“The #FirstAmendment does not permit people to use a protest as cover to commit arson, destroy property or incite violence. Any protestors who cross this line should know that we will use every tool at our disposal to find you and prosecute you.” @USAttyBrady https://t.co/BemGXgxIXa
— U.S. Attorneys (@USAttorneys) June 3, 2020
The U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. attorneys across the country have charged suspects for more than 40 violent crimes involved in the terror riots that have raged across the country for the last several weeks.
More than 50 people have been indicted on charges that include: looting, throwing molotov cocktails, arson, setting fire to police vehicles, shining lasers in eyes of police helicopter pilots and bringing guns to a riot.
Suspects were named in Minneapolis, Austin, Dallas, Philly, Tacoma and La Mesa, CA, among other localities. Curiously absent from the cities mentioned are Portland, OR, arguably the nexus of ANTIFA activities in the U.S., and Seattle, WA, where the Democratic Republic of CHAZ, a self described 6-block autonomous zone has been set up.
A police precinct within CHAZ was forced to evacuate because of the “secession” of territory.
The DOJ made it clear that while peaceful protests are well within citizens’ rights, taking advantage of such protests to loot or cause destruction will cause the U.S. gov’t to bring you to justice.