1 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:05,720 Speaker 1: I didn't know much about him, but he drove a hearse, 2 00:00:06,360 --> 00:00:08,119 Speaker 1: and inside his hearse was like a lot of guns, 3 00:00:08,240 --> 00:00:09,879 Speaker 1: you know, like a R fifteen and all other kind 4 00:00:09,920 --> 00:00:12,200 Speaker 1: of shit. I never held one of those before in 5 00:00:12,200 --> 00:00:13,640 Speaker 1: my life, and I held it and I was like, 6 00:00:13,680 --> 00:00:15,680 Speaker 1: oh shit, And I'm pro gun and everything, but I 7 00:00:15,800 --> 00:00:19,400 Speaker 1: never held anything like that. Yeah, it was just this 8 00:00:19,560 --> 00:00:22,040 Speaker 1: badass dude, you know, talking about he worked in the 9 00:00:22,079 --> 00:00:25,439 Speaker 1: foreign military, he was for the Black Lives Matter movement, 10 00:00:25,720 --> 00:00:29,520 Speaker 1: and you know, it just seemed interesting, you know. In 11 00:00:29,560 --> 00:00:33,440 Speaker 1: August twenty twenty, with millions of Americans protesting across the country, 12 00:00:33,840 --> 00:00:36,280 Speaker 1: activist zeb Hal invites a guy he's met at one 13 00:00:36,320 --> 00:00:39,320 Speaker 1: of the demonstrations to his apartment in Denver to talk 14 00:00:39,320 --> 00:00:44,199 Speaker 1: about plans for the future. The way I look at 15 00:00:44,360 --> 00:00:46,520 Speaker 1: is like shit has to happen. The has to happen. 16 00:00:46,960 --> 00:00:50,360 Speaker 1: It's like you said, I mean, how extreme do you expected? 17 00:00:50,760 --> 00:00:53,199 Speaker 1: Would you want it to go? If you were to 18 00:00:53,200 --> 00:00:54,959 Speaker 1: tell that to your people, how would you say, say, 19 00:00:54,960 --> 00:00:56,680 Speaker 1: I come one of your people, right, how would you 20 00:00:56,720 --> 00:01:03,400 Speaker 1: say it? I'm Funnels? Yeah I robbed Funnels. I went 21 00:01:03,440 --> 00:01:06,280 Speaker 1: to the Curtis Room kill license. So there's nothing you 22 00:01:06,280 --> 00:01:09,680 Speaker 1: can tell me what shocked me. This guy had shown 23 00:01:09,760 --> 00:01:11,640 Speaker 1: up on the scene in Denver driving a silver hearse 24 00:01:11,880 --> 00:01:14,440 Speaker 1: filled with weapons. He claims to have been a soldier 25 00:01:14,440 --> 00:01:17,560 Speaker 1: for the French Foreign Legion and the Peshmerga, the Kurdish 26 00:01:17,560 --> 00:01:20,520 Speaker 1: military force in Iraq. He even says he's killed isis 27 00:01:20,600 --> 00:01:23,760 Speaker 1: terrorist on the battlefield. Zeb Haul has been involved in 28 00:01:23,800 --> 00:01:25,760 Speaker 1: the demonstrations for a couple of months. At this point, 29 00:01:26,120 --> 00:01:29,120 Speaker 1: He's seen peaceful protesters attacked by police. He suffered a 30 00:01:29,120 --> 00:01:32,039 Speaker 1: head injury. He's growing more and more concerned about black 31 00:01:32,040 --> 00:01:34,840 Speaker 1: people being attacked and killed by cops, and he thinks 32 00:01:34,840 --> 00:01:37,320 Speaker 1: that he and others need to learn to defend themselves. 33 00:01:38,280 --> 00:01:40,600 Speaker 1: So zeb sitting in his living room with this guy, 34 00:01:41,200 --> 00:01:46,679 Speaker 1: asks him, can you teach me how to fight? But 35 00:01:47,360 --> 00:01:51,720 Speaker 1: the thing is this my type of training that I 36 00:01:51,800 --> 00:01:53,440 Speaker 1: do is anything from mine. I can teach you how 37 00:01:53,480 --> 00:01:58,680 Speaker 1: to shoot a gun to you know, yeah, and in 38 00:01:58,720 --> 00:02:02,240 Speaker 1: combat all the ways like blowing up fucking buildings and 39 00:02:03,040 --> 00:02:06,800 Speaker 1: grolla warfare, tactics and sabotage. Do you want to learn 40 00:02:06,840 --> 00:02:09,400 Speaker 1: how to just shoot a gun, pool, throw somebody around 41 00:02:09,400 --> 00:02:12,400 Speaker 1: a kick cool? Or do you want to go that 42 00:02:12,639 --> 00:02:18,480 Speaker 1: way all the way uptown? Yeah? Do you want to 43 00:02:18,520 --> 00:02:21,320 Speaker 1: learn to shoot a gun and throw someone around, or 44 00:02:21,360 --> 00:02:24,480 Speaker 1: do you want to go all the way uptown? Zep 45 00:02:24,520 --> 00:02:27,720 Speaker 1: says he wants to go all the way uptown, appearing 46 00:02:27,760 --> 00:02:30,959 Speaker 1: to mean quote like blowing up fucking buildings and guerrilla 47 00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:35,200 Speaker 1: warfare tactics and sabotage. We need to know every bit 48 00:02:35,280 --> 00:02:40,040 Speaker 1: of defense possible. So here's a question. And so when 49 00:02:40,040 --> 00:02:41,600 Speaker 1: I was in Syrian let me explain. The best way 50 00:02:41,639 --> 00:02:43,320 Speaker 1: I did it was when I was a Syrian in Iraq. 51 00:02:43,440 --> 00:02:45,040 Speaker 1: We had a lot of antique for guys that came 52 00:02:45,040 --> 00:02:47,760 Speaker 1: over there, and I was one of the instructors of 53 00:02:47,800 --> 00:02:50,240 Speaker 1: the Red STARB game. Really wants to talk them the 54 00:02:50,240 --> 00:02:53,000 Speaker 1: gerrilla warfare attactives we taught them. I ees all this 55 00:02:53,120 --> 00:02:57,840 Speaker 1: crazy shit. I had no problem with giving you that 56 00:02:57,919 --> 00:03:00,079 Speaker 1: type of training, but I have to make sure that 57 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:02,160 Speaker 1: that's what you want to do. That you want to 58 00:03:02,200 --> 00:03:07,880 Speaker 1: learn the crime Dela Crime Special So that's what you 59 00:03:07,919 --> 00:03:12,960 Speaker 1: want to do, then you know that's what I want 60 00:03:12,960 --> 00:03:16,639 Speaker 1: to do. Zep says, Okay, So switch on, I can 61 00:03:16,720 --> 00:03:21,680 Speaker 1: make it happen. I'm Trevor Aaronson from Western Sound and 62 00:03:21,720 --> 00:03:47,640 Speaker 1: i Heeart Podcasts. This is Alphabet Boys, Episode two, all 63 00:03:47,680 --> 00:03:57,160 Speaker 1: the way uptown. So who is this guy? This real 64 00:03:57,240 --> 00:04:00,760 Speaker 1: deal ANTIFA militant, the guy with the silver her weapons, 65 00:04:01,200 --> 00:04:03,600 Speaker 1: Who's going to take things in Denver to the next level. 