Political Melee in Hemming Park results in several arrests.

[Cheshire Cat]

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Lets talk about the protest and ensuing upset that happened in Jacksonville at Hemming Park yesterday 4/7/2017 that ended up in a melee and left many in our city confused, frustrated and feeling that either protesters or the police were treated unjustly.  Why do I want to talk about this?  Because I was contacted by a number of upset people in Jacksonville who did not know how to process this unfortunate event and were confused and angry whether they be supporters of the protest or those who thought the JSO handled the situation properly and were justified in their actions. People wanted to know the facts about what had happened and most wanted to know why the main instigator, a man calling himself Gary Snow simply walked away from the mess that resulted from his agitation. Those who know me know of my long standing support of the JSO, citizen involvement with them and local government and know equally of my passion for truth and justice on all sides of any issue as well my deep love for the artists, activists and movers and shakers in Jacksonville.  I am not afraid to speak up about uncomfortable truth's in an honest and fair way and make sure those truths are known to citizens, authorities and media alike. It is truly a balancing act.  So for all those who looked to me personally or who are trying to wrap their minds about what took place on the front steps of City Hall I have some "facts" to share.  My intent is not to place blame or to ajudicate the situation because what I know about it comes from some who were there, video's and JSO public statement on FB, but rather to share some facts that may shed light on the mess that happened. I will simply say at this point that things went wrong that should not have gone wrong all the way around.  First know that what I have discovered has been shared with JSO and media.  The information I uncovered has shown one thing very clearly and that is that the man who has been identified as Gary Snow is not new to politically disruptive activities and he is not a Jacksonville native.  He came here several month's ago from Chicago Illinois where he was involved in political activism with a twist.  The twist is that he presents himself as a supporter of law enforcement and as such somehow seems to adopt a stance of authority to stand on their behalf that is unearned beyond what he divines for himself.

He is an organizer of a group he created in October of last year called "Chicago Code Blue" which he positioned as a group in support of Chicago Police.  However, the Chicago Police Department says that he or his group is not affiliated with them and further instructed him to cease in his attempt to have his organization march on their behalf in a St. Patrick's Day Parade.   He is it would appear a police "wannabee".  He also presents himself in military fatigues and an Army shirt but he has by his own admission never served in the Armed forces. 
Fast forward to Jacksonville where he was involved in the confrontation yesterday.  He came here a few month's ago making contact in Ponte Vedra where he apparently has a family member.  He readily inserted himself into a number of political events associated with the Trump campaign as well as helping to open a Trump campaign office in Mandarin.  He then began to work the local GOP circuit and start to connect himself to the local JSO by following Sheriff Mike Williams on FB, waving a police flag at events and attaching himself via a photo op to former Sheriff John Rutherford, now Congressman to begin to weave himself into the local political/authoritative fabric of our city.

What does he want?  Apparently he is looking for attention and notoriety as well as to be perceived to be a police insider.  Why do I say this, well let me use his own quote from his FB page.  Quote Gary Snow:
They said I was a "Lone Trump supporter" at the beginning.....
They said that my support for our President was irrelevant.....
They said I would never matter.........
SEEMS I GOT THEIR ATTENTION NOW!!!!!! 

He has a new hash tag that is associated with his attempts to raise money for his efforts on a Go Fund Me page as well as selling T. Shirts which by the look of his fundraising totals is not going well.

In the pictures in this post you will see him posed in a Chicago Police cap for what it's worth. He is not an officer or connected to that organization.  You will all see him pictured in an angry altercation with a young black man not in Jacksonville but in Chicago.  This is the same dynamic he placed himself in here in Jacksonville. 


Let's talk about the business of targeting protesters as well.  While in Chicago Snow ended up in a mess with a local television reporter by the name of Jesse Salazar of NBC 5.  You will find the tweet exchange posted here which has Salazar speaking to Snow's targeting protesters there for harassment and then to the reporter stating he was going to his employers for a restraining order against Snow.


