Contra Costa County, California, District Attorney Diana Becton, who was backed by left-wing billionaire George Soros in 2018, has charged a couple with a “hate crime” for painting over a “Black Lives Matter” mural on the road.
In a press release Tuesday afternoon, Becton’s office announced that Martinez, California, residents Nichole Anderson and David Nelson were being charged with three misdemeanors for their actions, including “violation of civil rights.”
The press release explains:
On July 1, a local Martinez resident applied for a permit to paint a Black Lives Matter temporary mural in downtown Martinez in front of the Wakefield Taylor Courthouse. The permit was approved by the City of Martinez and the painting was done on July 4.
Nelson and Anderson arrived at the scene of the mural after it was completed with paint supplies. Anderson started to paint over the yellow letters “B” and “L” in the word “Black.” She used black paint and a large paint roller to do so. The video has been shared widely by witnesses and shared on social media.
The video was, in fact, shared on social media. Following that, news organizations and activists sprang into action, and Anderson and Nelson were “doxxed,” with personal information — including addresses and phone numbers — posted.
A Martinez, California couple defaced a Black Lives Matter street mural hours after it was complete, using black paint 😡 pic.twitter.com/RBJyMel4EV
— HOT 97 (@HOT97) July 6, 2020
Police are looking to identify a white man and white woman who vandalized a city-approved Black Lives Matter mural in Martinez, California, on the Fourth of July. https://t.co/0ZGUtQo5dA
— NBC News (@NBCNews) July 5, 2020
The relevant section of the California penal code reads as follows:
(b) No person, whether or not acting under color of law, shall knowingly deface, damage, or destroy the real or personal property of any other person for the purpose of intimidating or interfering with the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured to the other person by the Constitution or laws of this state or by the Constitution or laws of the United States, in whole or in part because of one or more of the actual or perceived characteristics of the victim listed in subdivision (a) of Section 422.55.
Breitbart News attempted to contact the DA’s office to explain how these provisions apply to the couple that has been charged, and has not yet received a response.
Becton stated in a press release:
We must address the root and byproduct of systemic racism in our country. The Black Lives Matter movement is an important civil rights cause that deserves all of our attention,” stated Contra Costa County District Attorney Diana … The mural completed last weekend was a peaceful and powerful way to communicate the importance of Black lives in Contra Costa County and the country. We must continue to elevate discussions and actually listen to one another in an effort to heal our community and country.
Soros spent roughly $50,000 in support of Becton in 2018 through the California Justice & Public Safety Political Action Committee. She won a narrow victory — one of the only successes Soros enjoyed in DA races in California that year, when he backed “progressive” prosecutors against establishment candidates.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). His new book, RED NOVEMBER, is available for pre-order. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
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