Monday, August 17, 2020

Criminal charges against Virginia Dem state senator, NAACP officials over destruction of Confederate memorial

There's a proper way to remove statues that some see offensive. Work thru the system.

That is, contacting public officials, have meetings, have public officials take a vote.

You think that a state Senator would understand that.

But no.

From the Virginian-Pilot:
Portsmouth police announced criminal charges Monday against a bevy of public officials and activists — including state Sen. Louise Lucas, leaders of the NAACP, the city’s top public defender and a school board member — stemming from a June protest and vandalism at the city’s Confederate monument that left a man seriously injured and much of the statue toppled.

Lucas, NAACP president James Boyd and vice president Louie Gibbs, School Board member LaKeesha “Klu” Atkinson and four others were charged with felony injury to a monument and conspiracy, Police Chief Angela Greene told reporters Monday afternoon. Public Defender Brenda Spry, two attorneys from her office and three others were charged with felony injury to a monument. Each charge carries up to five years in prison.

It was an extraordinary day even for Portsmouth, a city where racial divisions are often on display in local politics.

Most of those charged were Black, including Lucas, Boyd, Gibbs and Atkinson. Lucas, who’s been a Democratic state senator since 1992, is a member of a group of lawmakers calling for police reforms in a special session that starts Tuesday.
Virginia's leftist governor, Ralph Northam, muddied the waters on Twitter.

"It's deeply troubling that on the verge of Virginia passing long-overdue police reform," Northam Tweeted, "the first Black woman to serve as our Senate Pro Tempore is suddenly facing highly unusual charges."

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