Downtown Howell on Thursday could look a lot like the Michigan Capitol earlier this spring when Second Amendment activists showed up flashing their firepower and attempting to storm the floor of the legislature.
In anticipation of a rally to show support in the wake of the killing of George Floyd, the black man who died when a white Minneapolis police officer kneeled on his neck, members of the Michigan for 2A Sanctuary Counties-Livingston will be on hand, with “predesignated Patriots” stationed “at key locations as designated observers,” in expectation of being called upon to assist law enforcement should it become necessary. It is expected that members of this group will be carrying weapons.
“Their goal is to protect Howell businesses from looting,” said Howell Mayor Nick Proctor. “Their presence is not helpful. There are other groups, too. Law enforcement is on top of this.”
(You can click here to read Michigan for 2A Sanctuary Counties-Livingston’s Facebook post about Thursday’s event in downtown Howell.)
It’s difficult sorting through what will or will not happen in downtown Howell tomorrow. A woman had been planning a rally to show support in the wake of the Floyd killing, but she’s delayed it. Then there was the weekend tweet by a woman calling for Howell to be the first city in Michigan to burn (you can read all about it by clicking here); that woman is currently under investigation by the state.
There are also rumblings about outside agitators heading to Howell to cause trouble.
Officials aren’t taking any chances, saying that though the planned protests were either canceled or delayed, “the potential for gatherings in the area by various organizations is likely to take place … starting at around 10 a.m.,” said the City of Howell in a release.
Downtown businesses are being asked to either close or alter their hours for the day. City and county facilities in the area will be closed.
Livingston County Sheriff Mike Murphy said law enforcement is “gearing up for the worst and hoping for the best.”
“Everyone I’ve talked to has a peaceful protest in mind,” Murphy said. “It’s what they think they need to do for the community.”
The problem, though, Murphy said, is that law enforcement can’t control the fringe people.
“We don’t need them to show up to mess with the people who are there for the right reasons,” he said.
“We are encouraging people to act safely,” said Mayor Proctor. “They are welcome to exercise their first amendment rights as long as they’re peaceful.”
The cops the killed George Floyed where in top of it too. Just what they were on top of was being violent and not caring about the lives of the people that they are supposed to protect. If the American people were smart they would militarize themselves and combat the oppression that all lower class citizens have been going through for decade’s. Its time to stop the overreach and oversight of the judiciary branch of OUR government.
Protesters, please don’t allow the message to be lost. Do not allow naysayers, law enforcement or any other group (outside or local) to obscure the message by goading you into acts that they can hold up as pointless violence and destruction, which only weakens the voice of the people. Protest powerfully, but peacefully and lawfully.
Law enforcement, please, please seek to diffuse, not to dominate. Let the people be heard and respond with understanding and compassion. Please show all of America that the legacy of Howell is not racism despite residents of its past.
Let there be peace with equality.
Who.wrote this? First off… The protesters in Lansing didn’t assault anyone, didn’t throw bricks and bottles at police, and we (unlike these “protests”) didn’t smash windows and burn things.
How about a little perspective rather than a cheap attempt to smear people peacefully assembling to demand their rights back?
Who wrote this article? Second Amendment activists showed up flashing their firepower and attempting to storm the floor of the legislature. They were cetainly not activists flashing their firepower. They were citizens of Michigan asserting their right to legally carry firearms under the second ammendant.. Hardly storming the floor of the legislature. This article is a joke.
Totally untrue and all random news outlets keep spewing the lies. …attempting to storm the floor of the legislature.
Do your own research, stop recycling what somebody else said in a different story! Everyone knows that news is opinion anymore! All the way down to a local Town newspaper, bravo!