Rep. Ilhan Omar condemned protesters who are setting buildings and other properties ablaze in response to the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, in her state.
The Minnesota Democrat said those responsible for the violence are undermining the protests.
“What we also know to be true, not just here, but across the world, is that there are people who exploit the pain communities are feeling and ignite violence,” she told ABC News’s This Week on Sunday.
“When we see people setting our buildings and our businesses ablaze, we know those are not people who are interested in protecting black lives. They might say they care about black lives, but they’re not interested in protecting black lives because when you set a fire, you risk the community that you are saying you are standing up for,” she said.
Omar, who represents Minneapolis, urged Minnesotans to stay home on Saturday as tensions between police and protesters escalated.
“We don’t want another George Floyd to happen,” she said during a news conference. “Every single fire set ablaze, every single store that is looted, every time our community finds itself in danger, it is time that people are not spending talking about getting justice for George Floyd and many of the lives that have been lost in our community. You can’t say you care about black lives and engage in fires that endanger black lives.”
