Facebook removes GOP congressman's post about protesters for 'incitement'
He threatened to ‘eliminate a threat’ posed by Black armed militia men
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Facebook removed a post by Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La., about protesters on Wednesday, saying it violated the social media platform’s rules against inciting violence, according to a report.
In a post on the congressman’s campaign account, Higgins included an image of armed demonstrators and wrote, "One way ticket fellas. Have your affairs in order. Me?...I wouldn't even spill my beer. I'd drop any 10 of you where you stand,” Higgens wrote, according to a report by The Hill.
"Nothing personal. We just eliminate the threat. We don't care what color you are. We don't care if you're left or right. If you show up like this, if we recognize threat...you won't walk away," he added.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}RUSSIA TARGETING BLACK LIVES MATTER, LEFT-LEANING VOTERS ONLINE: INTELLIGENCE SOURCES
A Facebook spokesman told the publication the post had been taken down by the social media company “for breaking our violence and incitement policies.”
The post included a warning by Higgins that said, "aggressively natured and armed in my presence…[is] where your journey will end."
"Congressman Higgins has a history of speaking his mind. He is very candid and direct," a spokesperson from Higgins' campaign told Fox News. "The Lafayette community has no intention of becoming the next Portland or Kenosha."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"He is not concerned about rehashing old Facebook posts. Read his messages as you will. Congressman Higgins communicates very clearly," the campaign added.
But in a separate post, he addressed Facebook’s actions.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“No, I did not remove my post. America is being manipulated into a new era of government control. Your liberty is threatened from within,” he wrote.
"Welcome to the front lines, Ladies and Gentlemen. I suggest you get your mind right. I’ll advise when it’s time gear up, mount up, and roll out," Higgins reportedly added, though this post appears to have been removed as well.
The photo in the original post was reportedly of Black militia men protesting the death of Breonna Taylor.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Protests have erupted across the nation following the death of George Floyd, a Black man who died in police custody in May. The police shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man from Kenosha, Wisc., sparked more nationwide protests in late August.
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Louisiana also saw protesters take to the streets after the death of Trayford Pellerin, a 31-year old Black man who was fatally shot by police officers on Aug., 21, after a reported foot chase and attempted laser use failed to subdue him.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Pellerin was armed with a knife, police have claimed.