2050-11-1 News Article

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Day of the Dead Unrest
17 Dead, 200 Injured

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Organized Militias Mix With Dia De Los Muertos Crowds

BENNING COUNTY - Extremist protesters mixed with Day of the Dead celebrants Tuesday, resulting in 17 dead and more than 200 injured.
The planned Dia de Los Muertos celebrations were to feature festive parades and celebrations but were marred with violence when individuals in calacas masks clashed with police and peaceful celebrants. Identification of the individuals involved in the bloodshed will be difficult, as the masks traditionally obscure the entire face. Nevertheless, World Defense Organization investigators will be using surveillance video as well as cellphone footage to document illegal activity and find the perpetrators.
The most violent activity occurred near the county line between Benning County and neighboring Prestone County. Prestone has been in full lock-down since late September in response to runaway surges in the PNDV-1 virus and its variants. Following the death of outspoken virus denier Marvin Blackwell, Prestone County officials announced the county would implement strict protocols to try to stem the rising tide of infections in the county. Blackwell was a charismatic politician who vehemently denied that action should be taken, and called the virus a hoax perpetrated by the pharmaceutical company NuvoPharm. Blackwell used his position as the chairman of the Board of Supervisors to bully other supervisors to vote against the protective measures.

Images used by extremist groups on flyers calling for violence on
Nov. 1 (World Defense Organization file photo)

Blackwell died in September of complications from the PNDV-1 virus. It has not been revealed how he was infected, but Prestone's high infection rate is believed to be a major contributing factor.

Since Blackwell's death, conspiracy theories have begun circulating regarding his death, including a theory that he was murdered because of his opposition to the protective measures. These theories have no basis in fact but have become a rallying point for extremists who wish to fight back against a perceived threat from law enforcement and governmental regulation.

WDO released an advisory to law enforcement agencies on October 25, warning of potential threats. Asa result, Benning and Lowden counties, both bordering with Prestone, requested additional resources from the WDO. It was these troops that were the target of clashes on Tuesday.

As groups paraded and marched near the borders, some within the groups began chanting various phrases, including "Justice for Blackwell" and "Lions not lambs". The latter is a reference to the UnMask conspiracy group, major supporters of Blackwell, and proponents of the pharma-based conspiracy theory.

Who Are These Groups?

A number of groups representing extremist views were represented in Tuesday's violence. But who are these groups?

Most of the groups can be characterized as disaffected individuals who believe the government, big business, and other groups have a secret cabal that intends to enslave or brainwash the public for the cabal's benefit. Despite multiple examples of these theories being discredited and debunked, the true believers actually fight harder to make their beliefs known. They entrench themselves within the conspiracy theory, and those who do not believe as they do are considered naive at best, enemies at worst.

One such group is UnMask. Their believers are decidedly anti-government and anti-business. They believe that the Global Health Council is run by a mysterious group of financiers who use GHC as a cover for nefarious plots. The current virus controversy fits into their narrative perfectly, with the company NuvoPharm as a central villain.

Some of these groups are considered potentially dangerous, often carrying high-powered weaponry as using heated and often violent language against those who disagree with them. And it is these groups that are believed to be responsible for the attacks during Tuesday's Dia de Los Muertos celebrations. At least two of the dead have been traced to extremist organizations, and more arrests are likely to follow.

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