66 00:04:04,800 --> 00:04:07,200 Speaker 1: I spent a lot of time reporting this out, pulling 67 00:04:07,240 --> 00:04:11,040 Speaker 1: court records and police reports, files from the prison system, 68 00:04:11,080 --> 00:04:12,920 Speaker 1: talking to people who knew him in the United States, 69 00:04:12,960 --> 00:04:15,680 Speaker 1: in the Middle East, and chasing down every lead I 70 00:04:15,720 --> 00:04:19,360 Speaker 1: could find. I discovered that his full name is Michael 71 00:04:19,440 --> 00:04:25,280 Speaker 1: Adam Windecker, the Second, so he goes by Mickey. Born 72 00:04:25,279 --> 00:04:28,559 Speaker 1: in Colorado, He's in his late forties, stands five foot seven, 73 00:04:29,040 --> 00:04:32,400 Speaker 1: has a ruddy complexion and a stocky frame. In photos 74 00:04:32,440 --> 00:04:35,440 Speaker 1: when he was younger, Mickey was slender and toned. In 75 00:04:35,520 --> 00:04:38,599 Speaker 1: his middle age, he's developed a paunch, but he's still strong, 76 00:04:39,040 --> 00:04:41,880 Speaker 1: with big biceps and wide knuckles that would have little 77 00:04:41,880 --> 00:04:45,760 Speaker 1: difficulty knocking out a few of your teeth. Mickey has 78 00:04:45,800 --> 00:04:49,080 Speaker 1: got a history in foreign militaries and in the US 79 00:04:49,160 --> 00:04:55,040 Speaker 1: criminal justice system, arrest in Colorado, Nevada, Texas, and Florida. 80 00:04:55,440 --> 00:04:59,000 Speaker 1: His offenses include firearms charges, menacing with a weapon, and 81 00:04:59,080 --> 00:05:04,240 Speaker 1: sexual assault. In Mickey's telling of Mickey's story, he's the 82 00:05:04,320 --> 00:05:07,520 Speaker 1: well off son of an emotionally negligent mother and a 83 00:05:07,520 --> 00:05:12,440 Speaker 1: committed father who was a savvy businessman. So my mom 84 00:05:13,000 --> 00:05:14,560 Speaker 1: and my mom's side of the family were kind of 85 00:05:14,560 --> 00:05:16,960 Speaker 1: like reptiles, like once you had, you pretty much out 86 00:05:16,960 --> 00:05:18,160 Speaker 1: of the nest, as I could love to take care 87 00:05:18,160 --> 00:05:20,640 Speaker 1: of go yourself. I really didn't have a lot of 88 00:05:20,640 --> 00:05:23,159 Speaker 1: communication or a lot of history with my mom, so 89 00:05:23,320 --> 00:05:26,960 Speaker 1: we didn't bond very well. Mickey wouldn't sit down for 90 00:05:26,960 --> 00:05:31,000 Speaker 1: an interview with me, but in investigating him, I found 91 00:05:31,000 --> 00:05:34,480 Speaker 1: hours of recordings of him. Some are or have been 92 00:05:34,839 --> 00:05:39,280 Speaker 1: on social media, like this video. My dad owned two businesses. 93 00:05:39,320 --> 00:05:41,800 Speaker 1: He actually owned a cab company locally here in Colorado, 94 00:05:41,839 --> 00:05:44,479 Speaker 1: and he actually owned a carnival and a couple other businesses, 95 00:05:44,520 --> 00:05:47,200 Speaker 1: So we had a shitload of money. My dad was 96 00:05:47,360 --> 00:05:51,839 Speaker 1: my superhero because it wasn't perfect, but he did teot 97 00:05:51,920 --> 00:05:54,000 Speaker 1: me a lot of life skill shit. As I was 98 00:05:54,040 --> 00:05:57,839 Speaker 1: growing up as a young man, Mickey wanted an adventure 99 00:05:58,440 --> 00:06:01,200 Speaker 1: and so at nineteen years old, he tells of going 100 00:06:01,240 --> 00:06:04,320 Speaker 1: to France to join the Foreign Legion, the world famous 101 00:06:04,320 --> 00:06:07,800 Speaker 1: French military unit that accepts feign volunteers. This would have 102 00:06:07,880 --> 00:06:11,000 Speaker 1: been around nineteen ninety four, and I went to place 103 00:06:11,000 --> 00:06:13,680 Speaker 1: called the Citydale. They took me through selection. They took 104 00:06:13,720 --> 00:06:17,040 Speaker 1: me to Paris, to Fort den Gents, through some more 105 00:06:17,080 --> 00:06:19,560 Speaker 1: selections than it took me to a bomb near Marseilles 106 00:06:19,960 --> 00:06:24,600 Speaker 1: to do my getting into the Foreign Legion, and so 107 00:06:24,760 --> 00:06:26,480 Speaker 1: I lost our shortis I'm waiting, you know, you have 108 00:06:26,560 --> 00:06:28,400 Speaker 1: to go out there on the flight deck, a Middle 109 00:06:28,400 --> 00:06:30,320 Speaker 1: Eastern guy who was also trying to volunteer in the 110 00:06:30,360 --> 00:06:34,360 Speaker 1: French Foreign Legion started to harass and disrespect Mickey. Well, 111 00:06:34,720 --> 00:06:38,200 Speaker 1: at the time, I was nineteen years old, and I 112 00:06:38,279 --> 00:06:42,280 Speaker 1: didn't take kind of may to being disrespected. So I 113 00:06:43,360 --> 00:06:46,039 Speaker 1: beat the ship out of the guy, and a couple 114 00:06:46,080 --> 00:06:47,920 Speaker 1: of corporal chefs and a corporal came up there and 115 00:06:47,960 --> 00:06:50,960 Speaker 1: they grabbed me, and there were like, fuck, we can't 116 00:06:51,040 --> 00:06:55,440 Speaker 1: have that here, can't be attacking people. So they got 117 00:06:55,480 --> 00:06:57,360 Speaker 1: me a train ticket, they paid me while I was there. 118 00:06:57,440 --> 00:06:59,640 Speaker 1: They started me to train, went back to Paris and 119 00:06:59,760 --> 00:07:03,599 Speaker 1: they and after that I came back to the United States. 120 00:07:04,680 --> 00:07:06,920 Speaker 1: After Mickey returned to the United States, he worked a 121 00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:10,160 Speaker 1: variety of odd jobs, took some community college courses, and 122 00:07:10,280 --> 00:07:13,720 Speaker 1: traveled around and in his telling, he was something of 123 00:07:13,760 --> 00:07:16,520 Speaker 1: a citizen warrior out there looking to help the good guys. 124 00:07:18,480 --> 00:07:21,000 Speaker 1: In two thousand and five, he was in Hollywood, Florida, 125 00:07:21,400 --> 00:07:24,680 Speaker 1: just north of Miami, when he saw a crime in progress. 126 00:07:25,280 --> 00:07:27,720 Speaker 1: A couple of bad guys had just robbed a pawn shop. 127 00:07:28,480 --> 00:07:31,600 Speaker 1: I pull up and I'm stopping at a light, and 128 00:07:31,720 --> 00:07:34,760 Speaker 1: I see these guys running out with the gun and 129 00:07:36,320 --> 00:07:39,320 Speaker 1: they got a bunch of shit in their hands, and 130 00:07:39,920 --> 00:07:41,640 Speaker 1: there were a lot of people around the area. So 131 00:07:41,960 --> 00:07:44,040 Speaker 1: I jumped on my vehicle and I tackled the guy 132 00:07:44,240 --> 00:07:46,840 Speaker 1: with a gun and took him to the ground, and 133 00:07:46,880 --> 00:07:48,560 Speaker 1: the culture like right there, they grabbed and chew and 134 00:07:48,600 --> 00:07:51,720 Speaker 1: they cupped him up. This is one part of Mickey's story. 135 00:07:51,960 --> 00:07:55,320 Speaker 1: I was able to verify it happened pretty much exactly 136 00:07:55,360 --> 00:07:57,760 Speaker 1: as he described it. I found an article about it 137 00:07:57,800 --> 00:08:00,320 Speaker 1: in the South Florida Sun Sentinel. The quotes a local 138 00:08:00,360 --> 00:08:05,920 Speaker 1: police spokesman thanking Mickey for his assistance. About seven years 139 00:08:05,960 --> 00:08:09,120 Speaker 1: after that incident, Mickey was back in the Denver area, 140 00:08:10,000 --> 00:08:14,960 Speaker 1: so it was the premiere of Batman. That's when in 141 00:08:15,080 --> 00:08:18,480 Speaker 1: twenty twelve, a gunman walked into a movie theater in Aurora, 142 00:08:19,000 --> 00:08:22,559 Speaker 1: just outside Denver an open fire using a semi automatic rifle. 