Puget Sound John Brown Gun Club
The Puget Sound John Brown Gun Club (PSJBGC) is a Puget Sound Area gun club, formerly affiliated with Redneck Revolt.[a] During the George Floyd protests in June 2020, the group attended the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone in Seattle.[3][4][5][6]
| Named after | John Brown |
|---|---|
| Formation | May 9, 2017[1] |
| Type | Anti-fascist armed leftist group |
| Website | Official website |
The club calls itself an "anti-fascist, anti-racist, pro-worker community defense organization". The Guardian has called it an "anti-fascist armed leftist group" that "provide[s] security against rightwing aggression".[7]
Willem van Spronsen, a former member of the club, attacked the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in Tacoma with incendiary devices in July 2019 while armed with an AR-15 rifle. He was killed by Tacoma Police Department officers in the attack.[8][9]
The club has counter-protested Patriot Prayer marches in Seattle.[10][11]
Notes edit
- ^ The club's website states "PSJBGC is an independent JBGC" and states it left Redneck Revolt Network in 2019.[2]
References edit
- ^ "Announcing Puget Sound John Brown Gun Club". psjbgc.org. 2017-05-09. Archived from the original on 2020-06-14.
- ^ "Puget Sound John Brown Gun Club Leaves Redneck Revolt Network". Puget Sound John Brown Gun Club. January 23, 2019. Retrieved June 12, 2020.
- ^ Thalen, Mikael (June 9, 2020). "Seattle protesters set up a barricaded 'cop-free zone'". The Daily Dot. from the original on June 10, 2020. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
- ^ Burns, Chase; Smith, Rich; Keimig, Jasmyne (June 9, 2020). "The Dawn of 'Free Capitol Hill'". The Stranger. from the original on June 11, 2020. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
- ^ "Seattle protesters struggle to determine what's next for 'autonomous zone' as Trump lobs threats", The Washington Post, June 12, 2020
- ^ Kelly, Kim (June 14, 2020). "Meet the Gun Club Patrolling Seattle's Leftist Utopia". The Daily Beast. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
- ^ Kim Kelly (July 22, 2019). "'If others have rifles, we'll have rifles': why US leftist groups are taking up arms". The Guardian. Manchester, UK.
- ^ Hannah Allam; Jim Urquhart (February 14, 2020). "'Not A Paramilitary.' Inside A Washington Militia's Efforts To Go Mainstream". NPR.
- ^ . The Washington Post. July 19, 2019. Archived from the original on July 19, 2019.
- ^ Wilson, Jason (August 19, 2018). "'Liberty or Death': rightwing protesters march against alleged leftwing violence in Seattle". The Guardian. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
- ^ Morlin, Bill (August 20, 2018). "Patriot Prayer rally in Seattle: Plenty of guns and shouting". Southern Poverty Law Center. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
Further reading edit
- Holloway, Kali (September 3, 2017), "6 gun groups that aren't for white right-wingers – The Second Amendment is finding appeal left of center", Salon,
1. Redneck Revolt and John Brown Gun Club
- Kim Kelly (June 14, 2020), "Meet the Gun Club Patrolling Seattle's Leftist Utopia", The Daily Beast,
Though everyone from Trump to local cops have expressed fear about the idea of anti-brutality activists being armed, they say it's essential to ward off dangerous extremists.
- Jack Crosbie (May 18, 2023), "Anti-Fascist. Armed to the Teeth", Rolling Stone,
John Brown Gun Club and Socialist Rifle Association