Posted on 12/05/2023 4:38:13 AM PST by MtnClimber
The summer of 2020 resembled a political revolution. Militants associated with Black Lives Matter and Antifa led the most destructive riots in American history. Radicals burned down city blocks, perpetrated acts of violence, and briefly established an “autonomous zone” in Seattle characterized by a police-free political order and a homicide rate 50 times higher than that of Chicago.
For those who monitor left-wing radical movements, this shouldn’t have been a complete surprise. Federal law enforcement had long acknowledged the threat of left-wing, anarchist, and racialist violence. In 2016, the FBI published a report raising the alarm about the threat of anarchist groups that deployed arson and violence for political ends. The following year, it published an intelligence assessment warning about the rise of “black identity extremism,” which was linked to ambushes and violent attacks against police officers.
In the wake of the George Floyd protests, however, FBI director Christopher Wray changed his tune. In testimony to Congress, Wray distanced himself from the report on black-identity extremism and repeated the canard that Antifa was “not a group” but “an ideology,” an evasion that invites the obvious rejoinder: ideas don’t torch buildings—people do. Activists exerted tremendous social and political pressure on mainstream institutions to fall in line with BLM.
Three years later, accountability hasn’t been forthcoming. In Portland, federal prosecutors quietly dismissed nearly half the cases against George Floyd rioters. In Seattle, ringleaders of the ill-fated “autonomous zone” were never charged with crimes, and the paramilitaries who served as the zone’s armed security and murdered a minor were never identified. Many of the downtown neighborhoods most affected by the riots have still not recovered.
A vacuum has ensued. Violent militants in cities such as Portland have become increasingly brazen in their public statements, confident that law enforcement won’t stop them. During a civil trial against Antifa-affiliated militants who allegedly participated in an attack on journalist Andy Ngo, the defense attorney declared to jurors, “I am Antifa,” and vowed to “remember their faces.” The jury decided in favor of the “anti-fascists,” with jurors telling the judge that they feared having their identities exposed.
Federal law enforcement should intervene. The public has an interest in ensuring that this situation cannot continue. These violent, left-wing radical networks can be disrupted through proactive investigations and, as necessary, prosecutions. Violence in the name of social justice remains violence. Americans must become confident again that their government will enforce the law, without fear or favor.
In many states the citizens can shoot to stop another person from committing arson.
“Federal law enforcement should intervene.”
But they cannot and won’t unless requested by the State governors.
Local and state elections…have consequences.
“In many states the citizens can shoot to stop another person from committing arson.”
Yep. And in those states, we don’t have much of an antifa problem.
FYI: The FBI is a subversive terrorist organization. This has been PROVEN time and time again. Russia is not the enemy, China is not the enemy, North Korea is not the enemy.
The enemy of the American people is the FBI and Puppet Biden regime. /spit
Conversely, the actions indicated are merely an indicator of the continued rot and decay of the City States. The city States are self destructing.
No finger should be lifted not any effort be made to eliminate the internal destruction of the City States.
Like Hamas, the City States must be obliterated
Lack of law enforcement in these cases says it all! No need to go after the Lib’s Shock Troops. What else explains the lack of law enforcement?
Unfortunately, federal and state governments through various means, bail out failed blue cities. Without the bail outs, failed cities would collapse sooner than later. We see the same failed principal applied when the federal government or federal reserve intervene to save a "too big to fail" bank or company.
There is a time to help and there is a time when helping becomes the problem. Wisdom is knowing the difference.
Presently, Portland is in a state of failure and no federal action is being made to reverse the issue.
The same can be said for others that are beyond help but not t the degree of Portland.
The example to refute your argument is Baltimore. Baltimore died and there was no federal salvation
Here in Idaho, the statutes for justifiable homicide explicitly spell out suppression of a riot as just cause. In short, Idaho is a FA&FO state.
Baltimore has been getting billions in federal aid annually: re: https://foxbaltimore.com/news/local/baltimore-city-gets-billions-in-federal-aid-annually
In addition Baltimore gets state (MD) aid to the tune of $1.4 billion per 2023. re: https://dls.maryland.gov/pubs/prod/NoPblTabPDF/State-Aid-to-Baltimore-City.pdf
Cities should stand or fall on their own. I.e., with money that comes from their tax base. Federal and state "benefits" mask the graft, corruption and fecklessness that comes with free money.
.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.