ReOpen N.C. protest turn angry and ugly

Forget about being in this all together, united. Protests against public health restrictions have turned ugly.

This morning's (April 29) News & Observer quoted a Reopen North Carolina protester asking, "What will we do when the food runs out?" and answering himself: "We'll eat the health care workers!"

Another protester proclaimed at the Reopen rally outside the Legislative Building: "If we hanged traitors like our forefathers did, we'd all be back at work."

How did this protest effort turn so nasty, so vile, so quickly? The protesters have come prepared. They carry professionally printed signs. They wear costumes or clothing that evoke America and Uncle Sam. Some clothing originated with the Trump campaign. These well-organized protests with a thousand people, parade permits, attorneys, etc. don't just happen. A lot of money and a lot of planning go into them.

These protesters are largely Republicans, and the legislators who express support for the protests are nearly all Republicans, but it seems unlikely that the GOP would risk its political future by vocally and financially supporting a movement opposed by two-thirds of Americans polled.

These protests are aimed at disrupting trust in government, sowing doubts about the competence and fairness of elected officials, and inflaming worries and panic about the future. Even the most vile and insidious of Americans would not join efforts to undermine elections and other democratic elections for ephemeral gains.

It seems likely, though I've seen no evidence of it, that foreign powers intent on weakening American institutions are sowing these seeds of doubt and stirring the fires of anger and hatred this election year. We know, from U.S. intelligence reports, that Russia, China and other nations are using social media and other tools to divide and weaken American institutions and other western democracies. It is logical that these adversaries would use the COVID-19 pandemic to turn Americans against each other and against their own elected officials.

We need to see who is financing and masterminding these protests.