LANSING, MI (AP)-- Among the protesters who rallied at the Michigan Capitol against Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s coronavirus lockdown this past spring were armed men now accused in plots to kidnap her, storm the Capitol and start a “civil war.”
The development has sparked scrutiny of the rallies as potential recruitment events. The demonstrations were organized by conservative groups opposed to the Democratic governor’s orders. They also drew members of paramilitary groups carrying rifles.
Whitmer tells The Associated Press she isn't surprised that some of the defendants attended the protests and “anyone who is just hasn't been paying attention.”
