Google Maxine Waters right now and you’ll likely see the latest social media-enhanced chapter in the politically charged spectacle of condemnation, in this case, over something the California Democrat said at the Daunte Wright protests in Brooklyn Center.
Her comments even drew the ire of the judge in the Derek Chauvin trial, taking place concurrently in Minneapolis.
Here’s what’s going on — what Waters said and what the outcry is about.
WHAT WATERS TOLD THE CROWD
On Saturday night, Waters, an 82-year-old African-American who has represented Los Angeles in the U.S. House since 1991, showed up in Brooklyn Center, where crowds had gathered to protest the killing of Wright, a 20-year-old Black man who was fatally shot by a police officer last week.
She spoke to the crowd for about 3 minutes and 25 seconds.
She spoke about how she believes the movement to reduce police violence against Black men needs to remain vigilant.
This was her thrust: “I came here just to say that I stand with you. I am not afraid. I am not intimidated, and I will speak truth to power.”
Nothing that she said to the crowd, via a megaphone, appears to be what triggered the criticism.
All of this — and her further comments described below — can be viewed in raw video from the Twitter feed of Unicorn Riot, which specializes in streaming protests live. Water’s comments begin about 2 hours and 11 minutes into the roughly 4-hour video from Saturday’s demonstrations.
U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA43) is speaking out about police violence and racism in Brooklyn Center – we are live now @RepMaxineWaters https://t.co/NAtWZKu2AY pic.twitter.com/oLp7tVc6gX
— Unicorn Riot (@UR_Ninja) April 18, 2021
WHAT WATERS TOLD REPORTERS
Shortly after her comments to the crowd, Waters addressed a gaggle of mostly reporters for about 6 minutes and 15 seconds, including fielding questions.
She emphasized that “We’re looking for a guilty verdict … for murder,” referring to the trial of Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer who is charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death of George Floyd in May. The trial was in full swing when Wright was shot. The case went to the jury Monday.
At one point, she was asked what she thought protesters should do if the jury did not find Chauvin guilty of the murder charge. It’s unclear if she heard the entire context of the question, so part of it was repeated: “What should protesters do?”
This is the controversial part.
Here’s how she responded: “Well, 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.”
Then she was asked: “What do you think about this curfew tonight?” referring to an 11 p.m. curfew the city of Brooklyn Center had administered for Saturday night in an attempt to prevent violence, arson and looting.
Here’s how Waters responded: “I don’t think anything about curfew. I don’t think anything about curfew. I don’t know what curfew means. Curfew means that ‘I want you all to stop talking. I want you to stop leading. I want you to stop gathering.’ I don’t agree with that.”
This was a little over 20 minutes before curfew. Then she was asked, “Are you gonna stay out here?”
Waters responded: “I’m not gonna stay out here. I came here from Washington just to be here to make sure that I let my voice be heard among all of those who have been putting so much time on the street. And so, I’m hopeful that the protests will continue. Thank you.”
WHAT WAS SAID NEXT
Waters took a few more question about police reform, and departed.
The person streaming the video then states what he believes was the takeaway from the interaction: “She’s urging the protesters to stay out here, defy the curfew, and be more confrontational to try to change things here in America.”
WHAT CONSERVATIVE OUTCRY HAS BEEN
Parts of Waters’ comments were reported, with varying levels of context, by a number of media outlets and on social media. Conservative outlets tended to focus on her comments that suggested protesters should ignore the curfew and that protesters should become “more confrontational.”
In some of the coverage and sharing of clips of the video, the implication was often that she told protesters this directly, as marching orders for that evening, which was not the case. Nonetheless, the quotes attributed to her are by and large accurate.
On Twitter, the hashtag #ImpeachMaxineWaters gained steam. Firebrand far-right U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., announced she would introduce a resolution to expel Waters from the House, while House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., vowed potential “action” against Waters.
Locally, a number of conservatives joined in the criticism. Some attempted to link Waters’ statements with an event that occurred hours later in Minneapolis, when someone in a moving vehicle shot at a neighborhood security detail that included members of the Minnesota National Guard and Minneapolis Police Department
Minnesota Senate Minority Leader Paul Gazelka, R-East Gull Lake, said he was “very disappointed” in Waters.
“‘You need to be more confrontational.’ That was her quote,” Gazelka said, repeating it, referring to Waters’ statements. (The actual quote was “We’ve got to get more confrontational.”) Gazelka continued: “So later on that evening, what happened? National Guard were literally shot upon. … And that is unacceptable. I’m ashamed of what Maxine Waters did there, and she should apologize to the whole country and the National Guard for that.”
Later in the day, the Senate was expected to vote on a resolution supporting the Guard.
CHAUVIN JUDGE CRITICIZES
Chauvin’s defense attorney used Waters’ comments as part of the the basis for asking Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill to declare a mistrial Monday afternoon after jury deliberations began. Eric Nelson described Waters’ statements as “threatening acts of violence” if the jury did not convict Chauvin of murder.
Cahill denied the motion, but indicated to Nelson that he wasn’t a fan of Waters’ comments. “I’ll give you that Congresswoman Waters may have given you something on appeal that may result in this whole trial being overturned,” Cahill said.
Then Cahill sharply rebuked Waters, as well as other politicians who have spoken publicly about preferring a specific verdict. Cahill described it as an attempt to trod upon the third branch of government and the fundamental legitimacy of the justice system.
“I wish elected officials would stop talking about this case, especially in a manner that is disrespectful to the rule of law,” Cahill said. Allowing the full trial, including jury deliberations, to run its course, is essential, he said. “Failure to do so is abhorrent.”
Waters could not be immediately reached for comment.
OTHER CRITICISM
The criticism — or at least unease — hasn’t just been from conservatives.
A CNN analysis piece, which quoted Waters with errors, was headlined “Maxine Waters just made a volatile situation much, much worse.”
President Joe Biden’s spokeswoman Jen Psaki was asked directly about Waters’ comments. She didn’t address them directly, but responded, in part: “As he (Biden) also always says, ‘Protests have to be peaceful.'”
In comments that preceded Cahill’s, Psaki emphasized that Biden has consistently refused to speak publicly about any preference he has for a verdict in the Chauvin case.
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