarify that she and other protesters aren't suggesting the sheriff was a participant. "We are not accusing him of having known about the kidnapping plot and we are not accusing him of being a part of it at all," Bennett told MLive. "What I am suggesting is his actions and his words embolden people who would attempt to do such things."

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bizarro: trump empthetic and transparent

https://www.mediamatters.org/fox-news/laura-ingraham-says-militia-planned-kidnap-gov-gretchen-whitmer-look-theyre-anarchists-and

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https://www.alternet.org/2020/10/michigan-sheriff-implies-that-extremists-arrested-in-plot-to-kidnap-gretchen-whitmer-were-merely-trying-to-arrest-her/

vid

On Thursday, the FBI announced that six men were facing federal charges in connection with an alleged plot to kidnap and possibly kill Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced that seven of their allies were facing weapons charges at the state level.

And in a new local sheriff who had appeared at a rally with some of the suspects made an awkward effort to defend them, implying that perhaps they were merely trying to "arrest" Whitmer rather than kidnap her.

According to the FBI, far-right extremists (including members of the Wolverine Watchmen, a militia group) planned to kidnap Whitmer and take her to Wisconsin, where they would conduct a "trial" for treason. The militia members were furious with Whitmer for the social distancing restrictions that she ordered in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. And if they found Whitmer guilty of treason, the FBI said, she would be executed.

But when Barry County Sheriff Dar Leaf was interviewed by Fox 17 (a Fox affiliate in Grand Rapids, Michigan), he implied that what the extremists had in mind was not a terrorist plot, but merely a citizens' arrest.

Two of the men facing charges are brothers Michael and William Null, who have been accused of providing support for terrorist acts. Fox 17 aired video that showed Leaf standing alongside William Null at a demonstration in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where both of them protested against Whitmer's stay-at-home order. Leaf was a guest speaker at that event.

Leaf, discussing the Null brothers, told Fox 17, "We can't convict them in the news media here. They do have a right to a fair trial."

Leaf was asked if he had any "regrets" about standing alongside a man who is "now being charged in a plot to kidnap the governor."

He responded, "Well, it's just a charge. And they say a plot to kidnap, and you gotta remember: are they trying to kidnap — because a lot of people are angry with the governor, and they want her arrested. So, are they trying to arrest, or was it a kidnapping attempt? Because in Michigan, if it's a felony, you can make a felony arrest."

Leaf added, "It doesn't say, if you're elected to office, that you're exempt from that arrest. I have to look at it from that angle, and I'm hoping that's more what it is. In fact, these guys are innocent until proven guilty. So, I'm not even sure if they had any part in it."

Leaf's comments are drawing a lot of responses on social media. Twitter user George Schwab, @CpkGeo, posted, "That sheriff needs to go NOW!," and another Twitter user, Eric Brown, @EricBrown1911, wrote, "Words cannot describe the lengths at which people go through to justify ignorance and stupidity."

Detroit-based attorney William Maze, @TheDUILawyer, tweeted, "Insane. But Sheriff Dar Leaf is a member of the far right Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association (CSPOA) and has links on his page to 'Posse,' which can only refer to the right wing hate group Posse Comitatus."

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1020 wolverine watchmen, some at anti-mask ~ stay@ home, barbie in noose

CNN anchor Chris Cuomo on Thursday blasted Attorney General Bill Barr. Cuomo played a video of Rep. Pramila Jayapal questioning the attorney general, which has new importance after the plot to kidnap or murder Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI). In the clip, Rep. Jayapal grilled Barr about widely reported press accounts of the armed takeover of the Michigan state capitol. At least two of the men arrested appeared at the rally. https://twitter.com/ChadLivengood/status/1314332374759542784 "He's damned by his own words," Cuomo declared. "These people were investigating it at the same time. A sitting governor, over a dozen bad guys, months of planning, murderous intent, derivative of the main domestic terror threat we face," he explained. "And he's clueless? How? How is that okay?" Watch:

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https://www.alternet.org/2020/10/here-are-5-far-right-extremist-groups-or-movements-that-pose-a-national-security-threat-in-the-us/

alex h

Throughout the anti-racism protests that have rocked the United States since the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25, President Donald Trump and his obedient sycophants at Fox News have engaged in nonstop fear-mongering over the Antifa movement. But it isn't Antifa that is imperiling the United States from a national security standpoint in 2020 — it is far-right white nationalist and white supremacist groups and extremist militias. And on Thursday, October 8, the danger that white nationalists and militia groups pose was evident when theFBI announced that six men had been arrested in connection with analleged terrorist plot to kidnap and possibly murder Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Six men are facing federal charges, while seven of their allies are facing weapons charges at the state level in Michigan.

