Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson was out in front of her home with her four-year-old son Saturday night finishing up the Christmas lights and decorations when roughly two dozen “protestors,” some of them armed, marched up to her home and began yelling through bullhorns, “Stop the steal!” and more.
Details from reporter Miriam Marini at the Detroit Free Press:
A couple of dozen protesters gathered in front of Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson's home Saturday night shouting through megaphones against the certification of the election and demanding a forensic audit.
A portion of the demonstration was broadcast live on Facebook around 9:30 p.m. The protesters are seen walking up to Benson's Detroit home, some wearing President Donald Trump paraphernalia and carrying American flags.
"We are over here in the fricking dead of night, man," Genevieve Peters, who posted the live video, said as she walked to the house. "We are letting her know that we're not taking this bullshit election, we are not standing down, we are not giving up you are not going to take this election from a man that has earned it completely 100% by a freaking landslide. Let me tell you: This ain't over."
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Benson said the protesters gathered in front of her home as she and her 4-year-old son were finishing putting up Christmas decorations, just when the two were preparing to watch the Christmas classic, "How the Grinch Stole Christmas."
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The video has garnered more than 30,000 views and nearly 500 comments since the livestream was first posted Saturday night.
Peters is seen attempting to speak with a security officer who arrived at the scene, but the officer does not engage. She later calls Benson a "Demorat."
A few patrol units from the Detroit Police Department and the Michigan State Police later appeared, and the situation remained peaceful, MSP Lt. Mike Shaw said. "There wasn't much to it," Shaw said.
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Despite Shaw's recollection of the peaceful event, Attorney General Dana Nessel and Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy issued a joint statement condemning the demonstration, deeming the protesters' actions as "mob-like behavior" and said the event was not activism. Rather, it was, "disturbing behavior masquerading as protest."
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Peters in the video promises they will be back.
"We want her to know that we will continue to be here because we are sick and tired of them ignoring everything that has to happen, which means we need a forensic audit," Peters said. "This is called exercising my constitutional right."
Another protester then shouts, "Benson, you are a villain."
Benson released a statement that can be read here:
In addition, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy issued a joint statement:
Actions have consequences and Trump’s lies and lunatic fringe conspiracy theories are putting public officials in very real danger, as we are seeing in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Nevada, Arizona and Georgia.
Earlier today, Michigan state Rep. Cynthia A. Johnson, D-Detroit, who is Black, posted to her Facebook page recorded voicemail death threats — including messages telling her she should be lynched — that she received after participating in Michigan House Republicans’ sham “hearings” run by a farting Rudy Giuliani.
One caller told state Rep. Cynthia A. Johnson, D-Detroit, that she should be "swinging from a … rope."
That echoed another call received by Johnson, who is Black, that predicted the lawmaker would be lynched, according to multiple voicemails Johnson posted on her Facebook page.
And 14 suspects have been charged in the plot to kidnap and kill Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
Facebook pours gasoline on this fire by providing a platform that allows these insane conspiracy theories to propagate. At the time of this writing, the video of the event at Benson’s home is still up on Facebook — even though it contains conspiracy theories, threats and hate speech.
Georgia election official Gabriel Sterling is right:
"Someone's going to get hurt, someone's going to get shot, someone's going to get killed, and it's not right."
And the blood will be on the hands of Donald Trump and every GOP enabler of this dangerous insanity.
You’re going to get someone killed.