Wisconsin state senator attacked by protesters as demonstrations in Madison turn violent

[Jose Garcia]

Source: The Washington Post

Amid heated demonstrations that left two statues destroyed and windows smashed in Madison, a Democratic state senator was reportedly attacked by protesters near the Wisconsin State Capitol.

State Sen. Tim Carpenter (D-Milwaukee) told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that he had been heading to the Capitol to work late Tuesday when he stopped to snap a photo of the protesters.

“I don’t know what happened … all I did was stop and take a picture … and the next thing I’m getting five-six punches, getting kicked in the head,” said Carpenter, 60.

“This has got to stop before someone gets killed,” he wrote. “Sad thing I’m on their side for peaceful demonstrations -- am a Gay Progressive Dem Senator served 36 years in the legislature.”

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/06/24/madison-police-protest-senator/

[pansypoo53219]

1. carpenter? he's my state senator. straight looking gay. but great. lots of town halls.

wonder if they thought he was GOP.

[former9thward]

2. Once people smell blood it doesn't matter what you are.

[Devil Child]

7. Let's suppose he was GOP

Is the crowd justified in assaulting him for the “crime” of standing peacefully while filming them?

[Polybius]

8. Even if they did that wouldn't make it right

I have zero tolerance for unprovoked violence.

[RhodeIslandOne]

11. "Straight looking gay"?

Does that justify an attack too?

[pansypoo53219]

19. well, he's older now, but he LOOKS like a tall blonde jock, straight looking, so i bet he looks GOP.

[ChazII]

20. "Straight looking gay"?

also has me puzzled.

[Luciferous]

13. What exactly is a "straight looking" gay?!

[Lonestarblue]

3. Maybe we need to hear from George Floyd's brother again.

The protests seem to be getting far less peaceful, especially when statues are torn down. I winder how much of this is now being done by right-wing trouble makers instead of those who were protesting immediately after Floyd’s murder.

The Black Lives Matter leaders also need to speak out against violence and tell people to stop tearing down statues. It will work against their purpose. At this point, I think it’s far better to petition state officials to remove offensive statues.

[Bengus81]

4. Idiots...really great for the cause

[Maxheader]

5. RT news the other day..

Redacted tonight? Guy is awesome..Told the history (in his special way.. ) of riot provocateurs..and what they had to gain by

inciting/creating civil unrest...cia..fbi..the cops...

Incredible...

[Baclava]

6. 'Evers prepared to activate National Guard after night of unrest'

MADISON, Wis. (WBAY) - Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers says his administration is prepared to activate the Wisconsin National Guard to protect state buildings after statues were toppled in Madison and buildings were damaged.

Evers says his administration is assessing damage to state property, the Capitol building and the Tommy G. Thompson Center.

“What happened in Madison last night presented a stark contrast from the peaceful protests we have seen across our state in recent weeks, including significant damage to state property. I want to be clear: violence against any person—whether in the middle of the street in broad daylight, at home trying to sleep, going for a run, or happening upon a protest as was the case last night—is wrong. It should never be tolerated. Any single act of injustice against one person is less justice for all of us, and the people who committed these acts of violence will be held accountable. My thoughts are with Sen. [Tim] Carpenter who was among the individuals attacked last night and wish him a quick recovery," reads the statement from Evers.

https://www.wbay.com/content/news/Protesters-topple-statues-in-Madison-after-arrest-of-man-in-bar-incident-571459351.html

----------------
Tim Carpenter@TimCarpenterMKE

I took this pic- it got me assaulted & beat up. Punched/kicked in the head, neck, ribs. Maybe concussion, socked in left eye is little blurry, sore neck & ribs. 8-10 people attacked me. Innocent people are going to get killed. Capitol locked- stuck in office.Stop violence nowPlz!

Link to tweet

[cayugafalls]

9. Not only beating people on their side, but tearing down statues of

anti slave activist and politician.

From the article: "A short time later, protesters took down the Hans Christian Heg statue near the statehouse."

From wikipedia;

"Heg became a rising young politician who found slavery abhorrent. He became an ardent member of the Free Soil Party.[3] Heg was a major in the 4th Wisconsin Militia and served as Wisconsin State Prison Commissioner. He was the first Norwegian-born candidate elected statewide in Wisconsin.

He soon joined the recently formed Republican Party. He was an outspoken anti-slavery activist and a leader of Wisconsin's Wide Awakes, an anti-slave catcher militia.[4][5] During this time, he sheltered Sherman Booth, who was made a federal fugitive after inciting a mob to rescue an escaped slave."

Has the protests been hijacked? What exactly is the point now?

[wnylib]

17. You ask if the protests have been hijacked.

I think it's very possible, although I have no direct evidence. I do know that there is a history of hijacking peotests in the US. Very common in the anti war and civil rights movements of the '60s. The purpose was to discredit the causes.

If RW activists or government agents were involved in the protest, that could explain why they attacked him for taking photos. It would also explain tearing down the statue of an abolitionist.

I don't know for sure, but I .am inclined to think that the beating of the state senator and toppling of an abolitionist statue were the work of infiltrators with their own agenda.

[cayugafalls]

18. I agree. Something smells rotten to me.

I would not put it past the right to be hijacking this movement and discrediting it. All it takes is a couple of bad actors to discredit an entire movement.

[Polybius]

10. Absolutely horrrible

These are not our friends.

[dhill926]

12. we really need to find out who these assholes are....

not on our side. Expose the fuckers...

[stillcool]

14. these people are not protesting...

they're infiltrating. Were the 2 white girls who beat up the Senator arrested?

[EllieBC]

15. Didn't they also tear down a statue of an anti-slavery activist?

I guess stupid is spreading more than rona.

[Devil Child]

16. They did

I fear you are quite correct EllieBC regarding the stupid. It seems Rona is thriving off the stupid as well. 2020 is a hope killer for me until trump is kicked to the curb.