Police don’t need your macho help. Counterprotesters at George Floyd rallies must stand down

First amendment rights to free speech and assembly are sacred.

It would be perfectly fine if the people who showed up to counter Wednesday’s Black Lives Matter protest in Oakdale had something valuable to say. But that clearly wasn’t the intent of counterprotesters, some of whom just wanted to pick a fight.

Violence always is a possibility when you have large groups of frustrated and angry people, like those we’ve seen across the United States since George Floyd was killed May 25 while in the custody of Minneapolis Police. Too many demonstrations have gotten far out of hand, resulting in vandalism, looting, injuries and arrests.

There was little reason for anyone sensible to believe that Wednesday’s protest in Oakdale was headed in that direction. Speakers, participants and marchers had their say about injustice, inequality and police brutality, with no hint of property destruction. That’s how it’s supposed to work.

Counterprotesters, however, just couldn’t leave well enough alone.

Standing one’s ground to defend vulnerable property is one thing. Moving into the path of marchers — then falsely claiming that marchers had invaded his personal space, as one fellow did — is another, and might have been enough to provoke violence in itself.

Why intimidate with puffed chests, folded arms and stink-eye glares? Why dare opponents with provocative words and chants? If you don’t agree with the message of a gathering, simply stay home.

The central message at George Floyd protests is a cry for fairer treatment of blacks by officers. Do counterprotesters believe that it’s fine for police to hurt or kill someone in handcuffs? That kneeling on someone’s neck for nearly nine minutes, resulting in death, is somehow excusable? That racism does not exist, or worse, that it’s appropriate in some circumstances?

Merchants on protest paths must cross fingers and hold their breath during such events, praying that they’ll escape wanton destruction. That’s why we have police and Stanislaus County sheriff’s deputies.

In these parts, with a few exceptions, officers have performed with courage and admiration, absorbing verbal abuse from some protesters while protecting businesses. They don’t need or want volunteer help from macho civilians, especially those who just want to pick a fight.

Some people in Idaho recently took to the streets armed with military-style assault rifles, answering maliciously false social media calls to protect against a mythical invasion of Antifa agitators. They ended up confronting an enemy that never appeared while needlessly raising tensions and making the job of police harder than it already is. We don’t need that happening here.

Despite huge efforts by Oakdale officers and rally organizers to keep things peaceful, things did turn ugly at the end on Wednesday when a man took a swing at occupants of a convertible as it rolled by, leading to three arrests. Police deployed flash-bangs. A TV news camera captured a girl bloodied about the face; social media comments said she tripped and fell.

Just before things erupted, protesters had been chanting “black lives matter” while the other side countered with “all lives matter” and “Trump 2020.”

Counterprotesters supporting any candidate or party can knock themselves out chanting at rallies, marches, demonstrations and even protests that they’ve organized for themselves. They don’t need to bring intimidation and violence to a peaceful gathering of people who think differently.

This story was originally published June 5, 2020 at 11:12 AM.