Morning Briefing: Anti-LGBTIQ Extremist Violence Erupts at Planned Parenthood in California
Morning Briefing: Anti-LGBTIQ Extremist Violence Erupts at Planned Parenthood in California
A protest event by an anti-LGBTIQ group connected to White Supremacists and far right violent extremist groups such as the Proud Boys, lead to clashes with counter protesters and law enforcement.
Morning Briefing: Clashes between counter protesters and an anti-LGBTIQ group, which has been connected to White Supremacists and far right violent extremist groups such as the Proud Boys, “broke out at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Modesto, California, on Saturday was cleared by law enforcement in tactical riot gear using pepper ball guns, police have confirmed.
The so-called National Straight Pride Coalition was reportedly “met by a much larger number of LGBTQ and pro-choice counter protesters.”
Cynthia Abcug, a Colorado women, was found guilty of conspiracy to commit second-degree kidnapping for “plotting to kidnap her son from foster care after her teen daughter said she started associating with supporters of the QAnon conspiracy theory.”
Steven Carrillo, a former Air Force sergeant, was sentenced to life in prison, and “will serve that sentence without appeal or parole for killing a Santa Cruz deputy in 2020 while trying to spark a second civil war.”
Jeffrey Erik Perrine, a member the far-right group Proud Boys who recently lost a bid for the California state Assembly, “has filed papers to run for a seat on a Sacramento-area school board.” Perrine is reportedly campaigning on a “platform of anti-critical race theory, blocking COVID-19 measures, banning any support for LGBTQ youth and fighting back against what he calls ‘Marxism.’”
Two groups of rightwing sheriffs that echo some of Donald Trump’s false claims about widespread voting fraud in 2020 are “ramping up drives to monitor this year’s elections for potential voting and election fraud.”
“Secret Service knew that Trump’s supporters would be demonstrating around Freedom Plaza and the Capitol with the intent to cause violence, but the agency does not appear to have taken the threat seriously.”
Must Reads
Wajahat Ali writes that “there were at least 39 police officers from 17 states who took part in a failed coup attempt against our democracy, orchestrated in part by far-right militant groups like the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, whose leaders have been indicted on charges of seditious conspiracy and other offenses related to the U.S. Capitol breach. These violent groups have a membership that includes a disturbingly large number of law enforcement officials, veterans, and ex-military—and they even have ties with numerous Republican elected officials.” [The Daily Beast]
Molly Olmstead writes that “Christian nationalism is an academic term that encompasses different degrees of intensity. It includes more harmless, everyday God-and-country white evangelicals who believe politicians and courts should eliminate barriers separating church and state—perhaps by allowing for prayer in schools or other public spaces—as well as those with a “dominionist” perspective, compelled to bring the nation’s institutions under control of people who will enforce God’s law. It also includes violent extremists willing to tear down democratic processes to bring about their vision of a white Christian nation. And while the vast majority of people who could be categorized as Christian nationalists fall into the first two camps, experts worry that the idea of a self-identified label could bring different kinds of Christian nationalists more closely together. It’s a dangerous normalization.” [Slate]
Grace Panetta and Brent Griffiths report that a “constitutional convention led by conservatives could trigger sweeping changes to the Constitution. Their goals include gutting federal environmental standards, nixing nationwide education requirements, and creating an incredibly high threshold for Washington, DC, or a territory to earn statehood. Some would like to make it difficult, if not impossible, for someone — National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci, for example — to work for decades within the federal government.” [Insider]
What to expect from Radical Reports: Morning Briefing provides a daily round-up of reporting on the Radical Right; Extremist Links offers a weekly round-up of extremists activities including the white supremacist and militia movements; Research Desk provides monthly highlights research and analysis from academia on the Radical Right; Field Notes delivers research on key organizations and analysis of the strategies and tactics of the Radical Right.
Fascism is rising in America. How can we fail to notice that the far right wants to control every aspect of our lives? People like the brilliant Dr. Fauci can be fired just for being in their jobs "too long," enabling the state to replace competent people with cooperative lackeys. The push to censor children's libraries and textbooks will easily lead to censorship of books, news media and entertainment for the entire populace.
Protection of hate speech was not a real issue at the time the First Amendment was written. It was probably believed back then that no one in America would ever try to destroy the Bill of Rights. If enough people gain political power, they will.