143 00:08:23,320 --> 00:08:26,480 Speaker 1: Twelve people were killed and seventy were injured. The mass 144 00:08:26,520 --> 00:08:30,680 Speaker 1: shooting made international news. The violence on the screen erupted 145 00:08:30,720 --> 00:08:33,559 Speaker 1: in the theater. At first, witnesses thought the gunman was 146 00:08:33,640 --> 00:08:35,760 Speaker 1: part of the show. He entered the debut of the 147 00:08:35,800 --> 00:08:39,520 Speaker 1: Batman film, Dark Knight Rises looking like the villain the Joker, 148 00:08:39,600 --> 00:08:42,000 Speaker 1: with a gas mask, head to toe armor and an 149 00:08:42,080 --> 00:08:47,680 Speaker 1: eerie calm. And it seems Mickey was there. And actually 150 00:08:47,840 --> 00:08:50,439 Speaker 1: I was going to the movie theater, but I was 151 00:08:50,480 --> 00:08:53,560 Speaker 1: running a little bit behind, and I showed up as 152 00:08:53,920 --> 00:08:56,360 Speaker 1: the last couple of shots were ringing out, and I 153 00:08:56,480 --> 00:09:00,160 Speaker 1: proceeded to help people out of the theater and helped 154 00:09:00,160 --> 00:09:03,120 Speaker 1: them get him too, ambulances and stuff like that. Mickey 155 00:09:03,200 --> 00:09:05,600 Speaker 1: lived near the movie theater at the time. Several people 156 00:09:05,640 --> 00:09:07,559 Speaker 1: told me Mickey had shown them pictures and video of 157 00:09:07,640 --> 00:09:10,560 Speaker 1: him at the theater that evening. A week after the shooting, 158 00:09:10,960 --> 00:09:14,120 Speaker 1: he also posted on Facebook about his experience, describing how 159 00:09:14,160 --> 00:09:17,559 Speaker 1: he assisted the injured. So, yeah, he appears to have 160 00:09:17,640 --> 00:09:24,800 Speaker 1: been there. Mickey has never had much of a political 161 00:09:24,880 --> 00:09:27,600 Speaker 1: identity as far as I can tell. If he has 162 00:09:27,600 --> 00:09:31,840 Speaker 1: any sort of politics, it's the politics of grievance. Everybody sucks, 163 00:09:32,120 --> 00:09:38,360 Speaker 1: everybody's out to get him a brand of political nihilism almost. So. Look, 164 00:09:38,720 --> 00:09:40,360 Speaker 1: the thing I look at him like this is, I 165 00:09:40,559 --> 00:09:43,720 Speaker 1: don't I come from the seventies. Okay, I'm almost about 166 00:09:43,720 --> 00:09:46,800 Speaker 1: to fifth. Okay. The thing I look at like this 167 00:09:47,080 --> 00:09:49,640 Speaker 1: is I have an old biker saying which is called 168 00:09:49,720 --> 00:09:54,559 Speaker 1: fuck the three piece the politicians, the press, and the police. 169 00:09:55,240 --> 00:09:57,679 Speaker 1: It's just the way it is. Okay. Press has never 170 00:09:57,760 --> 00:10:00,800 Speaker 1: fucking helped me, an' fucking politics sharing me, and definitely 171 00:10:01,000 --> 00:10:04,160 Speaker 1: the police because they don't help me. A few years 172 00:10:04,200 --> 00:10:06,319 Speaker 1: after the movie theater shooting, with the rise of the 173 00:10:06,400 --> 00:10:10,600 Speaker 1: Islamic State or ISIS in Iraq and Syria, Mickey decides 174 00:10:10,640 --> 00:10:14,200 Speaker 1: to join the fight. The all American tough guy heads 175 00:10:14,240 --> 00:10:17,199 Speaker 1: to the Middle East. Mickey says he flew to a 176 00:10:17,320 --> 00:10:19,559 Speaker 1: rock to volunteer as a foreign fighter with the Peshmerga, 177 00:10:19,960 --> 00:10:24,040 Speaker 1: the Kurdish military force. According to my reporting, he also 178 00:10:24,559 --> 00:10:29,560 Speaker 1: around this time started claiming Kurdish descent and Iraq Mickey 179 00:10:29,640 --> 00:10:32,920 Speaker 1: says the Kurds saved him from an otherwise aimless and 180 00:10:33,080 --> 00:10:36,800 Speaker 1: meaningless life. Yeah, which been the type of person when 181 00:10:36,840 --> 00:10:38,920 Speaker 1: I grew up, I was the smallest kid in school. 182 00:10:39,400 --> 00:10:42,160 Speaker 1: I always got picked up by bullies, So I kind 183 00:10:42,200 --> 00:10:44,800 Speaker 1: of learned I had to stand up for myself. And 184 00:10:45,600 --> 00:10:48,959 Speaker 1: I liked the Kurds because in fact was that they 185 00:10:49,000 --> 00:10:53,559 Speaker 1: were out man, outgun, out train, outsupply and all this, 186 00:10:53,960 --> 00:10:58,240 Speaker 1: and they were the underdog and they were kicking ass, 187 00:10:58,920 --> 00:11:01,839 Speaker 1: you know, and they were actually that come to learn 188 00:11:01,960 --> 00:11:06,199 Speaker 1: later on, really good people, you know, and that was 189 00:11:06,280 --> 00:11:09,679 Speaker 1: something I could get with, you know. So to me, 190 00:11:11,240 --> 00:11:13,439 Speaker 1: I guess the best way can say it is like 191 00:11:14,520 --> 00:11:19,199 Speaker 1: I was given a second chance in life. Mickey, in 192 00:11:19,320 --> 00:11:23,079 Speaker 1: his telling, was a decorated fighter for the Peshmerga, and 193 00:11:23,720 --> 00:11:26,880 Speaker 1: he says he trained dozens of American ANTIFA activists in 194 00:11:26,920 --> 00:11:30,920 Speaker 1: the Middle East in hand to hand combat weapons and explosives. 195 00:11:31,960 --> 00:11:34,120 Speaker 1: In a video I have of Mickey, he pulls out 196 00:11:34,160 --> 00:11:37,240 Speaker 1: his phone and shows a photo to the camera. Here 197 00:11:37,280 --> 00:11:42,600 Speaker 1: I am with I captured flag when I was in battle. 198 00:11:43,200 --> 00:11:46,959 Speaker 1: Mickey was such an effective fighter, he claimed that Isis 199 00:11:47,000 --> 00:11:49,800 Speaker 1: issued a bounty on his head and some of his 200 00:11:49,920 --> 00:11:53,040 Speaker 1: friends routed him out to the bad guys. I've had 201 00:11:53,120 --> 00:11:56,280 Speaker 1: people that I thought were my friends in Colorado lead 202 00:11:56,360 --> 00:12:01,360 Speaker 1: my information to terrorist groups, real risk groups. They leaked 203 00:12:01,400 --> 00:12:04,120 Speaker 1: it to nash That's what we call the Islamic state 204 00:12:04,440 --> 00:12:06,679 Speaker 1: they leaked it to other groups. What type of car 205 00:12:06,800 --> 00:12:09,160 Speaker 1: I drove one type of motorcycle. I road where I 206 00:12:09,320 --> 00:12:12,120 Speaker 1: hung out all the ship and literally leaked my information 207 00:12:12,160 --> 00:12:14,360 Speaker 1: out there, tried to get a what we call patua, 208 00:12:14,520 --> 00:12:16,439 Speaker 1: which is known as a death note or a death 209 00:12:16,559 --> 00:12:20,080 Speaker 1: ransoup on me and Mickey's telling. If there are any 210 00:12:20,160 --> 00:12:22,000 Speaker 1: Isis fighters with the courage to try to take them 211 00:12:22,040 --> 00:12:26,000 Speaker 1: out and collect