Fox News host Greta Van Susteren slammed Pam Geller and her anti-Islam group, the American Freedom Defense Initiative, for putting police in danger by holding a Muhammad cartoon contest near Dallas over the weekend.
“Protect our police. Do not recklessly lure them into danger, and that’s what happened in Garland, Texas, at the Mohammad cartoon contest. Yes, of course, there is a First Amendment right and of course it’s very important. But the exercise of that right includes using good judgement,” Van Susteren said on her show, “On The Record,” on Tuesday evening.
Van Susteren said that while the group has the right to exercise free speech, they should not have knowingly endangered police officers by doing do.
“It is one thing for someone to stand up for the First Amendment and put his own you-know-what on the line. But here, those insisting they were defending the First Amendment were knowingly putting others’ lives on the line,” she said. “Everyone knew this event would unglue some who might become violent and the police had no choice but to do their jobs and be there to protect against violence.”
“Was it fair to the police, to knowingly put them at risk by this unnecessary provocation?” Van Susteren asked. “I say no.”
Two gunmen were killed on Sunday after they opened fire on officers outside the Muhammad cartoon contest in Garland, Texas. Police had developed an extensive security plan for the event due to previous issues with the American Freedom Defense Initiative.
Van Susteren’s colleague at Fox News, Bill O’Reilly, seemed to agree that the event may have been unnecessarily provocative. He said on Monday that he would have done it “another way.”
Watch the clip via Fox News:
H/t Mediaite
