Paging the National Guard: We found a use for the murder hornets! One enterprising protester in Janesville, Wisc., showed up at a protest over the police brutality death of George Floyd with crates full of “riot control bees” — a stopgap measure to keep the Janesville protest from devolving into a riot.
Rightful protests over George Floyd’s death have devolved into looting, vandalism, and arson in cities across America, causing incalculable economic and psychic damage just as America was reopening from the coronavirus lockdowns (remember those?).
Janesville’s Greg Hoeft had a brilliant idea to make sure his protest didn’t become yet another destructive riot — he brought 12 carts of bees to the event, which he planned to release if the protest got out of hand.
“The riot control bees are in their holding yard waiting to clear the streets of Janesville and keep peace to this county. I’m willing to bring them in and kick them over if things get out of control,” Hoeft posted on Facebook, The Gazette reported.
“Police learned that he planned to release the bees if the protest became unruly,” the local newspaper reported.
Hoeft towed 12 carts of bees into the post office parking lot, just behind the protesters.
More than 100 people showed up for the protest, along with some wary protesters who brought guns and bees to make sure riots did not ensue.
Police Sgt. Dean Sukus insisted that law enforcement had “things under control here.” He told The Gazette that police asked Hoeft to leave, and he did.
A local shared a picture of Hoeft’s bees along with the Gazette story.
so at protests today where i’m at in janesville, wi, some guy brought a trailer with 12 boxes full of bees that he threatened to release if he deemed the protests had gotten out of control.
he called them, “riot control bees.” pic.twitter.com/pPKFAea8CA
— liam (@1007MountainDr) May 31, 2020
Given the shameful way in which so many police have abandoned their posts in the riots, it seems quite fitting a pseudo-vigilante like Greg Hoeft would come prepared with his “riot control bees.”
Who knows? Perhaps the National Guard should learn from Hoeft’s example. Beestings tend to be far less deadly than bullets (for those who aren’t allergic), but the pesky little buzzers are truly terrifying. “Riot control bees” may prove an excellent deterrent to looting and rioting.
If nothing else, this story should give Americans a hearty laugh in these all-too-serious times.
Tyler O’Neil is the author of Making Hate Pay: The Corruption of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Follow him on Twitter at @Tyler2ONeil.
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