‘It’s my Florida too’: Pulse shootg survivor Brandon Wolf on beg Black, gay and the anti-Ron DeSantis | US news | The Guardian

gay army shooting

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — A shooter seemed to be driven by bias agast the LGBTQ muny plottg an attack at a gay nightclub Colorado Sprgs, killg five and woundg 17 others, a judge acknowledged Thursday fdg that prosecutors showed enough evince for trial on murr and ha te crime charg.

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THE VETERAN WHO HELPED DISARM THE GUNMAN AT GAY CLUB SAYS HE FOLLOWED HIS STCTS

Army veteran Richard Fierro was enjoyg a night out wh his fay when a gunman opened fire on a gay club Colorado Sprgs. Fierro said he went to "bat mo" to take down the shooter. * gay army shooting *

When the gunfire began si Club Q, a Colorado Sprgs gay club, on Saturday night, Army veteran Richard Fierro went to "bat mo, " as he put , and tried to do all he uld to stop the shooter om hurtg people.

— A rated army veteran who tackled the shooter who killed five a Colorado Sprgs gay club said he wanted to protect the close kn muny si the room. Gay, straight, don't matter. … It has nothg to do wh whether they’re gay or straight, or whatever.

”Wolf had sought refuge Florida 15 years ago when he was done wh ral Oregon, the childhood home where he suffered embedd racism and homophobia on a daily basis. Among his motivatns for wrg the book was to reclaim tersectnaly om DeSantis and others on the right who seek to hijack explas: “I wanted to give a human flavour to what tersectnaly actually looks and feels like and what feels like to experience racism and homophobia at the same time. Growg up a nservative majory whe town was difficult bee the same kid who would ll me the N-word on one day would ll me a homophobic slur on another day and I was nstantly navigatg the tersectns of those two thgs.

‘IT’S MY FLORIDA TOO’: PULSE SHOOTG SURVIVOR BRANDON WOLF ON BEG BLACK, GAY AND THE ANTI-RON DESANTIS

A rated army veteran who tackled the shooter who killed five a Colorado Sprgs gay club said he wanted to protect the close kn muny si * gay army shooting *

Last month DeSantis’s mpaign released an anti-LGBTQ+ vio assailg Tmp for his past support of gay and transgenr ments: “It is a sry time to be not jt LGBTQ but LGBTQ and Black this state and ultimately that’s the tent. Colorado Sprgs, the state’s send-most populo cy wh jt unr 500, 000 rints, is home to a number of ary bas and is the headquarters for Foc on the Fay, the nservative Christian group that says homosexualy and same-sex marriage are ss.

ARMY VET, NAVY PETTY OFFICER STOPPED GUNMAN AT COLORADO GAY CLUB

"I have nothg but love" for the gay muny, says Army veteran Rich Fierro, one of two people police creded wh subdug a gunman who went on a shootg rampage at a Colorado Sprgs nightclub. * gay army shooting *

He and his bs partner toured other succsful LGBTQ spac and noted a mon theme: “They were gay as hell, ” Grzecka told the outlet. We knew we had to be gay as hell (to survive).

Jared Polis, a Democrat and the natn’s first openly gay ernor, issued a statement Sunday llg the attack “horrific, sickeng and vastatg” and offered state rourc to lol law enforcement. Polis told CNN’s Jim Asta there are only two gay bars Colorado Sprgs, and Club Q was one of the ma venu. But as a gay man, I have been fightg my whole life to enjoy the very privileg I am entled to as both a beholr and protector of them.

I'M A GAY ARMY OFFICER—QUEER TROOPS MT FIGHT BACK

* gay army shooting *

I was one of few soldiers who joed the service before graduatg high school, but the admistratn at the time, which I believe was homophobic, chose to act as if I never existed bee of my queer hate that I experienced growg up on Long Island was my first enunter wh how others would treat me as a queer soldier. A Navy sailor grabbed the barrel of a gunman’s rifle and an Army veteran shed to help as they end the adly mass shootg at the gay nightclub November, a police tective ttified Wednday. (AP) — A shooter seemed to be driven by bias agast the LGBTQ muny plottg an attack at a gay nightclub Colorado Sprgs, killg five and woundg 17 others, a judge acknowledged Thursday fdg that prosecutors showed enough evince for trial on murr and ha te crime charg.

