Armed black citizens escort Michigan lawmaker to capitol after volatile rightwing protest

[mysteryowl]

State representative Sarah Anthony says she wanted to highlight failure of policing after armed white protesters demonstrated.
A black lawmaker came to Michigan’s capitol with an escort of armed black citizens on Wednesday, days after white protesters with guns staged a volatile protest inside the state house, comparing the Democratic governor’s public health orders to “tyranny”.

The state representative Sarah Anthony, 36, said she wanted to highlight what she saw as the failure of the Michigan capitol police to provide legislators with adequate security during the protest, which saw demonstrators with rifles standing in the legislative chamber above lawmakers.

“When traditional systems, whether it’s law enforcement or whatever, fail us, we also have the ability to take care of ourselves,” she told the Guardian. Anthony became the first African American woman elected to represent her district in Lansing, Michigan’s capital, in 2018.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/may/07/michigan-lawmaker-armed-escort-rightwing-protest

Here is a video clip of x3 armed escorts. The Guardian article has a picture of several standing on the steps.
Powerful response indeed!

Link to tweet

[captain queeg]

1. That's good. They probably notified the police first

So they didn’t get gun down.

[stillcool]

2. Good for her. I hope...

it doesn't become an every day necessity.

[Renew Deal]

3. People need to ask themselves if this is the kind of country they want to live in.

Because too many republicans see armed right wing religious fundamentalists as a goal..

[Jamastiene]

4. This is one messed up country, where a virus and being asked

to stay home and goof off causes everyone to start grabbing guns and getting all up in lawmakers' faces like what happened last week.

I am glad she did this. She deserves protection from those "angry" gun toting right wingers who have been terrorizing the country.