The city manager of Lafayette , Louisiana has filed a cause against a 28 - yr - old comedian who created three fake events on Facebook that claimed “ antifa ” was fare to the townspeople . Police responded to one of the phony events in late August with at least 30 squad car and heavily armed officers , shutting down a shopping mall and deeply embarrassing the bull .
The cause , first describe by theAdvocatenewspaper , was file by Mayor Josh Guillory who announcedyesterdayon his AM receiving set show that the city , “ will stop at no measure to deduct the costs that the taxpayer have to ante up for this form of hooey . ”
The viral outcome creator , John Merrifield , presently live in New York but grow up in Louisiana , according to theLafayette Daily Advertiser . Merrifield runs a Facebook radical calledcajUUUn Memes , which posts veryregion - specific jokes , and hosts a podcast calledOof Comedy .
Screenshot: Facebook
Merrifield told local newspapers in Lafayette that his phoney events were intended to highlight how the police prioritise the affluent over the poor and noted that police shot and bolt down Trayford Pellerin , a 31 - twelvemonth - previous dark valet , in a hail of bullets as recently as August 21 . Merrifield believes anyone who thought his faux “ antifa ” result were real are simply idiots .
“ Fool you once , disgrace on me . gull you twice , shame on you , ” Merrifield say theAdvertiser . “ I ’m not proceed to apologise to the citizen of Lafayette who were gullible enough to descend for a satire consequence created by a funniness meme page run by a ironist and comedian twice . ”
The first satirical Facebook event created by Merrifield was call “ ANTIFA engage River Ranch , ” and was “ scheduled ” forJuly 11 . It ’s clear from even a cursory flavour that the event is a joke , with lineage like “ Card - carrying ANTIFA penis ONLY ! ” and “ wear out YOUR uniform ” punctuated by spat emojis . The event also said , “ Arms optional . Legs further . ”
Screenshot: Dropbox
Antifa is the name given to a leaderless social movement of leftover - extension activist presently advocating against the emanation of fascism in the U.S. and overseas , though many Republicans importune antifa has a top - down power structure that take to be put down throughRICO thrill .
People who name with antifa do not have rank cards and certainly do n’t have official uniforms , despite the fact that many Republicans seem to conceive this kind of coordination is take place across the country .
President Donald Trump even made the title in a recent interview with Fox News that left - annex protesters were blob in antifa uniforms on a commercial flying somewhere in the U.S. , though he would n’t give specific . The few details of this alleged flight , however , have change repeatedly during Trump ’s retelling of the story , and it ’s identical to a viralFacebook meme from July .
Screenshot: Dropbox
A 2nd joke event created by Merrifield was call in “ Antifa Takes Acadiana Mall ” and schedule for August 29 , but has since been deleted by Facebook . That issue prompted dozens of police force car to show up at the mall in an aggressive answer , harmonise to several tidings reports . The law were made to look like moron , since there was no sign of a disturbance .
From theAdvertiser :
That night , Lafayette Police Chief Scott Morgan read during a press group discussion the response at the mall was not because of protests . He said the disconnected room the plaza closed may have “ throw people the wrong thought . ” Prior to the closure , there had been no threats , protests or belly laugh , a department spokesman say at the time .
Screenshot: Dropbox
The “ Antifa Takes Acadiana Mall ” Facebook page reportedly included a verified GoFundMe link to patronise the family ofPellerin , whose shooting inspire real protest in the city , which have remained passive . Pellerin was shot ten clip by police near a gadget store and protesters marched near Acadiana Mall to protest the murder , long before the fake Facebook page was created .
police force in Lafayette insist they endeavor to first use a non - deadly taser on Pellerin , who they claim had a knife , but an independent autopsy behave by Pellerin ’s family foundno evidencehe had been tased . Viral telecasting fromsocial mediaalso shows no attempt by the officers to use a taser .
Another fake event , entitle “ ANTIFA have Laura , ” was created in the beginning this week , before Merrifield learned he was being sued , and is “ schedule ” for September 11 . The Facebook event , much like the others , is understandably a prank .
From the outcome Sir Frederick Handley Page :
We have the technology . We have the numbers . We just involve more financing , as Mr. Soros temporarily make out us off for skipping him in the revolution . Thanks a peck , Conrad .
[ … ]
We desire YOU to join ANTIFA in our fight against the most direful fascist of all , Mother Nature herself ! Enlist here :
The Facebook event sends users who are concerned in joining the “ antifa ” exchange to a GoFundMe fundraiser forvictims of Hurricane Laura , which recently hit Louisiana , killing at least20 people .
The fake outcome also links to an Amazon page forMutual Aid Disaster Reliefwhere people can buy supplies for those affected by the hurricane , as well as a Google Docs page where people in Louisiana who ’ve lose everything can raise their hired man toreceive aid .
The suit claims that Merrifield ’s own mum think that antifa was fall on the town , according to the Advocate . But Merrifield did n’t desire his mob to get hale into his new legal fuss .
“ differentiate them they can leave my mammary gland out of it , ” Merrifield told the newspaper .
Update , 9:45 a.m. : Someone justposted a copyof the lawsuiton Dropbox , and it ’s even weirder than local news wall plug in Louisiana let on . The suit of clothes even cites a tweet from President Trump on May 31 , 2020 declaring Antifa to be a terrorist organization .
The lawsuit aver that a group called Right Side Millennial took the Merrifield ’s imitation antifa case for July 11 seriously , and that the grouping might organize a counter - protest . As of today , it appear theRight Side Millennialgroup on Facebook has on the nose nine extremity . The lawsuit alleges that this caused “ concerned citizen ” to flood the local government with phone calls .
The suit also alleges that “ mall employee and customers ” made “ frightened calls ” to the Lafayette Police Department who were worried about Merrifield ’s second bogus antifa event , “ Antifa Takes Acadiana Mall , ” which was schedule for August 29 .
The causa terminate by suppose the city wants to recoup fiscal losses for its Police Department because it chased down the faux Facebook result , and while it does n’t specify the exact amount of money , it notes the damages sought are “ under $ 75,000 . ”
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