An 'Unprecedented Flock of Patriots' Is Gathering to Support the Police in 80 Rallies
 

By Tyler O'Neil 
PJ Media
 

As protests over the horrific police killing of George Floyd devolved into destructive riots that have claimed the lives of at least 22 people and calls to “defund the police,” one conservative organization is bringing Americans together to express their appreciation for the police and the law and order they provide. ACT for America is organizing 80 rallies in more than 30 states. On July 5, more than 1,000 marched in one of these “Back the Blue” rallies in Wantagh, N.Y., on Long Island.

“People across America are horrified watching the lawlessness spreading throughout the country. Finally, Americans who were never engaged in any type of activism are coming together and rising to stand up in defense of the police and law and order in their community,” Brigitte Gabriel, founder and president of ACT for America, told PJ Media on Friday. “We are witnessing an unprecedented flock of patriots emailing us wanting to organize in their community.”

“As of this interview ACT For America is working on 80 rallies in over 30 states,” she added. “We are a nation of law and order and the American public is finally seeing how the Left is organized to transform America and literally destroy it as it is now. We will never let this happen. Not under our watch.”

ACT for America launched a petition to defend the police, rather than defunding them. The petition rightly condemns the death of George Floyd but notes that this tragedy is not a reason to undermine the police as an institution.
 

Indeed, the rallies and riots against police have had a chilling effect on law enforcement, leading many to effectively go on strike. Violent crime sparked in New York City last month, with a horrific rise in shootings, murders, burglaries, and auto thefts. Yet Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) suggested this violent crime was a reaction to the economic downturn due to coronavirus, rather than an outgrowth of the riots or the calls to defund and abolish police departments.

While many protesters and rioters may believe they are protesting for racial justice, the riots have destroyed black lives, black livelihoods, and black monuments. Most of the 22 Americans who have died in the riots were black. Retired police chief David Dorn was killed by looters breaking into his pawnshop in St. Louis. Chris Beaty was shot while helping two women who were being mugged in Indianapolis. Antonio Mays Jr., a 16-year-old boy, was shot and killed outside the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest (CHOP) in Seattle. Secoriea Taylor — the 8-year-old girl Vernon Jones mentioned — was fatally shot as her mother attempted to park a car near a group of protesters close to the Wendy’s where Rayshard Brooks had been killed by police.

While Americans should support police reform and justice for the four officers involved in the horrific killing of George Floyd, it would be false and reckless to claim the death of George Floyd proves “systemic racism” and a need to defund or abolish the police in the name of racial justice. Yet a broad swath of the left seems to have done just that, and Americans are rallying against this insanity.
 

ACT For America is a 501c3 nonprofit organization. We do not receive any government funding or grants so that we are not muzzled from speaking the truth. We rely on the generosity of patriots who believe in the importance of our work so we can continue exposing America's enemies foreign or domestic and mobilizing Americans to stand up and defend freedom. We would be so grateful for your support.