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WASHINGTON, D.C., June 1, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – As rioters, looters and anarchists continue to incite violence across the nation, commandeering the nation’s grief over the tragic death of George Floyd last week, the defacing and burning of historic churches and national monuments has been added to the daily carnage.
The toll of personal injury and property destruction inflicted by what some say are radical left-wing groups, such as Antifa, is already incalculable, with more promised for this week. President Trump on Sunday singled out on Twitter Antifa as one group to be blamed for the violence at what began as peaceful protests over George Floyd’s death.
Over the weekend, the nation watched in horror as one report after another displayed the destructive behavior of, in many cases, white interlopers exploiting the death of Floyd to create mayhem, with the likely goal of exacerbating – not calming – racial tensions by creating the illusion that African Americans in general and Black Lives Matter (BLM) in particular are behind the chaos.
On Pentecost Sunday, vandals attempted to burn down historic St. John’s Episcopal Church on Lafayette Square, just across from the White House. D.C. fire officials say the fire was in the basement, and they managed to put it out before it spread.
The church was consecrated on December 27, 1816, and beginning with James Madison, until the present, every President of the United States has attended a service at St. John’s.
“It does appear that St. John's Church is on fire, the parish office,” said Fox News White House correspondent Kevin Corke, who was on the scene. “We went downstairs, and it is on fire.”
“This is awful,” Corke continued. “We saw graffiti, once the door was broken, we saw something similar happen earlier, and as you can see there's definitely a fire here.”
In New York City, venerable St. Patrick’s Cathedral was defaced with grotesque graffiti.
“St. Patrick's Cathedral … this is a disgrace. How does defacing a house of prayer achieve justice?” wondered EWTN’s Raymond Arroyo in a tweet.
St. Patrick's Cathedral…this is a disgrace. How does defacing a house of prayer achieve justice? pic.twitter.com/KYC3IVyn8S
— Raymond Arroyo (@RaymondArroyo) May 31, 2020
The National Park Service published photos of public monuments along the National Mall that had been defaced, including the Lincoln Memorial and the World War II Veterans Memorial.
“In the wake of last night's demonstrations, there are numerous instances of vandalism to sites around the National Mall,” stated the Park Service tweet.
“For generations the Mall has been our nation’s premier civic gathering space for non-violent demonstrations, and we ask individuals to carry on that tradition,” the tweet pleaded.
https://twitter.com/NationalMallNPS/status/1267124873085804544
In the wake of last night's demonstrations, there are numerous instances of vandalism to sites around the National Mall. For generations the Mall has been our nation’s premier civic gathering space for non-violent demonstrations, and we ask individuals to carry on that tradition. pic.twitter.com/LmIHfW2AHj
— National Mall NPS (@NationalMallNPS) May 31, 2020
Vandals spray-painted, “Do black vets count?” at the WWII memorial.
“For the record, black veterans very much did count in the World War II memorial’s reckoning of American soldiers who fought and died in the war against Nazism and the Japanese Empire,” wrote PJ Media’s Tyler O’Neill. The insinuation that they did not is disgusting.
Some black voices are claiming on social media that it is not the black community, but groups such as Antifa, that are attempting to incite racial animus by framing African Americans amid otherwise mostly peaceful protests.
“I don’t know who needs to hear this, but black people don’t burn down churches,” tweeted black congressional candidate Angela Stanton King, addressing her words to ANTIFA.
https://twitter.com/theangiestanton/status/1267440022770323457
I don’t know who needs to hear this but Black people don’t burn down Churches #ANTIFA
— Angela Stanton King ���� (@theangiestanton) June 1, 2020
In Los Angeles, two masked white women were captured on video spray-painting “BLM” at the entrance to a Starbucks.
“Fake Black Lives Matter supporter Tagging buildings in LA,” wrote Nia Miranda in an Instagram posting.
“The news and everyone else needs to know and see the Truth! STOP reporting black people as ‘thugs’ and saying we are destroying the community!” she continued. “This is NOT the face of the #BlackLivesMatter community. This is NOT US! We will not accept this! We will speak up and speak out!”
In the video, a black woman tells the white women as they walked away, “Don't spray stuff out here when they're going to blame black people for this and black people didn’t do it. If we wanted you to do it, we would have asked. They're not going to show your faces when they see that on HBO. They're gonna blame that on us! Y'all are part of the problem!”
https://twitter.com/gryking/status/1267101707596632066
Black Protestor caught 2 White Protestors tagging Starbucks. pic.twitter.com/06LuT4ryb8
— gregarious (@gryking) May 31, 2020
In another series of videos, a black woman can be heard begging white vandals to please stop the destruction of property.
