The Oath Keepers are planning an 'ongoing' protest of Maxine Waters' congressional offices
In response to California Rep. Maxine Waters' calling for her supporters to harass members of the Trump administration in public, the Oath Keepers have called for their members to show up at her offices in protest. And they're going to stay as long as it takes.听
罢丑别听Oath Keepers, the nation鈥檚 largest and most influential antigovernment militia, is planning an 鈥渙ngoing鈥� protest at California Rep. Maxine Waters' congressional offices in Los Angeles beginning Thursday.听
The protest is scheduled to last聽only a few hours on Thursday, but聽organizers have left plans open-ended聽with the possibility to continue for 鈥渁n indefinite time鈥� if needed.听
鈥淭his is both a protest against Maxine Waters鈥� incitement of terrorism, and a stand聽FOR聽ICE and the Border Patrol, as they enforce the perfectly constitutional immigration and naturalization laws of this nation,鈥� the call-to-action posted on Tuesday read.听
We invite all patriotic supporters of the Constitution to join us in standing up against leftist attempts to impede the securing of our borders through intimidation and terrorism, and to stand in support of our brave ICE and Border Patrol agents who work to secure the border. Other patriotic groups are welcome to participate in this protest, so long as they support the Constitution and do not discriminate on racial lines.
The announcement makes no request or prohibition against Oath Keepers鈥� bringing weapons.听
The call-to-action comes in response to a statement last month by Waters, a California Democrat. She encouraged her supporters to publicly confront and harass members of the Trump administration after it announced a 鈥渮ero tolerance鈥� policy at the border that separated children from their migrant parents as part of a now rescinded policy of deterrence.听
"Let's make sure we show up wherever we have to show up. And if you see anybody from that Cabinet in a restaurant, in a department store, at a gasoline station, you get out and you create a crowd. And you push back on them. And you tell them they're not welcome anymore, anywhere. We've got to get the children connected to their parents,"聽.听
The planned protest is also the latest example of an important shift for the Oath Keepers, whose heavily armed members have appeared at times of political and social unrest. In 2014, Oath Keepers were part of an armed standoff with the federal government with Nevada cattle rancher Cliven Bundy, and members flexed their paramilitary muscle in Ferguson, Missouri,聽聽and patrolling the streets.听
Since President Trump鈥檚 inauguration, however, the group has turned its attention both to defending members of the聽racist 鈥渁lt-right鈥� during public appearances聽and defense of the U.S. border with Mexico. The shift was accompanied by a turn in the group鈥檚 rhetoric.听
Earlier this year, in a conference call encouraging members to stand armed guard outside of schools in the aftermath of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in February, the focus quickly turned to frantic concerns of聽a coming civil war. On the call, Oath Keepers founder聽Stewart Rhodes聽warned that some places of the country like California聽have already fallen to what another speaker on the call called a 鈥渄eep state coup against Trump.鈥澛�
鈥淚f聽[the left] can contain Trump long enough until he鈥檚 gone, then they will win all the marbles,鈥� Rhodes said. 鈥淚f they can change the [ethnic] demographics enough to pack the vote, they get a lock on power.鈥�
Photo: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
