Democratic state senator doesn't get her way, so she threatens riots: 'Gloves out'



Democratic politicians frequently concern-monger about supposed threats to democracy. However, when democratic processes produce results they don't like, they're often the first to make threats or champion violence.

Tennessee state Sen. Charlane Oliver (D) recently expressed outrage over the passage of a bill that would prevent local officials from introducing policies or ordinances that limit the ability of police to properly fulfill their duties. Since voters elected not to empower a sufficient number of lawmakers with Oliver's leftist worldview to kill the bill, the cofounder of the identitarian activist group Equity Alliance suggested an alternative means of getting her way.

"Yeah, we gonna fight," said Oliver. "Dr. King said that the riots are the language of the unheard. You ain't see nothing yet. If you keep silencing us like this, what you think our district's gonna do?"

"We have had it up here," added Oliver. "Gloves out."

Background

Facing pressure from activists over the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols by five black police officers last year, Memphis City Council passed an ordinance in April 2023 preventing police from conducting pretextual traffic stops.

Councilwoman Michalyn Easter-Thomas, the sponsor of the traffic-stop ordinance, suggested the idea was to limit interactions between the police and the public, and to have officers focus on serious crimes, not "poverty crimes," reported the Memphis Commercial Appeal.

Republicans and community members recognized that the ordinance might ultimately make things a whole lot worse in the country's most dangerous city.

State Sen. Brent Taylor filed a bill in January that would effectively override the Memphis ordinance by barring "a local governmental entity or official from adopting or enacting a resolution, ordinance, or policy that prohibits or limits the ability of a law enforcement agency to conduct traffic stops based on observation of or reasonable suspicion that the operator or a passenger in a vehicle has violated a local ordinance of state or federal law."

"Crime is on the rise across the country," said Taylor. "Violent crime has reached a crisis level in Memphis. Police officers and sheriffs need to have more tools available to combat rising crime, not fewer. This proposed law will prohibit cities and counties from restricting routine traffic stops and other crime-fighting tactics."

The Republican state senator further noted in a Jan. 31 statement, "Routine traffic stops have resulted in major arrests and the apprehension of violent criminals for years. Whether it's the random drug trafficker pulled over for running a stop sign or the most well-known case — Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh — routine traffic stops are a proven means of catching violent offenders, drug traffickers, and other dangerous criminals."

Taylor elsewhere indicated that it was clear to him that community members were growing "tired of crime and bad policies that don't allow police to do their jobs."

Democratic lawmakers denounced the legislation.

Sen. Jeff Yarbro (D) suggested that the legislature was "spitting" on the efforts by local leftists to seize upon Nichols' death as an opportunity to limit policing powers.

State Sen. London Lamar (D) said Thursday, "I pleaded with the sponsor to not run this bill because it's a slap on the face, not only our city councils, but all the local governing bodies in this state because we're telling them, 'You are not smart enough to decide policies that help govern your own city.'"

Memphis has a 0-rating on Neighborhood Scout's crime index where 100 is safest. The likelihoods of falling victim to a violent crime and a property crime in the Democrat-run city are 1 in 41 and 1 in 14, respectively.

Despite Democratic opposition, the state House approved HB 1931 in a 68 to 24 vote on March 7. The state Senate passed Sen. Brent Taylor's corresponding SB 2572 Thursday in a 26 to 6 vote along partisan lines.

Upon the bill's passage in the Senate, Taylor tweeted, "It's time to take handcuffs off police and put them on criminals where they belong."

The bill is headed to Republican Gov. Bill Lee's desk for ratification.

Democratic rage

Democrats and other leftists characterized the bill as both racist and government overreach.

State Sen. Lamar likened Republicans' attempts to execute the will of voters to slavery at a press conference.

"What we see here is drunk on power. 'I don't like that you take this position on this bill so I'm [going to] silence you.' That's a form of slavery," shouted Lamar. "I feel like a slave sometimes in this building. I'm over it. And all the members standing here are over it."

"I am tired of the Republican Party expecting us as minorities to do what they want to do but treat us disrespectfully," continued Lamar. "Nah, we're not doing that no more. ... We're at the time of the session where gloves [are] off."

