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The Luigi Mangione fangirls started lining up Thursday night to secure a spot in the courtroom and see the deranged alleged murderer plead “not guilty” in person Friday.
Not that many of the 20 or so supporters would speak to the press.
Most wore Covid masks, along with hoods and shades — anything to obscure their identities. A pair of young women, looking like radical-chic versions of Jackie O, donned printed silk scarves over their heads and oversized sunglasses.
One gal whined that she didn’t want her employer to see her in any photos.
When trying to engage with these people, I was met with death stares. The lone man in the gaggle told me to “move on.”
They want to be counted, but not identified. That’s conviction for you.
John McIntosh, who was fifth in line to get into the courthouse at 40 Centre Street, spent the night outside — hoping to sell his prime spot to a desperate Luigi fan for $350. No takers. “I should have dropped the price to $50,” he said.
Chelsea Manning, who served time for giving classified US military documents to WikiLeaks, was on hand, wearing a pinstriped suit and tie and waiting patiently. Manning, who also showed up at a previous Mangione hearing, declined to give an interview and would only say, “I’m here as a citizen … I’m here to observe court proceedings.”
Then a protest, organized by the activist group People over Profit, broke out in opposition to prosecutors filing a notice Thursday night about seeking the death penalty in the case.
A woman dressed like Luigi from “Super Mario Brothers” paraded around smiling — until any journalist asked a question. “No interviews!” she barked.
Nadine Seiler came from Maryland to hold a banner spray painted with the message “Luigi before Fascists.” Yoel Friedman, an Orthodox Jewish man from Monroe, New York, wore a sign across his back that read “Deny Delay Depose” and advertised his website.
“I support Luigi…He did the right thing. He opened the eyes of the people to talk about this,” Friedman said, meaning health insurance. When asked if the murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson was justified, he said “Yes.”
Chilling words, even on a sunny spring day.
Thompson was not only murdered in cold blood but, in death, the father of two is being vilified over and over like he was healthcare’s Hitler, systematically and intentionally killing people from his corner office.
“These are good people, smart people,” said artist Jarva Land, who showed up to sketch Mangione’s fans — and, hopefully, his eyebrows — in court. “These are people you want participating in democracy and justice in our country. They’re not crazy fangirls, and maybe they’re going to change the world.”
I believe they already have, by endorsing the execution of the powerful. Where does the justification stop?
Last Friday, a handful of fans also showed up at the courthouse even though Mangione’s appearance had been canceled. One, a New Hampshire resident who called herself Chaos V, put on an impromptu concert to perform her original song, “Delulu for Lu Lu.”
“I hope he’s locked up with me,” she sang. “And they throw away the key.”
It was written, she told me, while she laid in a hospital bed with an unspecified stomach issue. She believes women aren’t treated well by the medical industry.
“Murder is not just, obviously, but I really can’t feel that bad when you are killing that many people,” she said. She denied Mangione’s looks inspired her techno masterpiece, but her friend interjected to add that other fans “think he’s hot. Just saying.”
The accused’s looks are a sensitive subject all around. I was approached by a 26-year-old California native, who was eager to speak but not on the record. She was disheartened by the media calling Mangione supporters love-struck ladies.
“I’m a lesbian,” she said. “I don’t care about his looks.”
It’s his actions that have sparked an overdue conversation, she added.
She asked if I felt that peaceful protest was the answer, and I said yes. Then she hit me with it: “I’ve been a climate activist since I was 15, and nothing has changed.”
That’s the thing. A large portion of young Americans — through schools, social media and the celebrities they follow — have been fed a steady diet of injustice porn. And sold activism as salvation.
They saw a young Greta Thunberg exalted. They were promised urgent results if only they spoke up and organized.
While this girl was polite, curious and even sweet, I found her words as disturbing as Mr. Friedman’s.
Yes, there are real issues in the healthcare system that need to be addressed.
But this is a dangerous mindset, to believe that, when people cannot be swayed with reason, pivoting to violence is not only justified — it’s righteous. To believe that the powers that be will bend at the threat of bloodshed.
That’s not democracy, that’s terrorism.