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Virginia Sheriff’s Office MIA as armed Boogaloos gather on school grounds
August 21, 2023 6:05PM ET
Anthony Crider.
A Virginia law enforcement agency is facing blowback for allowing members of a far-right extremist group to march on school grounds openly toting military-style rifles, The Daily Beast reports.
A small group of Boogaloo members gathered Saturday night at the Thomas Calhoun Walker Education Center for an event the group had announced on social media.
The group was protesting the arrest of four members arrested for carrying concealed firearms at a July 11 Gloucester School Board meeting, the report said.
“We will protest on August 19th and try to force them to perform arrests,” Mike Dunn, a Boogaloo group leader posted on social media.
The Gloucester County Sheriff’s Office was aware that the group planned to open-carry firearms at the protest, according to a post on the agency’s Facebook page.
“The Gloucester County Sheriff’s Office is aware of a protest scheduled for 6:00 PM today at the Gloucester County Sheriff’s Office,” the agency said in a post Saturday.
“We have received information that attendees will be open carrying firearms during this event as supported by the 2nd Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The Sheriff’s Office has taken the necessary measures to help ensure that these individuals are able to express their rights peacefully, and want to make the public aware of the situation.”
The agency later in the day posted that the protest was held without incident.
“The protest that was announced earlier today has concluded. There were no incidents to report. We appreciate the public’s concern and support. This agency will have no further comment at this time regarding the events of this evening.”
Dean Vines, a 71-year-old Gloucester County social worker, was among those who believe the Boogaloo members should be held to account.
“I hope arrests are coming,” Vines told The Beast.
“I hope the sheriff was just depriving them of attention and avoiding escalating the situation, with follow-up warrants to come. That would be prudent.”
Vines described the Boogaloo Bois as “clowns.”
“I hope good people everywhere wake up and speak out against threats to local officials,” Vines said.
“They are citizens serving for the good of fellow citizens. ... The media and others including local officials treat it as if it occurs in a vacuum. It is systematic targeting. The poor folks buying into it will one day wake up to no public education for their children and grandchildren," Vines closed.
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