— (@)

State Sen. Charlane Oliver went further than Lamar in her embrace of pugilistic rhetoric.

"It is a slap in the face and you might as well stomp on the grave of Tyre Nichols for bringing this bill," said Oliver. "Yes, we are emotionally charged. Why? Because it's personal for us. Tyler made this personal the minute he introduced this legislation to target one family and one life that was lost. So yeah, we gonna fight."

After invoking Martin Luther King Jr. in an apparent effort to legitimize rioting, Oliver added, "We gonna fight like hell. You don't expect us to respond when you gaslight us every single day with these bills?"

"Don't tell me this stuff ain't racist," continued Oliver. "Don't tell me it's not. It is rooted in racism. This was a Jim Crow bill that Taylor brought and all of his confederates voted for it today."

Taylor responded to Oliver's suggestion of reactionary riots, writing, "Despite [voters] overwhelming support for my bill that prohibits local governments from banning legal routine traffic stops, leftist opposition has been insane and totally out of touch with reality and our community's demands."

— (@)

Leftist activist groups such as the anti-prison outfit Decarcerate Memphis are hoping to pressure Gov. Lee to veto SB 2752, threatening "no justice, no peace."

Nichols parents have also asked to meet with Lee before he signs the bill in hopes that they might dissuade him.

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Conservative university student wins $80k settlement due to 1st Amendment violation



A Christian conservative student named Maggie Dejong has just won an $80,000 settlement against her former school for violating her First Amendment rights.

Dejong had received no-contact orders from three students — essentially restraining orders — that applied to on and off campus. Dejong routinely participated in classroom discussions and offered a conservative viewpoint.

The three students who acquired the no-contact orders were reportedly upset by Dejong’s social media posts on abortion and the police. They were also upset that she had defended Kyle Rittenhouse and denounced critical race theory.

Their list of grievances goes on, as Dejong would wear a pro-police hat in class. They demanded she remove it, as it was a symbol of “oppression.”

“Are our students really in such echo chambers that they can’t even tolerate hearing conservative views anymore?” Lauren Chen asks.

“You should not be so triggered when you hear a conservative viewpoint that you immediately have to run to your administration to get them to protect your feelings,” she adds.

Chen also finds it odd that her social media posts were a point of contention for these three students.

“Stop following her on social media. It’s not like she’s, you know, writing pro-Kyle Rittenhouse defenses and shoving them under their doors at night.”

While the story is clearly ridiculous, the school complied with the students' complaints and told Dejong she was not allowed to talk to these students at all. This meant she would not be allowed to speak up in class if those students were there.

“Conservatives who are listening to this, don’t forget that so many of these institutions, they are still receiving your money,” Chen says, continuing, “They won’t allow your viewpoints to be expressed in their hallowed halls, but they’ll happily take your dollars.”


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Teacher ordered to take down 'political' Thin Blue Line flag honoring her brother, a former cop — but Black Lives Matter, LGBTQ symbols are just fine



A school district in western Washington state ordered a teacher to take down a pro-police Thin Blue Line flag in her classroom that honors her brother since it's a "political symbol" and could cause a "disruption" — yet Black Lives Matter and LGBTQ symbols and messages apparently are just fine, Jason Rantz of KTTH-AM reported.

What are the details?

Chris Sutherland — the brother of the unnamed teacher at Marysville Middle School, which is about 40 minutes north of Seattle — is a former officer who served with the Marysville Police Department and also was a school resource officer during a deadly high school shooting in the city, Rantz wrote.

Sutherland's sister initially placed a Thin Blue Line sticker on her laptop to honor her brother and other law enforcement officers, KTTH noted — but an assistant principal objected to the sticker.

Rantz — citing a human resources document on the incident — reported that the assistant principal had "concerns about how students, families, and community members might interpret what the image is intending to communicate, and that this interpretation may cause a disruption to the learning environment."

But the objections were soon dropped, KTTH reported.

The HR document added that the the teacher also displayed a Thin Blue Line flag on her classroom's bulletin board surrounded by photos of her brother, Rantz wrote.

