Warfare in Grant Park

by John Hinderaker (Powerline)

Last night Communist and Anarchist rioters attacked the statue of Christopher Columbus in Grant Park, Chicago. Police tried to guard the statue, and a pitched battle ensued, with 18 police officers injured and a dozen rioters–nowhere near enough–arrested. The rioters gained temporary ascendancy over the police, got control over the statue and attempted to pull it down, but without success–unlike the vandals who tore down the statue of Columbus on the grounds of the Minnesota State Capitol.

No one who saw the Grant Park riots during the Democratic convention in 1968 can witness these scenes without a sense of deja vu. As in 1968, these are not “protesters” or “demonstrators.” These are Communists or Anarchists (in practice, the same thing). Why do they go after statues of Columbus? Not because he was evil, which he wasn’t, although he certainly was a hard man. News flash: the commander who drove crews of ships, consisting of men who by our standards were almost unimaginably tough, to and fro across the ocean, was not Mr. Rogers. What a shocker.

But that isn’t the point. The point is that, in the eyes of radical leftists, the discovery of America was a mistake. The settlement of America by Europeans was a tragedy. Why? Because it led to what we have now–the United States of America. We are the target, not Columbus. It is the same with George Washington, by any standard a great and good man. Why do they attack monuments to the Father of our Country? Because he was the Father of our Country.

As these assaults by rioters continue to escalate, police need to take stronger measures. Tear gas is a bare minimum, rubber bullets should be readily unleashed and truncheons brought to bear. In days gone by, rioters were shot. That is no longer considered to be an option, but at the end of the day the police have both to defend themselves and to maintain public order. Rioters should also be subject to long jail terms, but that isn’t likely to happen. In too many cities, Soros-appointed prosecutors are happy to let them go, and are more likely to congratulate than to prosecute them.

This is, obviously, a sad state of affairs. It is made worse by the Left’s constant attacks on law enforcement, which are generally supported not only by academia, but by big business. No wonder Andy McCarthy says the revolution is winning.

Read the rest here.