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Black Lives Matter Leader: ‘If This Country Doesn’t Give Us What We Want, Then We Will Burn Down The System’

   DailyWire.com
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - MAY 28: Protesters cheer as the Third Police Precinct burns behind them on May 28, 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. As unrest continues after the death of George Floyd, police abandoned the precinct building, allowing protesters to set fire to it.
Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

A Black Lives Matter leader told Fox News on Wednesday evening that if they are not given what they want then they will “burn down” the system.

Hawk Newsome, head of Black Lives Matter for Greater New York, part of the neo-Marxist Black Lives Matter movement, made the remarks in a combative interview with Fox News anchor Martha MacCallum.

MacCallum began the interview by noting Newsome’s apparent support for using violence to achieve political goals. “Obviously people watch what you say in that video, that you now want to shove legislation down people’s throats now that you have everyone’s attention, and you also have said that violence is sometimes necessary in these situations,” said MacCallum. “What exactly is it that you hope to achieve through violence?”

“Wow, it’s interesting that you would pose that question like that because this country is built upon violence,” said Newsome. “What was the American Revolution? What’s our … diplomacy across the globe? We go in and blow up countries and we replaced their leaders with leaders who would like. So for any American to accuse us of being violent, it’s extremely hypocritical.”

Newsome went on to frame his support of using violence as promoting “self-defense,” stating, “it seems to be the hypocrisy of America that when black people start talking about arming themselves and defending themselves, the talk is violent, but when white people grab assault rifles and go to our nation state capitals, it’s all good.”

After Newsome tried to get MacCallum to discuss her stance on the Second Amendment, she returned to her initial question.

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

“If this country doesn’t give us what we want then we will burn down the system and replace it,” Newsome responded. “All right. And I could be speaking figuratively, I could be speaking literally. It’s a matter of interpretation. Like let’s be very real and observe the history of the 1960s. When black people were rioting we have their highest growth and wealth and property ownership.”

“When people get aggressive and they escalate their protests, cops get fired, now, you have police officers, you have Republican politicians talking about police reform,” said Newsome. “I don’t condone nor do I condemn rioting, but I’m just telling what I observed.”

He went on to state, “I just want black liberation and black sovereignty, by any means necessary.”

Video and transcript below:

 

FOX NEWS ANCHOR MARTHA MACCALLUM: We begin as I mentioned with Hawk Newsome, head of Black Lives Matter for Greater New York. Good to have you with us sir, thanks for being here.

BLACK LIVES MATTER LEADER HAWK NEWSOME: Thank you for having me.

MACCALLUM: Obviously people watch what you say in that video, that you now want to shove legislation down people’s throats now that you have everyone’s attention and you also have said that violence is sometimes necessary in these situations, what exactly is it that you hope to achieve through violence?

NEWSOME: Wow, it’s interesting that you would pose that question like that because this country is built upon violence. What was the American Revolution? What’s our, our, our, our, our diplomacy across the globe? We go in and blow up countries and we replaced their leaders with leaders who would like. So for any American to accuse us of being violent, it’s extremely hypocritical. Now when we talk about violence–

[CROSSTALK]

NEWSOME: You asked what we hope to achieve, we are talking about self-defense. We are talking about four or five police officers choking someone to death and someone from the community having the training to intervene effectively. We are talking about saving lives, nobody is talking about ambushing police officers. We are talking about protecting lives and there is nothing more American than that. When we talk about uplifting and upholding the Second Amendment I think you should be applauding me. Seeing as though you are huge supporters of the Second Amendment, but it seems to be the hypocrisy of America that when black people start talking about arming themselves and defending themselves, the talk is violent. But when white people grab assault rifles and go to our nation state capitals, it’s all good.

MACCALLUM: First of all I’ve never talked about my stance on the Second Amendment. I’m not criticizing you or praising you.

NEWSOME: You don’t support the Second Amendment?

MACCALLUM: That’s not my role here to talk about my opinion.

NEWSOME: I’m asking you a question, do you support the Second Amendment, yes or no?

MACCALLUM: The Second Amendment is part of our Constitution.

NEWSOME: A lot of your viewers would like to know if you support the Second Amendment.

MACCALLUM: Well that’s fine but that’s not why we are here. The only reason I posed that first question to you the way that I did it, I watched you talking on a bunch of different interviews today and you said, ‘burn it down.’ You send it, ‘burn it down, it’s time.’ So that makes me think that you want to burn it down.

NEWSOME: 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. It’s a matter of interpretation. Like let’s be very real and observe the history of the 1960s. When black people were rioting we have their highest growth and wealth and property ownership. Think about the last few weeks. Since you started protesting there have been eight cops fired across the country. Remember they were telling us that there was due process? That’s why the cop that choked Eric Gardner to death kept his job and received raises for 5 years. Anytime a cop hurt a woman, hurt a child, hurt pregnant people, hurt our elders, there was always a call for due process. 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. When people get aggressive and they escalate their protests, cops get fired, now, you have police officers, you have Republican politicians talking about police reform. I don’t condone nor do I condemn rioting but I’m just telling what I observed.

MACCALLUM: You’re saying that is what appears to be working and getting results right now and maybe that is something for everybody to think about. I just want to put up this quote from Martin Luther King and I’ve heard you talk about Martin Luther King vs. Malcolm X and you said that he was an anomaly, Martin Luther King. He said, ‘Let us be dissatisfied until that day when nobody will shout, ‘White Power!’ when nobody will shout ‘Black Power!’ but everybody will talk about God’s power and human power. Do you agree with that?

NEWSOME: I love the Lord and my lord and savior, Jesus Christ, is the most famous black radical revolutionary in history. He was treated just like Dr. King. He was arrested on occasion and he was also crucified or assassinated. This is what happens to black activists, we are killed by the government. And, if you need context, if you read your Bible, it will say Jesus had feet like burnt brass and hair like wool, I don’t know if you noticed but our hair seems to be more like wool and we seem to be likened to that color than anyone else. And it’s just the hypocrisy and the white supremacy in America and in the world that show us portraits of a pasty, white Jesus. Jesus was not white, we all know this.

MACCALLUM: Okay, you know, I mean, I think Jesus is Jesus to all Christians and people interpret him in imagery in different ways. Obviously, he was from the Middle East. We all know that. That’s obvious.

NEWSOME: So, he wasn’t a white man. We all know that, right?  We all know Jesus wasn’t white, right?

MACCALLUM: He was Middle Eastern. Alright, we’re going to go.

NEWSOME: So he wasn’t a white man? Okay.

MACCALLUM: I appreciate where you’re coming from and I appreciate you coming on tonight and I know you’re very passionate and that you want what’s best. So, everybody has different aims and different ways to get there.

NEWSOME: I just want black liberation and black sovereignty, by any means necessary.

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