BLM Leader Says ‘If This Country Doesn’t Give Us What We Want, We Burn Down The System’

Fact checked
June 25, 2020 Baxter Dmitry News, US 10
A Black Lives Matter leader issued an ominous threat on Fox News, threatening that "If this country doesn’t give us what we want, then we will burn down the system and replace it," before warning that he could be "speaking literally."

A Black Lives Matter leader issued an ominous threat on Fox News, threatening that “If this country doesn’t give us what we want, then we will burn down the system and replace it,” before warning that he could be “speaking literally.”

Hawk Newsome, the leader of Black Lives Matter in Greater New York, then threatened to “burn down the system” because “this country is built upon violence” and “for any American to accuse us of being violent is extremely hypocritical.”

The leader of Greater New York Black Lives Matter said he stood by comments from some in his organization advocating for the destruction of property as a means of achieving the group’s goal of equal justice in America. 

“This country is built upon violence. What was the American Revolution, what’s our diplomacy across the globe? We go in, and we blow up countries, and we replace their leaders with leaders who we like,” Hawk Newsome said Wednesday on Fox News. “So for any American to accuse us of being violent is extremely hypocritical.” 

Anchor Martha MacCallum pressed Newsome about his comments warning that social activists would “burn down” the current power structure in America if elected leaders in the country did not meet the group’s demands. 

“The only reason why I posed that first question to you the way that I did is I watched you talking on a bunch of different interviews today, and you said, “burn it down.” You said, “Burn it down, it’s time.” That makes me think you want to burn it down,” MacCallum said.

“I said If this country doesn’t give us what we want, then we will burn down the system and replace it. All right? And I could be speaking figuratively, I could be speaking literally,” Newsome responded. “It’s a matter of interpretation.” 

Washington Examiner report: Newsome compared the current civil unrest seen in American cities today following the death of George Floyd, Rayshard Brooks, and others with the tumultuous demonstrations during the civil rights push of the 1960s, which he said led to great prosperity for minorities. 

“Let’s be very real, and let’s observe the history of the 1960s. When black people were rioting, we have their highest growth and wealth in property ownership,” he said. “Think about the last few weeks. Since you started protesting, there have been eight cops fired across the country. Remember you were telling us that there was due process?” 

Black Lives Matter activists have argued that police departments in America are so systemically and irrepressibly racist that they must be defunded and reimagined completely. 

“That’s why the cop that choked Eric Garner kept his job and kept receiving raises for five years. Anytime a cop hurt a woman, a child, our elders, there was always a call for due process,” Newsome said. “But the moment people start destroying property, now cops can be fired automatically. What is this country rewarding? What behavior is it listening to? Obviously not marching.”

Baxter Dmitry

Baxter Dmitry

Baxter Dmitry is a writer at News Punch. He covers politics, business and entertainment. Speaking truth to power since he learned to talk, Baxter has travelled in over 80 countries and won arguments in every single one. Live without fear.
Email: baxter@newspunch.com
Baxter Dmitry

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