In a Thursday night appearance on MSNBC’s “All In With Chris Hayes,” contributor and legal blog editor Elie Mystal had some fiery words for Equinox and SoulCycle chairman Stephen Ross.
Ross is hosting a fundraiser for President Trump at his home in Southampton, NY this weekend and Mystal has called for protestors to show up outside his home with “pitchforks and torches.”
Apparently, the recent boycotts of Ross’ businesses didn’t go far enough for Mystal. He said:
People of color are already targets under this administration. I have no problem on shining the light back on the donors who fund this kind of racialized hate. I mean I go further. I want pitchforks and torches outside this man’s house in the Hamptons. I’ve been to the Hamptons, it’s very nice. There’s no reason why it has to be. There’s no reason he should be able to have a nice little party. There’s no reason why people shouldn’t be able to be outside of his house and making their voices peacefully understood.
“Totally. There have been peaceful protests outside Mitch McConnell’s house.” replied Hayes.
Yeah, totally Chris. During the peaceful protest outside of McConnell’s home, a protester is heard saying she wished McConnell had “broken his little, raggedy, wrinkled-ass neck” and that someone should “just stab the motherf—er in the heart.”
Hayes continued:
Your point is how does civil society deal with what we’re seeing, right? How does civil society deal with the most powerful person in the world, like, painting a target on someone’s back and inveighing against the Congresspeople and (inaudible). The peaceful means by which civil society responds is through more free speech and also more protected activity and pressure.
This is surreal. They appear to have no idea of how crazy they sound. In civil society, Chris, people don’t say “someone should stab the mother—ker in the heart.” They don’t show up to protest a private political fundraiser with pitchforks and torches. It’s the symbolism Chris. Even if the protestors refrain from physical violence and damaging Ross’ property, it sounds like hate speech to me.
There’s a point where liberals’ freedom to peacefully assemble begins to infringe on the basic human rights of conservatives. Like every other American, Ross has the right to privacy in his own home. What about his right to life, liberty and personal security?
If the left continues this desperate, extreme behavior, they’ll be crying again next November.
Let’s hope.
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