Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) said on Saturday night that if Derek Chauvin is not found guilty of murder for the death of George Floyd that activists must “get more confrontational” on “the street” because the activists need to “make sure that they know we mean business.”
“Chauvin is accused of killing Floyd on May 25, 2020, by kneeling on Floyd’s neck for several minutes,” Fox News reported. “Defense witnesses have spoken of Floyd’s health issues and drug use as other possible causes.”
Waters made the remarks alongside protesters in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, where police shot and killed 20-year-old Daunte Wright, who had a warrant out for arrest, after he attempted to run from law enforcement officers following a traffic stop.
“We’re looking for a guilty verdict. We’re looking for a guilty verdict. And we’re looking to see if all of this [inaudible] that took place and has been taking place after they saw what happened to George Floyd,” Waters said. “If nothing does not happen, then we know, that we’ve got to not only stay in the street, but we’ve got to fight for justice, but I am very hopefully 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.”
When asked what “protesters” should do if they do not get the verdict that they want, Waters responded, “Well, we got to stay on the street.”
“And we’ve got to get more active. [We’ve] got to get more confrontational,” she added. “[We’ve] got to make sure that they know we mean business.”
Waters also seemed to encourage people to ignore curfews that were instituted to quell violent riots and looting.
WATCH:
Rep. Maxine Waters calls for rioters to "stay in the street" and "fight for justice" against police unless Chauvin is declared guilty for murder, not just manslaughter.
"We got to get more confrontational. We got to make sure they know we mean business." pic.twitter.com/YVdV8QHfUM
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) April 18, 2021
Democrat Rep. Maxine Waters says she doesn't recognize the curfew and encourages people to break it and says she hopes the protests will continue. pic.twitter.com/nVpzX2yH6K
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) April 18, 2021
TRANSCRIPT:
REP. MAXINE WATERS (D-CA): And so yes, I would like to see the bill in Congress passed on police reform. But I know that the right-wing, the racists are opposed to it. And I don’t know what’s gonna happen to it. But I know this, we’ve got to stay in the street. And we’ve got to demand justice.
REPORTER: As a black man, despite all the efforts, I feel like nothing changes. And George Ford is waking so many people up. And nothings has happened, just, you know, despite the rhetoric, but what needs to happen that’s different this year than all the years before?
WATERS: We’re looking for a guilty verdict. We’re looking for a guilty verdict. And we’re looking to see if all of this [inaudible] 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’ve got to not only stay in the street, but we’ve got to fight for justice, but I am very hopefully that 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.
REPORTER: And not just manslaughter, right? I mean…
WATERS: Oh, no, not manslaughter. [He is] guilty for murder. [Inaudible] but as far as I’m concerned it’s first degree murder.
REPORTER: Ms. Congresswoman, what happens if we do not go get what you just told? What should the people do? What should protesters on the street do?
WATERS: I didn’t hear you.
REPORTER: What should protesters do?
WATERS: Well, we got to stay on the street. And we’ve got to get more active. You’ve got to get more confrontational. You got to make sure that they know we mean business.
REPORTER: What do you think about this curfew tonight?
WATERS: I don’t think anything about curfew. I don’t think anything about curfew. I don’t know what curfew means. Curfew means that I want you all to stop talking. I want you to stop meeting. I want you stop gathering. I don’t agree with that. … I’m hopeful that the protests will continue.