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A gun dealer has caused a stir in Dublin after calling on members of the National Rifle Association and right-wing groups Oath Keepers, Three Percenters and other “Second Amendment supporters” to protest against a Tri-Valley for Black Lives event Sunday at Dublin City Hall.
Mike Grant, a federally licensed firearms dealer, and owner of Guns Unlimited Advance Firearms Training — which was based in Dublin and is now headquartered in Colorado — posted “This is a 911!!” on social media last Saturday. The post has since been removed.
“Patriots the city of Dublin had a council meeting Tuesday night Nov. 3 and had the contract attorney telling the council how to get around the new sign ordinance they just put in place months back,” Grant wrote, according to a screenshot of the page circulated around social media. “The reason is because Shawn Kumagai wants to let the black lives matter thugs puts signs up promoting their agenda.”
Kumagai is a member of the Dublin City Council, which on Nov. 3 approved a request from Tri-Valley for Black Lives to bring its “sign garden” to City Hall this coming Sunday.
The city is treating it as a “temporary city-curated public art installation at the Dublin Civic Center,” according to the council resolution, which passed unanimously. Mayor David Haubert will serve as official curator.
Some community members took to social media to accuse Grant of putting a target on the student organizers’ backs. Grant said that wasn’t his intention and the whole situation has been blown out of proportion.
Kumagai said Wednesday that Dublin police have been working with Tri-Valley for Black Lives to determine the scope of the event and to ensure everyone’s safety.
“Sadly, there has been a member of our community who posted some inflammatory messages about the display and the organizer of the event, but with public safety personnel on standby, we anticipate a peaceful gathering for all,” Kumagai said.
The installation of the signs takes place at 2 p.m. Sunday, and the display will be there for a week.
“They are planning a protest on Sunday, Nov. 15th so patriots get your friends and let (sic) greet them with a little smile,” Grant originally wrote on social media. “Oath Keepers, 3%, NRA and second Amendment members let (sic) gather at City Hall Parking Lot in Dublin on Sunday AM and get ready for a Fun couple hours. Oath Keepers please bring your vests and helmets I case these BLM people start trouble. Remember this group is known as ‘left wing’ anti government group.”
When reached Wednesday, Grant said he has received death threats over the post, which he said did not advocate violence. He said his perception had since changed and has since reached out to the groups he initially contacted and asked them not to come.
“This has woken me up to the fact that, what I’ve been going through the past few days, people of color have been going through their entire lives,” Grant said. “You can’t take something like that back.”
Grant said one of his issues with the event is that it’s being held on city property. He also said he mistakenly believed it would be a protest event from the same people he’s seen on television in large cities, harassing people and setting fires.
Grant said he’d just spoken to the father of Denel McMahon, the president of the Black Student Union at Dublin High School and one of the organizers.
“This was never a formal threat,” said Grant, who still owns a home in Dublin but now resides in Colorado. “I don’t understand where all this came from.”
Haubert, Dublin’s mayor and now Alameda County supervisor-elect, said the city is taking the possibility of violence “very seriously.”
“I’ve asked our city manager and chief of police to provide adequate resources be made available to ensure the public’s safety,” Haubert said. “I have also reached out to leadership of Tri-Valley for Black Lives and to the student and family to share our efforts to ensure their safety. I am assured by City staff that proper precautions are in place.”
“It’s disgusting that so-called ‘adults’ would organize to come ready for a fight with a local teenager exercising his First Amendment right – with the City of Dublin’s permission – to nonviolently express the truth that Black Lives Matter. These aren’t patriots, they’re bullies bent on intimidation and division, and they should be ashamed of themselves. Fortunately, they in no way represent the generous and inclusive people of Dublin,” U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Livermore), a former Dublin councilman, said in a statement Wednesday.
Tri-Valley for Black Lives have already taken their project to Livermore, where there was some controversy over one of the signs allegedly being anti-police.
