@Sargon_of_Akkek/Twitter, The Western Chauvinist via The Daily Dot
March 13, 2021, 7:40 am
It has been almost a year since the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis by officer Derek Chauvin. Floyd died after Chauvin kneeled on his neck for over eight minutes, and the footage of his last moments sparked protests against racist police violence across the country.
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The case against Chauvin is being heard by Judge Peter Cahill, who NPR reports has already made some historic decisions in the story. He has welcomed cameras in the courtroom so the trial can be broadcast live.
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Judge Cahill said the move would be the “only way to vindicate the defendants’ constitutional right to a public trial and the media’s and public’s constitutional rights of access to criminal trials is to allow audio and video coverage of the trial.”
The decision has had some unexpected repercussions. Earlier this week, a recorded moment of Judge Cahill sparked the rumor that he was associated with the white supremacist group The Proud Boys.
Judge Cahill appears to hold his hand up in the “okay” symbol, which has become known as a racist symbol.
So… Derek Chauvin just got found innocent
Turns out the JUDGE is a Proud Boy.
Yeeeeooooooo. pic.twitter.com/eyRDbYKKpN
— 𝗦𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗸𝗸𝗲𝗸
(@Sargon_of_Akkek) March 9, 2021
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The Daily Dot reports that the Western Chauvinist Telegram channel, which has 45,000 subscribers, posted the clip and claimed “Judge in Derek Chauvin trial, our guy confirmed.”
In another post they wrote, “BREAKING: Judge in Chauvin trial has ties to Proud Boys.”
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While there have been plenty of examples of white supremacists infiltrating institutions in America—or those institutions themselves being inherently racist—for what it’s worth, that is not Cahill’s reputation. He has dismissed charges against Black Lives Matter protestors prior to Floyd’s murder, and isn’t officially known to have any of these associations.
While many Proud Boy associates and people who are conspiracy minded about the case have jumped on the image as proof of Cahill being a secret Proud Boy himself, others have said he is making that gesture to refer to juror number three, asking, “This is juror number three, right?”
Actual reporting on Cahill’s history as a judge is useful in deciding how he will oversee the case, but a screengrab from a known Proud Boy isn’t exactly the same thing.
*First Published: March 13, 2021, 7:40 am
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