Laura Loomer , the conservative activist who stormed the stage to protest the President Donald Trump-related assassination scene in Julius Caesar , insists that she is exercising her constitutional free speech rights to protest the “bastardization” of William Shakespeare’s illustrious play.
In an interview with Sean Hannity on the Fox News Channel last night, she also described the scene as “assassination porn.”
On Friday evening, when Rebel Media journalist Loomer rushed the stage to protest the assassination scene of the Shakespeare in the Park production of Julius Caesar at the Delacorte Theater, the encounter prompted the hashtag #FreeLaura to trend after security escorted her out and she was arrested by the NYPD.
In a contemporary interpretation of the play, a Donald Trump lookalike with reddish blond hair and wearing a business suit and the signature red tie rather than Roman robes is stabbed to death, a revision from the William Shakespeare play that has made national headlines. Caesar’s wife, Calpurnia, was also said to resemble first lady Melania Trump in the same production the ended its run on Sunday night in New York City’s Central Park.
“Stop the normalization of political violence against the right — this is unacceptable. You cannot promote this kind of violence against Donald Trump,” Loomer shouted to all assembled, NBC New York reported .
As Loomer left the venue, prominent pro-Trump activist and Citizens for Trump author Jack Posobiec chimed in from his seat that the production was equivalent to Joseph Goebbels, Hitler’s propaganda minister, adding that all concerned were inciting terrorism, and that the blood of Steve Scalise “is on your hands.” Scalise is the GOP lawmaker who was critically wounded by a Bernie Sanders supporter in the shooting at the Alexandria, Virginia, softball field last Wednesday. Posobiec was also kicked out by security.
A new generation of right-wing activists apparently are adopting civil disobedience techniques traditionally used by the left, which some among the conservative cohort, especially the Never Trump group, have denounced. Moreover, according to the Daily Caller , the Free Laura fundraising website was launched several hours before Loomer interrupted the performance and made a big splash on social media.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a39JswIqrHc
Some corporate sponsors, like Delta Air Lines and Bank of America, previously withdrew their financial support for the Public Theater’s production because of what they determined was the play’s offensive content. Others, like CNN parent Times Warner, as well as the New York Times company, continued to bankroll the play.
The NYPD charged Loomer with disorderly conduct and trespassing. She was released that same night, pending an August 14 court date.
In her dialogue with Hannity (see clip below), Laura Loomer explained her motivation for rushing the Julius Caesar stage, Gateway Pundit noted .
“This has been really important to me because the left has systematically and programmatically used free speech and artistic expression as a pretext to incite violence against the right and promote the assassination of President Donald Trump. And that’s really problematic. And you can see the consequence of this play and just the liberal mainstream media using political violence against the right just this past week when Representative Steve Scalise was shot in an assassination attempt on House Republicans. This was, of course, carried out by a liberal who watched MSNBC, was a fan of the liberal mainstream media, and who knows, maybe he was influenced by Kathy Griffin and Julius Caesar .”
Responding to a litany from Hannity about those well-known individuals who have made physical threats against Trump, Loomer continued.
‘Look, this is assassination porn, right? So the left is taking pleasure in watching an assassination attempt on President Trump. Shakespeare one said that ‘Violence delights lead to violence ends.’ So if you’re going to delight in the assassination of our president, it’s going to have a violent end. And why are the Never Trumpers [not] supporting me? Well they have something in common with the liberals. They both are unhappy with President Trump being our president. They haven’t accepted it. And the only way that would be resolved is if he was eradicated or taken out…”
On the final night, two male protesters rushed the stage, one at the beginning of the performance and the other during the disputed assassination scene, the New York Post reported . Both were hustled off the stage, arrested, and face similar charges to what are pending against Laura Loomer.
Do you think that Laura Loomer was justified in storming the stage to protest the Julius Caesar Shakespeare in the Park performance?
[Featured Image by Joan Marcus/The Public Theater/AP Images]