Do Donald Trump and Mike Pence Really Stand for the Right of Peaceful Protest?

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Kap

Here is Donald Trump today:

I understand the pain that people are feeling. We support the right of peaceful protests and we hear their pleas, but what we are now seeing on the streets of our cities has nothing to do with the memory of George Floyd. The violence and vandalism is being led by antifa and other radical left-wing groups who are terrorizing the innocent, destroying jobs, hurting businesses and burning down buildings.

Does Trump really understand the “pain that people are feeling?” Does he really “hear their pleas?” Does he understand them? I doubt it. Why? Because he knows very little about American history, African-American history, urban history, social history, economic history, the history of American reform movements, Southern history, etc.

And the idea that Trump supports the right to peaceful protest is comical. Just ask Colin Kaepernick and a whole bunch of NFL players about what Trump said and did when they took a knee during the national anthem. This seemed like a pretty peaceful protest.

Here is Trump back then:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEHPojl9jos&w=560&h=315]

And as long as we are at it:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGezQpJuLbg&w=560&h=315]

And here is the Vice President yesterday:

Pence said this today:

And today, as states across the nation take their first steps to reopen and recover from an unprecedented pandemic and as our nation reels from the tragic death of George Floyd and violent protests of the past few days, I believe with all my heart that millions of Americans today will find the same inspiration and unity of purpose that we found in those days in the 1960s.

“In America, every life matters.  There’s no tolerance for racism or violence in the streets of this country.  As the President has made clear, we will honor the memory of George Floyd, justice will be served, we will have law and order in our streets, and we will heal our land.  And as the people of this country did so long ago, we will prove again that even in the most challenging times, Americans rise above.  We always move forward, we overcome every obstacle, we reach new heights, and we reach them together. It’s true.”

It does not appear that Pence “stood” for the right of Americans to peacefully protest at this October 2017 Colts game:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhojaLR2x2w&w=560&h=315]

And these tweets: