BLM leader Hawk Newsome threatens to burn down the system if America does not give 'us what we want'
Hawk Newsome, president of Greater New York Black Lives Matter, made an appearance on Fox News' "The Story" on Wednesday, June 24 to discuss the direction of the movement in the wake of nationwide protests over the death of George Floyd in police custody.
"You ... have said that violence is sometimes necessary in these situations," host Martha MacCallum told Newsome. "What exactly is it that you hope to achieve through violence?"
"Wow, it's interesting that you would pose that question like that," Newsome said in response, "because this country is built upon violence. What was the American Revolution, what's our diplomacy across the globe? We go in and we blow up countries and we replace their leaders with leaders who we like. So for any American to accuse us of being violent is extremely hypocritical."
MacCallum clarified that her question was solely based on Newsome's own comments in various other interviews.
"I said," Newsome told the host, "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.
"Let's observe the history of the 1960s, when black people were rioting," he continued. "We had the highest growth in wealth, in property ownership. Think about the last few weeks since we started protesting. There have been eight cops fired across the country."
"I don't condone nor do I condemn rioting," Newsome added. "But I'm just telling you what I observed."
Newsome insisted later in the interview that the Black Lives Matter movement is about "saving lives" and that it should be "applauded" for upholding the Second Amendment.
"Nobody's talking about ambushing police officers. We're talking about protecting lives," he said. "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."
However, the conversation took a notable turn after MacCallum read Newsome a quote from the legendary Martin Luther King Jr and asked the BLM leader if he agreed with it.
Addressing the Southern Christian Leadership Conference convention in 1967, King urged his audience to "be dissatisfied until that day when nobody will shout, 'White power!' when nobody will shout, 'Black power!', but everybody will talk about God's power and human power.'"
"I love the Lord and my Lord and savior," Newsome responded to MacCallum's question. "Jesus Christ is the most famous black radical revolutionary in history. And he was treated just like Dr King. He was arrested and he was also crucified or assassinated. This is what happens to black activists. We are killed by the government."
"I just want black liberation and black sovereignty, by any means necessary," Newsome told MacCallum at the end of the interview.