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Media Obscures That Man Busted With Explosive Near Jan. 6 Rally Had Antifa Gear – Opinion

By Pluralist / January 9, 2022

Clearwater saw 85 people rallying in support Jan. 6th 2021 defendant Jeremy Brown.

When he was running in suspicious directions, police pulled him over. He was wearing a black suit and wore a mask. The man was identified by police as Garrett Smith 22.

The police searched his backpack and allegedly found a pipe explosive device which they determined to be “active,” so they cleared all the ralliers out of the area. The police also found a “Direct Action Checklist.” Direct action is a term frequently used by leftist groups like Antifa. On the list were a bunch of things like pepper spray, smoke rockets, a laser pointer (which Antifa used to aim at police officers’ eyes in Portland), flammable rags, and construction nails — making it clear he wasn’t planning on attending a tea party. He also had a helmet with the “iron front” three arrow logo on it — a logo commonly used by Antifa.

The police then got a search warrant of his home where they found another “pipe-type explosive” as well as “hand grenade type explosives.”

Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County stated that Smith had refused to meet with them.

“Smith refused to give any information, he refused to talk to deputies, so we really have no idea as to what his political leanings are and whether he supported or opposed the protesters at the jail. We also don’t know exactly what his plan was or why Smith was running away from the protest area when he was apprehended by deputies and before he had an opportunity to detonate the explosive device,” Gualtieri said. [….]

Gualtieri said that people such as Smith are among the “most concerning individuals” because of the lack of criminal history.

“Smith has no criminal history, no social media accounts that we can find, and there’s no prior intelligence information about Smith. Smith is what we call a sleeper, and these are the most concerning individuals because there’s no opportunity to intervene and thwart their criminal activity until they actually act,” Gualtieri said. [….]

“We’re fortunate in this situation that something caused Smith to flee before he ignited the explosive device and the deputies were able to apprehend him,” Gualtieri said.

He’s being held on a $300,250 bond. Three counts each of possessing or discharging a destructive device, and one of loitering/prowling have been filed against him.

His family told the police that he had been in Portland and “returned a few months ago.”

Gee, what was he doing in Portland?

Antifa has kept Portland at its mercy for two years with violent rioting and violence. The federal government is not pursuing the organised nature of direct actions and Portland has failed to address this problem.

What was astonishing about all this was how, even with the various evidence, the police said they couldn’t say anything about his political leanings. Although police are known for being reluctant to disclose information, the officers were providing all necessary details. They even mentioned Portland.

In the coverage of the case, the media largely ignored the Antifa question, instead talked about how Smith was arrested at a rally supporting a Jan. 6 defendant — thus leaving the impression he was related to Jan. 6 defendants.

Here’s how the AP describes it:

Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri stated that Garrett Smith was 22 and near a political gathering supporting an Oath Keeper in jail, who is being charged with taking part in the Capitol Riot last year. They found an explosive pipe and a list of items that were to be brought, including helmets, armor and shaded goggles.

Deputies also reported that they discovered a helmet bearing a logo, which had previously been found at protests held in other cities like Portland, Oregon where Smith was staying.

You have to read between the lines and understand what “other protests” actually references. But hey, they’re just journalists — why should they do their job and clarify?

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Pluralist

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