A black Michigan state representative was escorted by her own armed escort after demonstrators carrying Confederate flags, swastikas and n...
A black Michigan state representative was escorted by her own armed escort after demonstrators carrying Confederate flags, swastikas and nooses protested the lockdown last week.
State Rep. Sarah Anthony (D-Lansing) was escorted by three people across Capitol Avenue on Wednesday so that she could attend committee meetings without fear of intimidation.
Footage shows Anthony making her way into the building as the try form a barrier around her. They can be seen holding rifles as they make their way inside.
The state representative was shocked by the protest last week, where angry Michigan residents could be seen holding Nazi and Confederate flags.
'We were all just appalled by the lack of support and lack of security that I had, that other legislators had, and the fact that a lot of the demonstrators last week were adorning many racist, anti-Semitic signage,' Anthony explained to the Lansing City Pulse. 'I think it just triggered a lot of folks, especially African Americans.'
The state representative was shocked by a protest last week, where angry Michigan residents could be seen holding Nazi and Confederate flags
'We were all just appalled by the lack of support and lack of security that I had, that other legislators had, and the fact that a lot of the demonstrators last week were adorning many racist, anti-Semitic signage,' Anthony explained
Anthony welcomed the extra security detail, who waited quietly on the front steps once the representative made it safely onto the elevator.
The fireman felt that had his group been loud like the protestors the week before, police would have had a different response to them being there.
'We want to change the narrative, first of all. We want people to understand that people of color can come out here with guns just the same as anybody else can,' said Michael Lynn Jr., a black Lansing firefighter and community activist.
Lynn helped organize the security detail for Anthony.
During the boisterous demonstration last week, protestors stormed inside the building. One gun-toting protestor got so close to Anthony that she could smell the man's breath.
Anthony welcomed the extra security detail, who waited quietly on the front steps once the representative made it safely onto the elevator. Anthony pictured with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer
A protestor with a sign that has Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer depicted as Adolph Hitler is seen at an American Patriot Rally
'The majority of the protesters were white,' Anthony said. 'I'm still not exactly sure on the connection between confederate flags and Nazi symbolism. They just had no connection to the stay-at-home orders. The fact they were carrying guns openly while we voted was unnerving.'
Anthony declared security measures taken by the Michigan State Police as being a 'complete failure.' She learned this week that police could have escorted her to her car after she left the Capitol. There were no additional measures mentioned.
'It was just unnerving to me as a woman and as a person,' Anthony said. 'These community volunteers today won't be needed all the time, but they wanted to have a presence today.'
She did note that that Capitol Sergeants are normally do an adequate job at keeping the building and those inside safe.
The Michigan Capitol Commission is exploring whether to ban guns from inside the Capitol, following the protest
'I could hear the fear in her voice during that protest,' Lynn stated. 'It was the visual of her being that scared to go to work. It meant we had to do something. We came out here today to make sure we could provide some protection, even if it's only just to make her feel better.'
The Michigan Capitol Commission is exploring whether to ban guns from inside the Capitol, according to the Detroit Free Press.
Both Anthony and Lynn are against allowing open carry inside the Capitol but Lynn was exercising his rights when he escorted her into the building and making sure the playing field was even, they declared.
'There are certain things that are just inappropriate,' Lynn explained. 'We don't take guns in the courthouse. We don't take guns into city hall. Why would we take guns of this caliber into the Capitol? I have 150 rounds on me right now. I could make terror. This could wreak havoc.'
Anthony asserted that she had no qualms supporting a complete ban on firearms inside the Capitol outside of law enforcement.
'I will be advocating for a change, at the very least, to ban open carry inside the building,' she said. 'For one, it's more intimidating. Obviously, we have a right to bear arms, but concealed would be easier. I don't think we need to be intimidated with large firearms while we're doing our jobs.'
Anthony asserted that she had no qualms supporting a complete ban on firearms inside the Capitol outside of law enforcement after witnessing the protests
‘Some of the outrageousness of what happened at our capitol depicted some of the worst racism and awful parts of our history in this country,’ Gov. Whitmer said on Sunday
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer decried protests staged inside the state’s Capitol building last week - which featured demonstrators with assault weapons, swastikas and Confederate flags - saying the event acted as a reminder of some of the most ‘awful’ parts of US history.
‘Some of the outrageousness of what happened at our capitol depicted some of the worst racism and awful parts of our history in this country,’ Whitmer said on CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday.
‘The Confederate Flags, and nooses, the swastikas, the behavior that you have seen in all of the clips is not representative of who we are in Michigan,’ she continued.
The 'American Patriot Rally', organized by Michigan United for Liberty, was staged Thursday in contempt for Whitmer’s statewide stay-at-home orders put in place to stop the spread of coronavirus.
Most of them appeared to be ignoring state social-distancing guidelines as they clustered together within six feet of each other. Few people wore masks.
Photos from inside the Michigan House Chamber showed elected officials wearing bulletproof vests while men holding guns stood above them. Others were heard chanting: 'Let us in! Let us in!' from outside.
President Donald Trump later urged Gov. Whitmer to 'give a little' to the armed anti-lockdown protesters.
'The Governor of Michigan should give a little, and put out the fire,' Trump wrote. 'These are very good people, but they are angry. They want their lives back again, safely! See them, talk to them, make a deal,' Trump tweeted Friday morning.
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