Donald Trump Says 75-Year-Old Martin Gugino, Pushed Down By Buffalo Police, May Be ‘Antifa Provocateur’
President Donald Trump said that Martin Gugino — a 75-year-old man who was pushed down by a Buffalo police officer — may be an “ANTIFA provocateur” in a Tuesday morning Facebook post.
As previously reported by The Inquisitr, last week Gugino was among the thousands protesting George Floyd’s death in Buffalo. In an incident that has since gone viral, a group of Buffalo Police Department officers marched past Gugino. One appeared to push him down to the ground, bloodying him in the process. Another appeared to begin to reach or kneel down toward him but was moved along by another officer, later identified as a supervisor.
The incident can be seen in the video below.
Warning: the following footage contains content that may be disturbing to some viewers.
On Tuesday, Trump suggested that Gugino may be a member of Antifa and that he was deliberately trying to stymie police efforts to contain the protest.
“Buffalo protester shoved by Police could be an ANTIFA provocateur. 75 year old Martin Gugino was pushed away after appearing to scan police communications in order to black out the equipment. One America News Network, I watched, he fell harder than was pushed. Was aiming scanner. Could be a set up?” Trump asked.
Antifa — short for anti-fascists — is a loose band of left-inclined individuals that, according to a May CNN report, employs various forms of activism — including alleged violent acts — in order to advance its goals. Trump has promised to deem them a terrorist organization.
Whether Gugino is, or was, a member of Antifa remains unclear. However, the narrative that he was an agent provocateur has been put forth by other politicians as well.
Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown called Gugino an “agitator” and “instigator” who was “trying to spark up the crowd of people” and was allegedly involved in the vandalism and looting that had taken place in the city, The New York Post reported. Brown also said in a news conference that Gugino was violating curfew at the time of the incident.
Gugino has a history of political advocacy. In a June 7 Facebook post, a priest identified as Father James Martin described Gugino as a “peace activist” and provided a link to a YouTube video that included Gugino.
Similarly, a blog belonging to a person identifying themselves as Martin Gugino — and bearing a photo that looks not unlike the man in the viral video — contains multiple articles and videos about various environmental and social justice-related causes.
