If you haven’t heard, liberal New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, along with 16 other Democratic lawmakers, was arrested on Tuesday for protesting outside the Supreme Court building in Washington, DC. Naturally, they were up in arms about the recent reversal of Roe v Wade that paved the way for no small number of states to declare abortion illegal in most cases.
Just as naturally, those on the right were more than a bit thrilled to see this woman and her cohorts put in handcuffs and given at least some small measure of justice. After all, this proves, if nothing else, that AOC and kind are, in fact, not above the law and must answer for their crimes.
However, as it turns out, the whole thing, from the planning of the protest to AOC walking away in cuffs, was all a publicity stunt and nothing more.
I know, you’re shocked, right?
AOC was even dumb enough to admit to it all just hours later.
In an Instagram post on Tuesday, the Democratic ‘squad’ member noted that she and her co-workers had been asked to “submit themselves for arrest” by a group known as the Center for Popular Democracy Action Fund.
While the group isn’t required to release a list of its organizers or donors, as it is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit, the Washington Post was told back in 2018 that Soros’ Open Society Foundations annually donates over $1 million in funding to it and another related group known as the Center for Popular Democracy.
As AOC called it, the group funded an ‘activist-led civil disobedience.” You and I might call it a publicity stunt. But, of course, Ocasio-Cortez isn’t willing to say as much. Instead, she actually tried to argue that it wasn’t a publicity stunt, regardless of the fact that more than a few who participated in the event mentioned it on social media and told audiences to “Follow along!”
So what is the difference?
Well, according to AOC, it can’t be a publicity stunt because none of the people arrested, or at least her and her friends, didn’t plan the event. Instead, it was “planned and led” by someone else to create headlines…
However, she did at least admit that the end result was created headlines…
She even said she agreed to get herself arrested because “media cycles go FAST and the attention and urgency on Roe can easily fade. We must keep eyes on the issue. Civil disobedience is a highly effective way of accomplishing that, and it is a trained discipline.”
Sure, it’s effective, effectively pointless in her case. Not only was she protesting a SCOTUS decision that can’t just be undone, but she also couldn’t even fake her arrest very well.
It was noted by more than a few that AOC appeared to be handcuffed, with her arms behind her back one minute, and in the next, she was giving a fist bump to the crowd. So it’s clear she wasn’t really handcuffed.
Of course, she has an excuse for this too.
According to her, it’s just a “best practice” to put your hands behind your back while being arrested “to avoid escalating charges like resisting arrest.” Well, she might have a point… kind of. Anything you can do to limit charges and let officers know you aren’t making it difficult on them is great. But playing the camera angles makes it seem like your hands are tied… I’m not sure all that is required.
Another thing that pretty much declares this as publicity is AOC’s nicely tailored coat. While most protesters were wearing short sleeves and more normal summer attire, this liberal lawmaker was in a full-on peacoat in the middle of July heat… She clearly wasn’t out there for hours chanting, holding signs, and carrying on like everyone else was.
Nothing says ‘I’m faking it’ more than poorly thought out and not-weather appropriate attire.
So much for making a statement, huh? Or showing SCOTUS that your cause is something they got wrong. Besides, it’s not like all that protesting will do any good in Washington, where liberal law already rules.
