Black Lives Matter demands Birmingham drop charges against Jermaine ‘Funnymaine’ Johnson

Jermaine (FunnyMaine) Johnson

Birmingham native and comedian Jermaine (Funnymaine) Johnson sparked events that led to removal of Confederate monument in Linn Park.

A leader and founding member of Black Lives Matter in Birmingham said Friday the organization is calling on the city to dismiss inciting a riot charges against Jermaine “Funnymaine” Johnson, contending the comedian is innocent and actually told protesters not to destroy property when peaceful demonstrations turned violent last week.

“If our city wants peace, then our city needs to drop this case,” Eric Hall, a core leader and founding member of Black Lives Matter, told AL.com Friday. “We’re definitely in disagreement with the mayor’s [Mayor Randall Woodfin] stance on him placing charges of inciting a riot. We definitely don’t think Mr. Johnson incited a riot. In fact, he was against rioting, and he stated that many times in his message to the groups that were out in Linn Park that day,” Hall said, referring to the events of May 31, when demonstrations in the park devolved into rioting, with windows being shattered, fires being set and businesses being damaged.

Hall said Black Lives Matter reviewed videos of Johnson and the protests and spoke to witnesses.

“Based off of those conversations and witness reports, we don’t find any evidence where Jermaine ‘Funnymaine’ Johnson incited riots or told people to rip up businesses or destroy property,” Hall said. “That's not who we are and what we represent.”

Johnson, a comedian known by Alabama football fans for his “How Alabama Fans Watch” videos, is charged with inciting to riot; a warrant was issued for him June 1 and he turned himself in Tuesday. Under Alabama law, a person commits the crime of inciting to riot if he or she commands, solicits, incites or urges another person to engage in tumultuous and violent conduct of a kind likely to cause or create a grave risk of public terror or alarm.

Johnson was one of the speakers at a peaceful protest in Kelly Ingram Park. “We’ve got a lot of cities around the country. They’re tearing down Target. They’re tearing down city hall. We can’t do that. We gotta protect our city," Johnson said to the crowd of hundreds.

“We can’t tear down 16th Street Baptist Church. We can’t tear down the civil rights museum. We can’t tear down Carver. We can’t tear down A.G. Gaston Plaza. But what I’m not telling you to do is walk to Linn Park. I’m not telling you to walk to Linn Park after this rally. I’m not telling you to tear something down in Linn Park. I’m not telling you that I’m going to be over there after this rally,” he said.

After that rally ended, the crowd moved over to Linn Park, home to the 115-year-old Confederate Soldiers and Sailors monument that has long been a point of contention in the city. That monument the next night was dismantled by a team of engineers at the direction of Mayor Randall Woodfin and in violation of an Alabama law that prevents the removal of Confederate statues in all of Alabama’s 169 cities.

At Linn Park the night before the removal, after protesters’ efforts failed to remove the statue, Johnson told the crowd gathered there that Woodfin had asked for 24 hours to get the monument removed.

Johnson was met with some resistance as protesters wanted to move forward with the destruction. Demonstrators did chip away at the monument and spray-painted words on it before attempts to topple the tall obelisk failed.

Johnson, who earlier had suggested to a crowd that the monument should be removed, told the crowd later that night that the mayor and his team deserved that time to get it done legally but he finished by saying, “But if that shit ain’t down by Tuesday morning, I will see you here at 12 Tuesday.”

Johnson the next day said “agitators” from outside Birmingham turned the previous night’s peaceful protest into the violence and destruction that later erupted. He denied any role in fueling the unrest.

“If you think I incited violence, you don’t think monuments like this and the policies behind it haven’t incited violence for decades, you just need to think again,’’ he said. “Y’all won’t be able to find not one video where I’m encouraging people to tear down our city. As a matter of fact, you’ll find just the opposite. I literally encouraged people with a heart for Birmingham to not touch our city. Those are the videos you will find. You will not find Jermaine Johnson on any video encouraging looting of any building in Birmingham.”

At a press conference that day, Woodfin was asked about Johnson’s actions.

“Everyone is not the same,” Woodfin said. “Certain people in this community would be deemed as influencers. When they speak, people listen to them. When they act, people follow them. They have a responsibility with that type of power. If anyone abuses that power, they not only need to take the time to check themselves, they may need some assistance in being checked. We will be following up on any information anyone would like to share about anyone who incited anything. If in our power and we have enough evidence, we will bring charges.”

By the city charging Johnson with inciting a riot, Woodfin “is inciting further civil unrest in the city,” Hall claimed.

Woodfin’s office could not be reached for comment.

“With charges being put on Jermain ‘Funnymaine’ Johnson, it’s almost like a pushback to the progress we’ve been fighting for,” Hall said. “We are preparing to take the streets, not just in honor of those whose lives have been lost to police terrorism, but as support to Jermaine ‘Funnymaine’ Johnson.”

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