that bounty, then well come get some. 212 00:12:27,240 --> 00:12:29,360 Speaker 1: So yeah, the death the death ship was out there 213 00:12:29,360 --> 00:12:31,120 Speaker 1: a lot, doesn't bother me none. They put it away. 214 00:12:31,160 --> 00:12:33,040 Speaker 1: I'm very well armed. I'm not gonna say how, but 215 00:12:33,120 --> 00:12:36,199 Speaker 1: I'm very well armed. So if and I am very 216 00:12:36,240 --> 00:12:39,800 Speaker 1: well trained, don't confuse my looks in my little bit 217 00:12:39,840 --> 00:12:43,160 Speaker 1: of chugginess that I'm not prepared for any type of situation, 218 00:12:43,200 --> 00:12:45,920 Speaker 1: because I have been. It's not brag. I am very 219 00:12:45,960 --> 00:12:49,839 Speaker 1: well trained and ray bullshit. By twenty seventeen, with a 220 00:12:49,880 --> 00:12:52,760 Speaker 1: price on his head, Mickey had returned to Denver and 221 00:12:52,880 --> 00:12:55,199 Speaker 1: began to tell everyone he met that he was a 222 00:12:55,320 --> 00:12:59,079 Speaker 1: representative of the Kurdish government. Mickey even claimed to have 223 00:12:59,400 --> 00:13:03,400 Speaker 1: diplomatic community from his work with the Kurds, whom he 224 00:13:03,559 --> 00:13:06,640 Speaker 1: credited with turning his life around. If you've ever seen 225 00:13:06,720 --> 00:13:09,160 Speaker 1: a movie when somebody's life is a complete shit show 226 00:13:09,200 --> 00:13:11,760 Speaker 1: where it's fu and they go when they do something 227 00:13:11,800 --> 00:13:15,079 Speaker 1: in their life changes and they become a new person. 228 00:13:15,160 --> 00:13:17,520 Speaker 1: Something happens to them and also they're a totally different person. 229 00:13:18,000 --> 00:13:20,000 Speaker 1: That's kind of like what happened with me with the Kurds. 230 00:13:20,679 --> 00:13:24,719 Speaker 1: And now Mickey was back in the United States, inspired 231 00:13:25,520 --> 00:13:29,480 Speaker 1: and with a new mission, a mission he was going 232 00:13:29,520 --> 00:13:33,960 Speaker 1: to put into action in Denver more after the break 233 00:13:41,320 --> 00:13:44,319 Speaker 1: after George Floyd's murder in twenty twenty, Mickey started to 234 00:13:44,320 --> 00:13:47,520 Speaker 1: attend the protests. He offered weapons training to anyone who 235 00:13:47,559 --> 00:13:50,360 Speaker 1: expressed an interest, and by describing how he fought ISIS 236 00:13:50,480 --> 00:13:54,439 Speaker 1: terrorists and had diplomatic community, he appeared on first impressions 237 00:13:54,920 --> 00:13:57,760 Speaker 1: to be an important and legitimate guy, someone many of 238 00:13:57,800 --> 00:14:01,520 Speaker 1: the racial justice activists thought they could trust, but not everyone. 239 00:14:02,800 --> 00:14:06,880 Speaker 1: He's like dressed often in like fatigues or you know, 240 00:14:07,080 --> 00:14:13,160 Speaker 1: more black blocked style, seemed to fly a marine flag, 241 00:14:13,320 --> 00:14:17,240 Speaker 1: it seems like, but he didn't seem like he was 242 00:14:18,559 --> 00:14:22,880 Speaker 1: demand that he claimed to be. This is Brian Loma. 243 00:14:23,520 --> 00:14:26,200 Speaker 1: Brian is widely known in the Denver activist community for 244 00:14:26,320 --> 00:14:30,320 Speaker 1: live streaming videos of the racial justice protests. I do 245 00:14:30,480 --> 00:14:35,200 Speaker 1: seem to remember that he was armed, which you know, 246 00:14:35,400 --> 00:14:38,800 Speaker 1: kind of gave him a sense of having some credibility. Right. 247 00:14:39,360 --> 00:14:42,240 Speaker 1: He came off as like maybe being a rook but 248 00:14:42,440 --> 00:14:47,720 Speaker 1: like really being like into the movement. And now that 249 00:14:47,840 --> 00:14:50,640 Speaker 1: I say that out loud, that just kind of throws 250 00:14:50,680 --> 00:14:54,960 Speaker 1: a red flag up in itself. Brian was live streaming 251 00:14:54,960 --> 00:14:58,120 Speaker 1: on July twenty twenty during a rally for Elijah McClean, 252 00:14:58,480 --> 00:15:00,720 Speaker 1: the young black man had been killed in Colorado the 253 00:15:00,840 --> 00:15:04,400 Speaker 1: year before George Floyd was murdered in Minnesota. Some hold 254 00:15:04,480 --> 00:15:08,080 Speaker 1: up signs reading the People United will end racist police terror. 255 00:15:09,760 --> 00:15:13,040 Speaker 1: I've been living in a war since nineteen eighty one. 256 00:15:13,640 --> 00:15:15,320 Speaker 1: This is one of the speakers at the event. And 257 00:15:15,520 --> 00:15:19,000 Speaker 1: even back then, I remember when you couldn't be black 258 00:15:19,120 --> 00:15:22,360 Speaker 1: and be walking up and down Sable or al Alida 259 00:15:22,400 --> 00:15:27,200 Speaker 1: without the funky ass racist fucking police pulling you over 260 00:15:27,560 --> 00:15:32,040 Speaker 1: and harassing you. The rhetoric at these rallies would get 261 00:15:32,040 --> 00:15:36,520 Speaker 1: pretty heated, like that guy's foul language, The system is racist, 262 00:15:36,840 --> 00:15:40,360 Speaker 1: Fuck the police, that kind of stuff. Mickey is at 263 00:15:40,440 --> 00:15:43,440 Speaker 1: this demonstration, and this is right around the time that 264 00:15:43,480 --> 00:15:47,560 Speaker 1: he first meets zeb Hall. After this rally, the demonstrators 265 00:15:47,600 --> 00:15:58,200 Speaker 1: marched through the city. Ran Loma is life streaming the 266 00:15:58,240 --> 00:16:01,880 Speaker 1: whole thing. The demonstrators, numbering in the hundreds, then pour 267 00:16:02,000 --> 00:16:04,560 Speaker 1: on the Interstate two twenty five, a major highway that 268 00:16:04,600 --> 00:16:07,640 Speaker 1: creates a partial perimeter road around Denver. They block all 269 00:16:07,680 --> 00:16:10,160 Speaker 1: the traffic on both sides of the interstate and then 270 00:16:10,200 --> 00:16:13,400 Speaker 1: start confronting the drivers they had trapped. Some smile and 271 00:16:13,560 --> 00:16:16,760 Speaker 1: laugh and voice support for the demonstrators. Other drivers aren't 272 00:16:16,760 --> 00:16:20,880 Speaker 1: as amused, like one Brian Loma confronts, Yeah, are you 273 00:16:20,960 --> 00:16:23,320 Speaker 1: doing today? Say? Are you okay? There's people in front 274 00:16:23,360 --> 00:16:27,360 Speaker 1: of you? Would you not drive in front of you? 275 00:16:27,840 --> 00:16:30,800 Speaker 1: But this demonstration quickly spirals out of control. On the 276 00:16:30,840 --> 00:16:33,000 Speaker 1: other side of the interstate from where Brian Loma is filming, 277 00:16:33,320 --> 00:16:36,640 Speaker 1: a blue jeep wrangler speeds through the protesters, nearly hitting 278 00:16:36,680 --> 00:16:40,640 Speaker 1: several Another demonstrator films the incident. As it happens. You 279 00:16:40,680 --> 00:16:47,160 Speaker 1: can