Posted on 05/14/2020 4:16:31 PM PDT by lightman
LANSING, MI -- A fight broke out on the steps of the Michigan Capitol Thursday morning during a protest aimed at Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the ongoing state of emergency and stay-at-home orders.
J. Scott Park, an MLive photographer, witnessed the fight break out after a man carrying a garbage can filled with a sign, an ax and an American flag removed the flag from the can. Attached to the bottom of the flag was an unclothed doll with brown hair that was hanging from a noose.
Organizers of the protest called the display “hate speech” and when one protester tried to take the doll off the flag a skirmish broke out. The man who brought the flag fled away from the fight and to the lawn of the Capitol where Michigan State Police surrounded him.
Related story: Video: Doll with noose prompts fight at Michigan Capitol protest
The man was taken into the Capitol building following the altercation. Michigan State Police reported there were no injuries and no arrests were made.
MSP public information officer Lt. Brian Oleksyk said the man who brought the flag was interviewed by police and he will be allowed to press charges if he elects to.
“We took his report, we will investigate thoroughly and file our report," Oleksyk said.
In his report, the victim stated that he and the person he fought with have had issues with one another prior to Thursday’s protest, but details on those incidents could not be shared by police. The man was allowed to leave the Capitol property and did so without further incident, according to Oleksyk.
There was an incident between two demonstrators, in which one demonstrator tried to take a sign out of another demonstrator's hand. There are no injuries and no arrests were made. The victim is a 60-year-old male. — Michigan State Police (@MichStatePolice) May 14, 2020
Following the fight, an unidentified woman who claimed to be the one who grabbed the flag from the man was seen speaking to other protesters.
“I took his flag away, because that’s not what it stands for,” the woman can be heard saying in a video.
The same woman later took the stage to address the crowd and said she would not stand for those actions and would resort to violence if necessary.
“Hate crimes are not tolerated in Michigan, end of story,” she said. “Just so you guys know, I’ll fight that, physically if I have to.”
Jazmine Early, 49, of Sterling Heights attended the protest and said she was aware prior to the event that some people would be attending in hopes of causing problems and drawing attention away from the meaning of the gathering.
“He came with something that he thought would catch attention from the media,” Early said. "They started arguing and he was asked kindly please not do that.
“Yesterday, we were warned that there would be ... people coming from the other side to look like they were on our side. And the media, I’m pretty sure, is going to talk only about that.”
PREVENTION TIPS
In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus.
Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible.
Use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home (door handles, faucets, countertops) and carry hand sanitizer with you when you go into places like stores.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has also issued an executive order requiring people to wear face coverings over their mouth and nose while inside enclosed, public spaces.
“The Jerk”
Should have
Left the
Trashcan
At Home.
****************************
I suspect that the infiltrating jerk planned to stand on it so he would stand out and be more noticeable in the crowd for his buddies in the mainstream media to video record as he waved the lynched doll.
The doll should have been wearing a swastika, but there were concerns about violating Goodwins Law.
Cabbage Patch doll.
From what I read, the guy with the noose was an agent provocateur type from Belleville with a bunch of prior convictions. I’m trying to remember where I read that. Mlive I think.
Morning after Ken?
False flag operation.
To be honest my first inclination was what you just stated. It was a setup to make protesters look bad. But I wasn’t actually confident in what it was all about, with a garbage can, flag, doll, and noose. Seemed like a Jussie Smallet false flag.
Did she die?
Is she single?
““What kind of doll would Dr. Rachel Levine be?”
Ken in drag.”
.....or a cabbage patch doll of your choice.
See post 61 above.
Big Jim
You need to develop the sense to know this sort of thing is generally speaking a phony, staged political stunt.
Reprehensible. Check.
Irresponsible. Check.
Political. Check.
Ergo especially protected.
I don’t like it, but the First Amendment does not depend on my “feelings”.
(I can’t believe how Libertarian I have become in the past 60 days!)
Notice they had to describe it as having brown hair...lily white but still racist...
Yes thanks I agree. The Dems / left are a very devious lot who specialize in making such things look like it was done by others i.e. a racist Tea Party mob. They do need to face some of their own propaganda and deception.
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