Republican U.S. Representative of Lafayette Louisiana, Clay Higgins, catches backlash from Facebook over an alleged post he made suggesting armed protesters should be met with force.
As The Acadiana Advocate reports, Rep. Higgins’ Facebook post featured a picture of Black men dressed in tactical gear and carrying assault-style weapons. The caption said in part, that anyone arriving to protests armed would have a “one way ticket”.
"I'd drop any 10 of you where you stand," said the post according to The Acadiana Advocate. The post is no longer on Higgins’ Facebook page.
After the post on armed demonstrators was removed, Higgins said in another Facebook post, “No, I did not remove my post. America is being manipulated into a new era of government control. Your liberty is threatened from within. Welcome to the front lines ladies and gentlemen. I suggest you get your mind right. I’ll advise when it’s time gear up, mount up, and roll out.”
A spokesperson for Facebook confirmed the post was removed for breaking the company’s "Violence and Incitement" policies according to The Acadiana Advocate.
Higgin’s post and its removal comes a week after the death of Trayford Pellerin who was fatally shot by police in Lafayette, which sparked Black Lives Matter protests.