United States: He sets fire to protest against the ban on TikTok

© Anna Shvets/Pexels

On the night of Saturday to Sunday, the streets of Fond Du Lac (Wisconsin, center -northern United States) have been troubled by the actions of a 19-year-old man. The latter, originally from Menasha (another city in Wisconsin) had l&# 8217;excellent ideato deliberately start a fire at the office of Representative Glenn Grothman. A Republican member of Congress who supported the law forcing TikTok to separate from its Chinese owner (Bytedance) so that the platform can find an American buyer.

To ensure that the platform is not banned on American soil, many potential saviors have already spoken out. With the United States representing an extremely lucrative market for social networks, TikTok and its millions of users is a premium-category golden goose for any potential buyer.

Office of Congressman Glenn Grothman, near Lake Winnebago. © Screenshot/Google Street View

A hot night in Fond du Lac

Emergency services responded around 1 a.m. to 525 N. Peters Avenue, where first responders quickly extinguished the fire with fire extinguishers. Damage, while visible to the front of the office and an air conditioner, was fairly limited.

Fond du Lac Police Chief Aaron Goldstein was quick to condemn the act: ” Violence in any form cannot be tolerated. Our priority remains the protection and well-being of our community ».

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Fortunately, the fire did not catch and was brought under control. © Rep. Glenn Grothman of Wisconsin

A somewhat inadequate gesture

The alleged perpetrator, currently being held at the Fond du Lac County Jail, admitted that he acted in response to TikTok's suspension, which has been in effect since Saturday evening. It was a bad move, since… the situation only lasted a few hours. Indeed, President-elect Donald Trump announced yesterday afternoon his intention to temporarily suspend the application of the law. His proposal: the federal government would acquire 50 percent of the app, a proposal whose practicalities have yet to be worked out.

Rep. Grothman, who has never had a TikTok account, was surprised by the vandalism, telling the FDL Reporter: “I don't even know exactly what happened yet, other than someone tried to start a fire in cause of TikTok“.

U.S. law provides fairly harsh penalties for such acts; arson is generally classified as a Class C felony, punishable by up to 40 years in prison and a fine of up to $100,000. The fact that the target is a political office could be considered an aggravating factor, especially if the act is perceived to be politically motivated. This could lead to additional charges, such as threatening a public official, which would further increase the sentence. We know of one who must be champing at the bit.

• A young man started a fire targeting a political office in Wisconsin, in response to a measure against TikTok.
• The damage was limited thanks to a rapid intervention, and the perpetrator was arrested and imprisoned.
• This act, linked to the potential ban on TikTok, could result in very heavy criminal penalties.

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