Cornona Corvid Protests....

[MajGenl.Meade]

The view from Africa

The view from Africa

[RayThom]

I have no idea what wes' wife is trying to convey with her sign but if you're counting you'll see 'Barack' contains 6 letters, Housain 7 letters, and Obama 5 letters.

How they add up to Corvid-19 is probably a mystery to anyone other than a Big Grifter supporter.

[Econoline]

Math Arithmetic is hard.

Maybe she's just saying that she couldn't be bothered to take off her shoes and socks?

[Scooter]

LEADER OF NORTH CAROLINA PROTESTS AGAINST STAY-AT-HOME TESTS POSITIVE FOR CORONAVIRUS

A leader of a Facebook group demanding that North Carolina allow businesses to reopen amid the Covid-19 pandemic has tested positive for coronavirus but is still insisting that Governor Roy Cooper's stay-at-home order be rescinded, saying it violates her right to freedom of religion.

Audrey Whitlock is one of the leaders of the ReOpen NC Facebook group, which has close to 70,000 online members and has organized weekly in-person rallies demanding that the state reopen. Whitlock described herself as an "asymptomatic Covid-19 patient" in a since-deleted post to the group on Sunday morning. Regardless of her potential to infect others, she said that abiding by the governor's orders meant her rights were being violated.

"The reality is that modern society has not been able to eradicate contagious viruses. A typical public health quarantine would occur in a medical facility," Whitlock wrote, according to WNCN. "I have been told not to participate in public or private accommodations as requested by the government, and therefore denied my 1st amendment right of freedom of religion."

Cooper recently extended his stay-at-home order to be effective through May 8. Whitlock's post said that "political affiliation(s) all become irrelevant when you are fighting for freedom" but concluded with a call to "remove Roy Cooper from office in November."

She also claimed that enforcing the quarantine orders could be a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act, lamenting that "it has been insinuated by others that if I go out, I could be arrested for denying a quarantine order." ( )

Although she appears to have deleted the post, Whitlock confirmed to local news outlet WTVD that she had tested positive for virus. She refused to indicate whether she tested negative before releasing herself from quarantine and answered "no comment" when asked if she had attended a protest the group held last week.

The North Carolina Democratic party reacted to the news with a statement saying that the group had continued to "demonstrate a jaw dropping lack of social responsibility and a complete disregard for our first responders and health workers on the front lines of this crisis."

Whitlock is not the only North Carolinian who cites religion in opposing the governor's stay-at-home order after having been personally impacted by the potentially deadly disease. Davidson county resident Colleen Gill Sprinkle told WXII that she disapproves of the restrictions despite having lost her 88-year-old father to the virus and becoming infected herself.

"If you're able to go out and do some things but you're not able to do other things, to me, that's just not right," Sprinkle told the outlet. "I just don't understand the part because, like I said, you can go to stores and stuff and you're around people, even though you may have a mask and gloves on. But yet, you can't be in church."

"To me, that's just not right because that is very important to all of us," she added. "And it was very important to my dad."

Newsweek reached out to Cooper's office for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.

[rubato]

Freedom of superstition? Whut? I'd support burning her on a funeral pyre. Nice big hot one.

yrs,
rubato

[Big RR]

A "leader in a facebook group" being irrational? See what this isolation has brought us to?

[Lord Jim]

LEADER OF NORTH CAROLINA PROTESTS AGAINST STAY-AT-HOME TESTS POSITIVE FOR CORONAVIRUS

The first of many such stories that will inevitably flow from these idiotic death wish protests...

[MajGenl.Meade]

From Scooter's post:

Although she appears to have deleted the post, Whitlock confirmed to local news outlet WTVD that she had tested positive for virus

[Econoline]

[Darren]

Meanwhile in Michigan:

"LANSING — A few hundred demonstrators gathered under light rain outside the Capitol Thursday, urging lawmakers not to extend Michigan's state of emergency related to the coronavirus pandemic.

They carried signs that read "Impeach Whitmer," "You're Killing Small Businesses," and "Liberty or Death." Many also wore hats or carried other paraphernalia touting Republican President Donald Trump and his 2020 re-election campaign.

