Pennsylvania Patriots Coalition
| Pennsylvania Patriots Coalition | |
|---|---|
| Participant in the Second American Civil War | |
| Active | 2020–present |
| Ideology | Right-wing populism Libertarianism Conservatism |
| Political position | Right-wing |
| Headquarters | Lewistown, Pennsylvania[citation needed] |
| Area of operations | Central & Western Pennsylvania |
| Size | 100,000 (PPC claim) 1,900 (analyst estimate) |
| Colors | Red, White, Blue |
| Opponent(s) |  United States Government of Pennsylvania |
| Battles and war(s) | Second American Civil War |
| Designated as a terrorist organisation by | |
| United States | |
The Pennsylvania Patriots Coalition, abbreviated as PPC, is a right wing militia in Pennsylvania, allegedly headquarted in Lewistown. It is a participant in the Second American Civil War. The PPC currently controls an area with about 350,000 people living inside of it. Though only a small portion of these people have fought for the Pennsylvania Patriots Coalition, many of them support the PPC's pro-Trump stance.
Contents
History
November 10
After the breakout of initial violence across the United States on 10 November 2020, several pro-Trump groups converged on various small towns in Central Pennsylvania to protest the election allegedly "being stolen" by Joe Biden. Many other pro-trump groups gathered in other longtime Republican areas, including areas outside of Pittsburgh and in northern Pennsylvania. Many of the hundreds of initial pro-Trump protesters were armed with rifles and pistols, and shortly after they formed, they began seizing control of territory, using convoys flying Trump flags to take control of large swaths of land in rural areas. Many local police departments, instead of stopping them, joined the pro-Trump forces. Lewistown was overwhelmed by the first militiamen at roughly noon, and to prevent Pennsylvania State Police from moving in to stop the riots that have engulfed the town, vehicle barricades were formed on US highways 22 and 322. At roughly 2:00 pm, many of these groups pledged allegiance to a group known as the Pennsylvania Patriots Coalition after some right wing news outlets claimed that Trump had endorsed the group.
Between 3:00 pm and 6:00 pm, dozens of gun stores in Central and Western Pennsylvania were raided by convoys and other groups flying pro-Trump flags. Caravans of dozens of pro-Trump vehicles converged from rural areas in Pennsylvania to join the fight, with many being spotted on Interstate 80 heading to State College, a newborn democrat stronghold in the state. Skirmishes broke out between heavily armed PPC militiamen and police forces in State College, with thousands of civilians attempting to flee the city north and west. After a shortlived battle, the militia took hold of State College and began vandalizing businesses that had supported Joe Biden.
At 10:00 pm, a "MAGA rally" hosted by the PPC in Freeport, Pennsylvania was attended by thousands of civilians. During the rally, an individual named Gagium proclaimed himself to be the leader of the PPC. During the rally, he pledged to fight to restore Donald Trump's presidency and destroy the radical left and Joe Biden. He encouraged soldiers and police to defect to the PPC or die supporting communism and leftism.
November 11 - 22
On November 11, hundreds of PPC fighters in MAGA caravans descended into State College to continue vandalizing "left-wing" businesses and houses. However, at about 2:19 pm, the militia began pushing out of State College to capture University Park Airport, which was being held by policemen and the Pennsylvania National Guard to mount a resistance. After a skirmish that left 3 militiamen and 2 policemen dead, the PPC claimed that it had successfully captured the airport and the dozens of National Guard vehicles that were parked there. It was reported that cars with Joe Biden bumper stickers parked at the airport were vandalized and burnt in the aftermath.
Following this, PPC fighters advanced into the towns of Fairview and Girard along Lake Erie on November 12. After a fight that left 7 policemen and 11 militia dead, the PPC stole dozens of parked vehicles in the area to park on Interstate 90, forming armed checkpoints to disrupt travel and prevent Biden supporters from entering PPC-controlled areas. Meanwhile, a PPC advance into Pittsburgh was delayed after National Guard forces arrived in the city. During the next several days, PPC forces would continue to attempt to gain ground in rural areas. On November 14, PPC forces clashed with park rangers in Tuscarora State Forest, and starting on November 16, a campaign was launched to secure the westernmost portions of US Highway 6 in Pennsylvania.
Structure
The Pennsylvania Patriots Coalition consists of several loose groups of militiamen who identify themselves with various Trump 2020 symbols and flags. These loose groups have all pledged loyalty to the Coalition, which is under the firm control of Gagium. The Pennsylvania Patriots Coalition operates twitter, facebook, and instagram accounts, and supposedly operates a closed discord server as well, where command decisions are made. The PPC ensures that its smaller chapters are loyal to the organization through organizing MAGA convoys and rallies. Additionally, the PPC has hosted several fundraisers online to raise money to "destroy the Biden administration".
Motivations
The Coalition consists of hundreds of members who adhere to various right-wing ideologies, though the thing that unifies the group is support of ex-President Donald Trump and hatred of Joe Biden and other prominent figures in the Democratic Party. The stated purpose of the PPC is to "re-establish a Trump presidency" and "bring justice to the Biden crime family and its associates", though other goals include "bringing justice to the criminals who stole the election in Pennsylvania" and "destroying local governments and terrorists who support Joe Biden and his puppets".
Reaction
Donald Trump
On November 12, former President Donald J. Trump endorsed the Pennsylvania Patriots Coalition through a tweet. Trump said that he supported the PPC's "fighting (the) illegal coup (against him)" and claimed that he won the state of Pennsylvania "by a lot" during the election. The tweet has since gained over 73,000 retweets and 325,000 likes.
National Guard
As a result of the PPC seizing a Pennsylvania Air National Guard station in State College, the Pennsylvania Army National Guard deployed to areas around Pittsburgh to halt the PPC advance into the city's outskirts.
