Vice President Kamala Harris gave a speech in South Carolina, praising the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. and comparing the 2014 riots in Ferguson, Missouri, and last year's storming of the Capitol to the Civil War.
“I believe that the true power behind America's promise lies in the faith of its people. I believe that the true power behind America's promise lies in its people's faith. our faith and our deep dedication to making these principles a reality,” Harris said at the NAACP South Carolina State Conference's annual King Day at the Columbia State Capitol.・The Dome”.
“For generations, in the fields of Gettysburg, in the schools of Little Rock, on the grounds of this Capitol, on the streets of Ferguson, and in the chambers of the Tennessee House of Representatives, our people have fought for freedom. Please make that promise a reality,” she continued.
Her speech cited a 2022 Supreme Court ruling that effectively ended the Constitution's recognition of the right to abortion, “active shooter drills” in schools, and election laws that force “student shootings.” He argued that in recent years, “freedom has come under serious threat.'' Laws that intentionally make it difficult to vote can mean waiting in line for hours. ”
Cori Bush blames Michael Brown's death on 'white supremacy', denounces 'misinformation'
Vice President Kamala Harris speaks outside the White House on November 8, 2023. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
On social media, Harris' comments comparing the Battle of Gettysburg, widely considered a turning point in the Civil War, to the protests and riots in Ferguson and the gun control activists who breached the Tennessee State Capitol last year raised eyebrows. I hid.
“Kamala Harris said the riots in Ferguson and the chaos caused by a handful of far-left Tennessee lawmakers are exactly like what happened on the 'fields of Gettysburg' and 'the schools of Little Rock,'” RNC Research posted. did.
In 2014, protests demanding justice for the police shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown repeatedly turned violent, with rioters looting stores, setting cars on fire and attacking police officers in Missouri. Buildings and businesses in Ferguson were burned down and left in disrepair. . At the time of the protests, Reuters reported at the time that the city, which had not yet recovered from its 2008 financial collapse, was in the red, while local news reported that the police response to the riots had cost taxpayers an estimated $5.7 million. It was reported that.
Brown, a black man, was shot and killed by white police officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson about a decade ago during a roughly two-minute exchange. The Department of Justice investigated and said in its report that on Aug. 9, Brown, who was on duty, was walking with a friend in the middle of the road after “Brown stole several boxes of cigarillos from a nearby liquor store.” The report details what he witnessed.
Protesters celebrate as a store torched during the riots goes up in flames following the grand jury announcement of the Michael Brown murder in Ferguson, Missouri on November 24, 2014. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Wilson was aware of the theft report and approached the men, told them to walk on the sidewalk and asked for backup, the Justice Department said. Brown then reached into Wilson's car and a fight broke out between the two.
Kamala Harris defends Biden's intelligence when asked about mental sharpness: 'He's very smart'
“Wilson and other witnesses said Brown then reached into the SUV through the open driver's window and punched and grabbed Wilson. This left Wilson with bruises on his jaw and scratches on his neck, This is corroborated by the presence of Brown's DNA on Wilson's collar and shirt,” Wilson's pants, and on Brown's palm. Wilson said Wilson reached out of the SUV and grabbed Brown by the neck. There are other individuals who were identified, but prosecutors were unable to credit their accounts because they did not match the physical and forensic evidence, as detailed throughout this report. ,” the Department of Justice said in a report released in March 2015.
Police attempt to subdue demonstrators protesting the murder of teenage boy Michael Brown on August 18, 2014 in Ferguson, Missouri. As the demonstrators became unruly, police fired smoke and tear gas to disperse them. (Scott Olson/Getty Images))
Officers said Brown was unarmed at the time of the shooting and tried to get Wilson's gun, which caused Wilson to fire at Brown, the report said. There were no witnesses to corroborate Wilson's claim that Brown tried to take his gun, but no reliable evidence was found to disprove that claim.
Michael Brown shooting in St. Louis in 2014.Louis' top prosecutor announces no charges against Darren Wilson
After Brown's death, activists chanted “Hands up, don't shoot,” referring to witness testimony that Brown raised his hands in a sign of surrender before dying.
The Obama administration's Justice Department ultimately declined to prosecute Wilson, and he was acquitted.
“Federal law proves to the government that Officer Wilson used unreasonable force when he shot and killed Michael Brown, and that he did so knowingly, knowing that it was illegal and against the law. “After careful and considered review, the Department of Justice has determined that, in all of the evidence, there is no evidence that Darren Wilson violated any applicable federal criminal and civil rights laws.” the Department of Justice said.
Then-President Barack Obama defended the Justice Department's decision not to indict Wilson, but said the investigation showed that black residents and activists' concerns about the treatment of black Americans by police were legitimate. .
Chaos erupts again at the Tennessee State Capitol as Democrats vote to expel Democratic lawmakers from office over protests at the Capitol
“What happened in Ferguson is not a complete anomaly,” President Obama said at the time. “It turns out they weren’t just making it up, it was actually happening.”
The Ferguson riots ultimately led to 321 arrests and 16 injuries, including police officers.
Gun reform and “Tennessee Three” supporters hold signs in the House Gallery in Nashville on April 6, 2023. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Lawmakers lose committee assignments after Tennessee Capitol attack
Harris' comments that Americans will “make the promise of freedom a reality” through actions such as protests on the “floor of the Tennessee House of Representatives” come after protests formed outside and inside the Tennessee State Capitol last year. It was mentioned.
Last March, three Democratic state legislators led demonstrators on the House floor calling for stricter gun laws in the wake of the Covenant School shooting in Nashville. Last March, three children and three adults were killed in the Christian school shooting, in which the gunman, identified as Audrey Hale, a transgender former student, was shot and killed by police.
More than 1,000 demonstrators gathered outside the state Capitol on March 30, and some demonstrators later entered the building. Legislative work was halted as three Democratic senators, later known as the “Tennessee Three,” used bullhorns to lead gun control protesters.
Gun reform and “Tennessee Three” supporters hold placards in the gallery of the House chamber on April 6, 2023, in Nashville. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Two of the three members were subsequently expelled for violating the chamber's rules of decorum. As the group voted to expel its members, chaos erupted again as Porter and others stormed into the building shouting, “We will not tolerate silence anymore. Stop gun violence.”
Tennessee House speaker calls for expulsion of three Democratic lawmakers who led gun control protests: “This cannot be tolerated''
Republican lawmakers and experts ultimately compared the protests to an “insurrection” and the events of January 6, 2021, when former President Donald Trump's supporters breached the U.S. Capitol.
Vice President Kamala Harris delivers remarks at the Women's Economic Participation in Future Industries conference in San Francisco on November 16, 2023. (Frederick J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images)
“What they did today was at least as bad, if not worse, depending on how you look at it, than the insurrection at the Capitol,” Tennessee House Republican Speaker Cameron Sexton said of the first protests last March. ” he said.
The expelled members later regained their seats in August.
Harris concluded her speech Monday by saying Americans will fight for freedom and win.
“The great Coretta Scott King once said, “Freedom is never truly won. Every generation earns it and wins it.''…At this moment in history, in this historic relay race, So I say, stop throwing. “Hands up, because it's time to roll up your sleeves. And we were born for times like this,'' she said.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
The White House did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment on Harris, who compared the Civil War to the Ferguson riots and the Tennessee protests.