Some wore face masks but many did not. Many also did not observe social distancing guidelines that call for six-foot separations between people."
...
"The rain began to fall harder late Thursday morning, sending many demonstrators scurrying for cover. Many went inside the Capitol, where they gathered in the lobby outside the House chamber and chanted: "Let us in."

The public is not allowed on the chamber floor. There are public galleries located on the floor above the chamber.

Photos and video posted on social media showed some of the demonstrators gathered outside the House chamber, and others in the public gallery, were carrying long guns on shoulder slings.

"Directly above me, men with rifles yelling at us," Sen. Dayna Polehanki, D-Livonia, posted on Twitter, along with a photo. "Some of my colleagues who own bullet proof vests are wearing them. I have never appreciated our Sergeants-at-Arms more than today.""
https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/ ... 055294001/

[Darren]

It's not a good thing when a governor gets an order from the Supreme Court.

"Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito wants to hear arguments about whether an executive order by Gov. Tom Wolf (D-Pa.) violates the United States Constitution.

Alito on Tuesday ordered a response from the state to a petition submitted by attorneys for a bevy of petitioners. Among them are the Friends of Danny DeVito. (No, not that Danny DeVito, the other one: this DeVito is running for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from Allegheny County, which encompasses Pittsburgh; his campaign organization is the petitioner.) DeVito argues that the governor’s shutdown prevents his staff from accessing his campaign headquarters while his opponent, an incumbent, can access her government offices.

https://lawandcrime.com/supreme-court/j ... to-reopen/

[Lord Jim]

Speaking of Fascists:

Cops rush to protect Gov Whitmer as armed militia members storm Michigan state house protesting virus stay-at-home order







MICHIGAN Governor Gretchen Whitmer had to be protected by state police on Thursday after a group of armed protesters and militia tried to storm the floor of the state house.

The confrontation came ahead of a scheduled vote on whether or not to extend the state's stay-at-home order through May 15.

Members of the state police held back the crowd, while at least one militia member bellowed at the officers.

Protesters and militia members did not wear masks or any other protective gear as they attempted to force their way into the chamber.That could lead to charges being filed against the demonstrators.

More than one hundred people made their way into the state house, ahead of the vote to decide if the state would extend its stay-at-home order or go against Whitmer and CDC guidelines by reopening the state.

At one point the group began to chant "Heil, Whitmer."

Earlier this month, Whitmer extended a stay-at-home order through April 30, closing down schools and businesses deemed non-essential.

She also issued an executive order closing home-improvement stores, restricting travel between states and barring residents from leaving urban areas to wait out the crisis in more rural parts of Michigan.

The lawmaker also banned boating, fishing, gardening and home-improvements, part of a strict package of lockdown restrictions.

Some of those restrictions were lifted last week, but not enough to calm the protesters who arrived at the capitol in Lansing Thursday demanding the state be reopened.

The demonstration started hours after Michigan a judge sided with Governor Whitmer by ruling that the state's coronavirus stay-at-home order was legal.

https://www.the-sun.com/news/762488/mic ... ronavirus/

Dear Gov. Whitmer,

Don't let a small gang of bully boy thugs intimidate you, or dictate policy for the well being of the citizens of Michigan. As I'm sure you know from all the polling, you and your pro-life policies enjoy the support of the overwhelming majority of Michiganders. Stand strong against these terrorizing, anti-American thugs.

[Joe Guy]

[Lord Jim]

Just from looking at these knuckle draggers, you can tell they have the collective IQ of a plate of clams...

[Scooter]

Anti-Lockdown Rallies Are Providing an Opening for the Proud Boys and Other Far-Right Extremists

Protests against state-imposed stay-at-home orders have exploded across the country and attracted a wide array of right-wing supporters, including the Proud Boys.

The hate group appeared at a rally in Ohio on April 14. In the days that followed, their members attended demonstrations in Michigan, Colorado, Nevada and Florida. On April 20, in the midst of growing anti-Asian bigotry and conspiratorial accusations that the novel coronavirus was manufactured in a Chinese laboratory, members of the Vice City Proud Boys demonstrated outside of Miami City Hall with a banner that read “Fuck the Chinese Government.”

This past Sunday, Proud Boys in Florida rallied outside the Miami Museum of Art and Design. Members in Portland also held a “flag wave” to protest Oregon’s social distancing measures.

