Sandy MaloneWashington, DC – Republican leadership have called for action against U.S. Representative Maxine Waters (D-California) after she called for activists to take to the streets and get “confrontational” if former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin wasn’t found guilty for the murder of George Floyd (video below).
Video showed Waters joined the Daunte Wright protest after curfew just before 11 p.m. on Saturday night in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, FOX News reported.
The congresswoman who infamously urged protesters to harass Trump administration staffers in restaurants and on the street in 2018 called for protests to continue and proceeded to call for jurors to find Chauvin guilty of “first-degree murder.”
“And so, yes I would like to see the bill in Congress pass on police reform but I know the right wing – the racists – are opposed to it and I don’t know what’s going to happen to this. But I know this, we’ve got to stay in the streets and we’ve got to demand justice,” Waters told the crowd in the video.
“We’re looking for a guilty verdict,” she continued. “We’re looking for a guilty verdict and we’re looking to see if all of the talk that took place and has been taking place after they saw what happened to George Floyd. If nothing does not happen, then we know that we have got to not only stay in the street but we have got to fight for justice.”
“But I’m very hopeful,” Waters told the assembled crowd of protesters. “And I hope that we’re going to get a verdict that will say guilty guilty guilty. And if we don’t, we cannot go away.”
She told reporters that a manslaughter verdict from the jury wouldn’t be sufficient, the video showed.
“Oh no, not manslaughter,” Waters insisted. “This is guilty for murder. I don’t know whether it’s in the first degree but as far as I’m concerned, it’s first-degree murder.”
Chauvin is facing charges of second-degree and third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter in the death of Floyd.
“We gotta stay on the streets and we’ve gotta get more active,” Waters urged the protesters. “We’ve gotta get more confrontational. We’ve got to make sure that they know that we mean business.”
Republican leadership called for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California) to do something about Waters’ actions and words, The Hill reported.
“Maxine Waters is inciting violence in Minneapolis — just as she has incited it in the past,” House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-California) tweeted. “If Speaker Pelosi doesn’t act against this dangerous rhetoric, I will bring action this week.”
Maxine Waters is inciting violence in Minneapolis — just as she has incited it in the past. If Speaker Pelosi doesn’t act against this dangerous rhetoric, I will bring action this week.
— Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) April 19, 2021
U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) weighed in on Sunday night, too.
“Democrats actively encouraging riots & violence. They want to tear us apart,” Cruz tweeted and shared a link to an article about the video.
The editorial board of the New York Post also weighed in on Waters’ latest antics and said that based on the congresswoman’s own standards for former President Donald Trump, she should be impeached and removed from office.
“There’s been rioting, looting, graffiti — what did Waters mean by ‘more confrontational’? In Portland, they set fire to an Apple store. They’re trying to take over government buildings,” the editorial pointed out.
U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene called out Waters for advocating domestic terrorism.
.@MaxineWaters is Commander of the BLM domestic terror army.
A year of burning down cities, looting businesses, & murdering Americans like David Dorn.
When you tell them to “stay in the streets,” how much “more confrontational” can it get, @RepMaxineWaters?#ExpelMaxineWaters
— Marjorie Taylor Greene 🇺🇸 (@mtgreenee) April 19, 2021
The New York Post editorial board accused Waters of inciting violence and then leaving the area.
“After pouring fuel on the fire in Minnesota, she encouraged everyone to keep protesting — though she herself would not be,” the editorial board wrote. “Maxine Waters is trying to create a civil war, and her irresponsible rhetoric is inciting violence. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi should strip her of her committee assignments and move for a vote to remove Waters from office.”
April 18 was the eight consecutive night of riots in Brooklyn Center after Wright was fatally shot by former Brooklyn Center Police Officer Kimberly Potter, who fired her weapon thinking she was deploying her Taser.
Potter has been charged with second-degree manslaughter.
Additionally, closing arguments for the Chauvin trial began on Monday morning and protests surrounding those proceedings have been going on in nearby Minneapolis for weeks.
On Monday morning, Waters pushed back against the accusations she was inciting violence and accused Republicans of twisting her words, according to The Hill.
“This is who they are and this is how they act,” she said. “And I’m not going to be bullied by them.”
Watch the incident unfold below here:
Maxine Waters is marching in Brooklyn Center tonight and told people to take to the streets if Chauvin is acquitted pic.twitter.com/RemfvCCLAn
— Reasonable Officer Poso (@JackPosobiec) April 18, 2021
Holly Matkin