The men arrested include members of the Wolverine Watchmen, an anti-government militia group, as well as allies of the Boogaloo movement. As these groups see it, Democrats like Whitmer do not hold power legitimately: the alleged would-be kidnappers, according to the FBI, planned to take Whitmer to Wisconsin after kidnapping her, put her on "trial" and execute her for treason if found guilty. And there is no reason to believe that far-right white extremists will not engage in violence in the weeks ahead if they do not like the way the presidential election is going.

Here are five extremist groups or movements to be worried about in the months to come.

1. The Boogaloo Bois

According to NBC News, some of the Wolverine Watchmen arrested in connection with the alleged terrorist plot against Whitmer are also supporters of the Boogaloo movement — which has been calling for a civil war as well as a race war and seeks the violent overthrow of the U.S. government. Boogaloo members also openly advocate killing police officers. In Northern California, Boogaloo supporter Steven Carrillo was arrested in connection with an armed attack on a federal courthouse in Oakland on May 29. That attack left a security officer from the Federal Protective Service dead.

Trump's claim that Antifa is a terrorist movement is laughable. For all their militant rhetoric, Antifa do not engage in terrorist activities like the alleged plot against Whitmer or the drive-by attack in Oakland. But far-right white nationalist groups do.

2. QAnon

The QAnon movement has been identified by the FBI as a possible source of domestic terrorism, and its sympathizers are making their way to the U.S. House of Representatives. In Georgia, QAnon supporter Marjorie Taylor Greene won a congressional primary on August 11, and given how deeply Republican her district is, it is entirely possible that she will win the general election in November and be sworn into the U.S. House of Representatives in January 2021 — which is incredibly disturbing when one considers what QAnon believes. According to the QAnon conspiracy theory, the U.S. government has been infiltrated by an international ring of pedophiles and Satanists, and Trump was put in power to combat the ring. According to QAnon, an anonymous figure named Q is giving them updates on Trump's battle.

As ludicrous as QAnon's beliefs are, supporters take them quite seriously. And if Trump loses to former Vice President Joe Biden in November and QAnon members feel a sense of desperation, that could make them even more dangerous and unhinged.

3. The Proud Boys

During Trump's debate with Biden on September 29, moderator Chris Wallace (one of the more reasonable conservatives at Fox News) gave Trump every chance to condemn white nationalism and white supremacy. Instead, Trump expressed his solidarity with the far-right Proud Boys — a group of self-described "western chauvinists" who openly advocate violence and have been carrying out violent attacks against members of Black Lives Matter at anti-racism demonstrations. After Trump's endorsement, members of the Proud Boys expressed their feelings of empowerment and declared that they were ready to carry out acts of violence on the president's behalf.

Proud Boys organizer Joe Biggs, following that debate, posted, "Trump basically said to go fuck them up! This makes me so happy." By "them," Biggs was referring to Antifa. And Biggs also posted, "President Trump told the proud boys to stand by because someone needs to deal with ANTIFA...well sir! we're ready!!"

4. The Three Percenters movement

The Three Percenters aren't one specific group, but rather, a movement of far-right militias. Three Percenters are well-armed and engage in military-like training, and they have made it clear that they are fully prepared for armed struggle. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, "Percenterism is one of three core components within the anti-government militia movement, along with the Oath Keepers and traditional militia groups. The reference to '3 Percent' stems from the dubious historical claim that only 3% of American colonists fought against the British during the War of Independence.

5. The Wolverine Watchmen

The Wolverine Watchmen are among the many militia groups that believe that liberals and progressives and anti-Trump conservatives do not hold power legitimately and that it is their duty to wage armed struggle against their enemies. According to the FBI, the Wolverine Watchmen believed that Whitmer had violated the U.S. Constitution by promoting social distancing restrictions in Michigan in response to the coronavirus pandemic — and after kidnapping her and putting her on "trial" for treason, they would execute her if found guilty. But the group's activities, the FBI said, went way beyond their alleged plot to kidnap Whitmer: they also hoped to kidnap other officials in Michigan, overthrow the state government and ignite a civil war.

