DEMOCRATIC GOVERNOR GRETCHEN
WHITMER.
YOU CAN READ THE AFFIDAVIT FOR
YOURSELF IF YOU DOUBT THAT.
NOW NEW REPORTING ON AN
INCREASINGLY FREQUENT IMAGE ON
AMERICA’S STREETS.
HEAVILY ARMED GROUPS CALLING
THEMSELVES MILITIAS.
WE RECEIVED RARE ACCESS TO HE
HAD LOOERS WITHIN THIS MOVEMENT.
[ CROWD CHANTING ]
>> SELF-DESCRIBED MILITIAS ARE
BECOMING A REGULAR SIGHT ON THE
STREETS OF MANY AMERICAN CITIES
OFTEN DRESSED HEAD TO TOE IN
MILITARY FATIGUES, OFTEN WITH
FIREARMS STRAPPED TO THEIR
CHEST.
>> WE ARE SECURITY AND WE UPHOLD
CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS FOR PEOPLE
WHETHER THAT’S -- I TELL PEOPLE
THIS ALL THE TIME.
WHETHER THAT’S OUR
CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS OR
OTHERS’.
>> Reporter: HE LEADS THE GROUP
BURGLARIES ON EQUAL AMENDMENT
RIGHTS.
>> DO YOU THINK THAT’S INCITING
STANDING ON THE STREET WITH A --
>> NO, BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO
REMEMBER, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO
HOLD A WEAPON NO MATTER WHAT.
I THINK IT’S PEOPLE MAKING AN
ASSUMPTION BASED ON WHAT THEY
BELIEVE.
>> WE TRIED THAT EARLIER TODAY
BUT THEY SEPARATED US.
>> Reporter: WE HAVE SEEN YOU IN
FRANKFURT AND LOUISVILLE.
WHY DOES YOUR GROUP COME OUT ON
THE STREETS?
>> TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING
REMAINS PEACEFUL.
>> Reporter: SHE SAYS THEY HAVE
80 MEMBERS.
WE HAVE SEEN THEM OUTSIDE OF
KENTUCKY’S CAPITAL HEAVILY ARMED
AGAINST COVID RESTRICTIONS AND
ON THE EDGE OF DEMONSTRATIONS
FOR BREONNA TAYLOR.
>> WE DON’T WANT THE TOWNS BURNT
DOWN.
WE DON’T WANT ANYBODY SHOOTING
EACH OTHER.
>> Reporter: LAW ENFORCEMENT
SAYS A MILITIA PRESENCE MAKES
THEIR JOB NOR DIFFICULT.
>> IT DOES NOT HELP THE
SITUATION.
>> THE POLICE ARE DOING ALL THEY
CAN, BUT THEY’VE GOT THEIR HANDS
TIED AND A LOT OF PEOPLE AGAINST
THEM.
>> GUYS, GUYS, WE HAVE TO KEEP
OUR COMPOSURE.
WE CANNOT PUT OUR HANDS ON
SOMEBODY LIKE THAT.
>> Reporter: THEIR INCREASED
PRESENCE HAS LED MANY IN THE
CITY TO TAKE PRECAUTIONS.
>> JUSTICE NOW!
WE HAVE A LEVLUTIONARY BLACK
PANTHER PARTY WHO IS DOING OUR
SECURITY.
>> Reporter: ARE YOU WORRIED
ABOUT THE PRESENCE OF MILITIAS
IN KENTUCKY?
>> YES, SINCE THE LEGISLATIVE
BODY THAT I SERVE IN VOTED TO
ALLOW PEOPLE TO CARRY, OPEN
CARRY WITHOUT A PERMIT.
OUR LEGISLATIVE BODY HAS BEEN
VERY CLEAR THAT IT SUPPORTS
INSTITUTIONAL SYSTEMIC RACISM.
IT’S SENDING A MESSAGE THAT THEY
ARE WELCOME IN KENTUCKY.
>> Reporter: DO YOU THINK SOME
OF THESE GROUPS ARE RACIST?
>> SOME ARE.
SOME OF THE BLACK GROUPS ARE
RACIST, TOO.
I DON’T VOUCH FOR EITHER ONE OF
THEM.
>> Reporter: THE SOUTHERN
POVERTY LAW CENTER HAS PHOTOS OF
YOU CARRYING CONFEDERATE FLAGS.