hear gunshots ring out. One of the demonstrators appears 280 00:16:47,160 --> 00:16:48,760 Speaker 1: to have fired on the jeep as it speeds through 281 00:16:48,800 --> 00:16:54,560 Speaker 1: the crowd. The scene then becomes chaotic. The hundreds of 282 00:16:54,640 --> 00:16:57,480 Speaker 1: demonstrators then leave the interstate and congregate in the surrounding 283 00:16:57,520 --> 00:17:05,480 Speaker 1: city streets, choking them off the traffic. At one point, 284 00:17:05,520 --> 00:17:07,920 Speaker 1: the crowd stops, and a black man with a bullhorn 285 00:17:07,960 --> 00:17:10,280 Speaker 1: in his hand and an assault rifle slung over his 286 00:17:10,320 --> 00:17:15,080 Speaker 1: shoulder addresses the protesters. This is scary work. This is 287 00:17:15,160 --> 00:17:17,960 Speaker 1: what it looks like to organize. I guess the racism 288 00:17:19,359 --> 00:17:22,240 Speaker 1: in the most racist toutry in the world. As the 289 00:17:22,359 --> 00:17:26,359 Speaker 1: hundreds of people advance up the street, Brian Loma turns 290 00:17:26,400 --> 00:17:28,800 Speaker 1: his camera to the front of the parade of demonstrators. 291 00:17:30,040 --> 00:17:33,320 Speaker 1: Right up front, as if clearing the way for the protesters, 292 00:17:34,119 --> 00:17:40,200 Speaker 1: is a slowly moving silver hearse it's Mickey up front 293 00:17:40,920 --> 00:17:51,920 Speaker 1: and in charge of the protest. Zeb is there as well. 294 00:17:52,359 --> 00:17:54,440 Speaker 1: About a half hour later, Zeb walks up to Brian 295 00:17:54,480 --> 00:17:57,240 Speaker 1: Loma and his camera. Zeb's wearing a white construction style 296 00:17:57,320 --> 00:17:59,600 Speaker 1: hard hat and he has a respirator mask hanging around 297 00:17:59,640 --> 00:18:02,680 Speaker 1: his neck. He's angry that the jeep drove dangerously through 298 00:18:02,680 --> 00:18:05,320 Speaker 1: the crowd, and Zeb suggests that the jep's driver should 299 00:18:05,320 --> 00:18:08,639 Speaker 1: have been stopped earlier in at gunpoint. There should have 300 00:18:08,680 --> 00:18:11,080 Speaker 1: been people in the back with rifles to make sure 301 00:18:11,080 --> 00:18:13,600 Speaker 1: that God damn card and get up there it's all. 302 00:18:14,040 --> 00:18:18,159 Speaker 1: At this point, then Zeb says something else. I believe 303 00:18:18,359 --> 00:18:23,240 Speaker 1: it is necessary to Armed resistance is necessary. That's where 304 00:18:23,359 --> 00:18:25,680 Speaker 1: Zeb's mind appears to be when he and Mickey first 305 00:18:25,720 --> 00:18:30,639 Speaker 1: start talking about guns and training. Armed resistance is necessary. 306 00:18:33,760 --> 00:18:36,960 Speaker 1: So in August twenty twenty, Zeb invites Mickey to his apartment. 307 00:18:39,359 --> 00:18:41,880 Speaker 1: He wants to talk about the future, how to inspire 308 00:18:41,960 --> 00:18:44,679 Speaker 1: more people to participate in the demonstrations, how to get 309 00:18:44,720 --> 00:18:47,560 Speaker 1: people stirred up, and how to prepare them for possible 310 00:18:47,640 --> 00:18:53,040 Speaker 1: conflicts with police officers outfitted like stormtroopers. Zeb explains to 311 00:18:53,119 --> 00:18:56,119 Speaker 1: Mickey that he believes the racial justice protests need to 312 00:18:56,160 --> 00:18:59,840 Speaker 1: show people that the American economic system is fundamentally unfair 313 00:19:00,160 --> 00:19:03,880 Speaker 1: to black people and other minorities, and in Zeb's view, 314 00:19:04,200 --> 00:19:07,280 Speaker 1: the pandemic has made the inequities worse. The whole nation 315 00:19:07,400 --> 00:19:11,800 Speaker 1: is a powder keg ready to explode. Denver's brutally cold 316 00:19:11,840 --> 00:19:14,119 Speaker 1: winter is a few months away. People will spend the 317 00:19:14,160 --> 00:19:17,480 Speaker 1: months indoors, quarantined by the pandemic and the freezing temperatures, 318 00:19:18,040 --> 00:19:21,159 Speaker 1: and by the time spring arrives, Zeb predicts that violence 319 00:19:21,160 --> 00:19:24,800 Speaker 1: will break out all over. That's going to be the 320 00:19:24,840 --> 00:19:30,720 Speaker 1: turning point. This cold is Dark's claiming that there will 321 00:19:30,760 --> 00:19:35,959 Speaker 1: be suicide. Well, when it spring comes, they are angry. 322 00:19:36,960 --> 00:19:40,600 Speaker 1: It's getting hot. People up when it's hot. So the 323 00:19:40,720 --> 00:19:45,960 Speaker 1: spring comes, get happen, and that's where you would step 324 00:19:46,080 --> 00:19:51,800 Speaker 1: into make ship off all. Mickey encourages Zeb's violence by then, 325 00:19:51,880 --> 00:19:55,440 Speaker 1: he says, you'd make shit pop off then, right, But 326 00:19:55,640 --> 00:19:59,600 Speaker 1: Zeb is weirdly all over the place talking about violence, yeah, 327 00:20:00,320 --> 00:20:02,600 Speaker 1: but unclear on his timeline, and seeming to talk in 328 00:20:02,680 --> 00:20:05,439 Speaker 1: a way that suggests he wants others to do the violence. 329 00:20:06,280 --> 00:20:09,720 Speaker 1: People are already age chained, they're working to repress a 330 00:20:09,800 --> 00:20:12,040 Speaker 1: lot of them are going to be evicted, and over 331 00:20:12,119 --> 00:20:14,080 Speaker 1: the sports of time, we just piss them off more 332 00:20:14,119 --> 00:20:16,600 Speaker 1: and more and more. And as soon as summer comes 333 00:20:17,119 --> 00:20:20,920 Speaker 1: a spring, there's first few hot weeks, there's gonna be 334 00:20:21,000 --> 00:20:24,200 Speaker 1: so much fear and anger because look at these distractions. 335 00:20:24,200 --> 00:20:26,840 Speaker 1: Aren't composedly going to come back on sports and concerts 336 00:20:26,840 --> 00:20:30,280 Speaker 1: and everything. They're not going to be back, right. That's 337 00:20:30,359 --> 00:20:32,200 Speaker 1: why we have to get them while we're to steal 338 00:20:32,240 --> 00:20:36,080 Speaker 1: them into awake right. Zeb explains to Mickey that he 339 00:20:36,119 --> 00:20:38,919 Speaker 1: thinks violence is the answer. The only way the system 340 00:20:38,920 --> 00:20:42,119 Speaker 1: will change is through force, but he believes that he 341 00:20:42,160 --> 00:20:46,000 Speaker 1: can inspire that violence through speeches and propaganda at public events. 