'Tacit endorsement': The Proud Boys are celebrating Trump telling them to 'stand by'

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https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2020/05/05/facebook-go-platform-organizing-protests-against-social-distancing

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Facebook Is Go-To Platform For Organizing Protests Against Social Distancing

May 05, 2020

Hatewatch Staff

As COVID-19 continues to pose a lethal threat worldwide, fringe, right-wing activists are using Facebook to mobilize protests of stay-at-home orders in several states.

In a review of Facebook event pages, Hatewatch identified more than 50 rallies from April 13 through May 1. The event pages are being set up all across the nation regardless of which political party controls the state house.

Facebook has become the social media platform of choice for far-right organizers and activists who engage in protests against social distancing.

“Unless government prohibits the event during this time, we allow it to be organized on Facebook,” a spokesperson for Facebook told Hatewatch via email.

The majority of these rallies run afoul of recommendations from health experts. They allow extremists, however, to reinforce the spread of far-right conspiracy theories and disinformation about COVID-19.

In Lansing, Michigan, hundreds of protesters rallied Thursday as Republican House legislators voted to not extend Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s state of emergency. The American Patriot Rally event, organized by theMichigan United for Liberty group, called for the reopening of local businesses.

The rally first spread through Facebook before the platform decided to pull the event page. Late Thursday, hundreds of protesters gathered outside the state capital building, ignoring social distancing recommendations. In some cases, demonstrators carried firearms and were seen peddling QAnon slogans and COVID-19 conspiracies.

Alex Jones

Alex Jones, radio host and creator of the website InfoWars, left, shakes hands with a demonstrator during a "You Can't Close America" rally outside the Texas State Capitol in Austin on April 18. (Photo by Alex Scott/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Antigovernment figures such as Alex Jones are capitalizing on these gatherings to advance the message that federal institutions can’t be trusted. In the days leading up to an April 18 rally in Austin, Texas, hosted by Infowars, promotional content was circulated on Facebook. Once on the ground, Jones accused the Texas state government of enacting “martial law” and told attendees, “We don’t live in fear of some made up virus. We know the globalists and the media are the enemy.” In far-right circles, the term “globalist” is frequently used as an antisemitic slur.

PMAZ flier

A flyer for the Patriot’s Day Rally circulates on Patriot Movement AZ’s Facebook page.

Similarly, in Phoenix, Arizona, the hate group Patriot Movement AZ shared “Patriots' Day Rally” flyers and memes in the lead-up to the April 20 rally in Phoenix. Although the group frequently dabbles in anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant and anti-LGBTQ rhetoric, the content shared aligned with common antigovernment talking points. In one instance, a member of the group’s Facebook page who goes by Brent Backus shared an image stating: “Quarantine is when you resist the movement of sick people. Tyranny is when you restrict the movement of healthy people.”

Militia organizations also did their part to vilify government institutions. TheSouth Carolina Light Foot militia shared details on their page for the “Drive to Thrive SC” gridlock event. Similar to other extremist groups, the South Carolina Light Foot Militia also used its Facebook page to rile up its base ahead of the April 24 event.

“Maybe we can put all the sick people in boxcars and take them to someplace safe, oh wait…” read one of the memes in an attempt to equate the government’s response to COVID-19 to that of life under the rule of Nazi Germany.

badge star of davis yellow as "pass"]

The South Carolina Light Foot militia stoked fears recently as they claimed yellow badge-style patches are in the near future for vaccinated individuals.

Other militia leaders such as John Cody, state commanding officer of the South Carolina Light Foot Militia Special Response Team, jumped on the bandwagon using Facebook to advertise a national May Day Rally.

Cody, who uses the codename “Hawkeye,” was a key organizer for the Jan. 29 Militias March on Richmond rally. The march, which was organized mainly on Facebook, was scheduled to coincide with the Virginia Citizens Defense League (VCDL) gun event. VCDL was hoping to put on a show of force for gun owners who stood in opposition to state bills that were aiming to adopt new gun restrictions. Cody’s rally ultimately helped bring together a number of right-wing militias with established gun rights organizations.

Cody post

Militia leader John Cody recently circulated two different flyers on Facebook for his May Day rallies.

Along with Cody, Virginia state Sen. Amanda Chase, R-Chesterfield, has been rallying her supporters to protest. Chase, who was involved in a number of controversial incidents earlier in the year and was subsequently ousted from her local GOP committee, has been sympathetic to far right causes. She made a personal appearance at the January VCDL gun rally where she joined several antigovernment militias in an attempt to protest new gun legislation.