District Attorney Michael Allen told the judge that the evince showed that Aldrich had a "distaste for LGBTQ, " potg to an onle msage of a rifle spe over a gay pri para picture and e of gay slurs agast others and while onle gamg. Hate crime laws are foced on the victims, not the hearg also revealed that Aldrich might be gay, somethg not prevly mentned by prosecutors or fense attorneys.

COLORADO SPRGS GAY CLUB SHOOTER’S CASE HEADS TO TRIAL

Aldrich told one of the patrons who helped stop the attack, “My mom will not accept me bee I’m gay. ”Also released was a receipt that showed that on one of Aldrich’s viss to the club before the shootg, they bought two vodkas and “gayoli i” om bartenr Derrick Rump, who was among those sla.

*BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM* GAY ARMY SHOOTING

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2:51 PM UTC</time></div><div class="article-le-byle" data-activy-map="le-byle-article-top">By <span class="byle-name"><a href=">Deon J. Hampton</a></span>, <span class="byle-name"><a href=">Janelle Griffh</a></span> and <span class="byle-name"><a href=">Melissa Chan</a></span></div></sectn><div class="article-body__ntent article-body-font--loadg"><p class="">COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — A rated army veteran who tackled the shooter who <a href=" target="_blank">killed five a Colorado Sprgs gay club </a>said he wanted to protect the close kn muny si the room. </p><p class="">Richard Fierro, 45, was at Club Q celebratg a birthday wh his wife, their dghter and her iends when he found himself one of two people who subdued the attacker armed wh an AR-15 style rifle and wearg a flak vt.</p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100"></div></div><div id="taboolaReadMoreBelow"></div><p class="">“I jt know I got to mo, and I need to save my fay — and my fay was at that time everybody that room,” he said a news nference outsi his home on Monday.</p><p class="">“That's what I was traed to do. I saw him and I went and got him...  I tried to save people and didn’t work out for five. There’s five people who aren’t home right now."</p><p class="">“I didn’t ask for this,” he said, addg he was there to watch his dghter’s junr prom date perform. “I’m not a hero, I’m jt some du,” he said.</p><p class="">Fierro served the ary for 15 years, dog tours Iraq and Afghanistan, before leavg as a major.</p><figure class="styl_leImage__yAWZ0 styl_small__5hUB_"><picture class="styl_image__1qciH"><source media="(m-width: 1240px)" srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><source media="(m-width: 1000px)" srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><source media="(m-width: 758px)" srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><source srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><img loadg="lazy" src=" alt="Jsi Fierro." height="475" width="508"/></picture><figptn class="ptn styl_ptn__Pe5JC"><span class="ptn__ntaer">Jsi Fierro</span><span class="ptn__source">via Facebook</span></figptn></figure><p class="">Authori on Monday intified Fierro and Thomas Jam as the patrons who stopped the gunman after he opened fire jt before midnight. </p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100"></div></div><p class="">“I have never enuntered a person who had engaged such heroic actns who was so humble about ,” Colorado Sprgs Mayor John Suthers said of Fierro durg a news nference Monday. “He simply said to me, ‘I was tryg to protect my fay.’”</p><p class="">In an terview at her home Monday afternoon, Jsi Fierro scribed her hband's heroic efforts to prevent greater tragedy.</p><p class="">“My hband took the gunman down,” she said. “My hband knocked the guns out of his hands and took the pistol and lerally started htg the guy wh .”</p><p class="">“We were havg a great time, we were all on the dance floor and om one mute to the next you jt heard gunshots and everyone was separated and jt started nng,” she said. “It was absolute chaos.”</p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100"></div></div><p class="">Her hband yelled for someone to ll the police, she said. </p><p class="">At the time, another man who had fallen to the ground, got up and started kickg the gunman. Fierro jured his hands, kne and ankl apprehendg the shooter, his wife said.