Al Sharpton: The Message from the Rittenhouse Trial Is Vigilantes Can Go to Protests and Kill People

TRANSCRIPT:

SHARPTON: "And I think the broader context of this verdict today is most disturbing, which is why I think the President and the Governor has to speak to this. And there needs to be clearer federal legislation. We can argue about the case in particular. But when you look at the broad message that came out of this, is they have said now that vigilantes can go to protests and kill people and say that they were defending themselves. Which puts all Americans, particularly those that want to protest for whatever issue, in danger. The precedent that it set, that you can have a judge sit there and say people can be killed, but you can’t call them victims, but you can call the other side what you want, then I can let a tumbler sit in front of a man charged with murder and let him choose his own jury. So I think that many of us are far more concerned about what the broad message this verdict gives than to arguing what the legal experts ought to argue, and rightfully so about the particulars of the case."