Rep. Cori Bush is under fire for defending inmates who participated in an “ extremely violent” riot at a downtown St. Louis prison over the weekend.
“’A riot is the language of the unheard.’ – Dr. MLK Jr,” Bush tweeted, quoting civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. “I want to talk to my constituents in the window. Their lives and their rights must be protected.”
“My team and I are working to ensure that the urgent needs of people who are incarcerated are not ignored,” Bush added.
“A riot is the language of the unheard.” – Dr. MLK Jr.
I want to talk to my constituents in the window. Their lives and their rights must be protected.
My team and I are working to ensure that the urgent needs of people who are incarcerated are not ignored. https://t.co/wMq8ecyLQ2
— Cori Bush (@CoriBush) February 7, 2021
Inmates at the St. Louis facility set fires, smashed windows, and threw debris out onto the street below in an “extremely violent” riot that took authorities almost eight hours to get under control.
The lawmaker’s comments were not well received by some Twitter users, many of whom pointed out that Bush was highly critical of riots in the wake of last month’s Capitol siege.
“Riots are back in fash again,” joked mathematician James Lindsay, with others echoing his remarks.
Is there ANY self-awareness in the Democratic Party? Also, Jan 6th. https://t.co/YR4KGet9XO
— Mike Opelka (@stuntbrain) February 7, 2021
Some Democrats are okay with some riots. https://t.co/xXBpmJYkvL
— (((Jason Rantz))) on KTTH Radio (@jasonrantz) February 7, 2021
You support riots @CoriBush?
According to the link, “Everybody housed at the Justice Center is housed there because of very serious offenses like assault on police officers and homicide and things of that sort.”
How does this fit with your resolution in the #HouseOfHypocrites? https://t.co/e02q2rnr1o
— Marjorie Taylor Greene ?? (@mtgreenee) February 7, 2021
Another user pointed out that the quote Bush cited was lacking context, noting that King also condemned rioting.
“Riots are socially destructive and self-defeating… So I will continue to condemn riots, and continue to say to my brothers and sisters that this is not the way. And continue to affirm that there is another way.”
Dr. MLK Jr.
(in the same speech Cori Bush is quoting)— Boomieleaks (@Boomieleaks) February 7, 2021
Bush was highly critical of former President Donald Trump in the aftermath of the Capitol riots, blaming him for the violence and saying the “country deserves better.”
“I’m in the Capitol. I’m safe, and my team and I are sheltering in place,” Bush said at the time. “The President of the United States has incited a riot that has now stormed the Capitol. There are rioters roaming the halls of the Capitol. I saw them with my own eyes. Our country deserves better.”
I’m in the Capitol. I’m safe, and my team and I are sheltering in place.
The President of the United States has incited a riot that has now stormed the Capitol. There are rioters roaming the halls of the Capitol. I saw them with my own eyes.
Our country deserves better.
— Congresswoman Cori Bush (@RepCori) January 6, 2021
