House Dem's Surprising Ferguson Comparison on the House Floor

Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) on Wednesday defended the decision of Congressional Black Caucus members to use the "hands up" gesture on the House floor to protest the events in Ferguson, and compared the Ferguson protests to the Boston Tea Party and the civil rights movement.

Green was reacting to recent reactions in the media over the "hands up" gesture. On Tuesday, MSNBC host Joe Scarborough accused Black Caucus members of perpetuating the myth that 18-year-old Michael Brown was killed in Ferguson by a white police officer, for doing nothing more than holding up his hands.

Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) defended his use of the "hands up" gesture on the House floor on Wednesday.
Image: C-SPAN screengrab

"What's wrong with these elected officials?" Scarborough said. "They know it’s a lie."

Green answered Scarborough's question Wednesday morning on the House floor. "Here is the answer, my dear brother," Green said in response to Scarborough's "what's wrong" question.

"The same thing that was wrong with the Pilgrims, and caused them to come to Plymouth Rock," he said. "The same thing that caused persons to throw tea over into the Boston Harbor."

"The same thing that caused Rosa Parks to take a seat on a bus against the law," he continued. "The same thing that caused Dr. King to march from Selma to Montgomery. The same thing that caused them to cross the Edmund Pettus bridge on what's known as Bloody Sunday."

"What's wrong with these people? They refused to accept injustice. I refuse to accept injustice," he said. "What happened in Ferguson was an injustice."

"And so, I will continue to hold my hands up," he said. "I will continue to support those who engage in peaceful protest."

Scarborough blasted Democrats who used the "hands up" gesture on Tuesday by saying testimony from witnesses showed Brown charged the police officer, and tried to take his gun.

"They know the cops didn't shoot him with his hands in the air," Scarborough said. "They know it's a lie and they’re doing this on the Capitol floor?"

Tuesday night, Green clashed with Fox News's Megyn Kelly by dismissing the majority of witnesses who said Brown was charging Officer Darren Wilson. Green argued that other witnesses said Brown's hands were up.

"How is it about race when every witness who testified Michael Brown was charging that cop was African American?" Kelly asked him.

"Well, because African Americans can make mistakes too," Green said.