Amanda Chase

Virginia state Senator Amanda Chase at work in the statehouse in Richmond. (Photo by Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Chase recently got on Facebook and shared details for several rallies against social distancing scheduled in Richmond, encouraging her supporters to attend, saying “Share with those who believe in Liberty, Freedom and pursuit of Prosperity, …not liberalism.”

Kayla Gogarty, a Media Matters senior researcher who has been tracking these rallies since they first appeared on Facebook, told Hatewatch: “We found that a lot of these Facebook groups and a lot of these events are including members of local militias and members of some local anti-vax groups. We’ve seen a lot of far-right figures attend some of the events like the Proud Boys. We’ve seen pro-gun activists and antigovernment extremists at these rallies and some local government officials as well.”

A Hatewatch analysis of Facebook posts earlier last month aligned with much of what Gogarty has seen in recent weeks, with the platform being a hotbed for COVID-19 misinformation.

Facebook touts response as rallies materialize

As first noted by the tech website The Verge, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is still heavily touting the billion-dollar company’s projects aimed at helping minimize the spread and impact of COVID-19. Facebook has donated $100 million to small businesses in a gesture made to help them through trying times. The social media company has alsoteamed up with Carnegie Mellon University to roll out a global symptoms survey to Facebook users in an effort to track COVID-19 growth. These initiatives come as Facebook is simultaneously failing to provide a clear solution for countering the spread of disinformation and anti-public health organizing on its own platform.

Owen Shroyer

Infowars host Owen Shroyer arrives at the Texas State Capitol building on April 18 in Austin. (Photo by Sergio Flores/Getty Images)

In an April 20 interview with ABC News, Zuckerberg emphasized that “the stuff that people are saying that is false around a health emergency like this, can be classified as harmful misinformation that has a risk of leading to imminent physical danger and we’ll just take that kind of content down.”

Complicating matters is the fact that not every state and country has instructed citizens to stay home. According to The New York Times, “42 states, three counties, 10 cities, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico” have adopted stay at home orders as of April 28th. This means that if protests occur in states where stay at home orders were never adopted, Facebook faces less pressure to take immediate action.

A general search on Facebook for rally terms such as “liberate” and “reopen” brings up a plethora of groups that oppose social distancing.

The decision to hold off on pulling down content that rails against social distancing undermines the work the company has done to help survey and map the spread of COVID-19. The networking site may have taken down a handful of conspiracy posts, but the antigovernment rhetoric contained in the rally posts has the potential to expose people to greater amounts of misinformation.

American militia movement, a breeding ground for hate. ... nine hate groups in Idaho The Southern Poverty Law Center recognizes nine hate ... In fact the man is Phil Robinson, the prime mover in a group called the Michigan Liberty Militia, ... We do not take this lightly as we mandate an extreme amount of responsibility ...[scary russia site readmenewz canngize.com

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https://www.ajc.com/news/trump-defends-angry-protesters-who-stormed-michigan-capitol-with-rifles/Lcmt25QHIoZcRDjU5xHOeP/

www.ajc.com

Members of the Michigan Liberty Militia, including Phil Robinson, right, join protesters at a rally at the state Capitol Thursday in Lansing, Michigan. Hoisting American flags and handmade signs, protesters returned to the state Capitol to denounce Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's stay-home order and business restrictions due to COVID-19.

Photo: Matthew Dae Smith/Associated Press

Trump defends angry protesters who stormed Michigan Capitol with rifles

NEWS May 01, 2020

By ArLuther Lee, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

State lawmakers report wearing bulletproof vests to work during ongoing demonstrations by militia members

President Donald Trump is defending hundreds of protesters angry about stay-at-home orders who marched into the Michigan Capitol on Thursday, some armed with rifles, and tried to force their way to the chamber floor but were blocked by state police.

“Let us in! Let us in!” the jostling crowd shouted inside the statehouse, according to multiple news reports. It is legal to carry firearms inside the Capitol, according to The New York Times, but demonstrations are not permitted on the House floor. Thursday’s “American Patriot Rally” in Lansing was ignited after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed three executive orders Thursday, renewing a state of emergency that will keep residents under stay-at-home orders through May 28.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer wants people to stay at home longer.

