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When hundreds of protesters gathered at the Michigan Capitol on Thursday morning, a fight broke out when one of the protesters pulled out an American flag that had a naked, brown-haired doll hanging from a knot at the bottom.
Other protesters began to object to the doll display, calling it a “hate crime,” rumored to represent Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. After what the Michigan State Police described on Twitter as “an incident between two protesters, in which one protester attempted to remove a signal from the hand of another protester,” the man was taken to the capitol building.
In a video, two protesters can be seen fighting over the flag while organizers can be heard asking police to assist in the altercation. After a protester grabs the flag, the man can be seen on the run after being surrounded by other protesters and police on the grass.
State police reported that there were no injuries or arrests.
The man with the rope screen also carried a sign and an ax, the latter handing it over to law enforcement officers.
In another video following the altercation, an unidentified woman can be heard claiming to be the one who took the flag from the man saying, “I took his flag because it is not what he represents.”
Later he went on stage to defend his actions. “Hate crimes are not tolerated in Michigan, end of story,” he said.
This was the third planned demonstration in protest of the order to stay at Whitmer’s house. The protests held early last month were criticized by the governor herself for displaying Nazi symbols and Confederate flags.
In a previous appearance on CNN State of the unionHe said of those protests, “what happened in our capitol described some of the worst racism and terrible parts of our history in this country.”
Jeff Kowalsky / AFP
Since the coronavirus blockade, Whitmer has been the target of several online threats.
When asked if he feared for his personal safety, Whitmer told ABC Friw that, “It wouldn’t be honest if I said it doesn’t bother me. It certainly does.” He then called the demonstrations “racist and misogynistic” and “inappropriate in a global pandemic.”
Last week, Whitmer extended the order to stay at the state house until May 28. He emphasized the importance of closure to prevent the spread of COVID-19. She said, “We all need to stay home and stay as safe as possible. If we all continue to do our part, we can reduce the risk of a second wave and re-engage our economy safely and responsibly.”
As of May 14, Michigan had 48,307 reported cases of the virus and 4,714 deaths.
