Right-wing extremists armed with AR-15s invade Oregon state legislature and clash with state police
The fallout from Donald Trump’s extended tantrum over his election loss and his bogus claims of a stolen election is beginning to get real and dangerous.
Emulating the armed militias who invaded the Michigan state legislature back in the spring, a large group of gun-toting extremists tried to force their way into a closed special legislative session of the Oregon state legislature that was convened to consider pandemic relief and public health measures in the state.
The angry militant right-wing extremists clashed with police at a “Stop the Steal” rally being held outside the state Capitol building in Salem, Oregon, and law enforcement was forced to declare an unlawful assembly this morning as a small number of the armed group managed to partially push their way into the building in anger over what they considered to be an “illegitimate” session closed to the public.
Freelance journalist Laura Jedeed was on the scene and live-tweeted events as they unfolded. Her account below is a chilling description of what happens when a defeated president promulgates fake accusations about election mischief and erodes people’s trust in governmental institutions.
And holy shit things got real IMMEDIATELY
They just tried to force their way into the building. Fights with cops. A great deal of mace. Footage incoming
— Laura Jedeed, Space Professional (@LauraJedeed) December 21, 2020
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Things apparently unraveled quickly.
How it started pic.twitter.com/HyKbwmAphT
— Laura Jedeed, Space Professional (@LauraJedeed) December 21, 2020
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It didn’t take long for the militants to demonstrate both their fondness for conspiracy theories and their inherent racism.
Someone saw "a Chinese person" in the window earlier. The claim now is that the Chinese are inside the building, which is why they don't want us inside
— Laura Jedeed, Space Professional (@LauraJedeed) December 21, 2020
Of course, there was no lack of opportunistic state Republican politicians on the scene to encourage the militants for their own selfish political purposes and make the whole situation even worse.
ThrbSenator from Roseburg is here. He says we have every right to be in that building, and that refusing to allow the crowd in is treason. It is against God and country
"Anyone who says otherwise is an elitist and a tyrant!"
"Than let us in!" Someone yells
— Laura Jedeed, Space Professional (@LauraJedeed) December 21, 2020
Telling people who believe the election was rigged to vote is certainly an interesting choice
It's going over about as well as you'd expect
— Laura Jedeed, Space Professional (@LauraJedeed) December 21, 2020
The armed insurgents apparently have as little respect for democracy as the president they support.
The senator is back. "This won't change things!" He says
"Easy to say that when we pay your salary!!"
"Hey, he's on our side!!"
"No he isn't!"
— Laura Jedeed, Space Professional (@LauraJedeed) December 21, 2020
We've been in here for a hot second. Luckily for the troopers they are protected by the one thing the far right loves more than anything: glass windows
Massive numbers of troopers behind the door. Pappas waa kicking the doors earlier but things have calmed down slightly
— Laura Jedeed, Space Professional (@LauraJedeed) December 21, 2020
Ironically, the people fighting with the police were likely the same ones who were marching against defunding law enforcement during the state’s BLM protests earlier this year. Their tone has changed considerably since then.
Door opened a crack and some kind of conversation ensued. People now pounding the walls and chanting "Let us in!!"
— Laura Jedeed, Space Professional (@LauraJedeed) December 21, 2020
Anyone who may have thought recent talk about an impending civil war was overblown may want to reconsider their opinion after listening to some of the AR-15-toting revolutionaries in Salem, Oregon.
Talk turning to revolution. Abolishing a government that no longer serve the people. Door still cracked. A call for everyone with gas masks to go to the front
"Consider this a warning. Next time we aren't gonna be so nice and we ain't playing" Pappas says
— Laura Jedeed, Space Professional (@LauraJedeed) December 21, 2020
They are now singing the National Anthem
— Laura Jedeed, Space Professional (@LauraJedeed) December 21, 2020
Oddly, these folks still consider themselves to be patriotic.
Always interesting to see who runs and who says when the munitions come out
It's a standoff now. Chand: "enemies of the state!"
— Laura Jedeed, Space Professional (@LauraJedeed) December 21, 2020
"you're heaving birthday parties while you shut us down!"
It's important to understand that they rage is real, and that some of it is extremely legit. There's desperation and fear here because people have no way to survive
— Laura Jedeed, Space Professional (@LauraJedeed) December 21, 2020
What is most depressing about this violent protest is that these folks can’t recognize that it was the failure of the president whose loss they seek to reverse to properly manage the pandemic that has caused their current desperation.
Someone is changing "this is what democracy looks like," I can't get away from my least favorite chant no matter where I go
I've said it before: protests are what it looks like when democracy fails
— Laura Jedeed, Space Professional (@LauraJedeed) December 21, 2020
Jedeed perceptively notes that police are treating the right-wing militias with kid gloves compared to how progressives at BLM protests have been handled with violent suppression.
The cops said someone would address the crowd if it went back outside and the crowd very sensibly pointed out they could address us right here
— Laura Jedeed, Space Professional (@LauraJedeed) December 21, 2020
Still, some of the protestors are finally learning first hand about what the BLM marchers’ calls for an end to brutal policing were trying to inform them about.
They've found a ladder and placed jr longways on front of the door
Still not an unlawful assembly. Obviously
They're reciting the pledge of allegiance now
— Laura Jedeed, Space Professional (@LauraJedeed) December 21, 2020
At this point, law enforcement had finally reached the limits of its patience, and the police declared an unlawful assembly.
I swear to God if I get arrested for the first time at a far right protest I'm gonna lose my fucking MIND
— Laura Jedeed, Space Professional (@LauraJedeed) December 21, 2020
Can't wait to see how the cops deal with a far right unlawful assembly, this is amazing
— Laura Jedeed, Space Professional (@LauraJedeed) December 21, 2020
The
Someone screams that a side door is open and part of the crowd runs over there
"I'm giving you one chance!" Pappas yells dramatically at the cops just inside the door. "Join us!!"
The dialogue is just terrible in this movie
— Laura Jedeed, Space Professional (@LauraJedeed) December 21, 2020
"I don't even care. They destroyed my business! How many kids are hungry because of them?! I'm done!"
-Pappas
He says it's more the cop's fault than Kate Brown, which is quite a turn
— Laura Jedeed, Space Professional (@LauraJedeed) December 21, 2020
Jedeed continued to live-tweet the denouement of the protest of around 150 militants, but the worst part of the attempted invasion of the Capitol building was over by now.
You can read the rest of Laura Jadeed’s Twitter thread here, with more video from the armed conflict promised later today.
The fruit of Donald Trump’s malevolent propaganda is ready for harvest, and this fracas in Oregon today is likely just the beginning.
This is what the incoming Biden administration will need to deal with as it takes office with Donald Trump likely egging on his followers from the sidelines. The new president will have to take swift action to avoid more of these types of desperate right-wing militias from breaking out in the kind of violent revolutionary acts that they always like to accuse Antifa of committing.
Follow Vinnie Longobardo on Twitter.
Original reporting by Laura Jadeed and by Sara Cline at The Associated Press
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