Photo: Associated Press

Her action came after the state’s Republican-led Legislature refused to extend her original emergency declaration, which expired Thursday night. Reports say state lawmakers want to strip the governor of her power to declare emergencies.

“The Governor of Michigan should give a little, and put out the fire. These are very good people, but they are angry. They want their lives back again, safely! See them, talk to them, make a deal.” — President Donald Trump said in a tweet

“While some members of the Legislature might believe this crisis is over, common sense and all of the scientific data tells us we’re not out of the woods yet,” she said. “By refusing to extend the emergency and disaster declaration, Republican lawmakers are putting their heads in the sand and putting more lives and livelihoods at risk. I’m not going to let that happen.”

“Lock her up!” chants could also be heard inside the statehouse Thursday.

Donald J. Trump

@realDonaldTrump

The Governor of Michigan should give a little, and put out the fire. These are very good people, but they are angry. They want their lives back again, safely! See them, talk to them, make a deal.

210K

5:42 AM - May 1, 2020

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Trump tweeted about the episode Friday, calling the protesters “very good people.”“The Governor of Michigan should give a little, and put out the fire. These are very good people, but they are angry. They want their lives back again, safely! See them, talk to them, make a deal.”Photographs from inside the statehouse Thursday showed a scene of mutiny, with men brandishing semi-automatic long guns in a gallery above lawmakers, screaming anti-government slogans, according to reports. Hundreds more demonstrators were outside the building. The Guardian reported a protest sign outside the statehouse that read: “Tyrants get the rope.” Other signs said: “Stop the tyranny!” and “Freedom over fear!”

Craig Mauger

@CraigDMauger

A sign currently on the lawn:

View image on Twitter

Legislators were concerned enough about the ongoing protests that some have begun wearing bulletproof vests to work. “Some of my colleagues who own bulletproof vests are wearing them,” state Sen. Dayna Polehanki wrote Thursday on Twitter, with an accompanying photo of the demonstrators above her.

Senator Dayna Polehanki

@SenPolehanki

Directly above me, men with rifles yelling at us. Some of my colleagues who own bullet proof vests are wearing them. I have never appreciated our Sergeants-at-Arms more than today. #mileg

View image on Twitter

The armed militia group leading Thursday’s protest appears on the Southern Poverty Law Center’s list of extreme anti-government groups. Reports said the crowd included a mix of the Michigan Liberty Militia and people carrying signs in support of Trump, who three weeks ago called for his followers to defy state lockdowns and “LIBERATE MINNESOTA!” “LIBERATE MICHIGAN!” and “LIBERATE VIRGINIA! and save your great 2nd Amendment. It is under siege!” »

MORE: CDC director warns virus could come back stronger, deadlier in fall]

The resulting protests have skirted social distancing restrictions that were supposed to be in place nationwide until at least April 30 but were supplanted by a new White House plan for a gradual reopening of the country. Some at Thursday’s protest wore protective face masks. At least 31 states are set for a gradual reopening of businesses that started a week ago amid the pandemic. »

MORE: Fauci says reopening too quickly will ‘backfire’

The nation’s top health experts have warned that reopening the economy too soon would lead to a resurgence of virus infections. Many governors, including Whitmer, are choosing to follow the advice.Michigan has the third-highest death toll in the nation after New York and New Jersey. “For anyone to declare mission accomplished means they’re turning a blind eye to the fact that over 600 people have died in the last 72 hours,” Whitmer said at a virtual town hall Thursday night.A new poll Friday by ABC News found most Americans said they felt uneasy about returning to normal, with only some saying they would visit a restaurant or bar if the coronavirus restrictions were lifted now.

Similar scene in January

On January 31, armed protesters entered Kentucky's state Capitol in Frankfort after Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam pushed for new gun control measures. The episode along with ongoing threats led Northam to declare a state of emergency.

Getty Images News

@GettyImagesNews

Gun rights activists carrying semi-automatic firearms walk through the Capitol Building on January 31, 2020 in Frankfort, Kentucky. ??: @woolstonphoto

View image on TwitterView image on Twitter

According to the Louisville Courier-Journal, visitors to the Kentucky Capitol building are banned from entering with items like umbrellas or protest signs that can be “used as weapons,” but guns and rifles are permitted.

Joe Gerth

@Joe_Gerth

Weirdest thing about guns in the Kentucky Capitol: if you have one, you’re told to walk around the metal detector. Others must pass through and get wanded.

