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An update on vehicle ramming and motorist-protest incidents in the last few months:
cw: violent language
cw: violent language
New information from the court case of Benjamin Hung published yesterday--he drove through protesters on May 31. Was arrested and then let go; now arrested for planning a firearm training camp. https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-09-23/san-marino-man-accused-of-attacking-protestors-charged-with-illegally-obtaining-and-transporting-firearms
I've been tracking down local court documents in some cases.
Back in May, James Hunton defended driving into a protester by saying "there were protesters blocking the fucking road, they deserved to be hit, anybody would"
Back in May, James Hunton defended driving into a protester by saying "there were protesters blocking the fucking road, they deserved to be hit, anybody would"
Last month in Iowa City, a driver shut off his lights and drove into a protest, later saying they needed "an attitude adjustment"
These words fit a broader pattern of language online--memes joke about hitting protesters and create a worldview where it's ok to drive in. https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/seattle-protester-hit-car-latest-casualty-dangerous-far-right-trend-ncna1233525
And these "Run Them Over" memes continue to circulate. Twitter said they were going to block the hashtag All Lives Splatter, but it still remains in use.
And this behavior is encouraged by lawmakers--Florida Governor Ron DeSantis just proposed legislation that would provide protections for drivers, mirroring a range of state bills that failed to pass in 2017
https://twitter.com/AriWeil/status/1267271828923277314?s=20
https://twitter.com/AriWeil/status/1267271828923277314?s=20
To date, I've tracked motorists driving into protests from 5/27 to 9/5. There have been 104 incidents of drivers going into protests, with 96 by civilians and 8 by police. 39 drivers have been charged. In 43 cases, I have coded the driver as having malicious intent.
And where they've been occurring:
While these incidents were clustered in the beginning of the protest period, they continue to occur. Just last night, a woman in Buffalo yelled slurs at protesters before driving in. https://www.wkbw.com/news/local-news/buffalo-police-protester-struck-by-vehicle-in-niagara-square-identified
As violent rhetoric intensifies in the lead up to the election, I worry about an uptick in these incidents.
The DeSantis bill is particularly worrying--we saw in 2017 that even when these bills fail to pass, they continue to inspire and normalize this behavior https://twitter.com/AriWeil/status/1267271831943172101?s=20
A policy thought to finish. As I see it, authorities have 3 options.
First, police can cordon off the area to prevent drivers from reaching a protest crowd. They'd do this for a celebration after a sports game.
First, police can cordon off the area to prevent drivers from reaching a protest crowd. They'd do this for a celebration after a sports game.
Second, prosecutors can bring charges against drivers who hit protesters to highlight the seriousness of the action and deter future incidents. Ex: https://fox59.com/news/crimetracker/charges-filed-against-woman-accused-of-hitting-protesters-with-minivan-on-monument-circle/
Third, police can fine protesters and get them out of the street. This happened in Florida, where in several cases it was the protesters who were hit who were arrested. https://www.tampabay.com/news/2020/07/25/tampa-bay-drivers-have-run-into-protesters-why-havent-they-been-arrested/
Taking the third option and pushing bills that provide driver immunity only serve to encourage more of these incidents. We need authorities protecting protesters who are peacefully assembling.
For right now, protest organizers are largely left protecting crowds themselves through the use of blocking cars and bikes; often putting themselves in harm's way. https://southseattleemerald.com/2020/06/11/driver-speeds-toward-youth-at-protest-bike-brigade-uses-their-bodies-and-bikes-to-stop-him/
