Oath Keepers’ Peace Keeping Mission Underway in Ferguson

Under the cloak of darkness, a group of volunteers aptly called, Oath Keepers, have a peace keeping mission underway in Ferguson. In the wake of Monday’s grand jury announcement that former officer Darren Wilson will not be indicted in the death of unarmed black teen, Michael Brown, riots erupted in Ferguson and around the world as far as London. Businesses were looted and burned to the ground as chaos and flames engulfed the night sky.

It was at this moment the Oath Keepers realized their need and issued a national request for members to help out in Ferguson. They showed up in droves from Indiana, Texas, Nebraska, and across the country. Yale Law School graduate Stewart Rhodes said he founded the clandestine group in 2009 to protect all constitutional rights especially those of protesters when face to face with a militarized police force.

Sam Andrews, a former Department of Defense contractor living in the St. Louis area and also a member of Oath Keepers awoke to his wife watching footage of Natalie’s Cakes & More being vandalized during the unrest. He sped up his plans to recruit more individuals and organize security details to protect the businesses in Ferguson. Although referred to by outsiders as a “citizen militia”, members do not refer to themselves as such.

The group consists of a broad group of citizens with different motivations. Many of them are driven by a sense of patriotism believes Andrews but is unable to say for sure. Rhodes, a Mexican-American and member of Oath Keepers, stresses the group is not anti-government. Volunteers consist of first responders and current or former government employees adequately trained in emergency services. Majority of the volunteers have military, police, and EMS training.

On Tuesday, the group entered Ferguson and set up shop along South Florissant Avenue, a few blocks north of the police station. They didn’t mention how many were in town or what positions they held. Locals wary of the group accused them of being members of the Ku Klux Klan.

Law enforcement questioned the group earlier in the week and saw no reason to force them out. Oath Keepers’ members stated they were in Ferguson to help keep the peace and that mission was underway. Saturday, after numerous media inquiries however, St. Louis PD ordered the Oath Keepers to leave the rooftops. Facing arrest for working without a license, members argued but in the end left their posts early Saturday. They planned to return back as protesters according to Rhodes. Volunteers stated they were confident their presence aided in protecting property and lives.

According to Alex Jones, Oath Keepers’ members reported seeing a three-man sniper team exiting a silver Suburban below. Andrews, speaking with Infowars’ Jones, promptly called Unified Command to inquire about the sniper teams and was advised that local law enforcement weren’t aware of the feds’ movement. Soon after, a police officer came to the scene and advised that business owners were requesting the group vacate their premises.

Reports revealed that the business owners made no such request and that the police chief was being advised by federal agents to keep the members from protecting the buildings. The group was referred to as “domestic terrorists”. When members did not willfully leave, they were advised that they were in violation of state law. According to the statute, the group needed a security license to operate in the capacity they were operating in. Per Andrews, the statute only applied to paid security and they were operating as volunteers.

Mother Jones magazine contributor, Justine Sharrock, wrote an in-depth story in 2010 about how hard the group was to pin down. Her conclusions after following the group for months were that the Oath Keepers covered the spectrum of potentially dangerous conspiracy theorists and crafty “brainiacs” with the know-how to rally politicians to their side.

According to Andrews all volunteers were vetted to ensure racists were not among their ranks or individuals with a bone to pick. The Oath Keepers were in Ferguson for one reason and that was to keep the peace within the legal framework of the law and that mission was underway.

By Stevenson Benoit

Sources:
STL Today
NY Times
Infowars

Photo by Gage Skidmore – Flickr License