In an open letter, 10 mayors this week called on President Trump to condemn the armed resistance on the far right to the “peaceful protests” happening in cities and towns around the country.
“As members of Mayors Against Illegal Guns, we share an interest in reducing gun violence in our cities in all its forms,” the letter opens.
“We are troubled by the recent rise in organized groups, particularly extreme-right militias, openly carrying firearms under the guise of upholding law and order, and we wish to express clearly the risks this creates for public safety in our cities,” it continues.
All the mayors who signed the letter are Democrats, with the exception of McKinley L. Price, mayor of Newport News, VA, who is an independent. And, as mentioned, all of them belong to Mayors Against Illegal Guns, the coalition co-founded by former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg in 2006.
“In recent weeks, we’ve seen an alarming number of fellow elected officials, including yourself, applauding armed intimidation of peaceful protesters. We are calling for an end to this dangerous rhetoric. Instead of inciting vigilantism, we urge you to join us in condemning reckless escalations by militias and other extremists,” states the letter.
….These THUGS are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd, and I won’t let that happen. Just spoke to Governor Tim Walz and told him that the Military is with him all the way. Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts. Thank you!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 29, 2020
Of particular concern to the mayors was a tweet by President Trump back in May that read, in part, “When the looting starts, the shooting starts,” according to an Everytown for Gun Safety press release promoting the letter.
“There is no excuse for inciting vigilantism or armed intimidation of peaceful protesters,” said Grand Rapids Mayor Rosalynn Bliss in a separate statement. There are serious consequences to the kind of reckless rhetoric we continue to hear from the White House.”
SEE ALSO: Man Shot by Kyle Rittenhouse in Kenosha Riots Speaks Out: ‘I’m in Constant Pain’
Shannon Watts, the founder of Moms Demand Action, another Bloomberg-funded organization, piggy-backed on the mayors’ message and blasted the president for sowing discord.
“When armed extremists seek out confrontations with peaceful demonstrators protesting police violence against Black Americans, responsible leaders don’t stay silent,” said Shannon Watts. “They sure as hell don’t egg them on. The president shouldn’t need a reminder that vigilantism undermines public safety.”
You can read a copy of the full letter below:
Don, thats just It.
You summed it up in your first sentence. That Antifa and BLM members need to be killed. And what if malitia folks start doing the killing? What then?
Either way we need a leader to make peace on both sides. And unite us both together as Americans.
And considering them Non-American or sub-human than you are part if the problem.
It is okay for the scum to intimidate and harass, but when the shoe is on the other foot , wahhhhhh ! This Mayor is part of the problem, in no way a part of the solution !
AGAIN with the “peaceful protestors” LIE. Can Democrats, for once, say something truthful?
There are no illegal weapons, only illegal governments.
There are no illegal weapons, only illegal governments.
The unorganized citizen’s militias are no threat and do not intimidate peacefull demonstrators. The militias are there for the bad actors. When the police can’t or wont protect property, and there are not enough of them to do it, the unorganized militia should respond and do the job. NO peaceful demonstrator should fear the police or militia. But I sure hope the Antifa and Marxist BLM rioters fear the citizens protecting property. When Rittenhouse was defending property he was the target of bad actors, and he shot 3 of them. They were not peaceful.
This letter is nothing more than a partisan joke to please left wing mobs. How is it that anyone who legally is armed is “far rightwing” ?? We live in a world now where everything is hyper labelled or extreme language is used to describe ordinary actions as EXTREME. The media has one goal, paint a picture to the uneducated masses causing fear or divisive emotions to provoke an outcome at an election. If all the protests are peaceful then none of these mayors will be requesting federal dollars to rebuild what was peacefully destroyed….right?
At first, I thought I was reading another satirical piece from the Babylon Bee; I had just come from their Web site. This article would fit right in…
Sadly though, this is not satire and it’s no laughing matter!
We The People had better rise up!!!
This mayor needs to know that his protesters are by and large not peaceful. If they were, they would not be intimidating anybody, and nobody would be making either threatening or defensive gestures. Obviously, this is not the case, and the mayor needs to learn not to “cry wolf” when there is only a puppy in the room.
“… peaceful demonstrators”?? Hey, idiot, show me a Democrat-run city (particularly while it is being burned down) that has “peaceful” demonstrators. I dare you.
First and foremost, with what is going on around OUR nation, there are no protests, peaceful or otherwise. IF you go into an area where you do NOT live and have NO business, you are NOT a protestor. You ARE a predator looking for trouble and may find more trouble than you were expecting that might result in your closed casket funeral. YOUR choice.