342 00:20:47,200 --> 00:20:51,160 Speaker 1: I think this propaganda change change. You know, be hearing 343 00:20:51,200 --> 00:20:53,719 Speaker 1: these speeches will actually have other speeders, but not even 344 00:20:53,800 --> 00:20:55,879 Speaker 1: just people are good at speaking. Someone like you. Just 345 00:20:55,920 --> 00:20:59,320 Speaker 1: tell the truth. You know what's going on, and over 346 00:20:59,600 --> 00:21:03,359 Speaker 1: is pre six to eight months, build a fury anger 347 00:21:04,280 --> 00:21:07,480 Speaker 1: and if it happens here and little fucking didn't, it'll 348 00:21:07,520 --> 00:21:10,680 Speaker 1: go a place because over that six to eight months 349 00:21:11,280 --> 00:21:15,680 Speaker 1: people will be angry or Mickey then pushes Zeb for 350 00:21:15,760 --> 00:21:19,040 Speaker 1: more specifics. How are things going to get violent? I 351 00:21:19,119 --> 00:21:22,360 Speaker 1: see your point of view, village down and kill the rich. 352 00:21:23,200 --> 00:21:29,000 Speaker 1: I understand that I kill your point of view. It's just, 353 00:21:30,520 --> 00:21:33,480 Speaker 1: you know, I don't know how you do. Zeb doesn't 354 00:21:33,480 --> 00:21:36,440 Speaker 1: have much of an answer. He talks about propaganda and 355 00:21:36,520 --> 00:21:40,000 Speaker 1: speeches and inspiring people to get so angry they'll turn 356 00:21:40,080 --> 00:21:44,120 Speaker 1: to violence. Then Zeb tells Mickey, I need your help 357 00:21:44,240 --> 00:21:47,920 Speaker 1: in doing this so obso, I need your help doing 358 00:21:48,000 --> 00:21:50,720 Speaker 1: this stuff, he says, and I also need to learn 359 00:21:50,760 --> 00:21:54,399 Speaker 1: how to fight. Mickey then explains that he's the exact 360 00:21:54,520 --> 00:21:57,880 Speaker 1: man for that job. He says again he's trained Antifa 361 00:21:57,920 --> 00:22:02,200 Speaker 1: fighters in Iraq and Syria. Hand, hand combat weapons, explosives, 362 00:22:02,680 --> 00:22:06,240 Speaker 1: guerrilla warfare. Zeb then tells Mickey that he also wants 363 00:22:06,280 --> 00:22:10,080 Speaker 1: to learn how to mentally manipulate people, and that's when 364 00:22:10,119 --> 00:22:14,600 Speaker 1: Mickey drifts into absurdity, and Zeb, so enamored with Mickey, 365 00:22:15,480 --> 00:22:21,480 Speaker 1: doesn't even notice my manipulation. My manipulation is that's something 366 00:22:21,520 --> 00:22:23,639 Speaker 1: you can't look school forward. You have to learn it. 367 00:22:24,400 --> 00:22:27,480 Speaker 1: And it's like a Jedi mind skill. It's like a 368 00:22:27,560 --> 00:22:31,440 Speaker 1: Jedi mind skill. That's what Mickey says, These aren't the 369 00:22:31,480 --> 00:22:35,119 Speaker 1: droids you're looking for, and then Mickey goes all obi 370 00:22:35,160 --> 00:22:38,240 Speaker 1: wan Kenobi on his young padawan. You have to basically 371 00:22:38,240 --> 00:22:42,280 Speaker 1: take the subject and make them agree with you. The 372 00:22:42,440 --> 00:22:44,360 Speaker 1: Jeds do in a way that makes them feel comfortable, 373 00:22:44,520 --> 00:22:48,480 Speaker 1: and you want it to be a smooth transition. You 374 00:22:48,480 --> 00:22:50,840 Speaker 1: don't want to be rough because of it's rough, it 375 00:22:51,000 --> 00:22:53,359 Speaker 1: breaks down in the fields, so you just want to 376 00:22:53,480 --> 00:22:56,280 Speaker 1: burger them into it. So Mickey not only fought ISIS 377 00:22:56,359 --> 00:23:02,119 Speaker 1: fighters and train violent Antifa activists, he also performed Jedi 378 00:23:02,240 --> 00:23:04,480 Speaker 1: mind tricks. I was actually really good at it when 379 00:23:04,480 --> 00:23:07,080 Speaker 1: I was in a personal military I didn't do it 380 00:23:07,160 --> 00:23:10,440 Speaker 1: towards the court and towards terrorist members. I was terrogating 381 00:23:10,440 --> 00:23:14,639 Speaker 1: the shit of that, but that you can be shown 382 00:23:14,720 --> 00:23:16,760 Speaker 1: how to do. You just have to It's you have 383 00:23:16,840 --> 00:23:18,679 Speaker 1: to train yourself to do, you know what I mean. 384 00:23:19,560 --> 00:23:22,359 Speaker 1: Mickey then suggested Zeb that he could introduce him to 385 00:23:23,000 --> 00:23:26,720 Speaker 1: his guy, an outlaw biker and former Special Forces fighter. 386 00:23:27,760 --> 00:23:29,720 Speaker 1: Let me explain him. He's an old, fuck around type 387 00:23:29,720 --> 00:23:33,520 Speaker 1: of guy. He does not play fucking games. But if 388 00:23:33,560 --> 00:23:37,680 Speaker 1: you're wanting to learn how to blow shit up, drop 389 00:23:37,880 --> 00:23:40,560 Speaker 1: people and build the fucking numbers and do all that 390 00:23:40,600 --> 00:23:43,760 Speaker 1: shit that you want to do, he's the guy you 391 00:23:43,840 --> 00:23:45,600 Speaker 1: want to go to. I mean, I could teach you 392 00:23:45,640 --> 00:23:48,200 Speaker 1: all that shit. Absolutely, I got a teaching it too, 393 00:23:51,000 --> 00:23:56,440 Speaker 1: but that would be he would be your guy. Mickey 394 00:23:56,520 --> 00:23:58,960 Speaker 1: says this guy is overseas and he can't train that 395 00:23:59,119 --> 00:24:02,400 Speaker 1: right away, but Zeb says he doesn't want to wait 396 00:24:02,920 --> 00:24:06,120 Speaker 1: and would prefer for Mickey to train him. Mickey, though, 397 00:24:06,760 --> 00:24:09,640 Speaker 1: says there's one issue with training Zeb, and it has 398 00:24:09,640 --> 00:24:12,640 Speaker 1: to do with a supposed position as a Kurdish diplomat. 399 00:24:13,880 --> 00:24:17,800 Speaker 1: The thing you understand is is like, which Okay, let's 400 00:24:17,840 --> 00:24:23,320 Speaker 1: say this of Fish is a Kurdish I have weapons, 401 00:24:24,480 --> 00:24:28,840 Speaker 1: but those weapons I can't use because it trains back 402 00:24:28,880 --> 00:24:33,000 Speaker 1: to the kur Holistic ship, so I can't use that ship. 403 00:24:34,960 --> 00:24:37,840 Speaker 1: I need to be able to get so weapons that 404 00:24:37,960 --> 00:24:41,440 Speaker 1: are not mine, you know what I mean. I can't 405 00:24:41,480 --> 00:24:46,120 Speaker 1: buy there somepself. If Zeb wants weapons training, Mickey tells 406 00:24:46,200 --> 00:24:49,920 Speaker 1: him Zeb needs to buy him a gun. And I'm 407 00:24:50,000 --> 00:24:53,280 Speaker 1: making no endorsement of the tortured logic here, but this 408 00:24:53,480 --> 00:24:56,880 Speaker 1: is basically what Mickey is saying. He has guns, yeah, 409 00:24:57,640 --> 00:25:00,359 Speaker 1: but they're registered to him as a Kurdish diplomat and 410 00:25:00,480 --> 00:25:03,720 Speaker 1: so he can't use them to train Zeb. And he's 411 00:25:03,720 --> 00:25:06,560 Speaker 1: also a convicted felon, which he means he can't buy 412 00:25:06,640 --> 00:25:09,320 Speaker 1: a gun legally in the United States even though he 413 00:25:09,440 --> 00:25:12,199 Speaker 1: has guns, so Zeb would need to buy him a gun. 414 00:25:13,359 --> 00:25:17,600 Speaker 1: Zeb doesn't commit to anything buying, guns, training, none of it. 415 00:25:18,560 --> 00:25:20,760 Speaker 1: At the end of his meeting with Mickey, he returns 416 00:25:20,760 --> 00:25:22,600 Speaker 1: to where he was at the beginning of the meeting, 417 00:25:23,320 --> 00:25:28,160 Speaker 1: talking about giving speeches. I need help. I need help 418 00:25:28,200 --> 00:25:31,800 Speaker 1: doing my speeches. Zeb says, Okay, I'm not very good 419 00:25:31,880 --> 00:25:35,480 Speaker 1: with speech parts, pulling triggers and blowing shit up. I'm good. 420 00:25:37,160 --> 00:25:39,800 Speaker 1: Mickey says he isn't there to give speeches. He's in 421 00:25:39,880 --> 00:25:42,960 Speaker 1: the pulling triggers and blowing shit up. That's what he says. 422 00:25:43,960 --> 00:25:46,679 Speaker 1: And soon zeb learns that Mickey has made other friends 423 00:25:46,920 --> 00:25:50,680 Speaker 1: among Denver's racial justice activists, and they appear to be 424 00:25:50,760 --> 00:25:56,040 Speaker 1: more enthusiastic about to borrow Mickey's words, pulling triggers and 425 00:25:56,160 --> 00:26:12,840 Speaker 1: blowing shit up. He was just hanging out and it 426 00:26:12,920 --> 00:26:15,560 Speaker 1: seemed to be kind of by himself. This is Brett Smith. 