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walks back https://www.alternet.org/2020/05/anti-lockdown-protests-are-imploding-because-the-koch-network-has-soured-on-them-columnist/

post Mich guns?

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HOLLAND — Ottawa County Democratic Party members say the gubernatorial campaign of a controversial Allendale Township planning commissioner and right-wing activist should be concerning for Michiganders.due to Kelley's rhetoric and participation in rallies and protests.

Ryan Kelley is the founder of the American Patriot Council, a right-wing group that has called for the arrests of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Attorney General Dana Nessel and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson.

Kelley was filmed participating in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, including being seen helping others remove police barricades in front of the building, as rioters attempted to prevent Congress from certifying election results.

During a Thursday, June 17, virtual press conference, OCDP secretary and former Chair Kim Nagy said Kelley's run for governor should be taken seriously and be concerning for residents, due to Kelley's actions.

"Support for people like Ryan Kelley, who is an insurrectionist, this is of grave concern to all of us," Nagy said. "We hope that people do take these runs for governor seriously, because they are serious. We can't just say, 'This is the fringe, we don't need to pay attention to it.' We do have to pay attention to it. We are in very dangerous turf here."

More: Controversial Allendale commissioner forms committee for governor run

More: Calls for Allendale official’s removal intensify

More: After year of controversy, Allendale board votes to keep Civil War statue

In late January, Kelley formed a committee to run for governor as a Republican in 2022. He's one of several to declare their intent for the Republican primary so far. Kelley's only known role in government is as a member of the Allendale planning commission, which was an appointment.

Calls for Kelley's removal intensified in 2020, after heinvited a man — who later was arrested for his role in a plot to kidnap and likely kill Whitmer — to a summer rally defending a controversial statue that includes a Confederate soldier in Allendale. Kelley has organized protests in Allendale and Lansing.

Kelley, on his website, describes himself as a "Michigan first" candidate, similar to the "America first" slogan employed by former President Donald Trump during his campaigns and tenure in the White House.

Whitmer is expected to run for re-election next year, although a formal announcement hasn't been made by her campaign yet. A poll released earlier this month by the Detroit Regional Chamber found her approval rating was at 50 percent among those polled, down 8 percentage points from February to May.

In addition to Kelley, others to declare their intent to run in the Republican primary include former conservative radio host Tudor Dixon, chiropractor and political activist Garret Soldano and others. Recently retired Detroit Police Chief James Craig is expected to run in the primary as well.

*— Contact reporter Arpan Lobo at alobo@hollandsentinel.com. Follow him on Twitter @arpanlobo.

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“This is War, Baby!”: New Footage of GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Ryan Kelley at Capitol Emerges As Insurrectionist Continues to Downplay Involvement on January 6th

LANSING — Last night, new footage emerged of Ryan Kelley appearing to advance on the U.S. Capitol during the January 6th insurrection that killed five and injured 140 officers in Washington D.C. In the video posted to Twitter, the Republican candidate for governor can be heard shouting “Come on, let’s go! This is it! This is– this is war, baby!” as he moves along with a crowd of rioters towards the building.

This video comes after months of Kelley’s attempts to downplay the extent of his involvement in the violent defense of the Big Lie.

In a March interview with MLive, Kelley claimed: “As far as going through any barricades, or doing anything like that, I never took part in any forceful anything. Once things started getting crazy, I left.”

And this month, during a CNN segment on insurrectionists running for office, the national outlet accused him of ” even as a reporter physically pointed out .”

MDP partnered with Ottawa County Democrats in Kelley’s hometown of Allendale to hold a June press conference detailing the GOP gubernatorial candidate’s lengthy history of engaging in violent, intimidating demonstrations to push his extremist agenda — such as the time he knowingly invited a militia man “who later was arrested for his role in a plot to kidnap and likely kill Whitmer” to a pro-confederacy rally.

“Ryan Kelley has no business seeking an elected position in the same government he tried to overthrow. Information keeps coming out placing him closer and closer to the violence than he’s said he was, He should come clean and immediately explain why the Republican party should nominate an insurrectionist to lead their party. ” said Rodericka Applewhaite, MDP spokesperson.“Michiganders need a leader that will put them first, not incite dangerous rioters. While the Republican gubernatorial candidates push their lies and extremism, Governor Whitmer has stayed focused on revitalizing the economy and making key investments in working families.”