</p><sectn class="le-vio le-vio---body"><div class="le-vio__background"><div class="le-vio__player"><div class="vioPlayer styl_vioPlayer__bL8AJ styl_adNotPlayg__Q51_C styl_alignDktopBottom__4cHaO styl_alignMobileBottom__bhgkQ"><div class="vioSlate"><a href=" class="allowClicksOnPreview"><picture class=""><source media="(m-width: 1240px)" srcSet="><source media="(m-width: 758px)" srcSet="><img loadg="lazy" src=" height="1080" width="1920"/></picture></a><div class="playButtonOuter absolute absolute-fill w100 dn-prt"><div class="absolute absolute-fill w100 df ems-center ems-center-m jtify-center jtify-center-m"><div class="play le-vio__play-button"><svg class="play--in" xmlns=" viewBox="0 0 15 15" prerveAspectRat="xMidYMid" style="max-width:30px"><path d="M0 0v15l15-7.41z" fill-le="evenodd"></path></svg></div></div></div></div><div id="154835525903"></div></div></div></div><div class="le-vio__"><h2 class="le-vio__tle"><a href=">Survivors of Colorado Sprgs shootg speak out</a></h2><span class="le-vio__tail"><span>Nov. 22, 2022</span><span>02:30</span></span><div class="styl_share__n3Syu le-vio__share dn-prt"><div class="styl_shareExpanr__hVk8d le-vio__share-expanr styl_hoverEffect___Dj4s"><span class="styl_shareDot__9pfRZ le-vio__share-dot"></span><svg class="styl_shareClose__6BZxR le-vio__share-close" viewBox="0 0 15 15"><le class="styl_shareLe__EJUjO" x1="0" x2="15" y1="0" y2="15"></le><le class="styl_shareLe__EJUjO" x1="0" x2="15" y1="15" y2="0"></le></svg></div><div class="styl_shareList___M8wC le-vio__share-list"><a href=" class="styl_shareLk__gSGN3" target="_blank" rel="noopen noreferrer"><span class="in in-facebook styl_shareIn__lVnRm le-vio__share-in"></span></a><a href=" class="styl_shareLk__gSGN3" target="_blank" rel="noopen noreferrer"><span class="in in-twter styl_shareIn__lVnRm le-vio__share-in"></span></a><a href="mailto:?subject=Survivors of Colorado Sprgs shootg speak out& class="styl_shareLk__gSGN3" target="_blank" rel="noopen noreferrer"><span class="in in-email styl_shareIn__lVnRm le-vio__share-in"></span></a></div></div></div></sectn><p class="">As gunfire epted, Jsi Fierro ma her way to a pat area, she said.</p><div class="remend-tersectn-ref" data-activy-map="remend-article-body-remend"></div><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100"></div></div><p class="">“I was zoned, I was dazed, I was sred,” she said. But her hband remaed si.</p><p class="">Jsi Fierro said her two bt iends were shot and her dghter broke her knee nng for ver. She said her <a href=" target="_blank">dghter’s boyiend was killed </a> the attack.</p><p class="">The 22-year-old spect was arrted by police who arrived wh mut, thori said Sunday. He was arrted on spicn of five unts of first gree murr and five unts of bias motivated or hate crim.</p><figure class="styl_leImage__yAWZ0 styl_medium__OMa6x"><picture class="styl_image__1qciH"><source media="(m-width: 1000px)" srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><source srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><img loadg="lazy" src=" alt="Richard Fierro durg a news nference outsi his home on Monday, speakg about his efforts to subdue the gunman Saturday's shootg at Club Q, Colorado Sprgs." height="2000" width="3000"/></picture><figptn class="ptn styl_ptn__Pe5JC"><span class="ptn__ntaer">Richard Fierro durg a news nference outsi his home on Monday.</span><span class="ptn__source">Jack Dempsey / AP</span></figptn></figure><p class="">Joe Aldaz, a fay iend, had not heard of Fierro’s actns as of Monday afternoon, but said such bravery would e naturally for the veteran.</p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100"></div></div><p class="">“I know Rich Fierro,” Aldaz said. “That would not surprise me that he would jump to that type of heroism.”</p><p class="">Aldaz is the print of the Colorado Sprgs Hispanic Chamber and said Jsi and Richard Fierro are members. The uple own <a href=" target="_blank">Atrevida Beer Co</a>., which opened January 2018.