Adam Kokesh Calls Off Armed March On D.C. In Favor Of 50 State March For "Orderly Dissolution Of The Federal Government"

TIMOTHY JOHNSON/Media Matters For America:

Adam Kokesh is cancelling his planned July 4 armed march on Washington, D.C., and instead calling for a march on all 50 state capitols with the goal of overthrowing the federal government.

Kokesh, a former host for Russian state-sponsored RT television who now hosts an internet radio show, told conspiracy theorist radio host Pete Santilli that it was time to "escalate our tactics" before cancelling the Washington march and urging supporters to march on their state capitol instead.

On May 28, Santilli, a promoter of conspiracy theories about the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks who recently drew scrutiny from the Secret Service over vicious comments made about Hillary Clinton, aired an interview where Kokesh read from a press release and provided other details about the expansion of his plans.

Previously, Kokesh launched a Facebook page to organize his armed march on Washington, an event he hoped would draw at least 1,000 attendees. The page currently lists more than 5,000 attendees. 

In an interview with Buzzfeed, Kokesh detailed how he and others planned to march across the Memorial Bridge -- which separates Washington from Virginia -- while openly carrying firearms in violation of District of Columbia law. Kokesh told Buzzfeed that the event would be non-violent and said, "We're not going to resist government by force in any way." The Facebook description of the event stated, "This will be a non-violent event, unless the government chooses to make it violent." District of Columbia Police Chief Cathy Lanier stated that those who bring weapons illegally into Washington would face arrest. 

In the press release, Kokesh called for "A new American revolution" where "the American Revolutionary Army will march on each state capital to demand that the governors of these 50 states immediately initiate the process of an orderly dissolution of the federal government through secession and reclamation of federally held property." Kokesh also gave the federal government a one-year deadline to comply with his demands before possibly taking violent action, writing, "Should one whole year from this July 4th pass while the crimes of this government are allowed to continue, we may have passed the point at which non-violent revolution becomes impossible."

Describing the change in plans, Kokesh told listeners who planned to openly carry firearms into the nation's capital in defiance of local firearms laws to not come to Washington, D.C., but to instead organize armed marches or other events at state capitols nationwide. He also explained to Santilli that such an "orderly peaceful dissolution" would be a way to avoid a "chaotic collapse" of government and that it is the "last chance to do it the easy way." After Santilli suggested that "we can't wait for a couple of more elections in order to purge the system," Kokesh chastised him for giving credence to the notion that "elections can have a positive impact," adding, "that's clearly not the case anymore."

KOKESH: Please don't come to Washington, D.C., this now an appeal to the state level and I think it's much more appropriate given the gravity of the situation. We shouldn't be begging the federal government to change, we shouldn't be hoping that they respect our rights because it's clear that they don't.

And I can't even, as the organizer of this event, be able to say that I'm going to be there. We can't have this depend on any one person or even any central event.

SANTILLI: There you go.

KOKESH: So now it's a march on all 50 state capitols.  

[...] 

KOKESH: A lot of people have raised criticism about well, you can't just end the federal government. Well you can't keep it going either. Look at it, it's going to collapse under its own weight. We are an empire in decline and if we don't do something about this now, like an orderly peaceful dissolution, it's going to be a chaotic collapse.

I've always said this as libertarians from our analysis of government when we say, hey you know what, we need to reduce the coercion in society, reduce the tyranny and the force and the fraud that is government. I've always thought when we're saying is, look guys we can do this the easy way or the hard way. And this is sort of like, hey guys, last chance to do it the easy way.

[...]

SANTILLI: Tell me if you agree or disagree with this, that we can't wait for a couple of more elections in order to purge the system. That we have a system of government right now that is not --

KOKESH: Were you suggesting -- hold on, hold on, I have to stop and laugh at you for a second if I may --

SANTILLI: Yes, please.

KOKESH: -- were you actually just suggesting that elections can have a positive impact? Or were you suggesting that elections can somehow clean house or clear out? Because I think if anything that's clearly not the case anymore.