NC House speaker says response to protests, riots was ‘hours and hours late’
House Speaker Tim Moore said he takes “serious issue” with how Gov. Roy Cooper responded over the weekend to people across North Carolina protesting police brutality and the death of George Floyd.
In a news conference Monday afternoon, Moore said there needs to be a “very clear message that lawlessness will not be permitted,” and that he hopes moving forward, Cooper will do a “better job in making sure that we deal with these issues.”
“I’m calling on the governor to fully mobilize the National Guard to make sure these cities and these communities are safe going forward,” Moore said. “We’ve now had, if you count Charlotte, three nights of unrest, three nights of looting, three nights of rioting in various cities across the state.”
Moore said the governor should call for curfews.
The Republican House speaker’s statements come one day after the Democratic governor announced that the National Guard is prepared to provide support for cities that request its assistance. Raleigh requested the aid and announced early Monday morning the National Guard had deployed.
But Moore said Cooper’s actions came too late.
Moore has livestreamed the downtown Raleigh destruction on Facebook, and at 12:45 a.m. Sunday he called on Cooper to immediately send in the National Guard.
Moore said he and Senate leader Phil Berger offered the National Guard the use of the Legislative Building as a place to mobilize.
“The National Guard could have fully been mobilized here ready and been able to deal with these issues as they were unfolding, as opposed to hours and hours late,” Moore said. “I don’t know how much damage could have been prevented, but I would submit to you that it would be a lot.”
Trump calls governors ‘weak’
Moore also said police departments were not allocated sufficient resources and as a result made “minimal arrests,” over the weekend.
At least 45 people were arrested in connection with protests or looting in Raleigh between Saturday and Monday, documents show.
Moore’s statements also came as President Donald Trump called for governors to crack down on rioting and looting and make more arrests at protests happening across the country in the wake of Floyd’s death in Minneapolis, where a police officer is charged with murder. Trump said many of the governors were “weak” and were made to “look like fools,” according to the Associated Press.
Cooper was on the call. His spokesman, Dory MacMillan, defended his response.
“Governor Cooper has spoken with mayors across North Carolina and fulfilled requests for state support, including help from the State Highway Patrol, SBI, ALE, and National Guard. While we must ensure the important call for change isn’t lost amidst escalating tensions, violence and destruction are unacceptable and must stop.”
Moore said racial inequality is a “serious issue.”
“The death of Mr. Floyd is absolutely inexcusable,” he said, “and those police officers who committed this heinous crime should spend the rest of their lives in prison as far as I’m concerned.”
Curfews
Moore said his apartment in Raleigh is downtown, and was able to witness the weekend of peaceful protests turned violent.
““I’ve breathed in enough tear gas over the last 48 hours that my sinuses should be clear for the next month,” he said.
On Monday, the city of Raleigh announced a curfew in an attempt to prevent further demonstrations.
But the curfew needs to be enforced, and police officers and first responders need to know that they have appropriate resources, Moore said.
Other Republican lawmakers have coalesced around a similar message to Moore’s. In a statement on Sunday, Senate leader Phil Berger said the city should have been better prepared for the protests to turn into riots.
“I hope the advance preparation yesterday was not for the police to be given stand-down orders as rioters set fire to buildings and looted stores,” Berger said. “Leaders in Raleigh and Wake County should be forthright with the public and explain how this was allowed to happen and provide assurance that adequate steps are in place to prevent this chaos and destruction from happening again.”
Police are also being criticized for using too much force. Raleigh City Council member Saige Martin told reporters Sunday night that he thought the Raleigh Police Department escalated the protest on Saturday night.
This story was originally published June 1, 2020 at 3:02 PM.