</p><sectn class="le-vio le-vio---body"><div class="le-vio__background"><div class="le-vio__player"><div class="vioPlayer styl_vioPlayer__bL8AJ styl_adNotPlayg__Q51_C styl_alignDktopBottom__4cHaO styl_alignMobileBottom__bhgkQ"><div class="vioSlate"><a href=" class="allowClicksOnPreview"><picture class=""><source media="(m-width: 1240px)" srcSet="><source media="(m-width: 758px)" srcSet="><img loadg="lazy" src="></picture></a><div class="playButtonOuter absolute absolute-fill w100 dn-prt"><div class="absolute absolute-fill w100 df ems-center ems-center-m jtify-center jtify-center-m"><div class="play le-vio__play-button"><svg class="play--in" xmlns=" viewBox="0 0 15 15" prerveAspectRat="xMidYMid" style="max-width:30px"><path d="M0 0v15l15-7.41z" fill-le="evenodd"></path></svg></div></div></div></div><div id="154964037868"></div></div></div></div><div class="le-vio__"><h2 class="le-vio__tle"><a href=">Veteran who stopped Colorado Sprgs gunman: ‘I jt did what I had to do’</a></h2><span class="le-vio__tail"><span>Nov. 22, 2022</span><span>00:49</span></span><div class="styl_share__n3Syu le-vio__share dn-prt"><div class="styl_shareExpanr__hVk8d le-vio__share-expanr styl_hoverEffect___Dj4s"><span class="styl_shareDot__9pfRZ le-vio__share-dot"></span><svg class="styl_shareClose__6BZxR le-vio__share-close" viewBox="0 0 15 15"><le class="styl_shareLe__EJUjO" x1="0" x2="15" y1="0" y2="15"></le><le class="styl_shareLe__EJUjO" x1="0" x2="15" y1="15" y2="0"></le></svg></div><div class="styl_shareList___M8wC le-vio__share-list"><a href=" class="styl_shareLk__gSGN3" target="_blank" rel="noopen noreferrer"><span class="in in-facebook styl_shareIn__lVnRm le-vio__share-in"></span></a><a href=" class="styl_shareLk__gSGN3" target="_blank" rel="noopen noreferrer"><span class="in in-twter styl_shareIn__lVnRm le-vio__share-in"></span></a><a href="mailto:?subject=Veteran who stopped Colorado Sprgs gunman: ‘I jt did what I had to do’& class="styl_shareLk__gSGN3" target="_blank" rel="noopen noreferrer"><span class="in in-email styl_shareIn__lVnRm le-vio__share-in"></span></a></div></div></div></sectn><p class="">A Bronze Star Medal recipient, Fierro served as a field artillery officer the Army om June 1999 to November 2013, and held the rank of Major at the end of service, the Army said. </p><p class="">Bis the Bronze Star, which is given to service members who have “distguished himself or herself by heroic or meror achievement or service,” he was also award several other mendatn and achievement medals.</p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100"></div></div><p class="">Acrdg to a bgraphy on San Diego State Universy's webse, Fierro graduated as the AROTC Distguished Milary Grad 1999. He spent the next 15 years the Army servg var posns cludg platoon lear, battery manr, battaln operatns officer, briga plans officer and rps unter fire officer. </p><div class="remend-tersectn-ref" data-activy-map="remend-article-body-remend"></div><p class="">He earned his MBA om the <a href=" target="_blank">Universy of Colorado, Colorado Sprgs</a> last year. </p><p class="endmark"><em>Deon J. Hampton reported om Colorado Sprgs, and Janelle Griffh and Melissa Chan reported om New York.</em></p><div class="expand-byle-ntributors articleByleContaer"><div class="expand-byle article-expand-byle" data-activy-map="expand-byle-article-bottom"><span class="byle-thumbnail byle-thumbnail--no-image expand-byle__thumbnail"></span><span class="byle-name expand-byle__name"><a href=">Deon J. Hampton</a></span><span class="byle-social expand-byle__social"><a href=" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="byle-social--lk"><span class="in in-twter"></span></a><a href="" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="byle-social--lk"><span class="in in-email"></span></a></span><div class="expand-byle__b-wrapper"><p class="byle-b expand-byle__b">Deon J. Hampton is a natnal reporter for NBC News.</p></div></div><div class="expand-byle article-expand-byle" data-activy-map="expand-byle-article-bottom"><div class="byle-thumbnail byle-thumbnail--has-image expand-byle__thumbnail"><a href="><picture><source srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><img loadg="lazy" src=" alt="" height="48" width="48"/></picture></a></div><span class="byle-name expand-byle__name"><a href=">Janelle Griffh</a></span><span class="byle-social expand-byle__social"><a href=" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="byle-social--lk"><span class="in in-twter"></span></a><a href="" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="byle-social--lk"><span class="in in-email"></span></a></span><div class="expand-byle__b-wrapper"><p class="byle-b expand-byle__b">Janelle Griffh is a natnal reporter for NBC News focg on issu of race and policg.