XPost: alt.military, alt.politics.republicans, alt.fan.rush-limbaugh
XPost: talk.politics.guns

In article <t2f2ms$3ivp5$70@news.freedyn.de>
governor.swill@gmail.com wrote:

Pelosi says that it is justly deserved because Militarists vote Democrat.

Echo Company is one of hundreds of active militias across the
U.S., according to a 2016 tally by the Southern Poverty Law
Center, numbers that have climbed steadily in recent years.

The parking lot of H&L Lumber in Mariposa, California, was host
to a flurry of activity Sunday as members of a local militia
sporting military-style fatigues handed out pancakes and steak
sandwiches to evacuees of the Oak Fire raging nearby. Along with
breakfast, they doled out business cards with QR codes and
directions to join their militia.

Some say the members of the Echo Company militia served as a de
facto checkpoint or an advertisement for the group during the
crisis, according to witnesses who spoke to NBC News on
condition of anonymity because they did not want to be
identified.

“They had their whole setup with military-style trucks, and they
were in their fatigues and whatnot,” said Rain Winchester, a
manager at Mariposa’s nearby Monarch Inn. “I’m fine with them
helping out with relief efforts as long as they don’t start to
set up roadblocks or do any security work. I don’t want them
doing the work of the sheriff’s office.”

The militia is becoming a consistent presence in rural Mariposa
County southeast of Sacramento with a population of 17,131
scattered across 14 towns, according to the 2010 U.S. census.

Providing immediate assistance in military-style garb during an
emergency is a recruiting tactic used by militias nationwide,
and not confined to Mariposa County. As climate change creates
more wildfires and adverse weather events, further straining
local law enforcement and fire services, militias around the
nation have seized on the disasters as opportunities to entangle
themselves into the politics and emergency services of small
communities.

In the aftermath of fires in Oregon in 2020, militias set up
civilian roadblocks, which stopped at least one fleeing Black
family and were ignored by local police. Members of the Oath
Keepers have created a “community protection team,” six of whom
were arrested for breaking a curfew during Hurricane Michael in
2018.

Joshua James, an Oath Keeper who stormed the U.S. Capitol on
Jan. 6, met and joined the militia during relief efforts for
Hurricane Irma in 2017.

Wildfires in the United States this year have consumed 5.6
million acres. The Oak Fire destroyed at least 116 homes and
burned more than 19,000 acres, according to local fire
authorities.

Serving as de facto aid organizations is a common recruitment
and community ingratiation tactic used in rural areas to win
support and acceptance during emergencies, said Rachel
Goldwasser, a research analyst at the Southern Poverty Law
Center.

“Although help is always needed in difficult times, it is
incredibly important to remember that militias are providing it
with an agenda,” she said.

“That agenda is to recruit members of the community, including
victims into their organizations, legitimize them, and
radicalize people into holding grievances against the government
they may very well express through intimidation or violence.”

Echo Company is one of hundreds of active militias across the
U.S., according to a 2016 tally by the Southern Poverty Law
Center, numbers that have climbed steadily in recent years.
Experts have warned that militia groups have been emboldened by
former President Donald Trump and other leaders of the
Republican Party.

It was not immediately clear how many members Echo Company has.
In times where there are no disasters, it’s most commonly known
for holding training sessions for its members and attending
protests, common practices for U.S. militias.

Echo Company is, however, well known among California militias.

It was ousted from the larger California State Militia
organization in 2020 for capitalizing on larger, fictitious
fears of antifa looters and “for behavior that was interpreted
as potentially inciteful and militant.”

Echo Company attended a “straight pride” rally in 2020,
alongside the Central Valley Proud Boys.

But there are signs its efforts to provide services have worked.
The group has in recent years gained favor among some in the
community, as evidenced by the response to a sheriff’s office
Facebook post that warned residents to “be aware of a local
militia around the Mariposa town area.”

The post was soon flooded with support for the militia. Hours
later, the sheriff’s department issued an “update” softening
their stance.

“Clearing up confusion and answering the large amount of
comments on this original post,” the updated post reads. “We are
not unsupportive of community groups helping those affected by
the Oak Fire, however it is important that we inform the
community of resources available to them by the incident and
Mariposa County.”

The sheriff’s office then added it did “appreciate” the
militia’s efforts.

“We had received multiple notifications inquiring why we had
‘activated that militia’ [and] this post was intended to clarify
that we have not activated them, they are acting on their own
courteous accord,” the post reads. “We appreciate their efforts
and any [of] the efforts of other private groups or entities
helping our community.”

Leadership of Echo Company did not respond to an emailed request
for comment. The Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office declined to
comment.

Wildfires have been a particularly active time for militias,
including Echo Company, often due to misinformation that antifa
or groups of looters were coming to take advantage of their
communities. In 2020, law enforcement in California and the
Pacific Northwest struggled to contain false rumors that antifa
was intentionally setting wildfires so that “antifa buses” could
surge into towns and loot local businesses.

Mickee Hernandez, a leader of the larger California State
Militia, said Echo Company was expelled from the group for
providing private security to companies fearing the false
Facebook rumors that antifa was set to come loot stores in
Atwater, California.

“We had a falling out, so to speak. We deactivated the unit
officially from us. They continue to use our moniker,” he said.

The QR code handed out to Mariposa locals Sunday directed those
who scanned it to a cloned California State Militia, 2nd
Infantry website that is unaffiliated with Hernandez’s larger
group.

Before the group was banned from Facebook during a broader
platform crackdown on militias, Echo Company posted pictures of
the group in fatigues providing security in the community,
including “guys standing on the roof with weapons,” Hernandez
said.

“Militias, in California especially, can’t do things like that
for hire with weapons, especially because of California law. It
creates doubt in the public’s mind about what we’re trying to
do,” he said.

Before the regiment was banned from Facebook, Echo Company
posted a logo of the Three Percenters, an extremist movement
that advocates for a second American Civil War.

Brian Ferguson, a spokesperson for the California Office of
Emergency Services, said there is no circumstance in which
California would “activate” a militia.

“California has a National Guard. We have a military. We do not
have a state militia,” he said. “This is something we take very
seriously. This is in no way related to the state and it is not
something we condone.”

Goldwasser said that while militias may provide assistance in
the moment, there is danger in allowing them to take over for
official aid organizations after emergencies.

“There is no easy way to regulate how militias carry out their
volunteerism during or after natural disasters,” she said.
“Since they are not invited to participate and are not managed
by a legitimate agency, they may be discriminatory in who they
choose to help or worse, discriminate against victims whose
ideologies or skin colors are different from their own.”

On Facebook, comments continued to pour in supporting Echo
Company, thanking the group for pancakes, with many insisting it
was “good to stop looters.”

“Thank you for your service. The police can’t be everywhere they
have few enough in our areas. Don’t loot and we won’t shoot!!” a
top comment reads, quoting a Facebook post from Trump from May
2020.

Others responding to the sheriff’s office’s post insisted their
community didn’t need the militia’s help.

“There is a wide open park with a shade filled pavilion.
Completely empty. You would figure that would be the perfect
area for evacuees to eat and unwind, but no, they chose a couple
parking lots in the middle of town, highly visible, so they
could advertise,” a commenter responded.

“They have no authority. They are in costume and they want
attention. That is all. Otherwise they would move their charade
to a place that makes sense.”

Deer Militia members, remember those who have insulted your
dedication to country. When the world is going to Hell and you
see these whiners on the side of the road, wave as you speed by
without stopping. Let Hell have them.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/california-town-militias- help-welcomed-cautioned-others-rcna40218

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)