Media reports US lawmaker’s office targeted in TikTok prohibition rampage
Date
1/23/2025 7:21:24 AM
(MENAFN) A teenager in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, was arrested on Monday for setting fire to a strip mall that houses the office of Republican Congressman Glenn Grothman. The 19-year-old suspect reportedly said he started the fire in protest of recent discussions surrounding a potential TikTok ban. The fire broke out early in the morning, but was quickly contained by firefighters and police, with no injuries reported and the congressman's office unoccupied at the time.
The TikTok ban stemmed from a law requiring its China-based parent company, ByteDance, to sell its US operations, citing concerns over national security and misuse of American user data. Grothman, who supported the measure, condemned the attack, emphasizing that violent actions are never an acceptable form of protest. He also declined to comment further on TikTok, stating that doing so would give the suspect exactly what he wanted.
The incident followed President Donald Trump's announcement that he would delay the enforcement of the TikTok ban for 75 days, allowing the app to resume operations temporarily. Trump also revealed plans to grant TikTok a 90-day extension to negotiate a potential sale of the platform, suggesting a "joint venture" with the United States owning a 50% stake.
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