But on a larger scale, what IS really going on IS that war is being waged on OUR nation from OUR soil by at least two international terrorist organizations, blm and antifa using enemy combatants. I’m of the opinion that when these…enemy combatants…are captured on OUR soil, they should be transferred to GITMO where we often hold enemy combatants and then we should turn them over to some of our foreign allies like Egypt and Saudi Arabia that we contract to deal with enemy combatants because quite frankly, for as successful as their intelligence gathering techniques are, many here are too squeamish in accepting them. BUT they are VERY, VERY, VERY good at intelligence gathering and that’s why we contract them to deal with enemy combatants on their soil. Waterboarding may be banned here, but it isn’t there. They ARE very good intelligence gathering. Just ask Khalid Sheikh Mohammed about that.
Mark,
So is the same true for Kyle, who was not from the area….or the fact that he crossed state lines? He was not protecting any business that he or family owned….
He was just a kid that had no business being there.
And what type of mom would bring her child to place like that.
Did you really think that “real Americans” would allow that bullshit to continue indefinitely? The free run your so called “peaceful protesters” / rioters, looters and yes, murderers have been enjoying is coming to an end and It’s time to pay up. These liberal, socialist, communist democratic leaders are truly out of touch with reality. Even more so than Joe Biden who I don’t believe has ever had a firm grip on reality.
No sorry we are done with your LEFT BS !!!!!!! At this time we ask you to STEP DOWN and turn yourself in for TREASON against the FREE PEOPLE of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
If you do not then the warnings you have been given will STOP AND WE THE PEOPLE WILL COME WITH MANY GUNS AND ROPE you know what will be next !!!!!!
WE THE PEOPLE ARE FED UP WITH YOUR COMMUNISM infesting this COUNTRY WE WILL TAKE IT BACK !!!!!!
Mayors against illegal guns?…what’s an illegal gun? The right to bear arms pretty much covers everything doesn’t it…
Exactly
The Prez doesn’t have to condemn a damn thing . Hold your breath and wait for one of these lefty Mayors to “condemn” the insurrections , riots , murder , and arson in their own cities by BLM , ANTIFA , or any of the other splinter groups of the Communist Revolution .
Taxx73 you are part of the problem.
Willing to kill other Americans, that you consider sub-human or non American.
The USA needs to be United because divided we fall.
Trump is not the answer he is part of the problem too. Blames everyone else but never assumes reponsiblity as the leader of the Free world. He is the President of all Americans not just his suporters.
How come the past president wasn’t the problem then people been killing for years now it’s the president problem
Mayors and Governors allowing terrorist organizations (BLM, Antifa) to have free reign is the problem. They don’t want citizens protecting themselves all they have to do is their jobs. It is the job of the government to protect citizens and that includes from vandalism, looting, arson, and murder.
Antifa and BLM may deserve getting killed. That doesn’t mean the militia folks are going to do it. Violent protester need to be detered and a healthy fear of getting shot helps in that regard. Just like police officers, the militia, is ready to kill those that need killing. If a rioter is smart, they won’t attack properties protected by militia or police. You’re saying that people do not have a right to defend their property against rioters/arsonists. Well, I say that if they can’t afford a large armed security force and they are provided free militia help they would be fools to turn it down. Rittenhouse shot three people that were attacking him. He carried a rifle for self-defense, and he used it. He will be found not guilty. Rittenhouse was part of the unorganized national militia comprised of amles 17 to 45 under statutes. Before we had local police, generally until 1850, it was the local militia that was called out to suppress the rebels. Antifa and BLM are rebels. Killing a few of them will only improve society.
No I was raised that if someone starts trouble with me I finish it but I don’t go looking for it. These rioters are not protesting they are RIOTING! I want nothing to do with rioters. I have no willingness to kill anyone but if it comes to me or you then I choose me.
TRUMP 2020!
Remember if you come for mine then you better bring yours!!
LEAVE OUR RIGHTS ALONE!!!
Not one “peaceful protester” has been threatened.
I wish I had a copy of that letter; I’m low on toilet paper.
Democratic flunkeys who are trying to deflect from the rat holes their cities have become.
After Kyle clipped a couple of commies, the trouble makers left town. The only reasons that the rioting has gone on so long is that there are no consequences for most of the participants. Which also suggests that the rioting and looting is serving the political purposes of the mayors of the affected cities, since otherwise it would be stopped.
Shove your letter where the sun doesn’t shine! Peaceful protesters my ass! These thugs should be put down like the animals that they are. Peaceful protesters don’t attack people, they don’t burn their cities to ash,they don’t attack and murder police officers just trying to do their jobs and they don’t kill innocent civilians! If any of these so called peaceful protests come to my neighborhood I will protect myself, my family and my property!
TRUMP 2020!
Remember If you come for mine you better bring yours!!
LEAVE OUR RIGHTS ALONE!!!