It’s been simmering all summer, this talk of civil unrest moving from inner cities into the suburbs of America. The Democratic National Convention went silent on the mob violence taking place in places like Portland, OR. The Republican National Convention chose to tackle it head-on. But the issue at hand is that many people across the country remain blissfully ignorant of the possibility that mobs of angry people would like nothing better than to trek out to the suburbs.
In fact, these “protesters” have already made several visits to well-heeled communities this summer and openly say they plan to do more.
In May, a Minneapolis man told the Daily Mail, “Ain't nothing left here so when we start coming to the suburbs, when we come to the government center, then what y'all gonna do? So that's just what's gonna happen, you know …”
Most people are aware of what transpired in June after a tony community in Missouri was stormed by an angry group, ironically on their way to the abode of the St. Louis mayor to demand her resignation. Mark and Patricia McCloskey, both lawyers, after being subjected to death threats, walked outside brandishing firearms to protect themselves and their home. The upshot? St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner filed “felony unlawful use of a weapon” charges against the McCloskeys in July. Now, articles are being written about the couple's litigious nature, and last night they spoke at the Republican National Convention.
Not exactly the kind of notoriety one seeks when moving to the quiet confines of the suburbs.
In June, Fox News reported that a government intelligence source suggested “[a]gitators behind the rioting that has paralyzed the country over the past week want to move into more suburban areas …” With gun sales going through the roof, there is concern that, as civil unrest travels to outlying communities, armed conflict could take place. "Local and state authorities have to get a grip on this because, if it moves to the suburbs, more people will die,” the unnamed intelligence source told Fox.
The Players
Antifa -- an organization that the left claims does not exist, but Justice Department officials say does -- is a source of anxiety for local, state, and federal officials. However, this loosely organized anarchist outfit is merely one among several players. On Aug. 13, the Austin American-Statesman, which serves the Texas capital, ran down a list of lesser-known groups who say they have plans to infiltrate the suburbs.
A little-known outfit aptly named From Cities to Suburbs announced what was termed on its Facebook page a “march and rally” in the Austin suburb of Lake Travis earlier this month. This organization -- which reportedly includes more than 1,000 members -- claims Black Lives Matter as an ally, but BLM officials say they aren’t “familiar” with the group.
Upon hearing of Cities' plans, Republican House of Representatives candidate Justin Berry issued a call to the Freedom Riders to support local police. Wind Therapy Freedom Riders, as it’s officially known, is a motorcycle social club committed to the cause of “defending the Constitution.”
“We absolutely believe in people’s right to the First Amendment, to freedom of speech. We believe in people’s right to the Second Amendment and, of course, to peacefully assemble,” stated Freedom Riders president Luis Rodriguez. Despite the Riders’ stated commitment to peace, all signs pointed to a stand-off shaping up until the event was abruptly “postponed.”
Some residents of Lake Travis believed that the Cities event was “a hoax” to whip up “division” in the quiet suburb, according to the president of the Lake Travis Progressives, Mindy Gulati. She told the Statesman, “People are trying to raise fear levels, and I think we are about to get into some very dangerous situations if people are not made aware of the lies and misguided actions of people in our community.”
Just who is lying?
The fact is that the event planned for a suburban neighborhood in Austin never materialized. But it is becoming more evident that people involved in these loosely organized anarchist groups see the suburbs of America as the next frontier for the violent unrest we see now in urban America. If the stated goal of these bad actors is to issue an alert that violence is coming to a suburb near you, we might do well to listen to their warnings.
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Read more from Leesa K. Donner.
