After a mob descended Tuesday on the Wisconsin State Capitol, breaking windows, pulling down two historic statues, and allegedly beating up a state legislator, U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany declared he’s had enough.
The Wisconsin Republican called Wednesday for the resignation of Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, accusing him of enabling “nearly a month of sustained lawlessness, bedlam, rioting and violence.”
“The governor has demonstrated time and time again that he is unwilling to prevent these unrelenting attacks on our safety, our property and our way of life,” said Mr. Tiffany in a statement. “His silence is deafening, and his inaction is unacceptable. If he cannot or will not regain control of the streets, he should resign immediately. Enough is enough.”
Mr. Evers said Wednesday he would consider calling out the National Guard after Tuesday night’s melee, which was spurred by the arrest of activist Devonere Johnson after he walked into a restaurant with a baseball bat and bullhorn, announcing that he was disturbing the business, as shown on video.
Mr. Johnson, 28, was tackled as he sought to run from officers, leading his supporters to accuse police of treating him with excessive force. He was tentatively charged with resisting arrest, disorderly conduct while armed, and attempted escape, according to WKOW-TV.
“What happened in Madison last night presented a stark contrast from the peaceful protests we have seen across our state in recent weeks, including significant damage to state property,” Mr. Evers said in a statement, adding that “violence against any person … is wrong. It should never be tolerated.”
He also wished a “quick recovery” to Democratic state Sen. Tim Carpenter, who said he was punched and kicked in the head, neck and ribs by a group of 8-10 people after taking video of the protest, which he posted Wednesday on Twitter.
“I took this pic—it got me assaulted & beat up,” he tweeted, adding, “Innocent people are going to get killed.”
Today, I released a statement on the violence in Madison and called for the resignation of Governor Evers.
— Rep. Tom Tiffany (@RepTiffany) June 24, 2020
Read the statement here: https://t.co/bd1CanCa2h
I took this pic- it got me assaulted & beat up. Punched/kicked in the head, neck, ribs. Maybe concussion, socked in left eye is little blurry, sore neck & ribs. 8-10 people attacked me. Innocent people are going to get killed. Capitol locked- stuck in office.Stop violence nowPlz! pic.twitter.com/Zw2hdfYG66
— Tim Carpenter (@TimCarpenterMKE) June 24, 2020
The protesters pulled down statues of “Lady Forward,” a tribute to women’s suffrage, and abolitionist Hans Christian Heg, a Norwegian immigrant and Union Army hero who fought to end slavery. Both statues have been recovered, the governor said.
Mr. Tiffany accused the governor of referring to “these outrageous mob tactics as ’protest.’ They are not … They are criminal acts.”
“These mob attacks on our history and our institutions have nothing to do with equality or police brutality,” Mr. Tiffany said. “They are a vicious and illegal assault on the foundations of our democratic institutions and our free and open society, and public officials who refuse to stand up against those seeking to destabilize and destroy these institutions should resign from their positions of public trust.”
The Madison police report said that 200-300 protesters began by marching, blocking intersections and obstructing driveways, then entered a private condominium building and surrounded a tow truck, prompting the driver to abandon the vehicle.
“The group later moved to the Capital [sic] Square and removed two statutes from the Capital [sic] grounds (Lady Forward and Hans Christian Heg), and broke windows in a number of buildings,” said the police press release. “Windows at the City County Building were broken, and a Molotov cocktail was thrown into the building. The group went on to also attempt to force entry to the State Capital [sic] building.”
Police said officers used OC spray to “repel individuals who were attempting to force entry.”
Dozens of U.S. cities have seen peaceful protests devolve into rioting since the May 25 death of George Floyd, a black man, in Minneapolis police custody. Four officers were fired and have been charged in his death, which was ruled a homicide.
• Valerie Richardson can be reached at vrichardson@washingtontimes.com.
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