Lafayette Consolidated Government is suing a New York City man over his satirical Facebook post about a fake antifa event at a local mall that resulted in a flurry of calls from frightened residents and a major police response.
Mayor-President Josh Guillory said on a recent local radio broadcast that the lawsuit filed in Louisiana’s 15th Judicial District was needed to recoup police overtime costs as the local government took steps to ensure citizens’ safety.
“I believe we have filed a suit against the individual in New York that thinks it’s funny to make antifa jokes here … and scare people in Louisiana,” Guillory said during the broadcast earlier this month. “... He should bear the brunt of all the costs that his actions caused the taxpayers.”
Antifa, which stands for “anti-fascist,” refers to a political protest movement with no headquarters or formal leader. It tends to be an umbrella term for left-wing groups militantly opposed to far-right ideologies.
The lawsuit seeks damages of under $75,000 from comedian and satirist John Merrifield, who authored a Facebook post last month called “ANTIFA Takes Acadiana Mall,” about a fake demonstration event in Lafayette.
"We've even got a mall cop on the inside feeding us tactically relevant information, which is why the time is set as such,” the post said. “Remember, the ONLY good cop is a MALL cop.
"As usual, membership cards must be on your person and your uniforms must be worn beneath your disguises. ..."
A link in the post sent readers to a fundraising page that benefits the family of Trayford Pellerin, an African-American who died Aug. 21 after being shot by Lafayette police. The shooting is under investigation.
“According to the lawsuit, it seems like they want me to pay for their decision to have an overwhelming and unnecessary police response to a fake event,” Merrifield told the Louisiana Record.
Merrifield, who grew up in Lafayette Parish in the communities of Scott and Carencro, said he has been calling himself a comedian for about six years. He currently writes for a national satire publication, The Hard Times.
“I think anyone who read past the title would have been in on the joke or would have known it was a joke regardless of whether or not they thought it was funny,” he said, adding that he understood humor would not necessarily hold sway in a legal setting.
The publicity about the lawsuit has helped Merrifield raise interest and attention about causes the people of Lafayette Parish care about, including police violence and getting help for families affected by Hurricane Laura, he said.
“I would be lying if I didn’t say that part of my motivation in raising money was to show that the left cares more about Lafayette than the right-wing people in power,” Merrifield said.
Merrifield plans to meet with his attorneys this coming week to formally respond to the Louisiana lawsuit. The lawsuit ultimately will backfire on Lafayette officials, he said.
“It baffles me that someone who went to law school – the mayor-president of Lafayette – would even think this lawsuit was anything other than frivolous,” Merrifield said.