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XPost: seattle.politics
From: sanctioning_democrats@california.militias
In article
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.
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