427 00:26:16,200 --> 00:26:18,280 Speaker 1: Brett is a military veteran and a member of the 428 00:26:18,359 --> 00:26:22,760 Speaker 1: Young Democratic Socialists of America or why DSA. And so 429 00:26:23,080 --> 00:26:27,000 Speaker 1: one of my colleagues that were there with when engaged 430 00:26:27,080 --> 00:26:29,920 Speaker 1: him and stuff. They'd heard about him, they'd seen him around. 431 00:26:30,520 --> 00:26:33,000 Speaker 1: He's describing seeing Mickey at the demonstrations in Denver for 432 00:26:33,040 --> 00:26:35,879 Speaker 1: the first time. And so that's when they made kind 433 00:26:35,880 --> 00:26:38,800 Speaker 1: of initial contact with him, like kind of on our behalf. 434 00:26:39,960 --> 00:26:43,560 Speaker 1: And so yeah, they started hanging out and what have 435 00:26:43,720 --> 00:26:46,159 Speaker 1: you at kind of ur or I don't know, you 436 00:26:46,240 --> 00:26:48,119 Speaker 1: could say base camp. It's a friends apartment and what 437 00:26:48,240 --> 00:26:50,399 Speaker 1: have you. I mean, that's that's kind of just how 438 00:26:50,440 --> 00:26:53,760 Speaker 1: it started out. So the y DSA is the youth 439 00:26:53,840 --> 00:26:57,359 Speaker 1: branch of the Democratic Socialists of America, the largest socialist 440 00:26:57,480 --> 00:27:01,280 Speaker 1: organization in the United States. Day isn't a political party, 441 00:27:01,600 --> 00:27:05,320 Speaker 1: but instead a member organization. Here's one of their promo videos. 442 00:27:05,880 --> 00:27:09,359 Speaker 1: The last two years have been rough. We've been hit 443 00:27:09,480 --> 00:27:14,240 Speaker 1: with crisis after crisis, and everywhere working class people are 444 00:27:14,280 --> 00:27:17,879 Speaker 1: being pushed out of politics right at the moment that 445 00:27:18,000 --> 00:27:22,040 Speaker 1: we need to fight like hell. The bosses and billionaires 446 00:27:22,119 --> 00:27:26,520 Speaker 1: and their politicians and police are sacrificing us during this pandemic. 447 00:27:27,560 --> 00:27:30,440 Speaker 1: DSA and YDSA groups are particularly active in the racial 448 00:27:30,520 --> 00:27:33,440 Speaker 1: justice protests during the summer of twenty twenty. They start 449 00:27:33,560 --> 00:27:36,840 Speaker 1: using the platforms these demonstrations create to promote their socialist 450 00:27:36,880 --> 00:27:40,240 Speaker 1: political agenda. This is something that happens quickly to all 451 00:27:40,280 --> 00:27:42,840 Speaker 1: these demonstrations that the news media referred to as Black 452 00:27:42,920 --> 00:27:46,160 Speaker 1: Lives Matter. While they started as ways to protest police 453 00:27:46,160 --> 00:27:48,840 Speaker 1: brutality and raise awareness of the deaths of unarmed black 454 00:27:48,880 --> 00:27:51,280 Speaker 1: men and women at the hands of police, the message 455 00:27:51,280 --> 00:27:54,879 Speaker 1: splinters as more people and more groups participate. People are 456 00:27:54,920 --> 00:27:59,600 Speaker 1: showing up with signs for communism, socialism, LGBTQ, plus just 457 00:27:59,640 --> 00:28:03,200 Speaker 1: about any cause of line with left wing activism. Trey Quinn, 458 00:28:03,440 --> 00:28:05,720 Speaker 1: the Black Nationalists we met earlier, who's one of the 459 00:28:05,840 --> 00:28:09,200 Speaker 1: organizers of the Denver demonstrations, He refers to these as 460 00:28:09,440 --> 00:28:13,679 Speaker 1: affinity groups. The affinity groups, in Treys opinion, are rowdy 461 00:28:13,720 --> 00:28:16,560 Speaker 1: and destructive, and they're instigating some of the most brutal 462 00:28:16,640 --> 00:28:20,760 Speaker 1: responses by local police. That's when you started seeing these 463 00:28:21,240 --> 00:28:25,080 Speaker 1: affinity groups of all these people calling themselves antifa or 464 00:28:25,160 --> 00:28:27,359 Speaker 1: some sort of anti fascist type guy or something like that. 465 00:28:27,400 --> 00:28:29,800 Speaker 1: That's when you start seeing them surround police stations and 466 00:28:29,880 --> 00:28:31,680 Speaker 1: throwing rocks in there. That's when you start seeing the 467 00:28:31,720 --> 00:28:35,480 Speaker 1: cops have the tear gas whole areas of Denver. These 468 00:28:35,560 --> 00:28:38,800 Speaker 1: demonstrators meant well in trays view, but no one was 469 00:28:38,840 --> 00:28:41,640 Speaker 1: there to discourage some of their bad ideas. These things 470 00:28:41,720 --> 00:28:44,320 Speaker 1: all happened because there was nobody there to take a 471 00:28:44,480 --> 00:28:47,480 Speaker 1: person who's already radical and direct them in the position 472 00:28:47,840 --> 00:28:51,600 Speaker 1: where they are now being an effective good. Now they're 473 00:28:51,640 --> 00:28:55,640 Speaker 1: just off the leash. And that's what's literally what happened. 474 00:28:55,640 --> 00:29:00,360 Speaker 1: It got worse. The friends that Mickey may in y 475 00:29:00,400 --> 00:29:03,440 Speaker 1: dsay her named Honor and Aiden. They're among the most 476 00:29:03,480 --> 00:29:06,760 Speaker 1: active members at the time. These affinity groups are pushing 477 00:29:06,800 --> 00:29:10,080 Speaker 1: some of the demonstrations beyond what the police accountability activists 478 00:29:10,200 --> 00:29:13,840 Speaker 1: had initially desired. An example of this happens in Fort Collins, 479 00:29:13,960 --> 00:29:17,080 Speaker 1: about an hour north of Denver. On August eighth, twenty twenty, 480 00:29:17,720 --> 00:29:20,680 Speaker 1: a demonstration for Back the Blue, a pro police movement 481 00:29:20,720 --> 00:29:23,720 Speaker 1: created in reaction to Black Lives Matter, had been organized 482 00:29:23,760 --> 00:29:27,120 Speaker 1: near the local police station, and Mickey, Honor Aiden and 483 00:29:27,280 --> 00:29:30,400 Speaker 1: other members of Denver area affinity groups go to protest 484 00:29:30,600 --> 00:29:37,920 Speaker 1: against that demonstration. As you might predict, the situation devolves 485 00:29:37,960 --> 00:29:40,680 Speaker 1: quickly into a brawl, with Back the Blue activists and 486 00:29:40,800 --> 00:29:43,920 Speaker 1: left wing protesters falling into dogpiles in a grassy ditch 487 00:29:44,160 --> 00:29:46,760 Speaker 1: as they throw punches and hurl frozen water bottles at 488 00:29:46,800 --> 00:30:01,680 Speaker 1: each other. Everybody keep, one of the pro police activists says, 489 00:30:01,920 --> 00:30:04,600 Speaker 1: keep punching each other in the face, but don't shoot anybody. 