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U.S. NEWS Thursday 14 May 2020
Virus restrictions fuel anti-government ‘boogaloo’ movement

Continued from Front

On Saturday, a demonstra-
tion in Raleigh, North Caro-
lina, promoted by a Face-
book group called “Blue
Igloo” — a derivation of
the term — led to a police
investigation of a confron-
tation between an armed
protester and a couple pu-
shing a stroller.
Another anti-lockdown ral-
ly is planned for Thursday at
the state Capitol in Lansing,
Michigan, site of an angry
protest last month that in-
cluded armed members of
the Michigan Liberty Militia.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen
Whitmer, a Democrat, has
been the target of violent
threats on Facebook fo-
rums, including a private
one called “The Rhett E.
Boogie Group.”
One user said Whitmer
should be “guillotined”
after another suggested
another governor should
be hanged from a noose, In this April 18, 2020, file photo, members of the boogaloo movement, attend a demonstration against the lockdown over concern
according to a screens- about COVID-19 at the State House in Concord, N.H.
hot captured by the Tech Associated Press
Transparency Project re-
search initiative. braced the term before ters see the public health said a white supremacist mily’s home. An eyewitness
The coronavirus pandemic white supremacist groups lockdowns and other di- group was inciting followers said Lemp was asleep in
has become a catalyst adopted it last year. And rectives by states and cities to shoot through their doors his bedroom when police
for the “boogaloo” move- while some “boogaloo” across the country as a vi- at FBI agents and police of- opened fire from outside his
ment because the stay- followers maintain they olation of their rights, and ficers, federal prosecutors house, according to an at-
at-home orders have “put aren’t genuinely advoca- they’re aiming to harness wrote in a court filing. The torney for his family. Police
a stressor on a lot of very ting for violence, law-en- public frustration at such warning related to “asso- said he was armed with a
unhappy people,” said J.J. forcement officials say they measures to rally and at- ciates” of Bradley Bunn, a rifle and ignored com-
MacNab, a fellow at Ge- have foiled bombing and tract new followers to their 53-year-old U.S. Army ve- mands.
orge Washington Universi- shooting plots by people cause,” the project’s report teran who was arrested On his Instagram account,
ty’s Program on Extremism. who have connections to says. Facebook has since on May 1 after FBI agents Lemp had posted a pho-
MacNab said their rhetoric the movement or at least updated its policies to pro- allegedly found four pipe tograph that depicts two
goes beyond discussions used its terminology. hibit use of “boogaloo” and bombs at his house in Lo- people holding up rifles and
about fighting virus restric- A 36-year-old Arkansas related terms “when ac- veland, Colorado, the filing includes the term “booga-
tions — which many pro- man whose Facebook companied by statements said. Authorities haven’t loo.” His death spawned a
testers brand as “tyranny” page included “boogaloo” and images depicting ar- publicly linked Bunn to any hashtag campaign within
— to talking about killing FBI references was arrested on med violence,” the com- group or movement, but the movement.
agents or police officers “to April 11 by police in Texar- pany said in a statement. a federal prosecutor said “A lot of individuals are very
get the war going.” kana, Texas, on a charge In March, a Missouri man agents intercepted Bunn upset at the way this coun-
“They are far more grap- he threatened to ambush with ties to neo-Nazis was on his way to an armed try is being run and the laws
hic and far more specific in and kill a police officer on shot and killed when FBI protest at the state Capi- that are getting passed
their threats than I’ve seen a Facebook Live video. agents tried to arrest him. Ti- tol against COVID-19 res- that criminalize law-abiding
in a long time,” she said. “I feel like hunting the hun- mothy Wilson, 36, was plan- trictions. Bunn told inves- citizens,” said Mike Harts,
The violent rhetoric is dra- ters,” Aaron Swenson wrote ning to bomb a hospital in tigators that he would be a U.S. Army infantry vete-
matic escalation for a on Facebook under an ali- the Kansas City area on the willing to “take out a few” ran who befriended Lemp
online phenomenon with as, police say. day that a COVID-19 stay- officers to “wake everyone through social media.
its roots in meme culture An April 22 report by the at-home order was sche- up,” the prosecutor said Harts, 27, says “boogaloo”
and steeped in dark hu- Tech Transparency Project, duled to take effect, aut- during a court hearing. started as a funny meme
mor. Its name comes from which tracks technology horities said. Wilson told an While the anti-lockdown but has evolved into a dee-
the panned 1984 movie companies, found 125 Fa- undercover FBI agent that protests have provided the per symbol for the “liberty
“Breakin’ 2: Electric Booga- cebook “boogaloo”-rela- his goal was “to kick start spotlight on the “booga- movement.”
loo,” which has become ted groups that had attrac- a revolution” and referred loo” movement, a police Lemp’s family appreciates
slang for any bad sequel. ted tens of thousands of to his plans as “operation shooting in Maryland has the outpouring of support
Another derivation of members in the previous 30 boogaloo,” according to galvanized its supporters. but doesn’t want “any vio-
“boogaloo” is “big luau” — days. The project pointed an agent’s affidavit. Duncan Lemp, 21, was shot lence or unlawful actions to
hence the Hawaiian garb. to coronavirus crisis as a dri- Earlier this month, the U.S. and killed by police on be taken in his name,” fa-
Far-right gun activists and ving factor. Department of Homeland March 12 as officers served mily attorney Rene Sandler
militia groups first em- “Some boogaloo suppor- Security issued an alert that a search warrant at his fa- said in a statement.q