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Black Lives Matter activists in Utah are trying to distance themselves from John Earle Sullivan, a far-left extremist who participated in both their “protests” over the summer and the storming of the U.S. Capitol during the first full week of January.
In a statement to Fox News, BLM Utah founder Lex Scott claimed her branch of the organization has been entirely peaceful and has no ties to Sullivan.
“We do not want to be associated with John Sullivan. He seems like he’s kind of a loose cannon. So we’ve just been distancing ourselves from him — but he’s like this thorn in my side that won’t go away,” she said.
“He needs to stop pretending he is part of this movement here. We don’t want to be associated with him if he’s out there storming the Capitol. I don’t know what this man is doing — I don’t want any part of it.”
She added that not only is her branch independent from the wider BLM movement, but it requires members sign a contract vowing to not participate in any criminal behavior.
“In our chapter, we work with Republicans and Democrats for police reforms,” she added.
While it’s difficult to assess the validity of her claim, since there’s no way to tell one BLM activist from another, she herself does have a have a good track record.
In June she appeared on Fox News’ “Fox News @ Night” for a congenial, meaningful discussion with Utah Sen. Mike Lee.
Watch:
But Scott’s claim doesn’t necessarily negate what Sullivan has said about himself.
“On his websites and social media accounts, he has shared articles where he is described as a Black Lives Matter activist. In an interview last week with Fox News, he did not reject the label. And speaking with other outlets recently, he has also invoked the phrase,” Fox News notes.
The fact is that the term “Black Lives Matter” is very nebulous and rarely used to indicate any particular organization — though clearly, there are some legitimate BLM organizations, including Utah BLM.
Nevertheless, according to reporting by journalist Max Blumenthal, Sullivan emerged on the scene “practically out of nowhere” in June and began organizing his own “BLM-esque rallies in Utah.” The first one reportedly spiraled out of control.
His antics drew the attention of Utah BLM, which then reached out for help to his brother, James, who last week accused him of having orchestrated the riots at the U.S. Capitol. Working with James, BLM Utah apparently managed to banish John from Utah’s “protest” scene.
View Blumenthal’s reporting below:
In June 2020, John Sullivan emerged practically out of nowhere and began organizing BLM-esque rallies in Utah. The first one spiraled into chaos, led to this shooting where he was present, prompted mass arrests, and triggered the formation of the Utah Citizen’s Alarm militia. pic.twitter.com/44XVziF9rb
— Max Blumenthal (@MaxBlumenthal) January 14, 2021
Following this and many other incidents, James Sullivan told me Utah’s BLM chapter reached out to him to help banish John from the scene. John left for Portland, where he was banished for unusual acts that caused mass arrests, then locked out of DC for his destructive presence.
— Max Blumenthal (@MaxBlumenthal) January 14, 2021
So if he’s not an official BLM member, then what is he? Either a loose cannon left-wing extremist using BLM nebulously, or, according to some left-wing activists, a double agent, per se.
Back in late November, weeks before the U.S. Capitol riot, a far-left Seattle group that calls itself Rebellion Baby posted a Twitter thread in which it suggested that Sullivan is an “infiltrator” who’s working with the right.
As evidence, the group pointed to the political leanings of Sullivan’s brother, who it claimed is a close ally of the Proud Boys.
Look:
John has been kicked from the #SaltLakeCity and #Portland protest scenes due to alarming behaviors including grifting/profiteering, self-promotion/clout chasing, sabotage of community actions, threats of violence, and — maybe most disturbingly — ties to the far-right.
(2/23)
— Rebellion Baby (@RebellionBaby) November 26, 2020
In short — John’s brother, James, is the co-founder of a pro-Trump org called “Civilized Awakening,” and has strong ties to Proud Boys — even having spoken at a Proud Boy rally. The brothers’ polarized political stances conveniently bolster the other’s public personas.
(3/23)
— Rebellion Baby (@RebellionBaby) November 26, 2020
While this is just a theory, Blumenthal has obtained photo evidence showing Sullivan standing near a Proud Boys member at the riot.
Look:
The night after the Capitol riot, John Sullivan was spotted fraternizing with Utah Proud Boy leader Thad Cisneros outside DC’s Hamilton. A source sent me this photo.
In fact, John platformed Proud Boy Thad at a July 2, 2020 rally in Provo, Utah. pic.twitter.com/7olWNZu8td
— Max Blumenthal (@MaxBlumenthal) January 14, 2021
The only problem is that this narrative seems to contradict the known evidence.
“James Sullivan says he turned in tips about his brother to the FBI here in Salt Lake City. He says he believes his brother was not only involved in the riot at the Capitol but somehow in charge,” Salt Lake City station KSTU reported last week.
Listen:
Why would his brother, who’s allegedly a Proud Boys member, rat out his own brother if the two are working together in some sinister plot to hurt the left? It doesn’t make sense, but neither does everything else that’s known about Sullivan.
His name blew up last week after he was arrested and charged in federal court for participating in the Capitol riot.
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V. Saxena is a staff writer for BizPac Review with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University.
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