EXCLUSIVE: A teacher was forced to remove a pro-police flag from her classroom, claiming it's political & could off… https://t.co/eMF1FzZMPy

— Jason Rantz on KTTH Radio (@jasonrantz) 1632704452.0

Well, that prompted a second assistant principal to order the teacher to take down the flag, KTTH said.

"They told her that it's controversial to have that flag up," Sutherland told Rantz on his KTTH program. "That it makes kids and staff feel unsafe, which to me, that does not make sense at all."

Rantz added that an HR representative from Marysville School District 25 sent the teacher a letter of clarification about the issue indicating officials were "highly concerned about the impact of this political symbol on students, staff, and families of Marysville Middle School" and that there were "concerns from other staff members about how this political symbol might negatively impact the overall professional work environment."

Remove the flag!

The letter ordered the teacher to remove the flag and told her her to "refrain from using the 'Thin Blue Line Flag' symbol" in the classroom, KTTH said, adding that failure to do so "may result in further disciplinary action."

The district confirmed to the station that the situation is a personnel matter and wouldn't comment. Rantz added that while the letter of clarification said the district supports police, a district spokesperson wouldn't explain why a Thin Blue Line flag is banned for being political while Black Lives Matter and LGBTQ messages and symbols are allowed.

BLM, LGBTQ messages apparently are no problem

Sutherland told Rantz that his sister has seen BLM messages in classrooms and "hanging on walls, which she was told is OK. Just for whatever reason, just the Thin Blue Line flag cannot be hung up there." Rantz added that the teacher also displayed an LGBTQ pride flag to support a gay family member.

Yet, KTTH said, symbols of BLM and LGBTQ — which have political undertones — haven't been targeted by the district for removal.

Teacher takes down Thin Blue Line flag

Rantz said the teacher took down her Thin Blue Line flag display but told the district that the ordeal "has been the most traumatic and hostile" experience for her at the school to date.

She added that the order to remove the flag came from "an agenda rather than really wanting to gain any understanding of me, who I am, or my story," she added in respond to the HR rep, KTTH reported.

Woman charged with hate crime after stomping on Back the Blue sign, crumpling it, throwing it in trash — while 'smirking' at deputy in 'intimidating manner'



A 19-year-old Utah woman was charged with a hate crime and faces up to a year in prison after a sheriff's deputy said she stomped on a pro-law enforcement "Back the Blue" sign, crumpled it, threw it in a trash can, and ended up "smirking" at the deputy in an "intimidating manner."

What are the details?

A Garfield County sheriff's deputy on Wednesday pulled over a vehicle for speeding near a gas station on Panguitch's Main Street, the St. George News reported, citing charging documents.

"As I concluded my traffic stop and released the individuals, I observed some of the individuals' friends approach them and attempt to console them," the deputy wrote in a probable cause affidavit, the News said.

"I observed one of the friends, later identified to be Lauren Gibson, stomping on a 'Back the Blue' sign next to where the traffic stop was conducted, crumble it up in a destructive manner, and throw it into a trash can all while smirking in an intimidating manner towards me," the deputy added, according the paper.

The officer noted the woman was asked where she had gotten the sign, and she stated it was her mother's, the Salt Lake Tribune reported. The woman's mother lives in California, the News added.

With that the officer told her that the local sheriff's office produced those specific signs, and it was concluded "she had acquired [the sign] in our community," the Tribune said, citing the affidavit.

After reading the woman her Miranda rights, the officer stated she gave "inconsistent stories" about where she found the sign until she eventually said she found it on the ground, the Tribune added.

"Due to [the woman] destroying property that did not belong to her in a manner to attempt to intimidate law enforcement, I placed her under arrest," the Tribune reported, citing the affidavit.

More from the News:

Gibson was subsequently arrested and booked into Garfield County Jail on suspicion of criminal mischief, a class A misdemeanor, and disorderly conduct, an infraction.

According to the charging documents, the hate crime enhancement was applied to the criminal mischief charge "due to the demeanor displayed by Gibson in attempts to intimidate law enforcement while destroying a 'pro law enforcement' sign."

