Greater New York Black Lives Matter president Hawk Newsome joined Martha McCallum on Fox News last night to discuss the direction of the movement in the wake of George Floyd's death and the subsequent demonstrations across the country.
McCallum questioned him about statements she'd heard from him in recent interviews suggesting that violence is sometimes necessary in situations like these. Newsome clarified and said that the following is what he has been saying:
"...if this country doesn't give us what we want, then we will burn down this system and replace it. All right? And I could be speaking ... figuratively. I could be speaking literally. It's a matter of interpretation."
Newsome went on to insist that the BLM movement is about saving lives and suggested that McCallum and Fox News viewers should applaud them for upholding the second amendment. He said this on the subject:
"Nobody's talking about ambushing police officers. We're talking about protecting lives. There's nothing more American than that. We talk about uplifting and upholding the Second Amendment but it seems to be the hypocrisy of America that when black people start talking about arming themselves and defending themselves, [that] talk is 'violent'. But when white people grab assault rifles and go to our nation's, their state capitals, it's all good."
McCallum goes on to confront Newsome with a Martin Luther King Jr. quote and ask if he agrees with it. Check out the full interview below.
Photo: Getty Images