Republicans have perfected the art of fearmongering—particularly when it comes to race. They’ve convinced their base that they should be afraid of immigrants, people of color and most especially, black people. Their narrative that blacks are irrationally angry and out-of-control has reached fever pitch in the days since the Black Lives Matter movement was founded. This explains why Fox News is obsessed with targeting black activists fighting for racial justice and why they have a specific focus on DeRay Mckesson.
As a reminder, Mckesson did not found the movement. The credit for that goes to Alicia Garza, Opal Tometi and Patrisse Cullors—three black women organizers. But Mckesson quickly became associated with the movement when he used his social media platform to report what was happening on the ground in Ferguson after the death of Mike Brown. Mckesson has risen in prominence since that time. And Fox News, especially Judge Jeanine Pirro, loves to paint him as America’s leading “black identity extremist.”
Mckesson is now suing Fox and Pirro for statements she made about him while discussing a Black Lives Matter protest.
Mckesson alleges that Pirro made “false and defamatory statements” claiming he directed other protesters to commit violence that resulted in a police officer getting struck in the face with a rock, according to a lawsuit filed in New York on Tuesday.
“Pirro’s statements are untrue and further a narrative that I, and other activists, engage in violent protest,” Mckesson said in message to The Baltimore Sun on Wednesday. [...]
“Given the exposure made to an audience of 1.7 million people on the nature of DeRay’s work, the damage to his reputation is extremely significant,” said Mckesson’s attorney Matthew D. Melewski in an interview.
Pirro was referencing a 2016 protest in Baton Rouge. The police officer who was hurt in the protest later sued Mckesson and Black Lives Matter for causing his injuries. That case was dismissed in court. And here’s where Pirro showed her fearmongering and rage at black people. In the broadcast, not only did she claim that Mckesson was responsible for directing violence at the protest, she also tied the black federal judge who dismissed the case to Obama (he was an Obama appointee). According to Pirro, there is some kind of mass conspiracy happening between black men across the country to undermine police officers and kill them all in the name of black power (insert eye roll).
Pirro and Fox News claim that her statements are protected under free speech.
Fox News claims that Pirro's statements are protected First Amendment speech. “We informed Mr. McKesson's counsel that our commentary was fully protected under the First Amendment and the privilege for reports of judicial proceedings. We will defend this case vigorously,” the network said.
Ironic, isn’t it? Pirro considers her statements to be free speech but Mckesson’s right (and the right of racial justice activists) to peaceful protest are not. That’s the incredible hypocrisy, deceit and alternative fact thinking of the right. Let’s hope that Mckesson wins and sues the entire network into bankruptcy. Of course, it’s not likely. But the thought of Fox News being silenced forever should keep us warm and fuzzy for a while.