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[### Former GOP gubernatorial candidate Ryan Kelley ...

NBC News

https://www.nbcnews.com › politics › justice-department](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/republican-candidate-ryan-kelley-sentenced-prison-jan-6-rcna120679)

Oct 17, 2023 — A former Republican candidate for Michigan governor was sentenced to 60 days in prison for committing a federal crime during the Jan.

Missing: militia ‎| Show results with: militia

[### “This is War, Baby!”: New Footage of GOP Gubernatorial ...

Michigan Democratic Party

https://michigandems.com › this-is-war-baby-new-footag...](https://michigandems.com/this-is-war-baby-new-footage-of-gop-gubernatorial-candidate-ryan-kelley-at-capitol-emerges-as-insurrectionist-continues-to-downplay-involvement-on-january-6th/)

Jun 28, 2021 — LANSING — Last night, new footage emerged of Ryan Kelley appearing to advance on the U.S. Capitol during the January 6th insurrection that ...

[### Michigan GOP candidate Ryan Kelley charged for Capitol ...

PBS

https://www.pbs.org › newshour › politics › michigan-g...](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/michigan-gop-candidate-kelley-charged-for-capitol-riot-role)

Jun 9, 2022 — Ryan Kelley, one of five Republican candidates for Michigan governor, has been charged with misdemeanors for his role in the 2021 riot at ...

[### What People Are Saying About Ryan Kelley Being Raided ...

Michigan Democratic Party

https://michigandems.com › what-people-are-saying-abo...](https://michigandems.com/what-people-are-saying-about-ryan-kelley-being-raided-charged-and-arrested-by-the-fbi-on-several-counts-surrounding-his-involvement-in-the-january-6th-insurrection%EF%BF%BC/)

Jun 9, 2022 — Republican gubernatorial candidate and known insurrectionist Ryan Kelley was arrested by the FBI during a raid on his home relating to several charges.

Missing: militia ‎| Show results with: militia

[### Jan. 6 committee releases testimony of Ryan Kelley, two ...

Michigan Advance

https://michiganadvance.com › 2022/12/22 › jan-6-co...](https://michiganadvance.com/2022/12/22/jan-6-committee-releases-testimony-of-ryan-kelley-two-fake-michigan-electors/)

Dec 22, 2022 — The committee released transcripts of testimony from Ryan Kelley, former GOP gubernatorial candidate and far-right activist.

[### Ryan Kelley, ex-candidate for Michigan governor, pleads ...

AP News

https://apnews.com › article › former-michigan-gop-go...](https://apnews.com/article/former-michigan-gop-governor-candidate-ryan-kelley-guilty-jan-6-riot-67345188ed9f777c4337b607f444c617)

Jul 27, 2023 — A former Republican candidate for Michigan governor pleaded guilty on Thursday to a misdemeanor charge for his participation in the US Capitol riot on Jan. 6, ...

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[### Steubenville Topic Ryan Kelley | News, Weather, Sports ...

WTOV

https://wtov9.com › topic › Ryan Kelley](https://wtov9.com/topic/Ryan%20Kelley)

Michigan GOP candidate for governor Ryan Kelley faces charges related to Jan. 6. LANSING, Mich. (WWMT) — Ryan Kelley, a Republican candidate for Michigan ...

[### FBI arrests Ryan Kelley, Michigan gubernatorial candidate ...

Detroit Free Press

https://www.freep.com › politics › elections › 2022/06/09](https://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/elections/2022/06/09/ryan-kelley-arrest-fbi-michigan-governor-race/7567019001/)

Jun 9, 2022 — The FBI raided the Allendale home of Michigan GOP gubernatorial candidate Ryan Kelley on Thursday and arrested him on charges related to the 2021 riot at the ...

Missing: militia ‎| Show results with: militia

[### Ryan Kelley

Michigan Public

https://www.michiganpublic.org › tags › ryan-kelley](https://www.michiganpublic.org/tags/ryan-kelley)

Former Michigan gubernatorial candidate Ryan Kelley pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor related to his participation in storming the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.

Missing: militia ‎| Show results with: militia

[### Michigan GOP race for governor: Talking with Ryan Kelley

YouTube · Click On Detroit | Local 4 | WDIV

1.6K+ views · 2 years ago](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QG-8S7pXuM)

22:21

Local 4's Rod Meloni talks to Michigan GOP candidate for governor Ryan Kelley.