Posted on 06/15/2020 10:25:02 PM PDT by LegendHasIt
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - A protester was shot at Tiguex Park Monday evening during a demonstration that called for the removal of a Juan de Oñate statue, "La Jornada", outside the Albuquerque Museum.
The injured man has been transported to the hospital for treatment. He is listed in critical but stable condition.
Someone’s been shot. Multiple people calling 911. Chaos. pic.twitter.com/jxNjIvYJuf
— Megan Abundis (@meganrabundis) June 16, 2020
Moments before protesters were about to remove the statue with a chain, a struggle broke out among the crowd.
Video footage shows the protesters directing their attention toward a man brandishing a gun.
"Get his license plate," screamed one protester in the video. "Follow him."
A group of protesters pulled the subject to the ground. After a few seconds of struggle, the subject shot his gun four times.
Police officers in riot gear arrived shortly afterwards.
A number of members with the New Mexico Civil Guard, a self-described militia, were seen being arrested along with the subject who fired at the protesters.
Law enforcement deployed tear gas and non-lethal projectiles to try to push back the group of protesters.
Protesters continued to try to pull down the statue of Oñate while others attempted to let air out of the tires of police transport vans.
At around 9:20 p.m., the crowd began to disperse—leaving the statue intact.
An investigation is currently underway.
Tear gas. Very loud Flash bang. Non lethal projectiles in a matter of seconds. pic.twitter.com/d5hgKwEZjS — Megan Abundis (@meganrabundis) June 16, 2020
Mayor Tim Keller sent the following statement after Monday's shooting:
“The shooting tonight was a tragic, outrageous and unacceptable act of violence and it has no place in our city. Our diverse community will not be deterred by acts meant to divide or silence us. Our hearts go out the victim, his family and witnesses whose lives were needlessly threatened tonight. This sculpture has now become an urgent matter of public safety. In order to contain the public safety risk, the City will be removing the statue until the appropriate civic institutions can determine next steps.”
The governor's office also sent a statement about the incident:
“Although we are still learning more about the situation, I am horrified and disgusted beyond words by the reports of violence at a protest Monday night in Albuquerque. The heavily armed individuals who flaunted themselves at the protest, calling themselves a “civil guard,” were there for one reason: To menace protesters, to present an unsanctioned show of unregulated force. To menace the people of New Mexico with weaponry – with an implicit threat of violence – is on its face unacceptable; that violence did indeed occur is unspeakable.
“I am monitoring the situation; my administration is in touch with local officials; the individual who was injured is in my prayers, and I am thinking of their family and friends.
“Let me clear: There is absolutely no space in New Mexico for any violent would-be ‘militia’ seeking to terrorize New Mexicans; and there is no space for violence of any kind on our streets and in our communities, or for any sort of escalation of reckless, violent rhetoric, no matter who strikes first. The instigators this evening will be rooted out, they will be investigated, and they will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
Obviously not, he is an important part of history, good and bad! I was just making a comparison.
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The protesters were from out of state, go figure, one from Oregon. The local DA can’t find witnesses, duh!
Several of the protesters tried to get in BACA’s way so he pushed them out of his way. That’s when the crowd went rabid.
There where only a few dozen of the Juan de Oñate protesters, some callers said they were rent- a- mobbers.
The guy who attacked Baca from a photo apparently had a knife in his hands.
And Mayor Keller reportably told the APD to stand down.
This should go over good in the next governor election year. The Mayor of Albuquerque is up for reelection this year, that is if the driveby media can get their facts straight without omissions and spin.
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