BG On The Scene

Warning: Video contains graphic depictions, viewer discretion is advised. For historical context, a time-stamped compilation of footage filmed in Kenosha, Wisconsin, the night of August 25th, 2020. Includes the lead-up to and shootings involving Kyle Rittenhouse, Gaige Grosskreutz, and Anthony Huber, as well as the immediate aftermath of the incidents. As this pertains to an ongoing case, this is being presented without commentary or prejudice in the interest of public knowledge surrounding the events that occurred that night.

Protesters with the New York Freedom Rally’s Teachers March against vaccine mandates made their way to the Australian Consulate on Monday, demonstrating against the country’s lockdown measures. Speeches were held outside the Midtown Manhattan skyscraper hosting the Consulate General office, with demonstrators chanting ‘Save Australia!’ throughout the afternoon. Videos of government measures and police responses to anti-lockdown protests in Australia have been circulating in recent months on social media in the US. An earlier protest outside the NYC Department of Education drew hundreds in Brooklyn, where the group then brought out Australian flags as they marched towards the consulate, roughly 150-200 protesting there after marching throughout the afternoon in the city. See more on Twitter https://twitter.com/BGOnTheScene Telegram https://telegram.me/BGOnTheScene Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bgonthescene

Two marchers flipped over a Covid-19 mobile test site tent in New York City on Monday, knocking over a table and chairs set up in Union Square. The march was held against New York’s vaccine mandate, which has recently taken effect for teachers and healthcare workers and lead to firings of unvaccinated staff. This incident occurred at the pop-up testing clinic as the crowd marched towards the Australian Consulate in midtown. NYPD intervened after the tent was overturned to usher people away, and did not appear to issue any citations. See more on Twitter https://twitter.com/BGOnTheScene Telegram https://telegram.me/BGOnTheScene Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bgonthescene

2nd Amendment supporters gathered at the Michigan State Capitol today for the 12th annual ‘2A March’ in Lansing. The event was organized by Second Amendment March and Michigan Open Carry, Inc. Attendees included Three Percenters, some members of the Boogaloo movement, Republican campaigners, local firearms instructors, and other groups and individuals. A crowd of about 100 was out for the event, the first major pro-gun rights demonstration since Michigan’s Capitol Commission banned open carry of firearms inside the building in January. Speeches included gubernatorial candidate Mike Brown, one of several Republicans seeking the party’s nomination to run against incumbent Governor Gretchen Whitmer next fall. A portion of the crowd made a brief march around the Capitol Complex, with heavy rain throughout the day shortening the march this year. Speeches were held underneath a large tent on the Capitol lawn throughout the day before the crowd dispersed in the early afternoon. See more on Twitter https://twitter.com/BGOnTheScene Telegram https://telegram.me/BGOnTheScene Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bgonthescene

A crowd of about 150 protesters, outnumbered by a couple hundred press covering, made their way to Union Square near the Capitol Building on Saturday for a ‘Justice for J6’ rally. The event, hosted by organization Look Ahead America, is the third installment in a series of rallies supporting January 6th arrestees that have taken place in the nation’s capital over the last few months. Drawing intense media coverage due to the rally’s location near the Capitol, press outnumbered participants at the event. A massive police response, complete with officers in riot gear and a large steel fence surrounding the Capitol (and the Supreme Court, which is located on the opposite side of the Capitol, a half mile away from where the rally was held) was seen throughout the day. Speakers included family members of arrestees, activists, and a few congressional candidates. Each took the podium for a few minutes in front of a slew of cameras. The event lasted just over an hour in the hot DC sun, with a few short confrontations between lone counter-protesters and attendees, and a couple individuals detained by police. The event went mostly uninterrupted, with no violent confrontations or incidents to be reported from the afternoon. See more on Twitter https://twitter.com/BGOnTheScene Telegram https://telegram.me/BGOnTheScene Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bgonthescene