</p></div></div><div class="expand-byle article-expand-byle" data-activy-map="expand-byle-article-bottom"><div class="byle-thumbnail byle-thumbnail--has-image expand-byle__thumbnail"><a href="><picture><source srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><img loadg="lazy" src=" alt="" height="48" width="48"/></picture></a></div><span class="byle-name expand-byle__name"><a href=">Melissa Chan</a></span><span class="byle-social expand-byle__social"><a href=" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="byle-social--lk"><span class="in in-twter"></span></a><a href="" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="byle-social--lk"><span class="in in-email"></span></a></span><div class="expand-byle__b-wrapper"><p class="byle-b expand-byle__b">Melissa Chan is a reporter for NBC News Digal wh a foc on veterans’ issu, mental health the ary and gun vlence.</p></div></div></div></div></div><div class="article-body--right-rail-ntaer"><div class="article-body__right-rail layout-grid-em grid-l-4_5-l grid-l-3_5-xl grid-l-ph-half-xl"><div class="ad article-body__right-rail--ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer dn-prt"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxrail" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[[300,250],[360,360]]],[[758,1],[]],[[0,0],[]]]" data-offset="10" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te"></div></div></div></div></div><div class="body-bottom-remend"><div class="ad ad--midrponsive ad-ntaer dn-prt"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="midrponsive" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[[700,1],[5,5]]],[[758,1],[]],[[0,0],[]]]" data-offset="300" data-reh-terval="0" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te"></div></div></div></div></div></article></div></div><div id="hfs-footer" class="dn-prt" data-activy-map="hfs-footer"><footer class="hfsf" ><div class="ner"><div class="logo"><a href="><svg class="peack" viewBox="578 62 67 39" xmlns=" fill="currentColor"><g fill-le="evenodd"><path d="M579.074 90.58c1.717-4.494 6.472-6.08 10.697-3.37l18.29 12.754h-22.18c-4.62 0-8.252-4.23-6.8-9.385"></path><path class="feather" d="M579.074 90.58c1.717-4.494 6.472-6.08 10.697-3.37l18.29 12.754h-22.18c-4.62 0-8.252-4.23-6.8-9.385"></path><path class="feather" d="M597.563 75.863l9.442 21.613-19.478-13.35c-4.887-3.24-3.896-8.79-1.19-11.237 3.83-3.24 9.245-2.12 11.226 2.97"></path><path class="feather" d="M610.57 70.93l-3.433 24.19-9.772-23c-2.113-5.75 2.64-9.516 5.81-9.583 3.632-.396 8.188 2.38 7.396 8.394"></path><path class="feather" d="M625.494 72.103l-9.707 23.067-3.102-20.82c-.265-3.17 1.716-3.237 2.443-3.832-.133-.463-1.124-.463-1.124-.463h-1.848c-.198-5.42 4.028-7.8 7.462-7.535 3.697.132 7.856 4.428 5.876 9.583"></path><path class="feather" d="M635.338 84.167L615.86 97.584l9.177-21.348c2.775-6.742 9.245-5.42 11.556-2.842 2.51 2.51 3.235 7.6-1.255 10.773"></path><path class="feather" d="M637.448 99.9h-22.515l18.29-12.756c4.49-2.975 9.244-.266 10.498 3.635 1.327 4.36-1.65 9.12-6.27 9.12"></path></g></svg></a></div><nav class="lks"><ul class="lks__wrap" data-l-2="14" data-l-3=15><li><a href=" target="_self">About</a></li><li><a href=" target="_self">Contact</a></li><li><a href=">Help</a></li><li><a href=">Careers</a></li><li><a href=" target="_blank" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ad Choic</a></li><li><a href=" target="_blank" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Privacy Policy</a></li><li><a href=" target="_blank" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Do Not Sell My Personal Informatn</a></li><li><a href=" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CA Notice</a></li><li><a href=">New Terms of Service (Updated JULY 7, 2023)</a></li><li><a href=">NBC News Semap</a></li><li><a href=">Advertise</a></li><li><a href=" target="_self">Select Shoppg</a></li><li><a href=" target="_self">Select Personal Fance</a></li></ul></nav><div class="py"><p>© 2023 NBC UNIVERSAL</p><div class="brands"><a href="><svg viewBox="0 0 120 20" fill="none" xmlns=" aria-labelledby="nbc_news_logo"><tle class="nbc_news_logo">NBC News Logo .

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