CNN’s Henderson: ‘Silly’ to Say There’s ‘A Right Way and a Wrong Way to Protest’

On Monday’s “CNN Newsroom,” CNN Senior Political Reporter Nia-Malika Henderson responded to White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ suggestion that players protest police, not the flag by arguing that it’s “silly” to suggest that there’s a right way and a wrong way to protest.

Henderson said that players aren’t protesting the flag, but are rather using the Anthem as an opportunity to protest racial injustice and inequality. She continued that protesters often try to “dramatize” and draw attention to their causes and cited the location March on Washington as an example.

She added, “This idea that there’s a right way and a wrong way to protest is just silly, and sort of misses the point of what protest is all about. It is actually meant to disrupt. It is actually meant to draw attention to a cause. And I think if you look at social movements throughout history, the public often disagrees with the tactics of protesters, right? Even if they’re marching peacefully across a bridge, right? That was seen as disruptive as well, if you think about the march in Selma. So this idea that somehow there’s a correct way, and if they do it that way they would somehow be correct and draw some support, I think is just not in line with history here.”

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