Morton Hosts ‘Blue Lives Matter Rally’ While Rumors Swirl Online of Antifa Coming to Town

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About 150 people were in Morton Sunday afternoon voicing their support for law enforcement and, for a certain crowd, their opposition to the Black Lives Matter movement at what was dubbed the “Blue Lives Matter Rally.”

“Our focus today is we are here to show support for law enforcement nationwide,” said Jennifer Hedge, the rally’s organizer. “Law enforcement needs our support. There is so much publicity in Black Lives Matter, there is so much publicity in Antifa, my feeling is all lives matter … every single person’s life matters and right now we need to support law enforcement.”

Hedge, who said she believes everyone should be able to peacefully protest as a constitutional right, set up the rally through Facebook after word got around that Black Lives Matter protesters would be returning to Morton Sunday afternoon for the fourth time in recent months.

She advised that everyone attending should remain peaceful.

Very few Black Lives Matter protesters showed up — they were outnumbered approximately 20-to-1 — and the organizer of the first three protests in Morton had canceled the fourth protest a week in advance.

The rally itself was peaceful, and for the most part, it had a barbecue sort of feeling with the sun shining and locals socializing while they proudly displayed Trump 2020 flags, Culp 2020 signs, blue lives matter signs and all lives matter signs with mask-wearers few and far between.

Local public officials including County Commissioners Edna Fund and Bobby Jackson were in attendance at the rally.

Jackson said he was there to show support to his friend, Morton police Chief Roger Morningstar, and promote a better relationship between youth and police officers.

In regard to the Black Lives Matter protesters, he said, “First of all, I think we all understand that all lives matter. Secondly, that organization is trying to defund police departments and that’s not a good thing.”

The pro-police and pro-GOP viewpoints were met with next to no opposition and received far more cheers than jeers from cars passing by.

However, the threat of Antifa inciting violence was viewed as legitimate by many people on hand, including at least two militia groups that were in attendance.

One of the militia groups, the “Three Percenters” of Washington, arrived in a truck with about eight men wearing military gear, most of which were armed with rifles.

“We are working under the police chief (Morningstar), loosely,” said Robert Burwell, vice president of the Washington Three Percenters. “Basically what we told him is we won't move unless you request us to move, so we are just here as backup.”

Morningstar denied Burwell’s claim that they were “loosely” working under his department and said he wasn’t aware they were showing up until Sunday morning, though he said he supports what they stand for. 

According to their website, the Three Percenters are “God fearing Patriots that support our constitution, and promise to defend our country, our community, and our families from all enemies foreign and domestic.”

The Southern Poverty Law Center lists the Three Percenters as an anti-government militia group, a characterization that the Three Percenters of Washington deny.

As to whether Morningstar viewed Antifa as a legitimate threat to public safety in Morton, he replied, “I can’t actually answer that, I mean there were quite a few threatening statements over social media involving some of the people who came here before, making those statements.”



He also referenced violence that has stemmed from Black Lives Matter protests in Seattle and Portland as indicators that there was a possibility Antifa could show up in Morton.

With all of that being said, he added that out of the three times BLM protesters showed up to Morton, only once was there a verbal confrontation between protesters and Morton locals. By his own estimate, he said, there was no reason for anyone to feel unsafe in Morton on Sunday.

Hannah Loflin, the Black Lives Matter protester who organized the three previous gatherings in Morton and does not associate herself with Antifa, didn’t see it that way. She said she canceled the protest she had planned for Sunday due to “safety concerns.”

Loflin, who was raised in Morton and graduated from Morton High School but now lives in Olympia, said she had questions over safety when she became aware of what she saw as a troubling Facebook post that suggested the underlying goal of the rally was to run people like her out of town.

In a since-deleted post, Jim Smith, owner of Uncle Jim’s Smokehouse in Chehalis, remarked “I just got a message from a friend in Morton, this past weekend BLM and Antifa were in Morton and are scheduled to be back on the 16th from 11 to 2, whether they show or not who knows, but they are asking for some support to run this group out of town, if anyone has any interest in helping our neighbors in Morton I’ll see you there.”

“As soon as I saw that comment,” Loflin said, “I kind of thought there was too much tension and I didn’t want anyone in (hand) cuffs on either side or anyone to get hurt.”

After the Blue Lives Matter rally page was created on Facebook, Smith later posted, “I got a call today that on Aug. 16th there will be a peaceful rally in Morton from 11 to 2, let's make a good showing for the community of Morton and show our support.”

But he wasn’t the only one to share an anti-Black Lives Matter sentiment.

On Aug. 3 — prior to the conception of the Blue Lives Matter rally on Aug. 4 — Becky Sue Zapalec, of Napavine, posted on the Facebook group “Washington Revolution for New Leadership,” which has over 21,000 members on the page, calling for people to come to Morton to run Black Lives Matter protesters and Antifa out of town on Sunday.

“Please help us in Morton Washington…,” she posted. “BLM and ANTIFA are planning on coming here again. They were here last Sunday and were yelling at our pro Trump, pro Culp and pro police citizens. August 16th from 11am-2pm they are planning on coming back. We need people to start standing up in small towns and then let us grow in numbers to run them off!!!”

Zapalec’s post garnered comments such as “Beat em up … bring a pistol, or even a police escort…,” from Christopher James and “I want to fight these dirty marxists, because that is exactly what they are,” from Sean Erhardt.

Opposers of the Blue Lives Matter rally were in attendance, though they were outnumbered by approximately 25-to-1 and said they had no affiliation with Antifa.

One of the opposers, Dan Thomas, of Glenoma, wasn’t necessarily there to support the Black Lives Matter movement, but showed his opposition to President Donald Trump by carrying a sign that read “Russia Thanks You! For Your Trump Vote” and was berated with insults as he stood right in the center of the rally on Second Street.

But a group of four Black Lives Matter protesters stood with signs outside of the post office on 2nd Street and didn’t appear to be bothered by anyone, nor did they do any antagonizing.

Mayor of Morton Dan Mortensen, who observed the rally from the air-conditioned confines of city hall, said the threats of violence resided online, while in reality, there wasn’t anything to be afraid of.

“More of the confrontation we have seen has been on social media which probably stirred the proverbial nest,” Mortensen said. “This is patriotism at its finest.”