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May 03, 2010

Violent Leftists Riot in Asheville May Day; National Media Silence Results

Imagine, if you will, what would happen if a group split off from a Tea Party protest and went on a rampage, smashing windows and vandalizing cars. Eleven are arrested, and some of those have known ties to right wing militia groups.

Don't you think that dozens of stories would have flooded network news and talk shows, and that government officials—perhaps Obama himself—would decry the right wing violence?

Well, that likely would occur if the violence was right wing in origin, but when a group of radical leftists split off from the main crowd at a pro-communist May Day parade in Asheville, NC over the weekend and went on a rampage, the national media utterly ignored it.

I've found only a handful of local stories about the violence, and none dare identify it as left wing in origin, though the Mountain Express comes closest.

Last night around 10:45 p.m., vandals shattered glass at several businesses around the Battery Park Avenue area, including the Eye Center, Bella's, the Asheville Citizen-Times, the entrance to the Grove Arcade, Cucina 24, an RBC Centura ATM and the glass etching landmark across the street from the Arcade. Several cars in the area were also damaged. Reports at the time described around 20 people wearing dark clothing, breaking windows.

"The subjects were wearing masks and face coverings and are estimated to have damaged at least eight vehicles and five businesses," an announcement from the Asheville Police Department reads. "Officers from all districts responded, as well as a K-9 unit and Forensics staff."

So far, 11 people have been arrested by the APD. Most are from outside the Asheville area. They are:

Jordan M. Ferrand-Sapsis, 24, of Oklahoma City, Okla.; Naomi Rachel Ullian, 26, of West Chestnut St. Asheville;
 Marshall Rogers Tingler, 24, of Oklahoma City
; Daniel Heinz Regenfcheit, 26, of Carrboro; Karen Leigh Alderser, 19, of Carrboro.; Alissa Marie Batzold, 18, of Carrboro; Havely Carolyn Carsky, 23, of Meadow Lake Road, Asheville; Randall Duncan Stezer, 17, of Graham; Wyatt Sherman Allgeier, 19, of Mount Pleasant; Cailin Elizabeth Major, 25, of Milwaukee, Wis.
; and Nicholas Ryan Entwistle, 19, of Kansas City, Mo.

The article goes on to mention that two of those arrested are anarchists, affiliated with known radical left-wing groups. You won't find any mention of the politics of those arrested, even though their leftist radicalism seems to be at the heart of their violent rampage. The evidence is too circumstantial, I'm sure the media would suggest, even though Ferrand-Sapsis helps publish a radical prison newsletter routinely censored for incitement, and Major is being sued for civil rights violations for attacking churchgoers as part of militant pro-gay group Bash Back.

Don't look for Chris Matthews or Keith Olbermann to froth with outrage over the violence; it comes from their side. Don't expect Janet Napolitano to issues vague warnings about left wing terror. Don't expect Congressional liberals to express faux "concern."

You see, left wing political violence doesn't exist... even when it does.

Update: Ed Morrissey notes a similar riot—and anemic media response—in Santa Cruz, CA.

Posted by Confederate Yankee at May 3, 2010 08:42 AM
Comments

Right on CY! Have you attempted to forward this to FOXNEWS. Maybe they'll mention it tonight. Just a thought. Keep on keeping on!!!!

Posted by: wes at May 3, 2010 10:12 AM

It makes me remember of a bus being attacked in France last week-end, this is from some people who want to put some pressure when someone is arrested about drugs, and this is the third time in one month, in a town called Tremblay which sounds like "trembler", what means tremble.

Posted by: Cartesian at May 3, 2010 10:15 AM

I kind of makes you see who they may fear the most. I can think of nothing more terrible to the politicians and the MSM than the rise of the silent majority. This is the population group that is most responsible through history for rebellion. Not the left or radicals.

Posted by: David at May 3, 2010 10:42 AM

we have communists and anarchists marching in support of the democratic party. this is why american tass and our democratic party politicans will never say a word about it. all that matters is their political agenda. to them the end justifies means. it sure isn't my father's democratic party. or mine either for that matter.

Posted by: tommy mc donnell at May 3, 2010 11:37 AM

Just a week ago Obama made a highly-charged racial plea for black and Hispanic voters to support the Dem.s in the fall. Several days later he makes a blatantly false statement that Hispanics will be arrested for buying "ice cream" for their kids without proper ID. And now he says nothing about the riots- after he and Bill Clinton demagogued about violent (right-wing) extremism.

One could argue that he's almost inciting violence from his base.

Posted by: That Guy at May 3, 2010 05:16 PM

So 11 snot-nosed anarchists (who, incidentally, hate liberals) punks in Asheville decided to throw some rocks and it's a violent left-wing riot?

You are aware that anarchists are much closer ideologically to libertarians than they are liberals, right?

Posted by: bobaloo at May 3, 2010 07:53 PM

"You are aware that anarchists are much closer ideologically to COMMUNISTS than they are liberals, right?"

FTFY

Posted by: Armando at May 4, 2010 10:22 AM

I am an anarchist at heart. I hate socialists and communists and I am not real thrilled with what I have seen America become in the last 50 years...
It is amazing how many people are coming around to my oint of view. Critical mass is approaching and change is in the air. Quit lumping anarchists inwith those socialists. I am againt too much government and certainly against full-time politicians.

Posted by: Odins Acolyte at May 4, 2010 10:33 AM

Its not anarchism if advocated for by violence. That is just a small dictatorship. Nonetheless, the real violence is ignored.

Posted by: donkeyphong at May 4, 2010 03:22 PM

Destroying property isn't violence. Remember the tea party? Also, anarchists fight communists (see the russian revolution, among other things) and fascists (spanish civil war). Get your facts straight. Also, many anarchists, including the more ruckus ones don't even consider themselves leftist. They are anti-racist, anti-government, and anti-capitalism though. Agree or disagree, but do the research.

P.S. glenn beck's coverage of "we are an image from the future" is inaccurate. Those are anarchists not communists. Anarchists are against government, and only use violence (as in AGAINST LIVING THINGS) in self-defense. Like when the police start shooting in greece.

Posted by: abcrit at May 4, 2010 09:47 PM

It is time to call this terrorism and therefore subject to the death penalty. It is also time for the police to use live ammo against any radical groups that support socialistic or communist causes. According to the constitution, they are illegal and subject to treason.

Posted by: Progressive=Mentally Ill at May 4, 2010 10:19 PM

It would be interesting to note the origins of may day: anarchists threw a bomb at the police when the police attacked a demonstration in Chicago in 1876 or 1877. The police then killed a lot of people. They then rounded up the anarchists and killed 5 of them regardless of whether or not they'd thrown the bomb.

And for all of this strife, the US adopted the 8-hour work day.

Modern anarchists are no affiliated with liberals and reject state communism as well. The reason the media would jump on the opportunity to talk about the Tea Party is that, well, the media jumps on everything the tea party does. By the numbers, there are many more anarchists than tea-partiers in the united states, but they aren't the media darlings so they are ignored when they commit petty vandalism like happened in May Day in Asheville.

Posted by: deadinthewater at May 6, 2010 12:06 PM