A diverse group of peaceful protesters encountered a bat-wielding grandma on Wednesday evening as they marched in protest of George Floyd’s death and the support of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Karla Anderson, 75, of East Grand Rapids, Michigan, was standing in the middle of the road and holding a baseball bat as peaceful marchers approached.
One marcher tried to wrest the bat from the granny, and another wrapped his arms around her to diffuse any potential confrontation. There were no injuries.
Reporters talked with the woman the next morning, when she insisted she was going to protect “East” from the rioters who had caused destruction in Grand Rapids days earlier. She said she thought Antifa was involved.
“This (march) is not about Black Lives Matter,” Anderson told Target 8.
“This is about racial division, OK? This is about keeping things stirred up,” she claimed, referring to Antifa’s alleged tactics.
According to census records, East Grand Rapids, a wealthy enclave southeast of Grand Rapids, is 94.6% white. Anderson says she is not racist.
This is not the first time Anderson has made her views public. She argued against allowing marijuana businesses to open in East Grand Rapids.
“We might just as well pimp out some prostitutes,” Anderson told the East Grand Rapids City Commission at the time.
The mayor of EGR denounced Anderson’s bat-shit wielding behavior.
“Overall, yesterday’s protest was peaceful, which I believe reflects the true spirit of East Grand Rapids,” Favale wrote in a statement to News 8. “Chief (Mark) Herald welcomed the group to our community, walking alongside them to create a dialogue and build trust. As we all work to build a more fair and equitable society, I hope this one incident doesn’t distract from the positive progress that has been made. We are committed to creating a safe, welcoming environment for anyone who lives in, works in or visits East Grand Rapids.”
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