490 00:30:05,240 --> 00:30:08,240 Speaker 1: At one point, Back the Blue activists, his face hidden 491 00:30:08,240 --> 00:30:11,840 Speaker 1: by an American flag mask, takes a flagpole old glory 492 00:30:11,880 --> 00:30:15,480 Speaker 1: wrapped around it and transforms it into a spear, jamming 493 00:30:15,520 --> 00:30:17,440 Speaker 1: it into the body of one of the left wing protesters. 494 00:30:18,320 --> 00:30:21,560 Speaker 1: The video circulates widely on social media and in right 495 00:30:21,600 --> 00:30:24,680 Speaker 1: wing media as an example of the dangers of antifa, 496 00:30:25,360 --> 00:30:29,920 Speaker 1: which is odd because the left wing protesters, the so 497 00:30:30,080 --> 00:30:35,280 Speaker 1: called antifa guys. They got their asses kicked back in 498 00:30:35,400 --> 00:30:38,080 Speaker 1: Denver zeb Hall, here's about what went down in Fort 499 00:30:38,120 --> 00:30:42,440 Speaker 1: Collins on social media. Then Micky gets in touch with him. Well, 500 00:30:42,480 --> 00:30:44,520 Speaker 1: these protesters got the ship be at him, which it 501 00:30:44,720 --> 00:30:46,880 Speaker 1: was honoring them, you know, they were the ones that 502 00:30:46,920 --> 00:30:49,080 Speaker 1: got the ship beat out of him. And he Nicky 503 00:30:49,200 --> 00:30:51,360 Speaker 1: called me and says, hey, my crew got their ass 504 00:30:51,360 --> 00:30:53,200 Speaker 1: whip blah blah blah. I didn't know much about it. 505 00:30:53,640 --> 00:30:55,240 Speaker 1: And he says, you know you're gonna do the speech. 506 00:30:55,240 --> 00:30:57,160 Speaker 1: I want you just to say something about him. Zeb 507 00:30:57,200 --> 00:30:59,240 Speaker 1: is supposed to give a speech at a demonstration that evening. 508 00:31:00,040 --> 00:31:02,400 Speaker 1: He wants them to say something about Fort Collins. And 509 00:31:02,480 --> 00:31:04,600 Speaker 1: I was like, all right, cool, I'll do it. Yeah, 510 00:31:04,640 --> 00:31:06,880 Speaker 1: because at that time I didn't know enough about him. 511 00:31:06,920 --> 00:31:08,960 Speaker 1: So I take a speech with these cats. I looked 512 00:31:08,960 --> 00:31:11,760 Speaker 1: at the news. Yeah, they got fucked up. After that point, 513 00:31:12,120 --> 00:31:15,760 Speaker 1: Zebzi's honor Aiden and other YDSA members hanging around Mickey. 514 00:31:16,840 --> 00:31:20,880 Speaker 1: Mickey has somehow turned them into his personal surveillance crew. 515 00:31:21,560 --> 00:31:23,840 Speaker 1: They were doing surveillance and even some of the events. 516 00:31:23,960 --> 00:31:27,240 Speaker 1: He made them think like they were a little operative 517 00:31:27,320 --> 00:31:30,400 Speaker 1: soldiers and whatnot. They had these headphones owned, they show 518 00:31:30,480 --> 00:31:33,440 Speaker 1: up at events, They talked to different leaders and you know, hey, 519 00:31:33,480 --> 00:31:35,240 Speaker 1: we're medics. We'll look out for you. You know who 520 00:31:35,280 --> 00:31:36,840 Speaker 1: are you? Blah blah blah. And I'm pretty sure they 521 00:31:36,840 --> 00:31:39,800 Speaker 1: exchanged the information and gave it back to him. Gave 522 00:31:39,840 --> 00:31:42,640 Speaker 1: it back to him, as in, gave the information back 523 00:31:42,680 --> 00:31:46,680 Speaker 1: to Mickey. The y DSA Activists are Mickey's intelligence unit, 524 00:31:47,160 --> 00:31:50,640 Speaker 1: collecting information from the other protesters and reporting back to Mickey, 525 00:31:51,200 --> 00:31:53,640 Speaker 1: who has come to position himself as a leader of 526 00:31:53,680 --> 00:31:57,840 Speaker 1: the racial justice movement in Denver. He's giving directions and 527 00:31:58,000 --> 00:32:02,240 Speaker 1: gaining the trust of many of the demos strangers. There's 528 00:32:02,280 --> 00:32:08,680 Speaker 1: just one problem, and it's a troubling one. The information 529 00:32:08,760 --> 00:32:13,320 Speaker 1: the y DSA Activists collect doesn't stop with Mickey. Mickey 530 00:32:13,720 --> 00:32:22,160 Speaker 1: is providing that information to someone else, someone much more powerful. Okay. 531 00:32:22,280 --> 00:32:26,080 Speaker 1: It is August twenty eight, twenty twenty and apart some 532 00:32:26,200 --> 00:32:30,719 Speaker 1: only four o two pm. A Special Agent Scott dolphrom 533 00:32:30,800 --> 00:32:37,400 Speaker 1: with Special Agent Byron Mitchell chs for meet with Zebidias Hall. 534 00:32:39,640 --> 00:32:46,600 Speaker 1: That's in the next episode. This is Trojan Hearst Season 535 00:32:46,680 --> 00:32:53,800 Speaker 1: one of Alphabet Boys. Alphabet Boys is a production of 536 00:32:53,880 --> 00:32:57,400 Speaker 1: Western Sound and iHeart Podcasts. The show is reported, written 537 00:32:57,480 --> 00:33:01,160 Speaker 1: and hosted by me Trevor Aaronson. For more information about 538 00:33:01,160 --> 00:33:03,680 Speaker 1: the series or to drop us a tip, head to 539 00:33:03,720 --> 00:33:07,760 Speaker 1: our website alphabet Boys dot xyz. You can contact me 540 00:33:07,840 --> 00:33:11,720 Speaker 1: on Twitter and Instagram at Trevor Aaronson. We believe this 541 00:33:11,800 --> 00:33:14,360 Speaker 1: story is important and could result in changes to FBI 542 00:33:14,480 --> 00:33:18,239 Speaker 1: oversight and public policy. But to have impact, people need 543 00:33:18,280 --> 00:33:21,320 Speaker 1: to hear the story, so we need your help. First, 544 00:33:21,680 --> 00:33:24,760 Speaker 1: tell your friends about the show. Personal recommendations are the 545 00:33:24,840 --> 00:33:29,040 Speaker 1: best recommendations. Second, spread the word on social media. At 546 00:33:29,080 --> 00:33:32,720 Speaker 1: alphabet Boys dot xyz you'll find FBI undercover recordings and 547 00:33:32,840 --> 00:33:38,320 Speaker 1: secret documents. You can share stuff the government never wanted public. Third, 548 00:33:38,560 --> 00:33:41,080 Speaker 1: help us ride the algorithms by leaving a rating or 549 00:33:41,160 --> 00:33:44,600 Speaker 1: review on your favorite podcast app that helps other people 550 00:33:44,640 --> 00:33:47,920 Speaker 1: find us. And thanks so much for listening.