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Psaki says Biden believes 'protests must be peaceful'


Protestors march through D.C. following a week of deadly police shootings and the Derek Chauvin trial. (Photo: SBG)
Protestors march through D.C. following a week of deadly police shootings and the Derek Chauvin trial. (Photo: SBG)
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WASHINGTON (SBG) – Just like the crowds, the worries of what may happen after a verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial are mounting.

And now, it's reflected in that growing partisan divide in Washington after a comment by Congresswoman Maxine Waters, D-California.

“We’ve got to stay on the street and we’ve got to get more active. We’ve got to get more confrontational. We’ve got to make sure that they know that we mean business," Waters said.

But with some protests turning violent, Republican House Leader Kevin McCarthy saw it as a threat.

"Maxine Waters is inciting violence in Minneapolis — just as she has incited it in the past," said McCarthy. "If Speaker Pelosi doesn’t act against this dangerous rhetoric, I will bring action this week.”

The White House was asked for President Joe Biden’s reaction Monday.

"Expressing First Amendment rights and protesting injustice is the most American thing anyone can do, but as he [Biden] also always says, protests must be peaceful. That's what he continues to call for," said White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki.

"No one's talking about Rep. Waters’ three-plus minute interview. They’re picking a word. I think all of us, you, me, all of us who speak publicly, have to know those individual words can matter, but we also shouldn’t lower the volume because it makes people uncomfortable," said Peter Loge, an associate professor of media and public affairs at George Washington University. "Dr. King has noted that aiming for comfort is kind of undemocratic.”

Politically, both sides are often accused of inflammatory language.

Former President Donald Trump's remarks on Jan. 6 were a major part of the case against him in his second impeachment trial this winter.

"We fight. We fight like hell. And if you don't fight like hell, you're not going to have a country anymore," he said.

Words, when received, can be interpreted in dangerous ways.

"I do think we have to be very aware that our words have consequences, but we also have to be aware that we shouldn’t be polite to paver over real and important differences," Loge continued. "Civility can often be a camouflage for like, ‘ignore it and it will go away’, or if we simply lower our voices, everything will be fine and that’s simply not the case.”

In the meantime, the White House has been in touch with local and state leaders, offering guidance and trying to plan for whatever may come.

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