[ad_1]
Several men in Michigan have planned to overthrow the government and kidnap Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. The Michigan Department of Justice even suspects the men were planning to start a civil war. Authorities thwarted the plans and arrested 13 men.
Matthias Kündig
USA-Correspondent, SRF
SRF News: What exactly are the detainees accused of?
Matthias Kündig: He is charged with conspiracy, terrorism and firearms crimes. Specifically, it is said that they planned to storm the Capitol in the capital Lansing, kidnap the governor there to Wisconsin, and try her there. He accuses Democrat Gretchen Whitmer of having violated the constitutional rights of liberty with her Corona measures.
The group reportedly conducted combat and firearms training over the summer. Got explosives and spied on Whitmers’ vacation home. The group is called “Wolverine Watchmen”. He probably has direct connections to other violent groups on the right-wing political fringe, with the so-called Boogaloo Movement, which points to a second civil war in the United States.
Is it evident that there is an active underground movement whose influence extends far beyond the state of Michigan?
Yes, and that shouldn’t be a surprise either. The FBI of the Federal Police and the secret services have been pointing out for years that the greatest danger to the state comes from these right-wing and violent groups, which the institutions do not recognize and do not accept the state monopoly of force.
The “Wolverine Watchmen” probably also have direct connections to the Boogaloo Movement, which is pointing to a second civil war in the United States.
Currently, two members of the Boogaloo movement are on trial for the murder of two police officers. And the “Wolverine Watchmen” are said to have found the private addresses of police officers and police commanders.
The authorities managed to prevent the kidnapping of the governor. Do the authorities have control over these groups?
The fact that the Michigan plot was discovered before it could be carried out is initially optimistic. The discovery was made possible because the FBI and law enforcement agencies apparently have informants at this scene and have used undercover agents. What’s a bit less certain is the fact that the “Wolverine Watchmen” were largely unknown in stunt circles until yesterday, and could go unnoticed by the public, so to speak.
The governor in question blamed the president of the United States, Donald Trump, for the incident, at least indirectly. Is that justified?
Whitmer accused Trump of being irresponsible. He noted that the president had never adequately demarcated himself from violent groups on the right-wing political margin and even questioned warnings from his own secret services. His half-hearted distancing from violent right-wing groups, for example on the occasion of last week’s presidential debate, has proven to be an encouragement for these groups.
The president has never really distinguished himself from violent groups on the right-wing political margin.
The president’s reaction showed just how justified Whitmer’s words were. At first he was silent for a long time about the uncovered plot. On Friday morning he posted tweets in which he initially attacked Whitmer. In passing, he commented that, naturally, he was against any form of extreme violence.
Interview by Patrick Seiler.