Criminal mischief is typically classified as a class B misdemeanor in Utah, punishable by up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $1,000. However, with the hate crime enhancement, the charge elevates to a class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to 364 days in jail and up to $2,500 in fines.

The applicable section of Utah State Code is 76-3-203.14, where a new section titled "Victim Targeting Penalty Enhancements" was passed into law by the Utah Legislature in 2019. Under the law's definitions, a person's status as a law enforcement officer is one of 18 different personal attributes listed which may qualify a criminal offense for a possible hate crime enhancement.

ACLU blasts hate crime charge

The American Civil Liberties Union of Utah on Monday said it's "extremely troubled and disappointed" by the decision by the Garfield County Attorney's office to issue a hate crime enhancement in this case, the News added.

"This kind of charging decision sends an extremely chilling message to the community that the government will seek harsher punishment for people charged with crimes who disagree with police actions," the ACLU said, according to the News. "This concern is even greater because we do not view the enhancement as supportable under the language of the statute. We consistently warn that enhancements are oftentimes used to single out unpopular groups or messages rather than provide protections for marginalized communities."

The ACLU's statement added that this case has "confirmed those warnings," the News said.

"Bringing a charge against this person that could result in her spending a year in jail makes no sense both in terms of simple fairness and expending the county's time and money," the organization added, according to the News.

Anything else?

The News addd that Gibson — whose place of residence has not been listed on court documents thus far — was released from custody after promising to appear to answer the charges. The paper said that although a court date hasn't been set, the case was assigned to Sixth District Judge Marvin D. Bagley.

Reporter witnesses 'surreal' moment when 'mostly black families' rally to support police while Antifa protests



Talk about narrative-busting.

Just weeks after Oakland lawmakers voted to slash funding from the Oakland police department, a reporter witnessed what he called a "surreal" moment in Oakland on Saturday — black families rallying to support police while "mostly white" Antifa protesters demonstrated against police.

What are the details?

Led by Oakland police chief LeRonne Armstrong and other community leaders, city residents angry over violent crime gathered Saturday for the "Stand Up for a Safe Oakland" rally.

Journalist Lee Fang of The Intercept reported on the "surreal" scene of the rally.

"Surreal moment in Oakland. About 200 mostly black families rally with police to call for an end to the epidemic of gun violence. Mothers at the stage mourning recently murdered children. In the back, less than a dozen mostly white antifa protesters assembled to jeer them," Fang reported.

Surreal moment in Oakland. About 200 mostly black families rally with police to call for an end to the epidemic of… https://t.co/W6Tdg7O8UN

— Lee Fang (@lhfang) 1625949707.0

One video from the rally captured older black residents confront the protesters. When the Antifa protesters claimed police are responsible for the deaths in Oakland, the black rally-goers erupted.

"No!!!" one woman screamed.

"That's a lie, that's a lie," a nearby black man said.

(Content Warning:Strong language):

In #Oakland today there was a "Stand up for a Safe Oakland" rally against gun violenceSeveral #Antifa, who appear… https://t.co/XkDLIHKPHL

— AntifaWatch (@AntifaWatch2) 1625950805.0

"Dramatic confrontation before I got there," Fang explained of the confrontation. "A lot of the anti-violence activists from East Oakland said they were disappointed in the white anti-police antifa protesters, said they seemed close minded and disconnected from the actual violence in the city."

Armstrong also addressed the Antifa protesters in his remarks at the rally.

"You can shout from wherever you come from," he said, KPIX-TV reported. "It don't matter to me because I've lost people as a result of gun violence. So you can't tell me what this day is about."

"The fact of the matter is, far too many people are afraid to come outside," Armstrong said. "Our seniors can't walk to the store. Young people are dying at an alarming rate. If you can't stand up for safe Oakland, what do you stand up for?"

Why did city leaders they slash funding?

Oakland — which is run by a Democratic mayor and an all-Democratic city council — voted to "strip $17.4 million in funding from the Oakland Police Department and direct the money toward other programs," according to KPIX.

