Are there any neutral sources? Or at least more complete accountings? I only find Leif's account and some transphobic accounts.
The only "facts" I could find are that Leif had an AR-15 and maced 2-4 people (depending on the account). The transphobic one says children were maced.
I'm just legitimately interested in what happened.
I know a few people IRL that were first person witnesses to what happened. From what they say, Leif was escorting families at the event when a guy in full crusader armor hit him with a megaphone, and Leif defended himself and those families with mace. Now, I'm a bit fuzzy on the other people involved, but there was supposedly some parent with his 12 year old kid who had a pepper ball gun pointed at Leif and a knife of some kind who also were involved. And yes, the KID had a pepper ball gun.
Edit: the guy in crusader armor is known around the Cleveland, Ohio area as the Alt Knight who pretty much protests anything even remotely progressive. Pic below.
Here is a (not that great pic) I snagged of him at a drag story hour event I was at yesterday. Looks like his mom bought him a new helmet lmao.
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If these accounts are true, then Leif's actions sound reasonable to me. Macing someone who is threatening you with a weapon is justifiable in my opinion, even if the wielder of the weapon is a minor - the real blame lies with the parent who gave a weapon to a 12 year old.
I haven't watched it yet but there is video of the whole thing somewhere online as well if you want to see what happened.
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Someone linked the video in this post but it has since been taken down.
From my memory I have no idea where the 'children maced' accusations are coming from. A male fascist protected behind a line of police brandished a weapon at antifascists nonviolently protesting, and got a face full of mace in response. It was accurately targeted, and even the police with their backs to the fascists who the stream sprayed past were unaffected. There was a fascist woman who brought her children to protest alongside people sieg heil'ing who harassed the police until they arrested Leif while lying about the context of the action.
What a time to be alive. Nazis wearing chainmail and bringing children to protest drag events. If I didn't follow the news, I'm not sure I would be able to tell this wasn't a LARP event.
What's also funny is he showed up to court to testify against Leif in his chainmail armor. I don't think it helped his case.
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And there's the rub.
Though am sure some are unaware how risible they seem to anyone vaguely normal, broadly this tactic is used in the hope of fooling onlookers by seeming like jokester weirdos rather than deadly serious ideologues.
Fair point. I wonder if this is a conscious decision or if they are just weird. No judgement to larping. I'm weird too, just not violent.