Right-wing extremists are turning cars into weapons, with reports of at least 50 vehicle-ramming incidents since protests against police violence erupted nationwide in late May.
At least 18 are categorized as deliberate attacks; another two dozen are unclear as to motivation or are still under investigation, according to a count released Friday by Ari Weil, a terrorism researcher at the University of Chicago’s Chicago Project on Security and Threats. Weil has tracked vehicle-ramming attacks, or VRAs, since protests began.
The 20 people facing prosecution in the rammings include a state leader of the Virginia Ku Klux Klan, as well as a California man who was charged with attempted murder after antagonizing protesters and then driving into them, striking a teenage girl. Video footage of some attacks shows drivers yelling at or threatening Black Lives Matter protesters before hitting the gas.
On the one hand protests, on the other hand people trying to kill the protesters. There’s a certain disproportion there.
“The use of car attacks against peaceful protesters is increasingly a deliberate terror tactic for white supremacists,” said Amy Spitalnick, executive director of Integrity First for America, a civil rights nonprofit that’s leading a civil suit on behalf of Charlottesville ramming victims. The goal of the suit is to bankrupt and dismantle several hate groups that helped organize the rally.
“As detailed in our lawsuit, the Charlottesville violence was planned months in advance online — including discussions of hitting protesters with cars,” Spitalnick said.
It’s very American, isn’t it. Cars keep you from every having to walk anywhere and you can kill pesky libbruls with them.
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7 responses to “Ramming”
Which is why if I lived in the US I would seriously consider, for trips to the supermarket, purchase of a Sherman tank, or at least a half-track fitted with a medium machine gun, I would hope that would be covered by the Second Amendment.
I saw that earlier today. https://mobile.twitter.com/JerryDunleavy/status/1274765435817295872
Ramming is another one of those Southern traditions that they hold so dear. It was a favourite tactic of the Confederate navy in the Civil War to fit 7-10 foot iron spikes or rams to the front of their ships below the water line in order to smash holes low in the sides of the Federal ships maintaining the blockade on the south-eastern coast and rivers.
Southern values and traditions, eh?
Ramming has been a ‘thing’ for several years. Jihadis in Nice, Incels in Canada.
Naval ramming was a fad in the mid 19th century. Some battle between Austria and Italy… That’s why late 19th century ships often had bows with a reverse slope. Even after the impracticality became obvious, the visual styling remained for a while.
The Ancient Greeks used ramming in naval warfare as well. Perhaps they’ve been reading their Thucydides?
John the Drunkard: Re naval ramming 19th century
Thus in War of the Worlds, the Ram ship Thunderchild ramming one of the Martian tripod war machines.
I understand it is a right wing site but https://thefederalist.com/2020/06/22/npr-falsely-calls-victim-of-attack-by-rioters-a-white-supremacist/
At least some of these events are people trying to get away from being attacked. I will admit that if a bunch of people start pounding on my vehicle while uttering threats then I am probably hitting the gas hard just to get away.