Councilmember Dan Kalb said that, despite increased violent crime, the city should "focus on our violence prevention, affordable housing, our homeless populations and that's what this budget helps us move forward and do."

Surprisingly, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf opposed the budget cuts.

"I believe that until we have proven alternatives, we cannot destroy Oakland's current public safety system at a time when we are losing so many to gun violence," she said.

New Orleans' Audubon Zoo cancels pro-police event, says it's too 'divisive'



New Orleans' Audubon Zoo and aquarium has canceled its annual Blue at the Zoo event after the community reportedly said that the event could be "unintentionally divisive."

Blue at the Zoo, which was slated May 11-16, was designed to show support for the New Orleans Police Department and has been held in conjunction with the New Orleans Police & Justice Foundation.

Any patrons wearing blue for the event would be offered a discounted admission at the institute's facilities.

What are the details?

In a Tuesday report from Nola.com, a statement from a spokesperson representing the institute said that the six-day promotion would be scrapped, as the "event could be unintentionally divisive" in the current climate.

The announcement came just a week after the group announced the promotion, and according to the outlet, triggered "feedback ... from members of our community and from persons outside of our community," which prompted the institute to cancel the promotion.

The initial announcement lauded the department as a "nationally recognized leader in law enforcement reform," and stated that the event was intended to "foster positive interactive experiences" between citizens and members of the New Orleans Police Department.

"As such, working with the New Orleans Police and Justice Foundation, Audubon will be considering alternative ways to promote meaningful and impactful engagement with the New Orleans Police Department," the group added, according to WWL-TV.

What else?

New Orleans Police Superintendent Shaun Ferguson said the decision was "disappointing."

"This event ... was an excellent opportunity to connect with our community on a personal level," Ferguson said in a statement. "Anyone looking at the issue objectively would see that our department is the model for the implementation of the constitutional policing reforms the public is demanding. Despite the cancelation of this event, we will continue to find ways to work with our community to build a stronger relationship and be the department they deserve."

Bar owner who banned NBA games after LeBron James' cop-threatening tweet says reaction has been 'overwhelmingly positive'



The owner of a Cincinnati bar who banned NBA games until superstar LeBron James is "expelled" from the league said reaction to his ban has been "overwhelmingly positive," the Cincinnati Enquirer reported.

"The support for the position has been overwhelmingly positive and has far outweighed the negatives," Jay Linneman, who runs Linnie's Pub, told the paper.

The paper said a gas station a few miles from Linneman's establishment placed text on an outdoor sign that reads, "Hey LeBron, the West Side thanks you. Linnie's has never been busier."

Linneman added to the Enquirer that more customers have been coming in since his ban — but that he doesn't want the spotlight on him: "I hope people channel the support to law enforcement and not necessarily to Linnie's Pub."

What's the background?

James made headlines earlier this month after he tweeted, then deleted an image purportedly of a Columbus, Ohio, police officer who fatally shot a black teenage girl, along text reading "YOUR'E NEXT #accountability."

However, bodycam video shows Ma'Khia Bryant was swinging a knife at others before the trigger was pulled.

After Linneman's ban announcement, James responded the next day on Twitter: "Aww Damn. I was headed there to watch our game tonight and have a drink! Welp."

James received a ton of backlash over his tweet apart from Linneman's ban:

In a previous interview with the Enquirer, Linneman said he was tired of athletes who use their platforms to advocate for certain issues: "They just need to play the game and that's it. Their opinion doesn't really matter. They're using their position to push their opinions, and that's just not right."

Anything else?

The Enquirer added that the contact section on Linnie's website includes a link for those who feel the need to "use vile or threatening language" — and it directs to a website with five searches relating to hell, including "Will God forgive me."

In addition, the contact page shows a response box at the bottom that reads, "In order to reduce hateful, spiteful, racist comments please answer YES in the box below if you support and appreciate the efforts of our brave men and women of law enforcement."

The bar's website further requires people to type "yes" to the question if they support law enforcement in order to leave any comment.

