The alarming normalization of political violence

Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this column are those of author Zachary Winn and are not representative of the thoughts or opinions of Tompkins Weekly. 

The recent murder of two Israeli embassy aides in Washington, DC, by a pro Palestinian leftist is another example of a disturbing trend; politically motivated murders that appear to have the support of large swaths of the public. Reminiscent of the cold blooded execution of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, the attempts on the life of President Trump, and the arson of the Governor’s mansion in Pennsylvania, this phenomena is the result of the normalization of political violence that has been ongoing for more than a decade. 

It was less than five years ago that a peaceful demonstration by Republicans at the GOP office on Route 13 was targeted in a mass mob assault. The highway was shut down by a roadblock as the mob burned stolen MAGA hats and American flags. The police stood by and did nothing, with the mob facing no consequences for their violence, celebrating by dancing in the road while blasting rap music. In the aftermath, one particular victim stood out to me: an elderly woman who had her shoulder dislocated. She was among more than a dozen other victims of assault and theft. 

Following this incident, the Ithaca Democratic Socialists refused to condemn the violence or accept responsibility for organizing it, saying in a statement, “As the counter-demonstration grew, many of the participants crossed the street to the GOP building, as has been reported. The confrontations that occurred were not ‘led’ by anyone. They were a spontaneous outpouring of anger and passion provoked by the failure of our institutions and the cheerleading of a dangerous, authoritarian right. Uncontested, these factors have directly led to historical fascism. Further, when keeping order means normalizing racist aggression and class war against the poor, is it any wonder that the people of Ithaca respond to hostility in kind?” This faction is in the process of expanding its presence on the Tompkins County Legislature and Ithaca Common Council.

With the return of Donald Trump to the presidency, the protests and civil unrest of his first term were certain to begin again. I spent several months attending meetings of the Tompkins County Legislature and Public Safety Committee requesting a clear, unequivocal statement condemning violence, vandalism and roadblocks, outlining what is and is not acceptable behavior while protesting. To his credit, Public Safety Committee Chair Legislator Rich John did put forth such a resolution to the Legislature, with the statement “discouraging and addressing dangerous and illegal activities that may occur, including acts of violence, vandalism, and intentional obstruction of traffic.” The resolution failed, 5-7. It was not for lack of evidence that there is a problem. I have sent the members of the Legislature videos and photographs of roadblocks that occurred a stone’s throw from their building going back to 2014 following the death of Michael Brown, when he attempted to disarm a police officer, to an incident in 2020 when a roadblock at Buffalo and Cayuga by DeWitt park spun out of control, escalating to an attempt by the mob to open the door of a trapped vehicle. 

These incidents preceded an assault that occurred following a protest on the Ithaca Commons this February, where a man was targeted for assault for asking questions, and numerous acts of vandalism stretching across Cornell campus to Ithaca’s Tesla charging stations, which were adorned with swastikas. 

I have no confidence in our elected leaders’ ability, or even willingness, to address the escalating violence and illegal conduct that amounts to terrorism. For all their complaints about the new administration, it isn’t Trump or his supporters who are performing acts of mob violence, assassinations, arson and roadblocks. I find the Legislature’s failure to condemn the behavior to be an endorsement of it.