A former Navy SEAL turned neo-Nazi sympathizer, Gregory Vandenberg, was convicted Monday for plotting to bomb cops with "mortar" fireworks at an anti-Trump rally in California, putting him behind bars for up to a decade. The explosives, purchased from a New Mexico travel center, were designed to shoot high into the air and create sounds simulating gunfire, according to investigators.
Vandenberg's motivations stemmed from his deep-seated hatred of President Trump, whom he believed was controlled by Israel and Jewish interests. He also harbored anti-Semitic sentiments, as evidenced by a t-shirt emblazoned with "AMALEK," which officials said translates to the "destroyer of Jews."
When law enforcement caught up to Vandenberg while he was living in his car in Tucson, Arizona, they found the explosives, as well as other incriminating items, including a t-shirt bearing the Black Sun symbol, a neo-Nazi emblem. The cashier at the travel center who sold him the fireworks immediately reported him to authorities, who promptly arrested him.
Vandenberg's actions were deemed a clear threat to public safety and an infringement on his right to free speech, as acting US Attorney Ryan Ellison stated, "People in this country are free to hold their own beliefs and to express them peacefully... What they are not free to do is use explosives to threaten or terrorize others."
The jury trial lasted five days, after which Vandenberg was sentenced to up to 10 years behind bars. The incident serves as a reminder of the dangers posed by extremist ideologies and the importance of vigilance in protecting public safety.
Vandenberg's motivations stemmed from his deep-seated hatred of President Trump, whom he believed was controlled by Israel and Jewish interests. He also harbored anti-Semitic sentiments, as evidenced by a t-shirt emblazoned with "AMALEK," which officials said translates to the "destroyer of Jews."
When law enforcement caught up to Vandenberg while he was living in his car in Tucson, Arizona, they found the explosives, as well as other incriminating items, including a t-shirt bearing the Black Sun symbol, a neo-Nazi emblem. The cashier at the travel center who sold him the fireworks immediately reported him to authorities, who promptly arrested him.
Vandenberg's actions were deemed a clear threat to public safety and an infringement on his right to free speech, as acting US Attorney Ryan Ellison stated, "People in this country are free to hold their own beliefs and to express them peacefully... What they are not free to do is use explosives to threaten or terrorize others."
The jury trial lasted five days, after which Vandenberg was sentenced to up to 10 years behind bars. The incident serves as a reminder of the dangers posed by extremist ideologies and the importance of vigilance in protecting public safety.
this guy is so messed up his hate for Trump turned into wanting to blow up cops with fireworks I mean what's next he's gonna try to kill people at a baseball game or something? The fact that he was just living in his car and bought the explosives from a travel center is crazy how did nobody suspect anything until the cashier reported him? And 10 years behind bars is probably a good thing for everyone
his anti-Semitic vibes are super disturbing too, i mean who wears a shirt with "AMALEK" on it and expects everyone to be all chill about it? 
i'm so glad he got caught and is now facing some serious time behind bars 
the fact that he thought he could just buy fireworks from a travel center and use them to threaten people is just crazy 
we need to keep being vigilant about these types of threats and support each other in standing up against extremism 
this whole thing is just so messed up I mean, who uses "mortar" fireworks to try and scare people at a protest? 
that's not even conspiracy theory material, that's just hate. I'm glad the authorities were able to stop him and put a damper on his twisted plans.
this whole thing is just so messed up... like I get that people have strong feelings about politicians, but coming at it with explosives and hate symbols? 
. I'm glad he's getting time behind bars, but at the same time, we gotta keep talking about how to address these issues without demonizing entire groups of people 
. We need to find ways to listen to each other and work towards understanding 
.
. I mean, can you imagine if someone did that with a t-shirt supporting, like, a different ideology? There would be so much outrage 
.
. And I love that the jury saw it for what it was - a clear threat to public safety 
.
Anyway, I'm just glad no one got hurt 
.
And using fireworks as some kinda explosive device? That's just crazy talk. I remember back in the 90s, we had our share of problems with hate groups, but this guy... he takes it to a whole new level. 
And what's with the anti-Semitic stuff? That's just plain ignorant. 
Anyway, glad he got caught and is gonna do some serious time. Up to 10 years, that's a wake-up call for anyone who thinks they can just go around spouting hate speech and causing harm. 
so like what's crazy is that this guy was just trying to bomb cops with fireworks and no one thought he'd actually go through with it... I mean, i guess it's good that law enforcement was on top of it and caught him before he could cause any harm 
maybe that's just a pipe dream though and we're stuck with this stuff forever 
can't believe this guy got so close to blowing up cops with fireworks 
and it's all because he had some deep-seated issues with Trump 
but at the same time, it's super scary how far his hate went - I mean, who designs explosives to mimic gunfire? 
what really got me is that he thought he could just express himself peacefully and not get caught 
and that t-shirt with the Amanuelk symbol is straight out of a nightmare from hell 
It's not about free speech, it's about not harming others. And what really gets me is that someone like him is still out here, spreading hate and terrorizing people. 