Op-ed writer: Residents of woke Seattle want more law enforcement, not less — and despite media promoting 'defund the police'



Believe it or not, residents of woke Seattle actually want more law enforcement, not less — and despite media coverage that consistently promoted last summer's "defund the police" movement, author James Freeman wrote in a Tuesday op-ed for the Wall Street Journal.

What are the details?

Freeman cited a story in the Seattle Times indicating that Seattle stood head and shoulders above other cities in terms of the popularity of the "defund the police" movement.

But there was a shocker in Gene Balk's piece: "So it's a little surprising that, according to a new public-safety survey of people who live or work in Seattle, confidence in the police barely changed in 2020."

Freeman noted that Balk was describing the results of the annual Seattle Public Safety Survey which "suggests that the defunding movement never got much traction in Seattle either, outside of media and political circles."

He also noted a statement from Seattle University professor Jacqueline Helfgott — the study's principal author — that "people are saying they want more" not fewer police, as noted in KOMO-TV interview.

More from Balk's Seattle Times' piece:

Respondents were asked to rate their perceptions of various public-safety issues on a scale from 0 to 100. Among them were a series of questions related to trust and confidence in the police, which were combined into a category labeled "police legitimacy."... Helfgott's analysis shows that white respondents rated police legitimacy lower on average than any other racial/ethnic group, at 57.5 (Black respondents rated police legitimacy at 61.3).

Freeman also ripped left-wing media outlets as out of touch with what city residents truly believe about police, citing a report from KOMO's Matt Markovich earlier this month:

Business owners in Seattle's SoDo neighborhood who are upset with City Hall's handling of crime and homeless in the city's biggest industrialized area have released a survey that paints a grim picture of conditions in the neighborhood... 70 percent of those surveyed said their workers feel unsafe working in the area and three out of 10 businesses have had employees quit over "non-COVID related public safety concerns."

..."It's very disconcerting to pick up the phone and call police because you know nothing is going to happen," said Russ Myer, who works at Ben's Cleaner Sales, a business on 4th Avenue that has been around since 1943 and recently suffered another break-in. "Our business is not safe and secure here."

... Myer said he fears retaliation from brazen repeat offenders who know they won't be incarcerated for long after their arrest.

"Those people are just going to retaliate more, so you're more worried about the retaliation versus protecting yourself," he said. "I don't think the City Council really cares what happens to us."

Freeman also called attention to a February KING-TV report from Eric Wilkinson that takes note of a corporation's move out of Seattle — and for reasons that will be of no surprise to anyone who's been paying attention to the city's downward slide:

TR International, a global chemical distributor, is moving from its home of more than two decades in downtown Seattle, crossing the county line to neighboring Edmonds.

The company is one of at least 160 businesses that have left Seattle since last March... TR International CEO Megan Gluth-Bohan said the decision to leave was easy. She cited ongoing violence, along with rampant homelessness and drug use...

Gluth-Bohan said the company's mostly female workforce simply didn't feel safe downtown anymore.

"We had one female employee chased into a Starbucks," Gluth-Bohan said. "Business partners coming in for meetings were dodging human fecal matter and homeless people on the sidewalk. We had an employee paying for parking after work. She had her driver's side window down working the parking machine, and someone attempted to enter her car."

Don Lemon gets dramatic again, declares Trump supporters aren't allowed to yell 'Blue Lives Matter' anymore due to Capitol riot



CNN anchor Don Lemon declared that supporters of former President Donald Trump are no longer allowed to yell "Blue Lives Matter" or urge others to support police due to last month's Capitol riots.

What are the details?

On his Tuesday program, Lemon ran a clip of rioters battling police at the U.S. Capitol — and then slid right into a dramatic voice, making use of extra-long pauses between phrases to milk his monologue for it was worth.

"Blue lives matter, huh?" he asked condescendingly before shifting to a gruff growl: "Law and order! Law and order! Blue lives matter! Respect the flags! Respect law enforcement! Why don't you just comply!"

After a lengthy pause, Lemon shifted to chastising school teacher mode: "Don't you dare even say that again if you can stand by after that video and give Donald Trump — of all people, Donald Trump — … and his mob a pass. If you can do that, I don't ever want to hear that again. I don't want to hear that from you. I don't want to hear family values from you. I don't want to hear respect police officers from you. Don't wanna hear it. No moral high ground to stand on."

