O'Reilly: Occupy Wall Street Protesters 'Are Terrorists

Over the past few days, the NATO summit has brought along with it a fair share of protests to Chicago, Illinois. On Monday, there were already nearly 50 arrests, as Occupy adherents, among others, converged to voice their displeasure on a variety of fronts. While there was plenty of peaceful resistance, there were also some concerning developments, including: allegations of bomb plots, a cop getting stabbed in the leg and -- an alleged "Kill Glenn Beck" t-shirt, among other troubling elements.

(Related: Was a Chicago Protester Caught Wearing a ‘Kill Glenn Beck’ T-Shirt?)

But violence and bizarre antics haven't been uncommon at Occupy events. Still, the White House has been strangely silent about these more volatile developments. During a press conference on Monday, President Barack Obama took a laissez faire approach to the intense protests, claiming that they represent "free speech and the freedom of assembly."

While this, in its most organic sense, may certainly be true, Fox News' Bill O'Reilly contends that the president owe's America a different -- and more pertinent -- answer regarding his stance on the ongoing Occupy angst.

"The president should be answering the question, 'Do you still support the Occupy Wall Street movement?,' because in the beginning he did," O'Reilly said via telephone on his program Monday night (Laura Ingraham was filling in for him). "When he’s asked about the protesters he gives an answer that doesn’t say one way or the other whether he approves of this kind of thing."

The television host went on to describe an encounter he had with an Occupy protester on Friday evening. While exiting the "Jesus Christ Superstar" Broadway theater with three children who had accompanied him, O'Reilly claimed that he was confronted by an individual associated with the Occupy movement. Despite telling the man that there were children present, he said that the protester came within inches of his face and subsequently chased his car down the street.

O'Reilly said that situations like this are happening across America. He suspected that the individual was informed of his presence inside of the theater, that the encounter was planned and that he wanted O'Reilly to attack him.

"But what I’m trying to say is not just about me -- this Occupy Wall Street movement is now very coordinated and they are terrorists," O'Reilly said. "They are trying to create trouble, that’s what terrorists do."

Watch O'Reilly make these statements, below (around 2:00):

(H/T: Fox News Insider)