“Again, started by a group of white dudes in Oakland,” tweeted Black AzizaNANsi.
“My heart hurts watching this,” he wrote in a follow-up tweet. I don't know what their motive is or who organized these white people to come out, but they don't care about us. That one woman is about to burst into tears and they won't even look at her…”
https://twitter.com/Freeyourmindkid/status/1266661155994550272
My heart hurts watching this. I don't know what their motive is or who organized these white people to come out, but they don't care about us. That one woman is about to burst into tears and they won't even look at her… pic.twitter.com/35Hz5ldAaC
— ����Black����Aziz����aNANsi���� (@Freeyourmindkid) May 30, 2020
In Nashville, Tennessee, a 25-year-old white man was arrested for allegedly setting fire to the city’s historic Metro Courthouse on Saturday night.
https://twitter.com/MNPDNashville/status/1267264305961066500
BREAKING: Specialized Investigations Division detectives & SWAT officers moments ago arrested Wesley Somers, 25, on charges of felony arson, vandalism, & disorderly conduct for setting fire to Nashville's Historic Courthouse Saturday night. pic.twitter.com/tg0AFrU3OP
— Metro Nashville PD (@MNPDNashville) June 1, 2020
In Portland, Oregon, valiant independent journalist Andy Ngô, who himself has suffered personal attack and injury at the hands of Antifa members, posted a horrific video of two clean-cut young white males pushing a man to the ground, kicking him in the head.
https://twitter.com/MrAndyNgo/status/1267091647042473985
Portland: A man tried to help the man carrying a US flag who was getting beaten on the ground at yesterday’s antifa/BLM riot. They chased him away and kicked him in the face when he was unconscious on the ground: #Antifa #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/xqKTYT5tPl
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) May 31, 2020
“Have poured through footage of Portland antifa riot that occurred on 30 May to find screenshots of the males involved in knocking a man unconscious & kicking out his teeth,” wrote Ngô in a follow-up Tweet. “@PortlandPolice didn't arrest any of the antifa who beat me last year. Hopefully, this victim gets justice.”
https://twitter.com/MrAndyNgo/status/1267115281635131393
Have poured through footage of Portland antifa riot that occurred on 30 May to find screenshots of the males involved in knocking a man unconscious & kicking out his teeth. @PortlandPolice didn't arrest any of the antifa who beat me last year. Hopefully, this victim gets justice. pic.twitter.com/ADblznWc6q
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) May 31, 2020
The National Guard has been activated in Washington, D.C., and 17 states to quell the violence: Colorado, Georgia, Kentucky, Minnesota, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Wisconsin, Utah, North Dakota, California, Missouri, Virginia, Kansas, Illinois and Nevada, according to ABC News.
Over 4,100 people have been arrested so far, according to an Associated Press (AP) tally.
“ANTIFA terrorists are invading largely minority communities, inciting violence, breaking their windows, and burning their businesses to the ground,” wrote political commentator Dan Bongino on Twitter. “When is the liberal media going to report honestly on these terrorists?”
https://twitter.com/dbongino/status/1267516282464763905
ANTIFA terrorists are invading largely Minority communities, inciting violence, breaking their windows, and burning their businesses to the ground. When is the liberal media going to report honestly on these terrorists?
— Dan Bongino (@dbongino) June 1, 2020
“This is not about George Floyd anymore,” said Bongino, a former Secret Service member, in a Fox & Friends interview on Monday. “We had a sincere moment of national unity where everyone agreed this was abhorrent. Who’s talking about that now? Nobody.”
“We’re talking about an insurrection,” he declared.
“Known antifa leadership is organizing this,” said Bongino, “trying to take down the seat of our government.”
Attorney General “Bill Barr and the President need to legally decapitate Antifa today,” said Bongino. “We have to shut this down now.”
Meanwhile, in Baltimore, Maryland, heading into Monday night: “Police have found mounds of bricks and bottles with potential accelerators in them,” tweeted local TV investigative journalist Joy Lepola Stewart. “Police are currently sweeping the downtown area. There are demonstrations planned for today.”
https://twitter.com/jlepolastewart/status/1267490031297531904
#Breaking #Baltimore police have found mounds of bricks and bottles with potential accelerators in them. Police are currently sweeping the downtown area. There are demonstrations planned for today.
— JoyLepolaStewart (@jlepolastewart) June 1, 2020