Conservative activist Laura Loomer protested Twitter on Thursday afternoon by chaining herself to the front door of the company’s office in New York City, demanding free speech.
Loomer’s protest is in response to Twitter’s decision to permanently suspend her account after she had criticized Rep.-elect Ilhan Omar (D-MN).
“I threw away the key, and I’m here for the millions of conservatives who have been censored by Jack Dorsey and Mark Zuckerberg,” shouted Loomer, who stood handcuffed to Twitter’s office door, wearing the yellow Star of David on her jacket.
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“Why is it that I get banned as a Jewish conservative but Louis Farrakhan is still on Twitter?” Continued the activist.
“This is an act of political warfare,” added Loomer, stating that “liberals sitting behind their desks in Silicon Valley” are able to determine who can and cannot express free speech “with the click of a button.”
“This isn’t just about me, this is about the millions of conservatives [who have been banned] — I want people to start speaking up about the censorship and silencing of conservatives in America.”
With one hand chained to the door, Loomer held in her other hand a giant printout of her tweet which had been deemed in violation of Twitter’s rules against “hateful conduct,” causing her suspension from the platform.
The tweet read:
Isn’t it ironic how the twitter moment used to celebrate ‘women, LGBTQ, and minorities’ is a picture of Ilhan Omar? Ilhan is pro Sharia Ilhan is pro- FGM Under Sharia, homosexuals are oppressed & killed. Women are abused & forced to wear the hijab. Ilhan is anti Jewish.
“Everything I said was factually correct,” affirmed Loomer of her Tweet.
Loomer also had with her a printout of a tweet by Farrakhan — who still has an account on Twitter – which read: “I’m not an anti-Semite. I’m anti-Termite.”
As the crowd of onlookers grew larger, police officers began to barricade the sidewalk, and a woman approached Loomer to ask if she was able to unchain herself, or if she would need police to cut her free.
“I wish I could say something, but Twitter and Facebook will not let me speak,” responded Loomer, “You have to take it up with [them], they won’t let me speak.”
According to people in the scene, the NYPD has left the scene and Twitter is not pressing charges as long as Loomer does not block people from leaving or entering the building.
You can follow Alana Mastrangelo on Twitter at @ARmastrangelo and on Instagram.
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