The ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee is calling on the panel to examine police brutality and the protests that have swept the nation over the past week.
Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.) wrote in a letter to Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), obtained by Fox News, “These riots are —literally and figuratively—tearing our country apart.”
He continued, “I support every American’s right to exercise their constitutional right to protest.”
However, he noted, “Many peaceful protests were overtaken by rioters with the sole purpose of setting our cities on fire.”
“As a committee, we should come together to discuss these issues and to investigate how domestic terrorists, like Antifa, are exploiting times of crisis to sow discord among the American people,” Collins added.
Collins claimed that the House Judiciary Committee has been “on the sidelines” and holding hearings on mail-in voting rather than “appalling police brutality” and the violent demonstrations that have erupted throughout the country.
“Americans expect Congress to address the issues most critical to them, and if the last several days have shown us anything, folks across the nation are rightfully concerned about the issues of race, justice, and violence currently plaguing our country,” Collins said.
Finally, Collins urged Nadler to “immediately schedule hearings on the police brutality and violent protests plaguing our country, and to immediately begin an investigation into the role groups like Antifa play in sowing seeds of discord.”
“It’s incumbent upon the Chairman to ensure our Committee schedule reflects the seriousness of the issues our country is currently facing,” he added.
Collins’ letter comes after days of violent demonstrations that often involve looting, burning, and vandalizing property. There have also been peaceful protests across the U.S.
The protests erupted after George Floyd, a black man, died in Minneapolis, Minnesota, after a police officer pinned him to ground for several minutes by placing his knee on Floyd’s neck.
The officer seen pinning Floyd to the ground was charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter.
Across the U.S. thousands of peaceful protesters gathered to voice their anger and demand police reforms over the last week. But as night fell, many protests quickly turned violent as people began looting stores and setting fires.
In a speech in the Rose Garden on Monday, President Donald Trump addressed the violence, “We cannot allow the righteous cries of peaceful protesters to be drowned out by an angry mob.”
He continued, “In recent days, our nation has been gripped by professional anarchists, violent mobs, arsonists, looters, criminals, rioters, Antifa, and others.”
Trump vowed to “stop the violence and restore security and safety in America.”
He urged governors to deploy an “overwhelming” law enforcement presence. However, he said if states do not stop the violence, he will deploy the military to shut down the violence.
