Vigilantes and outside agitators

[kentuck]

How much have they been involved in the protests and the violence?

Are we to believe that the young man standing in the middle of the street in Kenosha, shooting his AR-15, was the first and only incident from outside agitators?

The right-wing propagandists would like America to believe it is the Black Lives Matter and peaceful protestors causing all the violence and destruction. I do not believe that is the case.

I believe there have been paid outside agitators from the beginning, especially in the city of Portland.

Or are we to believe that Donald Trump and his dirty tricksters would not resort to infiltrating the legitimate protests? That would be very naive, in my opinion.

[SergeStorms]

1. In my opinion...

A LOT! In fact, I'd be willing to say MOST of the real crime is perpetrated by outside agitators and white supremacists. They know Hitler's tactics backward and forward, and being the jackasses they are they'd implement them as a tribute to their heroes, Hitler and Trump.

[stillcool]

2. they've been involved all along..

https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2020/6/1/21277363/lets-start-riot-galesburg-man-federal-charge-related-rioting-chicago
‘Let’s start a riot’: Galesburg man hit with federal charge related to rioting in Chicago
The charges come as U.S. officials seek to determine if extremist groups infiltrated protests nationwide and tipped peaceful demonstrations toward violence.

By Jon Seidel and Frank Main Updated Jun 1, 2020, 6:03pm CDT
Matthew Lee Rupert, 28, has been charged in an eight-page criminal complaint in federal court in Minnesota with civil disorder, carrying on a riot and possession of unregistered destructive devices. The complaint alleges Rupert participated in looting and rioting in Minneapolis in response to the police killing of George Floyd before moving on to Chicago.
==============
Still, a Chicago police officer told the Chicago Sun-Times that a sizable number of people looting in the Loop on Saturday night had Southern accents, indicating they were from out of town.

The officer was only involved in one arrest, of a person from Tennessee. “A lot are not from Chicago,” the officer said.

==================
Allegations in the criminal complaint against Rupert largely revolve around a Facebook account for “El Ricco Rupert.” Rupert allegedly used that page to announce Thursday night that, “I’m going to Minneapolis tomorrow who coming only goons I’m renting hotel rooms.”

The next day, Rupert allegedly posted video to his Facebook account suggesting he was in Minneapolis. The video appeared to be filmed by Rupert while he was holding his cell phone, according to an FBI special agent’s affidavit. The video was marked “live” and lasted roughly two hours, records show. Authorities allege he passed out explosives, encouraged others to throw explosives at police and appeared to light a building on fire.

At one point, Rupert allegedly said, “There are SWAT trucks up there. They got SWAT trucks up there . . . I’ve got some bombs if some of you all want to throw them back . . . bomb them back . . . here I got some more . . . light it and throw it.” As he made the comments, Rupert allegedly handed out an item with brown casing and a green wick to others.

Man in Joker mask set Chicago police car on fire during George Floyd protests, feds say
Timothy O’Donnell, of Pilsen, was connected to the incident downtown through a tattoo on his neck that said “PRETTY,” according to a criminal complaint.
O’Donnell is now among at least five people facing federal charges in connection with the rioting and looting in Chicago last weekend.

A video of the incident that allegedly involved O’Donnell Saturday in the 200 block of North State was given to law enforcement by a witness, according to the complaint. It allegedly shows O’Donnell wearing the Joker mask, holding a lit object and placing it in the gas tank of the CPD vehicle. Prosecutors said the vehicle burst into flames.
By Jon Seidel Updated Jun 2, 2020, 6:25pm CDT

O’Donnell is now among at least five people facing federal charges in connection with the rioting and looting in Chicago last weekend.

A video of the incident that allegedly involved O’Donnell Saturday in the 200 block of North State was given to law enforcement by a witness, according to the complaint. It allegedly shows O’Donnell wearing the Joker mask, holding a lit object and placing it in the gas tank of the CPD vehicle. Prosecutors said the vehicle burst into flames.

LAS VEGAS (AP) —Three Nevada men with ties to a loose movement of right-wing extremists advocating the overthrow of the U.S. government have been arrested on terrorism-related charges in what authorities say was a conspiracy to spark violence during recent protests in Las Vegas

Federal prosecutors say the three white men with U.S. military experience are accused of conspiring to carry out a plan that began in April in conjunction with protests to reopen businesses closed because of the coronavirus and later sought to capitalize on protests over the death of a Minneapolis man in police custody
They were arrested Saturday on the way to a protest in downtown Las Vegas after filling gas cans at a parking lot and making Molotov cocktails in glass bottles, according to a copy of the criminal complaint obtained by The Associated Press.

https://news3lv.com/news/local/three-men-tied-to-white-extremist-group-arrested-on-terrorism-related-charges-in-las-vegas

[jaysunb]

3. +1 n/t

[2naSalit]

5. +1

[musette_sf]

6. +1

[tenderfoot]

4. The Daily Caller was conveniently on the scene taping...

I'm sure they got the word out about their followers before it all went down.

[maxsolomon]

7. It's happening, but not nearly as much as we would prefer.

A lot of the property damage is coming from BLM protestors.

But there definitely is a provocateur component: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/08/19/magazine/boogaloo.html

The looting, at least here in Seattle, was very well organized and not concerned with BLM at all. It was an opportunity to loot. The Bellevue Mall was ransacked, and looters would be met on side streets by vans to haul away the merchandise. The suspicion is that it was "gangs", but who knows.

My co-worker watched the meet-ups happen in front of his house.