Republican congressman threatens to kill protesters in Facebook post
Republican congressman Clay Higgins in Louisiana says he was censored after a controversial social media post
Louisiana congressman Rep. Clay Higgins had his Facebook post removed by the tech giant after he threatened to shoot armed Black protesters “where they stand.”
The post was flagged because it violates the social media platform’s terms of service which prohibit threatening violence. According to the Acadiana Advocate in Louisiana, Higgins posted a picture of armed Black protestors, from a demonstration in Louisville, Kentucky, that brought Black gun advocates out to show their support of the Black Lives Matter movement and the Second Amendment.
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“I’d drop any 10 of you where you stand,” Higgins wrote in his post earlier in the week. “Nothing personal. We just eliminate the threat. We don’t care what color you are. We don’t care if you’re left or right. If you show up like this, if We recognize threat… you won’t walk away.”
Similarly, armed members of white militias have joined BLM counter-protests and coronavirus protests across the country. Illinois teenager Kyle Rittenhouse brought a rifle to a demonstration in support of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin to join what is believed to be white militia members “protecting” local businesses. He is now accused of fatally shooting two men.
HIggins further said about the Louisville protesters: “We don’t want to see your worthless ass nor do we want to make your Mothers cry.”
According to the Acadiana Advocate, Higgins is often seen with a gun on his person and is an advocate of gun ownership and gun rights. It is legal to carry in Louisiana.
Higgins is a former policeman and sheriff’s’ deputy in Louisiana’s St. Landry Parish where he was once disciplined by his commanding officer for hitting a handcuffed Black man and lying about in an investigation. Higgins is still a certified law enforcement officer in the state and the Advocate reports that the former police officer who lied about the incident now works with him.
Higgins’ post may reference protests happening in Lafayette over the police shooting death of Trayford Pellerin, killed on the Evangeline Thruway on Aug. 21. The protest has brought out Black Lives Matter supporters and a counter-protest group called the Louisiana Cajun Militia, who were armed in a show of force at a BLM protest earlier this week.
After Higgins’ post was removed, he put up a new one saying that his rights were being infringed upon.
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“America is being manipulated into a new era of government control. Your liberty is threatened from within,” Higgins wrote in his follow-up post on Facebook. “Welcome to the front lines, Ladies and Gentlemen. I suggest you get your mind right. I’ll advise when it’s time gear up, mount up, and roll out.”
Facebook also removed that post.
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