My closing thoughts on this portion of the issue regarding this one man are these.  It is now being perceived by some who were at the protest that Snow, who was found lounging against a police cruiser after the arrest of protesters was chatting up officers to the degree that he seemed to know and be supported by them.  This of course is a very bad perception for the public to have regarding JSO considering the actions and resulting arrests, be it true or not, I feel the JSO needs to bring clarification to what if any connection he has to them.  My second thought is this, which is the fact that Snow wanted attention to himself and his name and well, he should get that attention which should include some answers to the question as to how a known agitator, one that protesters had asked to have removed from their midst yesterday was not removed in order to preserve the peace. Why he was allowed to use a bullhorn but protesters were confronted by park security for using one.  This can be seen in the attached video. Had Snow been removed this unfortunate event would have never happened. As it stands he is gleefully filling up his FB page with information about the upset he instigated.  All of this flies in the fact of my own sense of justice and I think many can relate to this feeling.  Let me be clear, I am not defending physicality between protesters and police or excusing the obscenities and other unfortunate responses from upset and agitated protesters.  That was a mistake that I hope they will not repeat.  Know this protesters, Snow came to mess you and our city's political atmosphere up and he won this round.  Let's hope now that fact's a truth put this agitator in his place which should not include being a transplant to our city that creates upheaval. 

The man in the blue cap lounging on the JSO vehicle is Gary Snow.

For video of Hemming protest click this link: 
https://www.facebook.com/cat.corby/videos/628678367332039/?pnref=story

Click this link for one of Snows FB pages:  https://www.facebook.com/garrett.nix.96

[Cheshire Cat]

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Gary Snow relaxing on JSO vehicle after the protesters he agitated and incited were arrested.

[I-10east]

One side of the political aisle always seem to have a problem with keeping their hands to themselves; they are the side that always 'fight against intolerance' how ironic and hypocritical....

[NoFxfan]

Although he does seem like a dirtbag, it shows in the video one of the anti-trump protestors trying to take his bull horn which set off the altercation. Would he have started something later on, who knows? I wouldn't say this was his fault though. He has just as much right to be out there as anyone else.

[lastdaysoffla]

Okay, Snow has the right to be there, but to be directly next to the person protesting, yelling the opposite slogans? While waving a Trump flag over the Syria protester's head? That's agitation. Want to have an anti-protest? set up across the street and have some dignity.

[I-10east]

One thing about Florida, it tends to stay away from that pernicious 'marching down the street, blocking highways, throwing molotovs at CVSs, beating on people with a differing political view, Guy Fawkes rioting far left type of culture'. Hopefully that crap with stay in San Fran, Portland, Austin, Baltimore, St Louis etc etc etc. Once you go to the left deep end, there's no turning back.

There's a reason why most of the center to right cities are growing faster than the far leftist cities (where everything is about climate change and social justice rather than jobs and civility).  Hopefully Jax don't let that horrible far leftist culture take over, or we are gonna be the next Detroit.

[BridgeTroll]

I would have a ton of sympathy and support for the "protesters" had they shown up to protest Assads sarin gas attacks. They must have been busy that day...

[Adam White]

You people deserve each other.

[Snaketoz]

Gary Snow seems to me to be the agitator and main cause of this melee.  I've watched many videos and I am amazed that only the people who were not Trump fans were arrested.  If someone starts a protest and someone of another position starts to harass, takeover, heckle, and disrupt, what should police do?  In Jacksonville the police arrest the people who's beliefs are different than their own.  Shameful.

[vicupstate]

One thing about Florida, it tends to stay away from that pernicious 'marching down the street, blocking highways, throwing molotovs at CVSs, beating on people with a differing political view, Guy Fawkes rioting far left type of culture'. Hopefully that crap with stay in San Fran, Portland, Austin, Baltimore, St Louis etc etc etc. Once you go to the left deep end, there's no turning back.

There's a reason why most of the center to right cities are growing faster than the far leftist cities (where everything is about climate change and social justice rather than jobs and civility).  Hopefully Jax don't let that horrible far leftist culture take over, or we are gonna be the next Detroit.

You need to do some research. San Francisco is first or second in the country for economic vitality. Portland and Austin have booming economies as well. Minneapolis/St. Paul, San Diego, Nashville are other cities that are very prosperous as well as left of center politically. Even Texas cities, which are all booming are far more to the left than the state as a whole.

There is nothing Jacksonville can teach the cities you listed, but here is much Jacksonville could learn from them. 

[funwithteeth]

I would have a ton of sympathy and support for the "protesters" had they shown up to protest Assads sarin gas attacks. They must have been busy that day...

You expect U.S. citizens to protest something the U.S. wasn't involved in?

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

I'm still trying to figure out why anyone is shocked at any of this:

Rally for the children of Syria after we bombed an empty airbase, essentially a warning shot or "military tweet" (thank you Michael Savage) due to the gassing of said children by their own leader.  Not shocked that the protest itself doesn't align with me personally.

Known agitator among them at a protest and they allow him to agitate enough to cause physical action first.  From the moment they touched him or his flag, they lost.

Shouting anti-LEO statements over the bullhorn. And then wonder why the over-reaction from JSO when things go awry?  C'mon.

Complete over-reaction and over-charging by JSO.  Completely overboard with the physicality.  Sure, you were hearing Fuck the Police, but sticks and stones for God's sake. 

And the Angela Corey style of charging everyone with felonies is bullying from a legal standpoint.  Not one of the protesters deserved anything more than possibly a Disturbing the Peace and Resisting w/o Violence - TICKET/Summons.  No reason at all to haul them all to jail.  Especially with felony charges.  I seriously hope this kind of action tones down with Cofer in charge of the SAO.


Edit:

And for Fuck's Sake it's DEFINITELY. 

[icarus]

Really I kind of sat back and reserved judgment on this one until I saw more of the footage and received more information.

There is a reason you separate opposing sides of demonstrations and why many in law enforcement do the same.  Yes, everyone has a right to be there and express their views (big free speech fan here). But, no one has the right to incite a riot or violence.

As for demonstrators, let me offer some de-escalation 101 .... if a member of law enforcement asks you to move sit, stand, lay down or put your hands behind your back ... comply ... I dont care if you are 100% right ... the minute you resist ... the minute you strike an officer ... you've lost even if you are right.  If you do resist and it is an escalating situation, the officer has no way of knowing if you or others are armed and at the point is worrying about his personal safety ... so don't be shocked if you are thrown to the ground and cuffed ...

If you punch an officer ( I saw at least two of those arrested throw connecting punches at officers), I have no sympathy and you get what you deserve ... you're lucky its a criminal charge and not a trip to the hospital.  Not to mention, you just turned a demonstration into a riot and lost any chance of most taking you or your position seriously.

I dont even have to get into the politics of either side here.    Im just happy neither officer or demonstrator was more seriously injured.

[SuzySpringfield]

Although he does seem like a dirtbag, it shows in the video one of the anti-trump protestors trying to take his bull horn which set off the altercation. Would he have started something later on, who knows? I wouldn't say this was his fault though. He has just as much right to be out there as anyone else.

He has a right to be out there, however it is unlawful to disrupt an existing assembly. Something JSO chose to ignore, allowing the situation to boil over. The protesters had a permit, William "Gary Snow" Nix did not.

http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String&URL=0800-0899%2F0871%2FSections%2F0871.01.html

[Cheshire Cat]

Further research is now showing what was suspected which is that Gary Snow is also a racial agitator.  I don't know how to post video so that it automatically plays so you will have to click the link.  The video is from a FB page belonging to a young black man in Chicago, the city Snow heralds from.  He is clearly an instigator in racial upset as much as he is in his Trump supporting agenda.  JSO is aware now of his background and activities.  The still picture is apparently of one of his posts on instagram.  Keep in mind that the Chicago PD has made a public statement that Snow is not associated with their department in any way.

Above image from Snow in Chicago.

Click link to see video.    https://www.facebook.com/Jaymalgreen1/posts/10153332343336650