Fencing and additional security equipment have returned to the U.S. Capitol Building, ahead of a ‘Justice for J6’ rally being held Saturday here in Washington, D.C. The rally is being held by an organization called ‘Look Ahead America’, which is advocating for some of the January 6th arrestees currently in jail. This is their third event in DC this year. Previous events in D.C. drew dozens at the Department of Justice and the jail housing many of the arrestees. It is unclear how many will show for the September 18th rally being held near the Capitol. Initially planned to be held on the Capitol’s west lawn, the rally has since been moved further away from the building to Union Square, outside the larger steel perimeter fence. Steel fencing has gone up around the Supreme Court of the United States as well, though no protests related to ‘Justice for J6’ or counter-demonstrations are expected at the Supreme Court on Saturday. While the organization has held protests already this summer and has others organized after September 18th, this particular event has drawn significant media coverage due to its proximity to the Capitol, with some decrying the event as a potential ‘setup’, including former President Trump in an interview with The Federalist on Thursday. Several groups and activists associated with the right have urged their followers not to go, while another organization, CAPP (Citizens Against Political Persecution), that has held rallies in NYC in support of January 6th arrestees, is expected to attend. See more on Twitter https://twitter.com/BGOnTheScene Telegram https://telegram.me/BGOnTheScene Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bgonthescene

Protesters shut down a press conference held by former Detroit Police Chief James Craig this morning, as he announced his run for Governor of Michigan. A group of Detroit Will Breathe protesters made their way behind the podium ahead of his arrival, opposing his run as a Republican challenger to incumbent Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who is up for re-election in Fall 2022. Whistles and horns were blown as the group chanted and forced the abrupt ending of his speech, less than a minute after his arrival. Protesters then followed Craig to his vehicle as he departed Belle Isle. The press conference was then rescheduled at an alternate secure location in Detroit. See more on Twitter https://twitter.com/BGOnTheScene Telegram https://telegram.me/BGOnTheScene Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bgonthescene

Several hundred gathered outside the Oakland County Board of Commissioners meeting on Thursday, protesting against the county-wide mask mandate issued for all preschool and K-12 students and staff. The protest was organized as parents push for choice in whether to mask their children in schools, as well as calls for transparency in the data being used to make the decisions. Michigan’s two largest counties - Wayne and Oakland - have issued mask-wearing requirements for all public schools in their boundaries, regardless of individual school district policy. Police initially restricted access to the Commissioners Auditorium and Thursday night Board meeting, blocking the crowd from entering due to capacity limitations. Eventually the Board allowed people to be rotated in for public comment while maintaining internal capacity restrictions, giving parents and community members a few minutes each to offer their comments on the issue.

One year since the civil unrest and riots that followed the police shooting of Jacob Blake, signs of last summer’s disorder still linger in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Many buildings remain boarded up, with a few leveled to the ground after being set on fire last August. Some of downtown has reopened and removed their boards, while much of the Uptown neighborhood, where widespread looting and arson had occurred, still is largely boarded up. A walk through the area the morning of August 25th, 2021.

Lawyers for Ty Garbin, the first man to take a plea in the busted 2020 plot to kidnap Governor Gretchen Whitmer, speak after he was sentenced to 6 years and 3 months in prison at a federal court in Grand Rapids, Michigan today. This marks the first sentence among the more than dozen individuals currently accused of taking part in the plot. Lawyers say his cooperation with authorities likely lead to the lesser sentence (prosecutors had been pushing for 9 years), as he sought to “undo what he did” and accept responsibility for his role.

Chaotic scenes in Portland on Sunday, as a coalition of the Proud Boys and various conservative & right-wing groups gathered for an event, dubbed the 'Summer of Love', and were met with Antifa and left-wing counter-protesters. Initially planned to be held in downtown Portland, the event was moved to an abandoned Kmart parking lot several miles away after Antifa announced plans to counter-demonstrate in the same area as their rally. The groups, at first, gathered in their respective spaces - a large contingent in black bloc met at a park in downtown Portland, while Proud Boys held their rally and a couple hours of speeches in the abandoned Kmart lot. Near 4 in the afternoon, a group of about 50 Antifa-aligned activists in black bloc made their way to the former Kmart lot, setting off a series of street battles as opposing sides brought out mace, pepper spray, bats, shields and other objects against each other. The black bloc group threw several explosives and projectiles at the Proud Boys, who themselves fired paintball and airsoft guns against them as the group in bloc retreated to a nearby high school parking lot where they had gathered near the Kmart. Windows were smashed of multiple vehicles suspected of being with Antifa and aiding in transportation of supplies and persons, with one man seen fleeing his vehicle after being hit repeatedly by the Proud Boys. Police were nowhere to be seen as the brawls occurred, following through on a notice they released a few days prior announcing that they would not be separating the opposing groups. Both Mayor Ted Wheeler and the Portland Police Bureau have received criticism for their 'hands-off' approach to the event.

