Colorado’s anti-Trump protests borrow from the fascist playbook
By Jon Caldara
I got to know Jeff Hunt in his many years running the socially conservative Centennial Institute at Colorado Christian University. He now co-hosts the morning talk radio show on 710 KNUS.
He is a social conservative Christian; I’m a libertarian conservative. In other words, he’s wrong about a lot of stuff, but you know, in that oh-so-righteous way. And that’s what makes teasing him so fun.
We get into friendly brawls over moral questions like doctor-assisted suicide and end-of-life issues, where he explains God’s greatest gift to man was free will, and somehow it’s social conservatives’ job to take it away. (OK, he never said that, I did.)
Anyway, sometimes I just wanna kick him. And, oh, my lord, I’m not the only one.
Not only did he get aggressively kicked in the back a few days ago, but it was so satisfying some 9 million people needed to watch the video of it on social media.
To be clear, there is no reliable proof I put any “kick me” sign on his back.
A little context: Jeff has always had a keen sense of social media self-promotion, handy when you’re an aspiring talk-show host. He’s made it a habit of going to angry leftist rallies with a video camera and asking people straightforward questions while recording the inane answers.
Remember Jay Leno’s “Jaywalking” routine? It’s like that, but instead of the people being just idiots, they’re angry and unhinged, as well. Good stuff.
At last week’s anti-ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) rally at the state Capitol, he was meandering through the crowd videotaping the mostly peaceful protest when, out of nowhere, a man viciously kicks him in the lower back. Worse than a sucker punch, there’s absolutely no way to see it coming. And yes, there was a real injury.
Being the stand-up person it takes to kick someone in the back, this young, white man runs off as the crowd is chanting, “No hate, no fear, immigrants are welcome here!”
Immigrants are welcome here. Others with different viewpoint, however, will be assaulted.
Will the real fascists please stand up
It’s worth making the small observation these protestors call Trump a fascist and carry placards of him cartooned as Adolf Hitler. Remember, it was Hitler’s followers who beat up those with opposing views. Physical assault is a fascist tactic. So, exactly who are the fascists here?
We could go on that theme all day. It was Hitler’s fascists who attacked Jews. Today, it’s pro-Palestine progressive college kids and illegal immigrants throwing Molotov cocktails attacking Jews. So again, exactly who are the fascists here?
Jeff followed and confronted his assailant on camera, who calmly responded to Jeff, “Hey pal, what are you here for?” Well, to be physically assaulted at your peaceful protest, of course. Duh.
Two interesting things followed. First, a fellow protester intervenes and advises the assailant to stop talking, obviously a criminal lawyer in the making. “Don’t talk to him, you’re going to ruin the image.”
The guy didn’t say, “Hey, we don’t do violence,” or “apologize to the man for kicking him,” but “you’re going to ruin the image.” That speaks volumes. It shows what’s important to the protestors. Imagery.
And secondly, the assailant says to this budding lawyer and public relations expert, “He pissed me off, okay.” That’s important because it shows intent. This guy was angered by Jeff, so he attacked him. That makes this a premeditated assault.
Jeff has gone to the police. The assailant is very easy to identify. So, we’ll see if this mostly peaceful protest results in criminal charges.
Jeff has covered about a dozen such protests and tells me they are growing in intensity and anger. The Bernie Sanders/Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez rally drew a crowd of mellow, old Boulderites making it resemble an audience at a John Tesh concert. The latest rallies have more people covering their faces with masks and itching to brawl with police.
And unlike the earlier rallies, Jeff is now followed by his own personal entourage of antifa censors. Whenever he starts filming a conversation with a protester, these people swoop in to tell the person not to interact with Jeff, ending the interview.
Another telltale sign of fascism is clamping down on free speech.
Look for the violence and vandalism to ratchet up. These people just can’t help themselves.
