Meet the Crusader Knight Who Fights Communists

[keyboardworkout]

https://www.countere.com/home/clevel...hts-communists

The man dressed as a crusader knight lifts his megaphone. “C’mon you agitators. Get moving!” He shouts at a group of around fifty protestors and the portly 19-year-old, Juan, leading them over the bridge. A rear wall of Cleveland police inch them along.

One goggled officer bikes to the front. “We don’t need you here! ****ing pigs! Don’t touch me!” Snaps Juan. The man dressed as a crusader knight’s eyes grow wide and angry. “Juan, why do you always do this! You’re gonna get arrested!” He roars. “We have to live in a community with those people!”

It’s September afternoon. We’re at a Refuse Fascism march in Cleveland, Ohio. Unlike most other protests this year—or exactly like most other protests this year, depending on who you ask—this one is organized by actual Communists: orange-shirted Bob Avakian proselytes from the Revolutionary Communist Party. Their signs and chants say “Black Lives Matter,” so they’ve accrued a few stragglers, as well as Juan, the tie-wearing teenage wildcard.

On the other side is the man dressed as a crusader knight, McKenzie Levindofske, who goes by McKenzie Levi. Levi—a lanky, long-haired 30something man—is notorious around the Cleveland area. He’s regularly spotted at open mics, doing parkour, or campaigning as a write-in candidate for Mayor or Congress, lugging his 65-pound crusader knight armor everywhere.

In fact, Levi has a singular dedication to the Crusader life path. Some would describe him as an elite-tier LARPer (live-action role player), a person who picks a character and then portrays them in the real world. Levi dresses only as a 12th century crusader knight marching to Jerusalem would. He begins with the braies—white puffy underclothes, which he lounges around the house in—pulls on a long tunic, adds a padded gambeson jacket, armors up in full metal chainmail, straps on a sword and shield, and then goes to the grocery store. Over everything, he wears a long surcoat with a red cross emblazoned on the chest.

Levi claims to be pro-Christian, pro-Western civilization, and anti-Globalist. He is a Monarchist who endorses principalities in America—feudal states governed by vassal princes who pay tribute to a king. He once went to Jordan to try to find the Ark of the Covenant. By night he studies 13th century sword fighting manuscripts. Then he charges into battle against those he perceives as the enemies of Western civilization: Antifa and communists.

Since 2017, Levi has attended “hundreds”—probably over 300—of protests in Northeast Ohio. He sees himself as a vessel of public safety “keeping order” in the community. He seems to prefer attending actual communist and Antifa gatherings—like the Refuse Fascism march—over Black Lives Matter protests, though he’ll show up at everything, May Day to a MAGA rally.

Any Clevelander can tell you that ‘radical left’-associated activities have never really taken root in our city—no significant rioting, antifa, or communist presence. Levi claims credit for that. By going to every protest and using crowd-control techniques he’s eager to share, Levi says he’s directly helped to dismantle Antifa cells in the region. He’s a regular villain on the dwindling Cleveland Antifa ******** page and its cohorts. Yet he’s never raised his sword in public.

At the march, every single chant is disrupted by Levi. “Trump’s a fascist!” They chant. They clap. They stamp their feet. “Juan’s a fascist!” Levi bellows back. Sometimes it’s hard to hear the group over Levi’s continuous megaphoned mockery.

A group of guys that identify as Catholics begin to walk alongside the march. One of the protestors bikes up to them. “What are you doing here,” he says. He jabs a finger in the fat rosy face of one. The boy looks startled. “Look at you, scared…you don’t have any place here—”

Levi stomps down between them. “They’re just walking down the street and watching what you guys did! Leave them alone!” Although Levi’s indoor voice is mild and nearly resigned, his battle roar has a genuinely scary—almost primal—attribute. The protestor seems taken aback. He shakes his head and moves on.

A lady with sunglasses and auburn hair, blowing bubblegum, zips in and out of the march on a scooter. She parks next to me. “Me, I’m just here to show support to the protests,” Scooter Lady says. She points to Levi. “But him? He’s being an *******.” She purses her lips wryly. “You know the ‘alt-right?’ We call him the alt-knight,” she says and zooms away.

[chaunce54]

Is it Ectocanuck?

[celltechbrahz]

A solid dude, undoubtedly.

[GreatOldOne]

Needs padding under coif/10.

And what's up with the plate bracers on his shins but no upper body plates? Poverty chain mail srs. A direct blow would still waste that knight back in the day. Doesn't even have hand protection, which would be one of the most important parts of your armor.

Brb most intact skeleton on the battlefield.

But muh chainmail!

Would have been good at medival soccer, though.