Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.), a co-owner of the WNBA's Atlanta Dream, said in a Fox News interview Thursday that people in Atlanta who are openly carrying guns while protesting the death of Rayshard Brooks at the hands of police were an example of "mob rule."
The "mob" she is referring to are armed protesters who gathered around the area of the Wendy's restaurant where Brooks was killed before it was burned down. The group was attempting to create an "autonomous zone" similar to that created in Seattle. Here is her full quote:
Host: It's not every day you see people carrying long guns in big cities in America. What is happening on the streets of Atlanta this morning?
Loeffler: Well, Ed, this is totally unacceptable. We cannot allow mob rule. We are a nation of the rule of law and this is exactly what will happen if we defund the police. And that's exactly what the Democrats want to do. They have a move to defund, to dismantle law enforcement. I have stood strong with law enforcement from day one. I have recently introduced legislation that penalizes state and municipalities that move to defund without a budgetary reason by withholding federal highway safety transportation funds. So I stand strong with law enforcement and we need to bring the JUSTICE Act to the floor. We need to have that debate, our country expects us to do that.
On her own website, Loeffler boasts about being a champion of the Second Amendment, which created the right to keep and bear arms and form well-regulated militias. In a post that makes sure to note that she's "pro-gun," her campaign explains that she is co-sponsoring three congressional bills that would make it easier for Americans to carry concealed handguns across state lines for self-defense, purchase noise suppressors and avoid "having their Second Amendment rights unfairly infringed by the federal government without due process."
The comments from Loeffler, who has supported the Republican-led "JUSTICE Act" sparked by Sen. Tim Scott, come after Dream guard Renee Montgomery announced that she is opted to sit out of the 2020 WNBA season to instead focus on working for social justice reform. Montgomery received the support of her coach, Nicki Collen, with her decision.
Clarification (June 30): This article previously did not clarify the circumstances around Loeffler's comments. The article above has been amended.