For nearly four years, the Proud Boys have used Trump rallies and street marches – frequently punctuated by premeditated outbursts of violence – to draw attention to their brand of far-right “Western chauvinism.” In the process, they have won the admiration of extremists and, in some cases, been embraced by more mainstream branches of the right wing.

One of the qualities that makes the Proud Boys particularly dangerous is the friendly relationship they have been able to cultivate with the GOP. “The Proud Boys’ lack of overtly racist symbols has given them a level of access to the Republican mainstream (as well as a free pass for militant street activism) that the Alt Right can only dream of,” Emily Gorcenski, a progressive activist who was present as a counterprotester at the Charlottesville “Unite the Right” rally, wrote for Political Research Associates.

Unlike the Proud Boys rallies of the past, members of the group are unlikely to find antifascists to brawl with in the streets at anti-lockdown protests. They are also not the main organizers behind the early demonstrations – that designation belongs primarily to wealthy right-wing activists. Those include the Dorr family, which draws in hundreds of thousands of dollars each year operating a number of pro-gun and anti-abortion groups, and the Michigan Freedom Fund, which is linked to the family of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos.

Even though the Proud Boys weren’t behind efforts to get the protests off the ground, they quickly realized their value. They are the perfect platform for the proto-fascist group to make the case that the will of a small minority of Americans – the hyper-individualistic “patriots” who attend these rallies – should supersede democratic processes, and that individual desires should trump the collective public good. The protests also provide other benefits: the chance to launch their ideas into wider right-wing circles, further cement their status as core members of the Trump coalition, build relationships with local politicians and gain attention from outlets like Fox News.

Fox News, which has in the past avoided addressing the Proud Boys’ appetite for violence, has been one of the largest cheerleaders behind the demonstrations. (Tucker Carlson once posed for a photo with members of the Proud Boys, while Sean Hannity has hosted Proud Boys founder Gavin McInnes on his show more than 20 times.) The media conglomerate promoted the “Michiganders against excessive quarantine” Facebook page and its Lansing rally the day before protesters hit the street. The page gained roughly 80,000 new followers in the day after Fox published their story. During her show, Fox News host Jeanine Pirro told one organizer on air, “A lot of people are very proud of you.” During another segment, the network displayed an image showing viewers the locations of all upcoming rallies. The network notoriously holds sway with President Trump, who posted a tweet calling on his followers to “liberate” states run by Democratic governors only minutes after Fox aired a story on the protests. Trump later called the protesters “great people.”

Wealthy far-right donors and the right-wing media are helping to amplify what is, in reality, a small movement. (One poll shows only 10% of voters favor ending social distancing to stimulate the economy.) In the process, they are elevating some of the most extreme figures who operate within these circles. Proud Boys and others have recognized the opportunity being handed to them and, on top of attending large-scale anti-lockdown rallies organized on Facebook, are now launching protests of their own.

On April 19, the Proud Boys announced a plan called “Operation: Reopen Florida”, which included a series of rallies around the state on April 25 to “stand for freedom & against the democrat driven unconstitutional lockdown.” The promotional poster for the event, posted on the group’s Telegram channel and the Facebook page of Proud Boy president Enrique Tarrio, directs you to the group’s online store. There, you can sign up for emails to hear more about their upcoming events and purchase clothing and other items that provide financial support for the Proud Boys.

If anything demonstrates just how politicized the debate over social distancing has become, it is how the Proud Boys chose to frame a widely circulated photo of nurses blocking cars of anti-lockdown protestors at an intersection in downtown Denver. “Antifa Healthcare Workers Clash with Anti-Lockdown Protesters in Colorado,” a headline on the website of a Florida Proud Boys chapter reads.

In the Proud Boys vernacular, labelling someone a member of Antifa – a loosely knit network of antifascist activists – is to label them the enemy. You could go and purchase a “DEATH TO ANTIFA” T-shirt at the Proud Boys online store, but they are currently sold out. “DEATH TO COMMIES” shirts, though, are still available.

