Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer on Tuesday declined to criticize Rep. Maxine Waters for urging protesters to be “confrontational” if former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is acquitted of murder in the death of George Floyd.
“Congresswoman Waters said she wants peace. Everybody wants peace,” the New York Democrat said when asked about the allegations that Ms. Waters was inciting violence. “All senators and Congresswoman Waters have said they want peace. That’s what we all want.”
He is the latest high-ranking Democratic officials to leap to the defense of Ms. Waters, California Democrat.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, California Democrat, recently said Ms. Waters need not apologize for her combative rhetoric.
Ms. Waters came under fire from Republicans and from the judge in the Chauvin trial for the remarks she made on Saturday at a protest in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota.
She told reporters during the protest that activists should “stay on the street” unless Mr. Chauvin is convicted of murder.
The jury began deliberations Monday.
“We’ve got to stay on the street, and we’ve got to get more active, we’ve got to get more confrontational,” Ms. Waters told reporters, as shown on Unicorn Riot video. “We’ve got to make sure that they know that we mean business.”
Ms. Waters has since said she meant confrontation in a “nonviolent” sense.
• Kery Murakami can be reached at kmurakami@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.