>> SOME PEOPLE IN MY GROUP ARE
PUERTO RICAN, BLACKS, CUBANS.
I HAVE A MIXTURE.
>> Reporter: THESE GROUPS SO
VISIBLE NOW THAT THIS BECAME A
DEFINING MOMENT OF THE FIRST
DEBATE.
>> PROUD BOYS, STAND BACK AND
STAND BY.
>> SO YOU THOUGHT IT DID KIND OF
SPEAK TO YOUR GROUP?
>> I THINK IT DID.
I THINK THE REASON WHY HE SAID
TO, YOU KNOW, STAND BY AND STAND
BY WAS, YOU KNOW, HE SEES IT THE
SAME WAY.
>> Reporter: AND LIKE MANY, HE
FEARS THE ELECTION COULD BRING
UNREST.
>> ARE WE SAWING CIVIL WAR?
PEOPLE SAY CIVIL WAR IN THESE
GROUPS ALL THE TIME.
>> I THINK THAT’S A POSSIBILITY.
PROBABLY A CLOSE POSSIBILITY.
THOUGH MOST PEOPLE WILL TRY TO
MAKE IT A BLACK AND WHITE THING.
I THINK IT’S A RIGHT AND LEFT
THING.
>> A CLOSE POSSIBILITY OF CIVIL
WAR.
WOW.
CAL JOINS US FROM LANCING,
MICHIGAN.
CAL, FASCINATING REPORT.
LET ME START WITH HOW WE’RE
DEFINING MILITIA.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN EXACTLY?
A LOT OF THESE PEOPLE ARE
SELF-APPOINTED, THEY WILL LEAN
ON THE SECOND AMENDMENT THAT
CALLS FOR A WELL REGULATED
MILITIA.
WHAT EXACTLY IS A MILITIA?
>> WELL, SO THEY ARE DEFINING
THEMSELVES AS MILITIA
TECHNICALLY IN THE DICTIONARY
DEFINITION THEY ARE NOT.
THEY ARE NOTHING TO WITH THE
GOVERNMENT.
WE KEEP SAYING THEY ARE
SELF-DEFINING THEM SEFS AS
MILITIA.
THEY ARE NOT HOMO GENEIOUS
GROUPS.
SHE DOESN’T SEE THE PROUD BOYS
AS A MILITIA.
BUT THAT’S NOT NECESSARILY
COMFORTING THAT YOU HAVE A RANGE
OF VIEWS BECAUSE THEN YOU HAVE
RADICAL VIEWS.
THE SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER
IS TRACKING OVER 180 GROUPS, AND
SOME HAVE EXTREME VIEWS AND, OF
COURSE, THE CONCERN IS THAT THE
PRESIDENT WILL CONTINUE TO USE
RHETORIC.
IT IS A FASCINATING AND A
DANGEROUS MOMENT IN AMERICA WHEN
YOU SEE THAT THESE DEMONSTRATORS
IN LOUISVILLE WHO HAVE BEEN
PROTESTING ON BEHALF OF BREONNA
TAYLOR FOR MONTHS ARE NOW
CALLING ON THE BLACK PANTHER
PARTY TO PROTECT THEM.
IT IS INDEED A VERY INTERESTING
TIME IN THIS COUNTRY.
>> WHAT DO THE SELF-APPOINTED
MILITIAS WANT?
I KNOW EVERY GROUP HAS A
DIFFERENT THEME AND DIFFERENT
IDEA AND DIFFERENT OBJECTIVE.
GENERALLY SPEAKING, WHEN THEY
ARE OUT IN THE STREETS STRAPPED
WITH AR-15s, WHAT ARE THEY
SEEKING TO DO EXACTLY?
>> THEY SAY THAT THEY ARE
CREATING ORDER, THAT THEY ARE
PROTECTING PROTESTERS ON BOTH
SIDES, BOTH THE BLACK LIVES
MATTER PROTESTERS AND ANYBODY
WHO COMES OUT TO COUNTER
DEMONSTRATE.
THEY SAY THEY ARE SUPPORTING LAW
ENFORCEMENT.
THE INTERESTING THING ABOUT THIS
IS, IN THE PAST, THESE GROUPS
HAVE SHARED ONE THING IN COMMON.
THEY WANT LESS GOVERNMENT
INTERFERENCE AND THEY DON’T
USUALLY SUPPORT THE PRESIDENT.