The Proud Boys see antifascists, who their founder Gavin McInnes labeled the “paramilitary wing” of the Democratic Party, as representatives of the left writ large. Their long-running demonization of the left has allowed them to justify their own acts of violence (most notably an October 2018 brawl in New York City that landed two members in prison) and to push the idea of an impending “boogaloo” – a meme referring to a coming civil war or, in some more extreme circles, a blatant reference to race war.

The Proud Boys were among the earliest far-right adopters of the boogaloo meme. After getting kicked off Facebook early last year, they returned to the platform under the page name “West is the Best II: Electric Boogaloo.” The meme has now been widely adopted within far-right and antigovernment circles. At an anti-lockdown protest in New Hampshire, men toting rifles and dressed in tactical gear handed out “Liberty or Boogaloo” flyers.

The notion that the pandemic could accelerate the country’s descent into a civil war has gained currency on the right, evidenced by the growth of groups with names like “Boogaloo Enthusiasts: CORONAPOCALYPSE” on Facebook. “Did Trump just call for boogaloo?” one of the group’s members wrote after the president called on his followers to “LIBERATE VIRGINIA” on Twitter. “Well, you heard the man! Let’s go bois,” another responded.

The Proud Boys are connected to the broader extreme right in other ways – namely, that they promote a hierarchical society in which some people are more deserving of inclusion in civil society than others. Women, they argue, are best suited for domestic labor and should be subservient to men. Trans people, they’ve written on their Telegram channel, are “mentally ill gays.”

They malign Muslims in particularly ugly ways. While not using the term, the groups has made nods to the “great replacement” theory – the central animating idea of the white nationalist movement, which posits that white people around the Western world are being systematically replaced by non-white immigrants and Muslims in particular. In the Proud Boys Telegram chat (which has since been deleted), a Proud Boy in Minnesota posted that “The DFL [Democratic Farmer Labor Party] began importing Mexicans in 1965,” and by the 1990s, he wrote, there was a “Somali and Islamic invasion. Almost 60 years of chain migration and breeding, to the point that criminals, communists, socialists, and jihadists are up to and in our state’s highest offices.”

Elsewhere in the chat, he referred to Somali immigrants as “Animals. Just Animals walking around on two feet.” One of the group administrators expressed sympathy for Europeans who had to contend with “fucking sand people” from “the shit holey part of the world.”

At least two members of the Proud Boys are currently seeking political office. Enrique Tarrio, the president of the Proud Boys who in 2017 attended the “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, is running for U.S. Congress in Florida. Nick Ochs, a Hawaii Proud Boy, announced on April 18 that he is running for State Representative. “This isn’t a novelty campaign from an internet person,” he said on Telegram. “I’ve been active in local politics for years and this is winnable.”

A Proud Boy also currently serves on the Fennville, Michigan, city commission. Controversy broke out in another part of Michigan when members of the Proud Boys spoke before the Traverse City Board of Commissioners in favor of declaring the county a “Second Amendment sanctuary” – a trend that has animated the right across the country and inspired massive demonstrations.

On Telegram, the Proud Boys claim that although Michigan is the only state where a Proud Boy openly serves in a public office, “we have alot [sic] of PBs secretly serving all over.”

The Proud Boys’ participation in anti-social-distancing rallies only serves to further cement their connection to the mainstream, as evidenced by the way Mike Detmer, a Republican Congressional candidate for Michigan’s 8th District, jumped to their defense after he was photographed with two of its members at the Lansing demonstration. Enrique Tarrio apparently reached out to Detmer after he received pushback for posing with the hate group, prompting Detmer to post a Facebook video describing the Proud Boys as a group fighting for “all the things that you value in your Constitution.” In an accompanying post, he listed and described all of the official Proud Boys tenets, including “Reinstating a Spirit of Western Chauvinism.”

The Proud Boys see the anti-lockdown rallies as part of a larger political project. In a post announcing the three “ReOpen Florida” rallies, Tarrio wrote, “This is where the battle for the 2020 election starts.”

[RayThom]

And they open and close all their rallies and protests with "God bless America."

We're in a heap o' trouble.

[Scooter]

Blue Lives No Longer Matter, apparently.

[Scooter]

[dales]

Yes, indeed.

[Bicycle Bill]

Blue Lives No Longer Matter, apparently.

Why do so many of these 'tough guys' wear a girly-man earring?