Following another dramatic pause, Lemon offered an intense plea: "Look whose on your side there." Another pause, and then: "There have been a lot of lies. We've been warning you about all the lies."

He added that Trump "was a liar and is a liar" and that his "enablers" also told "lies" — and "even after the Capitol insurrection [they] tried to overturn the Electoral College vote."

Lemon, the wise philosopher?

"The problem with lies is that they fall apart," Lemon lectured. "They always fall apart. The truth always comes out." Soon he sneered at Trump and what "that mob did."

Lemon then ran a clip of a Trump impeachment manager, Democratic U.S. Rep. David Cicilline of Rhode Island, who on Tuesday asked lawmakers, "Does anyone in this chamber honestly believe that — but for the conduct of [former] President Trump — ... that attack at the Capitol would have occurred? Does anybody believe that?"

With that, the camera shifted back to Lemon, who wondered with more drama in his voice, "Do you believe that? ... Would any of this had happened if it hadn't been for Donald Trump?"

Smiling woman holding pro-police sign infuriates Black Lives Matter protester who threatens, bullies her: 'Baby girl, you're not walking away anywhere!'



A smiling woman holding a pro-police sign stuck a decidedly opposing tone during a protest against cops in Omaha, Nebraska, following an officer-involved fatal shooting of a black man — and the woman was harassed and threatened for her stance.

What happened?

Multiple videos show the blonde-haired woman dressed in a light-colored "Nebraska" sweatshirt holding a sign that read, "I [heart] OPD" — presumably short for "I love the Omaha Police Department" — and she stuck out prominently among the mob of protesters dressed in black.

Image source: Twitter video screenshot via @KittyLists

At one point as she weaves around the anti-cop crowd growing around her, one protester yells at her, "Baby girl, you're not walking away anywhere!" and continues hollering just feet from her face.

When the blond-haired woman dares to smile in response, her adversary loses it: "Do you think black people being murdered is f***in' funny, bitch?"

Image source: Twitter video screenshot via @KittyLists

When the woman with pro-police sign moves some distance away, the angry protester actually follows her and continues yelling at her.

The accosted woman appears to push the protester's arm away from her face, and with that the protester appears to threaten and even dare her to "put your motherf***in' hands on me, bitch!"

Image source: Twitter video screenshot via @KittyLists

Just as the woman with the pro-cop sign manages to get away from her adversary, it appears police used pepper spray on the unruly crowd, several of whom yell at cops for their actions and run away coughing.

Here are several sets of clips showing the confrontation. (Content warning: Language):

(Archive Omaha) https://t.co/P3wyXV7axc
— Kitty Shackleford (@Kitty Shackleford)1606100971.0
A bit longer video, same as above (Omaha, NE) https://t.co/vvWvMSjqCi
— Kitty Shackleford (@Kitty Shackleford)1606100747.0

Two women arrested

WOWT-TV said two women were arrested during Saturday night's protest outside the Omaha Police Department headquarters — and that the arrests stemmed from assaults against a man and woman who came to the protest with pro-police signs.

Earlier on, protesters were chanting "Black Lives Matter" before arriving at police headquarters, KETV-TV said. And the man and woman arrived at the protest about 10:20 p.m. holding their signs but not obstructing the protest against cops, WOWT reported.

Five minutes later, protesters used a large cloth sign to block officers' view of the pro-police people, WOWT said, adding that when officers repositioned themselves, they saw the pro-police people being assaulted and their signs torn.

The station said officers went into the crowd and removed two women who allegedly assaulted the pro-police group as well as the pro-police individuals.

Pepper balls and pepper spray were used on the sidewalk "in front of agitators" while controlling the crowd and during suspects' arrests, WOWT reported.

One women was arrested for disorderly conduct and destruction of property, the station said, while the second woman was arrested for misdemeanor assault and disorderly conduct.

It isn't clear if the arrests were related to the bullying episode of the blonde-haired woman — although one clip does show a man who appears to be with her getting his sign taken from him.