Hundreds gathered for a ‘Free Afghanistan’ protest and march outside the United Nations headquarters in New York City on Sunday. The march, hosted by Afghans of North America, called for international intervention with the situation in Afghanistan, as the Taliban gained control of the country this week.

Crowd of over 10,000 marching in Paris on Saturday, as part of the 4th consecutive weekend of protests against the new Health Pass (Pass Sanitaire) mandate being implemented across France. The new pass will require people to present proof of either a full vaccination, negative Covid test taken within 48 hours, or recovery from a positive Covid case within 6 months. This pass will be checked in many spaces, including bars, restaurants, hospitals, nursing homes, tourist attractions, and inter-city travel on trains and planes. The measures apply to all adults 18+ starting this Monday, August 9th, with the inclusion of children ages 12-17 starting September 30th. Children under 12 will be exempt, since they are not considered eligible for vaccination at this time. Weekly demonstrations against the measures have drawn hundreds of thousands across France, with heavy police responses to some demonstrations as well.

Protesters shut down a rally in support of the jailed January 6th defendants today in DC. Representatives Marjorie Taylor Greene, Matt Gaetz, Paul Gosar and others had gathered a press conference outside the Department of Justice, calling for transparency in the treatment of the jailed defendants and their ongoing cases. Protesters soon interrupted the event, blowing whistles to drown out speakers and media, eventually making their way feet from the podium directly behind Greene. Staff then abruptly ended the event, escorting Greene and other speakers away as they were followed to their vehicles.

Tens of thousands were out in the streets of Milwaukee on Thursday, celebrating the Bucks winning their first NBA Championship in 50 years on Tuesday. A parade was held throughout downtown, concluding at the Deer District outside the Fiserv Forum, where players were announced on-stage in front of fans packed in for one last time this season.

An unlawful assembly was declared in Los Angeles on Saturday, as two opposing groups descended on the Wi Spa in Koreatown. The area has experienced multiple protests in response to an incident where a woman reported being exposed to male genitalia on the female side of the spa. The spa countered that the person in question is transgender, and the entire episode has sparked heated protests on both sides - some supporting the woman and her claim, others siding with the spa. Opposing groups were out for the second time in three weeks on Saturday - on one side conservatives, religious & right-wingers, on the other Antifa and other left-wingers, quickly separated by police as the right-wing group marched to the spa. Police deployed batons and less-lethal munitions against the Antifa counter-protest side, after multiple smoke bombs and water bottle projectiles were thrown at the opposing group across the street. They soon began to push both groups blocks away from each other, leading the right-wing group to some brief face-offs before dispersing. The Antifa counter-protest side stayed, and shortly after an unlawful assembly emergency alert was issued. The group was pushed back and eventually kettled by Los Angeles Police, who made 38 arrests, confiscating some stun-guns and pepper-spray in the process. Overall both groups were kept from major direct confrontations, with police taking aggressive intervention on the crowds as they pushed them back and away from each other. Lines of officers moved throughout the morning and early afternoon, cutting off alleyways and intersections and refusing to let people pass between them.

Supporters of Britney Spears gathered outside the Lincoln Memorial in DC on Wednesday, calling for an end to the singer’s 13-year-long conservatorship, as well as greater federal oversight of the legal arrangement across the country. Advocates for those currently under court-ordered conservatorships and guardianships spoke at the rally, aiming to call attention to the practice used in probate courts nationwide. Protesters also called for a formal investigation and criminal charges against those controlling the Britney Spears estate, as the singer recently spoke out about abuse and restrictions she has faced from her father and lawyers involved in managing her assets and day-to-day life. The rally coincided with an appearance by Spears in a Los Angeles courtroom Wednesday afternoon, where she was granted the ability to hire her own lawyer for the first time since the conservatorship’s imposition in 2008.

The last barriers of the security fence that has surrounded the U.S. Capitol since January have been taken down this past week in D.C. Areas closed to the public for over six months around the building have reopened, with people biking and hanging out on the grounds here in mid-July in the nation’s capital.

A George Floyd mural in Toledo, Ohio collapsed yesterday, with witness reports of lightning striking the building. This is the scene at Summit and Lagrange this morning, with bricks from the destroyed mural piled next to what remains of the wall.

Former Chief of Detroit Police James Craig took the stage today at the Republican Party’s 167th Anniversary event, held in Jackson Michigan at the site of the party’s first convention in 1854. Craig, widely seen as a potential Republican challenger to Governor Gretchen Whitmer in next year’s gubernatorial race, discussed his experiences in law enforcement and laid out his vision for the future of Michigan, while withholding from an official announcement as to whether he will run for Governor in 2022. The event drew a crowd of about 150 to the residential Jackson neighborhood with “Under the Oaks Park”, the site of the GOP’s founding.

In his first public rally since January 6th, Trump campaigned in Ohio this weekend for House candidate and former aide Max Miller. The rally featured speeches from local Republican politicians, Representatives Marjorie Taylor Greene and Jim Jordan before the former President’s remarks. Miller is a primary challenger to sitting Republican House Rep. Anthony Gonzalez, who was one of 10 House Republicans that voted to impeach then-President Trump on a count of incitement of insurrection in January. The primary election takes place next spring as part of the 2022 Midterms, where Republicans are seeking to retake control of the House of Representatives.

Abandoned vehicles flooded out along I-94 in Detroit today, as the freeway remains shut down for a third consecutive day after heavy rainfall hit the region. The weekend’s downpour lead to several road closures, power outages and flooding of basements in the area, as well as the ongoing shuttering of this major interstate. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer declared a State of Emergency in Wayne County over the situation on Saturday, and was seen today visiting the flooded freeway for a brief press conference. High water levels on nearby waterways have prevented efficient pumping of the floodwater off the freeway, leading to this scene along several miles of I-94 still this Monday.

Hundreds marched in Minneapolis Monday night, hours after closing arguments were made in the Derek Chauvin trial. With the jury now deliberating before a verdict, protesters marched downtown, chanting in support of conviction for the former Minneapolis Police officer. Reverend Jesse Jackson and community members spoke at the gathering, and marchers at the front line held a banner reading "The World is Watching" as they made their way past the Hennepin County Courthouse. The world's eyes are indeed on Minneapolis as the trial nears conclusion. We will see what happens next.

Celebrations in Minneapolis on Tuesday afternoon as a verdict was read in the trial of former Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin. A crowd of hundreds had gathered outside the Hennepin County Courthouse amidst word of an imminent verdict after a day of jury deliberations in the trial. Chauvin was found guilty on all three counts - second-degree unintentional murder, second-degree manslaughter and third-degree murder. Crowds celebrated the verdict, crying and hugging outside the courthouse amidst a flurry of cameras in town covering the trial. The girlfriend of George Floyd, Courtney Ross, was seen in tears before leading protesters in prayer after the announcement. Chants, speeches and dancing ensued before a march through downtown Minneapolis, where protesters both celebrated what they viewed as a victory in this case, and also called for further prosecutions against other officers in police-involved killings. Demonstrations continued until around 8 pm downtown, before some went over to the George Floyd Memorial at 38th and Chicago (the site of Floyd's initial encounter with officer Derek Chauvin back on May 25th, 2020) to continue celebrating in the no-police zone that has been set up. Crowds began to fan out around 10 pm, with some still lingering around the memorial paying their respects to Floyd and others killed in police interactions in the U.S.

Over a thousand marched in Chicago last night in protest against the police shooting of 13-year-old Adam Toledo. Bodycam footage of the deadly confrontation was released on Thursday, and demonstrations have taken place in several cities across the U.S. in response. Chicago’s march included members of the Toledo family, and a variety of groups and activists joining together to organize one of the largest protests in the city this year to date. Though peaceful for the duration of the march (which took place mostly through Lori Lightfoot’s neighborhood), clashes did ensue as things wrapped up in Logan Square Park. A melee broke out between Chicago Police and the crowd after they made an arrest at the scene, leading to reinforcement lines of officers called in amidst some tense face-offs between police and those remaining. Officers eventually retreated, and the crowd dispersed without additional incident Friday night.