Democrats are hesitant to speak out on violence in cities amid racial unrest because they don’t want to be seen as taking on those involved who are aligned with the left’s ideology, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., told “Fox & Friends” on Wednesday.
“I think this should be a consensus in this country that burning things down, attacking courthouses, shooting at police officers, rioting, arson, vandalism, none of these are appropriate responses to whatever quarrel or complaint you might have about our society,” Rubio said.
“We’re a nation that has a rule of law. We have court systems. We have a legislative process. It isn’t perfect but it is an outlet,” he added. “The best outlet for litigating and fighting on these topics. What is not appropriate is for anyone, I don’t care if you’re coming from the right, left or wherever it’s not appropriate to take to the streets and attack innocent people and burn things down and attack police officers and try to burn down a courthouse. That’s not an appropriate response and all of us should be in agreement on that.”
Reacting to news that two people were fatally shot in Kenosha, Wis., following three nights of unrest after 29-year-old Jacob Blake, a Black man, was shot at close range by a city police officer leaving him partially paralyzed, Rubio said, “It’s all terrible.”
“You never want to see anybody shot and hurt that way. I think that we also need to wait to know all the facts about that incident and not jump to conclusions in one direction or another,” he said.
“It’s just a terrible toxic brew being allowed to continue in city after city and it’s a terrible tragedy, and I think we should all be united behind the idea that rioting and/or showing up with all these guns into the street to act as some sort of militia is just not acceptable behavior,” he said. “It’s only going to lead to more violence and more suffering for more families.”
KENOSHA VIOLENCE: 3 SHOT, INCLUDING 2 FATALLY IN ANOTHER NIGHT OF UNREST
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, a Democrat, had called for calm earlier Tuesday while also declaring a state of emergency under which he doubled the National Guard deployment in Kenosha from 125 to 250. The night before, crowds destroyed dozens of buildings and set more than 30 fires in the city’s downtown.
“We cannot allow the cycle of systemic racism and injustice to continue,” said Evers, who has been facing mounting pressure from Republicans over his handling of the unrest. “We also cannot continue going down this path of damage and destruction.”
Hundreds of people again defied curfew Tuesday night in Kenosha, where destruction marred protests the previous night as fires were set and businesses vandalized. There were 34 fires associated with that unrest, with 30 businesses destroyed or damaged along with an unknown number of homes, Kenosha Fire Chief Charles Leipzig told the Kenosha News.
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Blake’s mother, Julia Jackson, said the damage in Kenosha did not reflect what her family wanted, and if her son could see it he would be “very unpleased.”
“Do Jacob justice on this level and examine your hearts,” she pleaded at a news conference Tuesday as her son was undergoing surgery. “As I pray for my son’s healing physically, emotionally and spiritually, I also have been praying even before this for the healing of our country.”
Fox News’ Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.