One Shot During Confrontation Between Armed Militia Group and Protesters Removing Albuquerque Statue – By Elliot Hannon (Slate) / June 16 2020
Things just intensified more. Still no police. @KOB4 pic.twitter.com/taPakHMqFL
— Megan Abundis (@meganrabundis) June 16, 2020
Protesters in Albuquerque, New Mexico, gathered Monday night to demand the removal of a statue commemorating Spanish conquistador Juan de Oñate, a 16th-century colonial governor responsible for the massacre of indigenous people. After a series of speeches, and a prayer, the demonstrators began forcibly taking down the statute when they were confronted by heavily armed counterprotesters, self-styled protectors of the statue. Video taken at the scene showed the far-right counterprotesters, resembling troops outfitted in camouflage fatigues and carrying semi-automatic weapons, intervening to stop protesters from removing the statue. A series of confrontations flared between the two groups that resulted in a man who appeared to be a counterprotester, though not wearing military garb, firing shots in the middle of the street. One protester was shot in the melee and is critical but stable condition.
The armed counterprotesters identified themselves as the New Mexico Civil Guard, a vigilante militia that has cut an intimidating presence at Black Lives Matter demonstrations in the past. The evening started peacefully, as protesters gathered outside the Albuquerque Museum, where the statue is located. In addition to the militia members, there were also counterprotesters toting “All lives matter” signs, according to the Washington Post. When protesters attempted to remove the statue, armed members of the militia group forcibly intervened.
We just obtained video of the shooting. pic.twitter.com/yjB6NHdKe2
— Megan Abundis (@meganrabundis) June 16, 2020
Continue to article: https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/06/albuquerque-new-mexico-statue-protest-armed-militia-group.html
