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Remember last Sunday’s Black Lives Matter protest in Miami Lakes? A group of Trump supporters is currently holding an “All Lives Matter” protest in response — in the exact same location. https://twitter.com/aaron_leib/status/1270100581462540293
A lot of cars honking in support of these “All Lives Matter” protesters in Miami Lakes.
The group has grown to about 50-75.
The scene in Miami Lakes:
A couple Miami-Dade police officers are here monitoring. One of them just hugged one of the protesters.
I’d say well over 100 people here now. And a constant stream of cars honking in support.
Pro-Trump, anti-BLM rally in Miami Lakes:
Tense few minutes here as a couple showed up with a “Black Voices Matter” sign and moved to the front of the group. Many crowded around them, screaming and chanting “comunistas.” Police led them away across the street, no one was hurt.
Paola and Jeffrey Batic, who walked into the pro-Trump rally holding this sign. Jeffrey says someone poked him with an American flag and several men got in his face, but they’re okay. Now standing across the street.
Protesters have been getting in the face of our photographer, Alexia Fodere. One was giving her the middle finger. Police told us to walk across the street because they won’t be able to protect us in the crowd.
One protester just yelled at me to “go back to Massachusetts” (she must have looked up my resume!) which is an insult I’ve never heard before.
This woman just tried to take a picture of my license plate and called me some obscenities. She said she’s a Miami Lakes police officer but declined to give her name.
The protest has ended after more than three hours of nonstop chanting and honking. Story here, which will be updated shortly: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article243521327.html
A couple Miami-Dade officers agreed to pose for photos with protesters. They told me they would do the same for anyone in the community, and said they also took photos with protesters at last weekend’s BLM rally.
I’ve reached out to Miami-Dade police to ask 1) whether officers are allowed to pose with political signs & 2) whether the woman in the video above is actually a police officer.
Rally organizer Maria Martinez addressed the protests over George Floyd’s death. She condemned the officers in Floyd’s case, but said that if you “stay out of trouble” and “don’t resist” you’ll be okay. She also decried the BLM movement’s support of LGBTQ people.
One speaker at today’s rally was attorney Michael Puchades, who calls himself “The Peoples’ Lawyer.”
Leading up to last weekend’s BLM protest in Miami Lakes, he posted photos holding what looks like a gun and thinly-veiled threats if anyone comes into his “guarded community.”
Leading up to last weekend’s BLM protest in Miami Lakes, he posted photos holding what looks like a gun and thinly-veiled threats if anyone comes into his “guarded community.”
Story is updated here, plus ongoing protest coverage from @BiancaJoanie & @MoniqueOMadan with writing by @RodriguezRene.
Thanks for following along and please subscribe to the @MiamiHerald! https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article243521327.html
Thanks for following along and please subscribe to the @MiamiHerald! https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article243521327.html
One more note and then I’m actually logging off: After dropping by some Miami Lakes resident Facebook groups tonight — where there have already been hundreds of comments about today’s rally — one thing is very clear: Facebook and Twitter are wildly different places.
