The Virginia Republican Party accused top Democratic officials in the state of “allowing” protesters to burn buildings in Richmond and deface public property in the wake of the death of George Floyd.
In a statement released Monday morning, Virginia GOP Chairman Jack Wilson took aim at Gov. Ralph Northam and Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney.
“This weekend, Ralph Northam and Levar Stoney allowed the Capital of Virginia to burn,” the statement read. “It wasn’t until Sunday night, after two nights of vandalism and looting, that any action was taken.”
Wilson also said the protests that turned violent in the capital city “underscored how [Northam’s] incompetence hurts Virginians.”
Republican Party spokesman John March noted that Northam declared a state of emergency two days before peaceful Second Amendment protests in Richmond in January but declined to make the same executive decision regarding recent protests until days after thousands defaced property and set fire to the United Daughters of the Confederacy headquarters.
“Two things can be true simultaneously: George Floyd deserves justice and the Second Amendment needs to be protected. Hypocrisy from the Northam Administration is expected, but this weekend underscored how his incompetence hurts Virginians,” Wilson said.
Wilson added that Virginia Democrats treated Second Amendment supporters as “domestic terrorists” but stood down while residents burned a city bus on Friday night.
“2020 has been defined by government sponsored attacks on Americans’ civil liberties,” Wilson wrote. “From infringements on the Second Amendment to interminable and unjustified lock-downs to unchecked police brutality, our government (at least in the blue areas) has gotten out of control. But one thing stands out: why is it that Second Amendment supporters were treated as domestic terrorists, but the people incinerating GRTC buses just got a stern warning and a curfew?”
Protesters took to the streets of Richmond beginning Thursday night after video showed Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, pinned to the ground by a white Minneapolis police officer pressing his knee into Floyd’s neck, as Floyd repeatedly said he could not breathe. Floyd was later pronounced dead at a hospital.
Northam issued a statement on Sunday in response to the protests in Richmond.
“I acknowledge each of the voices crying out for justice and healing across the United States and in our Commonwealth. I affirm the deep concerns from the black community,” he said. “I hear you. I know your pain is real. We have all seen too many people harassed, abused, and killed by law enforcement officers, in too many places, for too long—just for being black. I also know that others are exploiting this pain and are now causing violence.”
“I spoke with Mayor Levar Stoney throughout the night; pursuant to the Mayor’s requests, I have authorized a curfew in Richmond and placed the Virginia National Guard on alert. They stand ready to assist in protecting our residents, businesses, especially small and black-owned businesses, and the capital city,” he added. “As Governor of Virginia, I call on all Virginians to join together and build a renewed commitment to working for justice and fair treatment.”
