HATE CRIME 
COLLEGE REPUBLICAN ALLEGEDLY BEATEN BY LIBERAL THUGS
This is disturbing.
Justin Zatkoff, the executive director of the Michigan College Republicans, was brutally beaten after leaving a party in Ann Arbor on Saturday night. The Oakland University junior from Bloomfield Hills, Mich. was rumored to be targeted by militant leftist groups. Zatkoff, pictured above, did not know his attacker, and no money was stolen.
A source close to Zatkoff reports:
Justin may have been 1. randomly attacked (but not robbed??), 2. attacked by BAMN (well known for violence andstrong in Ann Arbor), or 3. attacked by a homosexual rights group (Justin received an ‘odd/threatening’ email from a gay rights group about a day before the attack.)The mainstream press has not picked up the story.
A report from the Michigan College Republicans earlier this week said:
Justin Zatkoff, Executive Director for the MFCRs, was attacked leaving a party in Ann Arbor Saturday night. Justin had not seen the attacker before, and had no opportunity to defend himself. Justin is well-known for being a conservative and ‘in-your-face’ Republican, and there is quite a bit of speculation that he was targeted by leftist groups. The side of his face was crushed, and he will need to undergo major surgery to rebuild it.Web site says liberals beat student GOP leader; police say no
Police: Student picked fight with friends at party, got punchedSaturday, September 30, 2006BY DAVE GERSHMAN Ann Arbor News Staff Reporter Everybody agrees last Saturday night in Ann Arbor ended badly for Justin Zatkoff when the Republican student activist was hit in the face so hard that he couldn't recall the attack and would need hours of surgery.
But with weeks left before the November elections, rumors quickly spread in Republican circles that Zatkoff was viciously beaten for his political views in one of the state's bluest of cities.
In the days following the attack, the conservative student Web site Truth Caucus posted photos of his injured face, pronounced the incident a "hate crime,'' and speculated it was the work of "liberal thugs.'' A Republican organizer in Michigan e-mailed campus Republicans, warning them to travel in groups until the election was over. And pretty soon, the matter was fodder for major political Web sites, like Wonkette.
Ann Arbor police said Friday there's no truth to the rumors.
While at a party that began last Saturday night, police said Zatkoff picked a fight with some of his friends, and got punched in the eye. Police interviewed Zatkoff at a hospital the next day and he didn't recall what happened.
People who were at the party told police Zatkoff had too much to drink, said Ann Arbor police Lt. Mike Logghe.
"We interviewed the guy who punched him,'' said Logghe. "He admitted to punching him. He said he was a friend of his from high school.''
So far, no charges have been filed in the case, Logghe said.
Zatkoff is the executive director of the Michigan Federation of College Republicans. He is a student at Oakland University, and the Oakland University Chapter Chairman of the College Republicans.
Zatkoff was in surgery on Friday, said Jim Runestad, president of the North Oakland Republican Club, which counts Zatkoff as a liaison with the college Republicans. His cheekbone is crushed, his eye socket is shattered, and his nose is broken, Runestad said.
Jamie Ruth, student chairman of the College Democrats at the University of Michigan, said he found claims of politically motivated violence to be "a little political opportunism.'' He said he had no knowledge of the incident.
"I think the culture of political discourse on this campus is in pretty good shape considering the sort of disparity in the number of Republicans and Democrats,'' he said. "... I'm friends with plenty of Republicans (and independents) and I've never gotten the impression from people that they've been threatened because of their political identity.''
It's not clear how all the rumors began.
Zatkoff was outspoken in his support for the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative, the ballot question that seeks to ban affirmative action in state hiring, state contracting and state university admissions, Runestad said.
Doug Tietz, the MCRI campaign manager, said he does not know Zatkoff. While he may be a supporter, he is not formally involved in the campaign, Tietz said.
Runestad and another Republican, Dan Carlson, said they spoke to Zatkoff and he told them he was attacked after he walked outside of the party to look for a cab. And because he still had his wallet and cell phone, robbery wasn't a motive. But he didn't remember anything else.
Runestad contacted The Ann Arbor News on Friday, seeking publicity, saying he wanted the public's help identifying Zatkoff's attacker. Runestad said he couldn't say for certain why Zatkoff was attacked, but that he couldn't rule out politics.
"To me, the MCRI issue is a very volatile issue,'' Runestad said. "The people at MCRI have said that they have been intimidated, threatened almost everywhere they go.''
Told police believe a friend punched Zatkoff, Runestad said: "I don't know what to say. As disturbing as that is, it's very good news... I'll have to talk to (Zatkoff) to find out what the story is. The only thing I heard is what he told me ... ''
Carlson, chairman of the Michigan Federation of College Republicans, said he saw speculation that the attack was politically motivated on a Web site, Truth Caucus, which describes itself as "passionately conservative'' and geared to young Republicans. On Thursday, Carlson sent out an e-mail about Zatkoff's condition that included a link to the Web site. The e-mail went to Republican campus leaders. It asked them to keep Zatkoff in their prayers as he was scheduled for surgery.
"The attack was completely unprovoked,'' the e-mail stated. "I urge all of you to be careful and travel in groups when possible, especially until the elections are over.''
Carlson said on Friday that he didn't want to feed the rumors with his e-mail. He said he wanted his students to be safe.
Robert Scott, a Republican student at the University of Michigan, said he received the e-mail and the whole incident had made him uneasy. He said given the extent of Zatkoff's injuries, the speculation didn't seem outlandish. And it's not easy speaking out for Republicans in an overwhelmingly Democratic area, he said.
"I've never felt physically'' in danger, he said, "but I've been threatened.''
Anti-Republican Hate Crime? ...or desperate Machiavellian...
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These are very serious allegations, and should be investigated. Clearly it is NOT a hate crime, ...at least not the kind alledged. However, it is a crime. . . a deliberate attempt to frighten young Republican College students in order to effect a political outcome falls under the heading of domestic terrorism, if not deliberate incitement of hate. Another false-flag attack. But those of us outside the US have known all too well how skillfully Republican leaders have used fear on the American public.
