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Image posted, ANTRIM COUNTY SHERIFF OFFICE
8 people suspected of being involved in the planning of the Michigan governor’s kidnapping
The Michigan State Attorney General revealed that the state governor was aware of the developments in the plot to kidnap her, and she was moved from one location to another while the FBI worked to locate those who planned to kidnap her.
On Thursday, the FBI said it had foiled a plot by suspected gunmen to carry out a “treason trial” on State Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
In this case, charges were brought against 13 men.
Stringent measures to combat the spread of the Corona virus in Michigan have made Governor Whitmer a target for COVID-19 skeptics.
On Friday, Attorney General Dana Nessel told CBS News: “She and her family were sometimes moved from one location to another as a result of activities that law enforcement authorities were aware of.”
Nessel said the Democratic governor has kept abreast of the latest developments in investigations that have taken place in recent months.
The prosecutor added that the suspects were very close to implementing their plan, which forced the police to intervene “before someone lost their life.”
What were they supposedly planning?
According to an FBI affidavit released Thursday, a secret source attended a meeting in Ohio in June in which a group of Michigan-based militiamen discussed the overthrow of state governments “they believe violate the US Constitution.”
In a video, a suspect denounced the role of the state in deciding when to reopen gyms during the shutdown period imposed to counter the spread of the Corona virus.
Investigators said the men were found in a basement accessed through a secret door hidden under a carpet.
Authorities charged six men, five from Michigan and one from Delaware, in federal court for plotting the kidnapping.
The names of these six are Adam Fox, Barry Croft, Kellap Franks, Daniel Harris, Brandon Kazert, and Tay Garbin. Last Wednesday, authorities raided Tay Garben’s residence in a trailer yard.
The other seven face charges related to terrorism and gang-related crimes in state court, in connection with the alleged kidnapping plot.
And the seven people are Paul Pillar, Shawn Fix, Eric Molitor, Michael Knoll, William Knoll, Beth Mosiko, and Joseph Morrison.
The group wanted to rally about “200 men” to storm the state government building and take hostages, including the state governor. And they were hoping to implement their plan before the presidential elections next November. If this plan failed, they intended to attack the governor at her residence, authorities said.
What did the governor say?
At a press conference Thursday, the state governor linked the plot against her to rhetoric from US President Donald Trump, who says he has spent months “fueling mistrust, provoking anger and reassuring those who spread fear. , hatred and division “.
According to US media social media posts, some suspects have previously expressed support for Trump, despite a military member describing President Trump as a “tyrant” and adding that “everyone who works for him government are your enemies, my friend. ”
And last April, Trump supported protests against the blockade, saying in a tweet, “Michigan free.” A month later, armed protesters against the blockade stormed the state government building.
And the Michigan attorney general confirmed last Thursday that two of the men who were photographed at the protest that took place in May were among the suspects detained.
On Thursday night, Trump, who is a member of the Republican Party, sought to take credit for federal investigators eliminating the alleged threat to the Michigan state governor.
Trump tweeted: “Instead of thanking you called me a white supremacist, while (Democratic presidential candidate Joe) Biden and the Democrats refuse to condemn the thieves and mobs of the Antifa (anti-fascist) movement and the anarchists who set fire to cities run by Democrats. “
Image posted, fake images
Anti-Blockade Protesters Compared Michigan Governor to Adolf Hitler
The state of Michigan could be instrumental in determining the outcome of the presidential elections scheduled for next month.
Joe Biden, Trump’s rival for the presidency, had condemned the militias as a “real threat” and said the president’s tweet containing the word “free” encouraged the militias. Biden said, “The president’s words are important,” adding, “Why can’t the president say” enough, enough, enough, enough? “
During the past few years, many incidents of violence have been linked to ordinary citizen militias in different parts of the United States.
The supporters of these groups, who are often white, sometimes take up arms during protests. Last week, the Department of Homeland Security warned in an annual report that the violent white supremacist movement was “the most urgent and deadly threat in the country.”
Bugalo problem in social networks
Analysis by James Clayton, North American Technology Editor
These men were reported to be associated with a militia called “Bogalo Boys”. This is a movement that has grown and grown across the internet.
In fact, it is difficult to describe the motives of this group. It is not a “right” movement in the traditional sense. Its members are fiercely opposed to law enforcement, and some are arrested on charges of murdering police officers.
In general, they are radical libertarians, like Timothy McVeigh, a terrorist from Oklahoma City, but in possession of weapons.
As for the term “Bugalo”, it is generally considered an indication of civil war. They have an inherent hatred of big governments, but confusingly, they are often Trump supporters, though not exclusive. It is for this reason that they mostly direct their anger at state governments, not at the federal government.
Social networks took a long time to act against the Bugallo movement. Facebook blocked several groups affiliated with Bogallo in June, including the group these men belonged to. And last July I showed TikTok a series of videos from Bogalo that were on stage. Even now, it’s easy to find Bugalo videos on social media – the tags they use change frequently, making it hard to keep up with them.
This story shows how important it is to monitor social media platforms to monitor extremist content posted on them, before that leads to violence.