When contacted Wednesday via social media, the group responded by writing “We want to ensure that the focus is on our groups and what we’re doing for the Black community in the Tri-Valley. The Sign Garden for Justice is being hosted by Tri-Valley for Black Lives in partnership with the Dublin High BSU.”
The group said its mission statement is “Tri-Valley for Black Lives aims to foster a safe and anti-racist community for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color), with priority for Black lives. Our goal is to educate our community on anti-blackness through community engagement and advocacy while holding public officials accountable to ensure our home is a place where every BIPOC person has the opportunity and resources to thrive.”
By Bay City News Service
By Bay City News Service
So PW guarded the true nature of this article, which is about the Marxist BLM organization (responsible for riots, looting, violence and death in our country, and who cares very little about Black Lives as demonstrated by their behavior) in order to stir negative emotions (deflect) onto someone else. Hmmmm, disingenuous.
I fear that Pleasanton is next. BLM is already applying pressure to Biden, the candidate they hope will win the election, to prepare for changes they want to implement. And now the Democratic Socialist Party wants to talk about unit in this country.
Grant knew exactly what he was doing, and just saying “Violence is not what he intended” is BS. When you ask people to show up and “get ready for a good time wearing armor” essentially, you are asking for trouble. Just because Trump can bully people and get away with it, doesn’t mean you can Grant, you’re not the President. In fact you should be charged attempting to incite a riot! Bullies and pressure from bullies should not be tolerated. Look what has happened with Trump!! Tolerating his bad behavior has just opened the gate to others that want to do the same…
Trump’s a bully? Nothing supports that. Redneck’s? Boy that’s a reach and racist. Antifa is anti-fascist, and not an organized group? I see why we have problems with half the country. Try reading something and stop sitting around all day watching CNN.
@I’m closing this thread. When people are angry that I removed a line that called for violence, that’s enough.
It’s just unbelievable that these gun-toting rednecks keep stirring up hate, fear and violence against minority groups, and using terms which have little or no meaning (i.e. Antifa is “Anti-Fascist”– it is not an organized group). Time and time again, the trouble makers have been shown to be racists who are trying to give legal and peaceful demonstrators a bad name. Who was it who said “love is love is love.” The orange man has given legitimacy to these once-quiet internal voices of those who are so insecure in their masculinity that they need to wear their guns in public, drive macho trucks and wave flags that demonstrate their hate and worship of a man who is unworthy of being a US citizen never mind being president and “leader of the free world.” He can’t be removed fast enough.
Whoever posted the original article online for a BLM gathering this week seems to carry equal responsibility in a “Another fine mess.” https://i.gifer.com/1dM.gif
Uh, antifa is a terrorist group, while not organized, these individuals do no good in society. Put a bullet in every one.
Peaceful BLM supporters are fine, I don’t agree with everything, but they have a right to openly discuss their issues and cause free from violence. But that right also comes with the rights of others to voice their opinion.
Civil discourse is ok.
Pleasanton Parent – you accuse a group of being “terrorists” then call for their murder because you disagree with their political views? That is absolutely disgusting and has no place in the “civil discourse” you claim to support.
You may want to look up the definition of terrorism then look in a mirror.
This website is quickly being overrun by far right extremists spewing hate and calling for violence. It is really quite sad that our society has fallen so far.
I’m sorry, my post broke no rule and there was no cause to remove it. Pleasanton Parent called for the murder of anyone associated with antifa because he does not agree with their political views. His support for terrorism should be called out and put on display rather than being swept under the rug. His invitation for continued participation in “civil discourse” may be another matter.
Support for domestic terrorism is a real and growing problem with the radical right and sweeping it under the rug is tantamount to supporting it.
Juan, we agree.
Difference is I’ll call both antifa and (insert white supremacy group here) out, you’re biased to one.
Left radicals have spewed more hate and shown more intolerance in aggregate than the conservative collective.