Pennsylvania Senate candidate John Fetterman (D) has a history of downplaying or excusing away the destructive BLM riots that plagued the country after George Floyd's death in 2020.
In Pennsylvania, BLM riots occurred during the late spring and into the fall of 2020, with the last one taking place in late October.
Bruh Philly cleared out the Apple Store!!! #Philadelphia #philadelphiaprotest #blacklivesmatter pic.twitter.com/vgEGtOwaOC
— lex (@lexxie_c) May 30, 2020
Philly a zoo rn pic.twitter.com/Lhq46KEDSB
— Smoochie Mane (@NasKW_) May 30, 2020
Stores being looted in Philadelphia while police are guarding the Walmart that was looted earlier. pic.twitter.com/R84NUaPk4W
— Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) October 28, 2020
On June 1, Fetterman provided excuses for the riots when he stated that "the protests and anger and everything is understandable." By that time, large sections of minority neighborhoods in Minneapolis, the epicenter, were heavily damaged or destroyed due to the multiple days of rioting.
On Sept. 15, after riots broke out in Lancaster, Fetterman criticized a judge for setting bail at one million dollars for rioters charged with felony arson, riot and vandalism charges, among other protest-related charges. The rioters were angry about Lancaster police fatally shooting 27-year-old Ricardo Munoz even though body camera footage showed Munoz charging at the officer with a knife when the officer first reached the scene.
On Oct. 16, Fetterman referred to the 2020 BLM riots as an "uprising" during an appearance on "Pod Save America."
On Oct. 22, Fetterman called the BLM riots a "reckoning" among the various other historical events that took place during 2020.
An advanced search of his official lieutenant governor Twitter account shows Fetterman did not put out tweets condemning the rioting that was taking place in the commonwealth's biggest cities shortly after Floyd's death.
Fetterman has been described as being soft-on-crime by his opponent, Republican Mehmet Oz, or Dr. Oz. The Washington Free Beacon reported Fetterman voted to set Charles "Zeke" Goldblum free in 2019 and said he was "happy" when the murderer was released from prison in 2021. Goldblum was originally sentenced to life in prison for killing a man with garden shears in a parking garage and later trying to hire a hitman to kill his accomplice in the murder.
Fetterman's campaign did not return a request for comment in time for publication.
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