One of the loudest figures in the upcoming "Ride For The Constitution" truckers' strike expressed his support for an armed overthrow of the U.S. government, while organizers boasted online about winning support from "civilian militia" groups.
Media Matters reported on Wednesday that in a profanity-laced radio broadcast, Pete Santilli, called for the impeachment of President Barack Obama and the ouster of Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and also accused lawmakers of engaging in "financial terrorism" over their debate about raising the federal debt limit.
"There is a select few of us -- we'll call them Three Percenters -- that will take the next logical step to stop our domestic enemies," Santilli said on the show. "It will be stopped. I'm going to say this: this is not a threat. We will defend our nation to the absolute death."
According to Media Matters, the term "Three Percenters" is a reference to a right-wing extremist belief that 3 percent of armed gun owners can execute an overthrow of the government.
"If we do not rise up this week, peacefully, there is going to be Three Percenters who I will also join, to make it not so peacefully," Santilli said on his show. "That's what's going to happen. If the American public is not listening to what we're saying right now, we have this peaceful opportunity to do things, we can do it, but you need to at least not be lethargic and sit there and let them commit terrorism against you."
Santilli's group has won the support of conservative radio hosts for its threat to essentially grind traffic around Washington D.C. to a halt between Oct. 11 and 13, while insisting that it planned to carry out its' general strike in a peaceful manner. Santilli also "advised" one participant, Earl Conlon on his show not to present himself as a spokesperson for the group after Conlon told U.S. News & World Report that he planned to indict lawmakers with a "citizens' grand jury."
The group also boasted on Twitter on Wednesday about receiving the support of the Sons of Liberty, which promised to augment the protest through the participation of "multiple civilian militia units." While noting that participation in such groups is not in and of itself an indicator of criminal activity, the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) has reported chapters of the Sons of Liberty in seven states as part of a listing of "Patriot" organizations, which the SPLC says "define themselves as opposed to the 'New World Order,' engage in groundless conspiracy theorizing, or advocate or adhere to extreme anti-government doctrines."
Listen to audio from Santilli's call against "financial terrorism," as posted by Media Matters, below.
[Image: "Evil Truck Driver" via Shutterstock]
