OPINION | Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those held by Sarah Palin.
Vice presidential Democratic nominee Kamala Harris is defending Black Lives Matter protests and other violent demonstrations they organize as “essential” to bringing about change.
Shortly after a grand jury announced it would not be charging the officers who fatally shot Breonna Taylor, Harris addressed the NAACP’s national convention where she said the protests were “essential for the evolution of our country.”
“Nothing that we have achieved that has been about progress, in particular around civil rights, has come without a fight, and so I always am going to interpret these protests as an essential component of evolution in our country – as an essential component or mark of a real democracy,” she said, as the Daily Mail reports.
“The people’s voices must be heard, and it is often the people who must speak to get their government to do what it is supposed to do, but may not do naturally unless the people speak loudly – and obviously peacefully,” Harris continued.
She then praised BLM as “the most significant agent for change within the criminal justice system.”
“I think, a community and the country speaking out, understanding that nothing that we have achieved that has been about progress in this country has come without a fight. Nothing that we have achieved in our country that has been about progress, and in particular around civil rights has come without a fight,” Harris also said.
The Daily Mail reports the comments were met with swift criticism online:
The comments came thick and fast with many seemingly shocked at the vice presidential candidate’s take on recent events.
‘Unmoved by the violence in our streets and the brutal attacks on our police officers, Kamala Harris says the ‘protests’ are essential for our ‘evolution’ as a country,’ wrote Arthur Schwarz as he used the senators own words against her.
— Advertisement — It was a view shared by Steve Guest, Rapid Response Director of the GOP.
‘After months of left-wing violence, Democrat Sen. Kamala Harris says these protests are an essential part of our ‘evolution’ as a country,’ encouraging others to see fault with Harris’ words.
See below to see how some people responded to Harris:
