Ohio Militia Calls for Armed March on Washington
The self-identified leader of the Ohio Militia, a conspiracy-minded 鈥淧atriot鈥� group, released a earlier this week calling for 1 million heavily armed antigovernment demonstrators to march on Washington, D.C., this coming July 4.
鈥淲e need to do something,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e need to make a dent.鈥�
Identifying himself as 鈥淧ale Horse,鈥� apparently a reference to the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, and speaking through a creepy voice distorter, the Ohio militiaman detailed his brazen vision: 鈥淎 peaceful demonstration of at least a million 鈥� hey, if we can get 10 million, even better 鈥� but at least one million armed militia men marching on Washington. A peaceful demonstration. No shooting, no one gets hurt. Just a demonstration. The only difference from any typical demonstration is we will all be armed.鈥�
The Ohio Militia website contains apocalyptic language and imagery, along with references to various 9/11 and 鈥淣orth American Union鈥� conspiracy theories. Videos show men said to be Ohio Militia members engaged in small-unit, live-fire combat training. One video is titled 鈥淎merica鈥檚 Wake Up Call: Buy Guns.鈥� A different video slideshow depicts assault weapons, mushroom clouds, George Bush, Satan, Osama bin Laden and lots of men in camouflage on maneuvers. It鈥檚 set to 鈥淕oofy鈥檚 Concern,鈥� a song by Butthole Surfers, a psychedelic rock band from Austin, Texas, that includes these lyrics: 鈥淚 don鈥檛 give a f--- about the FBI! I don鈥檛 give a f--- about the CIA! I don鈥檛 give a f--- about LSD! I don鈥檛 give a f--- about anything!鈥�
That video concludes with a message to the Michigan Militia, one of the largest and oldest militia groups in the country: 鈥淭hanks for letting us train at Camp Stasa with you guys.鈥�
It isn鈥檛 clear that the Ohio Militia is capable of bringing a busload of protesters to Washington, let alone a million or more. But Pale Horse鈥檚 call for a gathering of gun-toting militia forces in the nation鈥檚 capital brings to mind a similar infamous call to arms issued in 1994 by Patriot movement attorney, filmmaker and conspiracy theorist . Thompson 鈥� who once told the editor of this blog about being personally and repeatedly followed by black helicopters, shot at by mysterious attackers, and having a beloved dog zapped by a secret government ray gun 鈥� was probably best known for producing the pseudo-documentary 鈥淲aco: The Big Lie,鈥� which alleged a government mass murder in the 1993 standoff in Texas. Although the video was widely circulated, its claims were soon debunked.
Proclaiming herself 鈥淎cting Adjutant General鈥� of the 鈥淯norganized Militia of the United States,鈥� Thompson announced that her armed march would take place on Sept. 19, 1994. She said her unorganized army would demand the repeal of the North American Free Trade Agreement and the Brady Bill, a gun control measure. U.S. senators and congressmen who refused to accede would be arrested, tried for treason and, if necessary, executed by firing squad or hanging, she said.
Thompson鈥檚 plan was almost universally denounced by right-wing groups, including most of the militias that were then appearing all over the country, who accused her of attempting to lead them on a suicide mission. Many in the movement suspected that Thompson was an agent provocateur working for the government.
Response to Pale Horse鈥檚 suggestion for a more 鈥減eaceful鈥� display of force remains to be seen.
