As NewsBusters has extensively documented, CNN host Chris “Fredo” Cuomo has an affinity for the left-wing terrorist group Antifa; claiming they had a “good cause” and “morality” on their side. So, it came as no surprise when, on Tuesday’s Cuomo PrimeTime, he emphatically argued that protests were under no obligation to be peaceful.
Cuomo kicked off his show by decrying the strict curfews cities around the country were putting in place to stop rioters and looters, and painted them as purely a way to crack down on the actual peaceful protesters. “It is a sad day when we need curfews in our cities. America's major cities are filled with people demanding this country become more fair, more just and ironically, more united,” he whined.
Even though most people wanted justice for George Floyd, Cuomo pretended like that wasn’t true. “Now, too many see the protests as the problem. No, the problem is what forced your fellow citizens to take to the streets, persistent, and poisonous, inequities, and injustice.”
Flashing his violent tendencies, Cuomo demanded: “And please, show me where it says that protesters are supposed to be polite and peaceful. Because, I can show you outraged citizens are the ones who have made America what she is and led to any major milestones.”
Well, besides the fact that there are laws against being violent, it’s right in the First Amendment:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Cuomo often reminds viewers that he was once a practicing lawyer. Perhaps we’ve learned why that’s no longer the case.
Despite his ignorance of the Constitution and law, he argued that it was the right of others to make you feel uncomfortable. “Be honest, this is not a tranquil time. They're not here to make power or you or me comfortable? They're here to yell, criticize, blame and shame. You don't have to like it,” he proclaimed.
“Citizens have no duty to check their outrage,” he added. Ironic since he often fails to check his rage, like when he threatened to throw a Trump supporter down a flight of stairs.
“Looting, arson, violence. Now, that's something else. Don't confuse that with protests or the people doing it with protesters,” he went on to lecture. “There are bad people mixed in with good people in these situations. That's the truth. We're learning it in every city.”
It was true that bad actors were exploiting the protests, but Cuomo was (once again) being a massive hypocrite. He didn’t want people conflating protesters with rioters, yet he was asserting that people were angry at protesters when they actually angry at rioters and other violent actors.
“So far today, protests have been what they are the overwhelming majority of the time everywhere, peaceful, if you want to call it that. They’re certainly not violent,” he chided anyway.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
CNN’s Cuomo Primetime
June 2, 2020
9:00:21 p.m. EasternCHRIS CUOMO: It is a sad day when we need curfews in our cities. America's major cities are filled with people demanding this country become more fair, more just and ironically, more united.
Now, too many see the protests as the problem. No, the problem is what forced your fellow citizens to take to the streets, persistent, and poisonous, inequities and injustice. And please, show me where it says that protesters are supposed to be polite and peaceful. Because, I can show you outraged citizens are the ones who have made America what she is and led to any major milestones.
Be honest, this is not a tranquil time. They're not here to make power or you or me comfortable? They're here to yell, criticize, blame and shame. You don't have to like it. But why not focus on remembering the reason for the pain that fuels their purpose?
Police are the ones who are required to be peaceful, to de-escalate, to remain calm. They are, in fact, trained to do exactly that. So, when one kneels on someone's neck for a long time and other police don't stop obvious deadliness, that's the problem.
We can't be in a place where cops can act human and be forgiven but citizens can have the same flawed responses and be justifiably killed, or told to hold their tongues. Citizens have no duty to check their outrage or ignore a curfew to keep doing that. They may get arrested because it's illegal. That's their right as well.
Looting, arson, violence. Now, that's something else. Don't confuse that with protests or the people doing it with protesters. There are bad people mixed in with good people in these situations. That's the truth. We're learning it in every city. And we're watching New York City tonight especially closely, where orders went into effect an hour ago to stay off the streets after one of the wildest most destructive nights in recent memory.
This is the strictest curfew in the big apple since the race riots of 1943. It’s three hours earlier than last night, after the city descended into absolute chaos. There was looting and lawlessness city-wide. Cops could not get a handle on it.
So far today, protests have been what they are the overwhelming majority of the time everywhere, peaceful, if you want to call it that. They’re certainly not violent.
But just in New York, and many big cities across America, you have to see this, too, there has been major unrest. What’s going to happen tonight?
(…)
