In Shasta County, California, rural folks don't just dislike state and federal government, some have declared war on local gov't, too

The headline out of Redding, California is "Threats, videos and a recall: A California militia fuels civic revolt in a red county, as reported by Anita Chabria and Hailey Branson-Potts for the Los Angeles Times. The alternative headline is "Amid COVID-19, a California militia is fueling civic revolt."  Here's the gist of the story out of Shasta County, population 177,223:

Known as the “second sunniest city in the U.S.,” Redding now feels to some like a tinderbox, with Shasta County residents divided over the health risks posed by the pandemic, government’s power and the degree that armed citizenry should take matters into their own hands.

Speakers at [County Board of ]supervisors’ meetings have repeatedly threatened violence, militia members have attended racial justice rallies carrying concealed weapons and opponents of the far right say they are increasingly afraid to speak out, fearing retribution.

[Carlos] Zapata has been at the center of this fray, becoming a literal “poster boy” for a media campaign that hopes to redirect the energies of Trump supporters into local politics, and spread civic revolt nationwide.

Zapata, a 42-year-old Marine Corps combat veteran, made his viral debut in August. At a Shasta County supervisors meeting, he warned of potential violence if elected officials did not drop pandemic health restrictions. “It’s not going to be peaceful much longer. ... Good citizens are going to turn into real concerned and revolutionary citizens real soon,” he warned.

Or maybe the message here is now that local government is worse than the federal government, but I don't think that's it.  I think it's that all government is bad when its positions clash with might-makes-right thinking associated with these militias.

And speaking of militias, the Department of Homeland Security issues a warning about Shasta County this week, as reported in the Shasta Scout, a non-profit news website based in Redding:

Last Friday, May 14th, the United States Department of Homeland Security issued an updated threat assessment bulletin regarding domestic terrorism. The update has important implications for Shasta County, where both online and in-person violent speech and threats against local government officials and other county residents have occurred over the past year.

According to the bulletin, sent out as part of the National Terrorism Advisory System(NTAS), America is currently facing evolving, complex and volatile domestic terrorism threats that will be heightened over the next few months of 2021. The bulletin is listed as active until August 13, 2021. The Department of Homeland Security asks the public to report suspicious activity and threats of violence, including online threats, to local law enforcement or an FBI Field Office.

Locally, violent speech or threats have occurred repeatedly both in public meetings and online over the past year. One such incident involved an online threat that appeared to advocate for the killing of a local journalist who has written extensively about “patriot” movement activists. Referring to that journalist, activist Jesse Lane wrote on Facebook, “I think it’s time we remove her from our way of living.” One commenter responded, “We are on board! Keep it private, keep us in the loop.”

Another story of resistance to pandemic regulation is this one out of El Dorado County, just east of Sacramento.  The headline for the Sacramento Bee story is "California county to public: Stop hostility toward health workers over state mask mandate," and Michael McGough reports:  

El Dorado County officials on Thursday asked residents to stop directing “verbal and physical hostility” toward county employees over COVID-19 restrictions, particularly the mask mandate, which are state decisions the local health office cannot overrule.

The El Dorado County Board of Supervisors is encouraging the public to "redirect COVID-19 complaints to state decision makers.”

The statement comes after a group of more than 100 anti-mask protesters showed up at the county health office in Placerville.

A group of a few dozen demonstrators crammed into the building’s lobby Monday morning — most of them children, along with several adult organizers — holding signs and chanting “no more masks” for several minutes, video posted to social media shows.

The next day, at least three participants spoke during the public comment period of a regularly scheduled Board of Supervisors meeting imploring county officials to make masks optional rather than mandatory at schools — which would violate the state health order.

County spokeswoman Carla Hass expanded on the issue in an email to the Bee.  

Protesters have brought their protest into the Public Health lobby, unmasked, disrupting business operations with elderly and other clients.  They have stood on chairs while chanting and yelling, banged on windows, blocked the entrance, and instilled general concern and fear for safety amongst staff and clients.