Militia presence at massive Oak Fire sparks concern - Los Angeles Times
Tony Briscoe, Salvador Hernandez, Christian Martinez, Summer Lin
MARIPOSA, Calif. —
Nearly 3,000 firefighters and first responders have flooded the Sierra foothills of Mariposa County battling the explosive Oak fire, but it’s the guys in camouflage fatigues and surplus war vehicles that have most alarmed some evacuees and monitors of extremist groups. As fire crews made headway Tuesday against a blaze that has roared through 18,000 acres, destroyed 25 homes and forced thousands to flee their homes, the presence of a self-described militia whose members handed out food and offered help to evacuees has raised concerns among some.
Calling itself the Echo Company of the California State Militia’s 2nd Regiment, the group had set up a field kitchen off Highway 140 recently and told the Merced Sun-Star it was offering food, water and a place to stay for those in need. Online, the group posts videos of members training with rifles, shields and other equipment, along with the group’s tagline: “We who dare.”
The Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office announced on Facebook on Sunday that it had been “made aware” of the presence of a local militia in the area. “We appreciate their efforts and any of the efforts of other private groups or entities helping our community,” the statement read. But those who monitor extremist groups questioned whether their actions were truly altruistic.
Self-described militia groups have often inserted themselves into natural disaster zones, they said. Sometimes the groups claim to provide help and supplies, while actually promoting right-wing extremist ideologies, anti-government sentiment and conspiracy theories. “It puts these groups in a positive light and extends to them a type of de-facto authority that they really don’t have under the law, which poses significant issues,” said Brian Levin, director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at Cal State San Bernardino. “When you have a system that allows unregulated extremists to cosplay at times of disaster, you get, well, unqualified extremists cosplaying at times of disaster.”
More at: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-07-27/militia-presence-at-massive-oak-fire-sparks-concern
= new reply since forum marked as read
Trying NOT to to be too uncharitable to some really helpful groups, but...
Seems similar to the xian terrorists outside of abortion clinics offering to "help" the women ("find a better way"
.
Seems similar to the missionaries who accompanied the armies that invaded other lands; offering succor to those victimized by the armies (and later victimized by the churches.)
And then the pseudo(?) religious fanatics (xian, muslim, etc.) who use their professed religion like a cudgel to actually cause harm to the population. And then have the chutzpah (non-secular word) to offer to help fix the problem: "Just convert to my way of believing and I won't have to murder your family."
Seriously, it's a small town, and to get to the post office, you drive past the gun store and the guy who keeps his Trump boat in his front yard across the street from it.
I go the opposite way. You learn to ignore the cosplay.
They are dolled up in military uniforms, unlike deputies and firefighters. And everyone knows there is no National Guard, nor an "Echo Company" assigned to duty. Everyone is familiar with the Red Cross and other well-known agencies.
HOW USELESS ARE THESE JERKS?
Well, there are people being paid to stand next to their pickup trucks to control access to closed roads. Essentially, paid to do nothing, and these jerks can't even qualify for that job.
I've just got one thing to say about this.
Bravo, well done, Fox News and AM radio! You've turned our country into ones we once declared war against. 
