Black Lives Matter Protester Defends Shouting Down Commissioner Ramsey
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Asa Khalif, the founder and President of Racial Unity USA, defended a Black Lives Matter protest that interrupted and shouted down Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey at a community forum on policing at Eastern State Penitentiary on Tuesday.
Khalif told Dom Giordano on Talk Radio 1210 WPHT that his group did nothing wrong by giving voice to their protests against police violence and racial inequality.
"No one physically stopped the Police Commissioner from talking. He could've continued to talk or he could've arrested us, as he has done before. I don't get the point. We have a right to be there. We have a right to make our opinions and our issues known to the public and to exercise constitutional right to protest."
He also disagreed with suggestions that the Black Lives Matter movement is responsible for the recent murders of police officers around the country.
"I don't condone any type of violence towards anyone. That's why I protest because we are against violence, especially towards black and brown people. I think that's what birthed the Black Lives Matter movement. I don't condone killing conservatives. I don't condone killing liberals. I don't condone murder period. But when I do see murder by police officers, using as an example, Eric Garner, which...was clearly murder. For that individual who committed that crime not to be arrested, not to be convicted and sentenced, I have a problem with that."
Khalif stated his intent is elevate minority groups to the same status occupied by white Americans.
"I can be black and say black lives matter because as an African-American, my life does matter. White lives have always mattered in America. That was never up for debate. Unfortunately, black people, men and women, their lives, our lives never mattered."
