Black Lives Matter' Organizer Deletes 'Reckless' Tweet After Users Remind Him 'Instigating a Crime Is a Crime

A series of tweets sent Wednesday by "Black Lives Matter" organizer and Daily Kos justice columnist Shaun King raised some eyebrows, before the "reckless" comments were deleted.

"$2,500 + bail money to the first person to hit the Confederate flag at the South Carolina Capitol with paint. Starting now," King tweeted.

Image source: Twitter

In other tweet he promised, "$5,000 and bail money to the first person to manually take down the flag at the South Carolina Capitol in Columbia. Starting now."

Image source: Twitter

"We're now up to $10,000 to the first person who manually takes down the Confederate flag at the South Carolina Capitol," another tweet read.

Image source: Twitter

King, who has also drawn criticism for tweets he's sent in the past, was responding to the casket of South Carolina state senator and Rev. Clementa Pinckney being rolled past the Confederate flag flying on the state Capitol grounds, after Pinckney and eight others were gunned down in a black church last week.

Gov. Nikki Haley called for the removal of the flag from Capitol grounds on Monday, but Pinckney's casket was still rolled past what many see as an offensive symbol on Wednesday. The state legislature's approval is needed to take the flag down.

Casket of Rev. Pinckney being taken past the Confederate Flag. Despicable that they didn't take it down today. pic.twitter.com/lN9XRajY8O

— Shaun King (@ShaunKing) June 24, 2015

A moment was missed today. @Clyburn -the elder statesmen of South Carolina- ASKED them to take this down before this happened. They refused.

— Shaun King (@ShaunKing) June 24, 2015

To have a black man, a State Senator no less, murdered by bigotry, then have his casket be shadowed by bigotry is the ultimate insult.

— Shaun King (@ShaunKing) June 24, 2015

Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley ordered that the Confederate flag be removed from Capitol grounds in his state Wednesday and Mississippi House Speaker Phillip Gunn has called for the removal of the Confederate flag part of the Mississippi state flag.

Various retailers also announced decisions this week to stop selling confederate flags, including Walmart, eBay, Sears, Etsy and Amazon.

For King, however, the flags can't come down fast enough.

"I'm at a point where begging and hoping and waiting on politicians to act feels like a betrayal of my own conscience," King tweeted.

I'm at a point where begging and hoping and waiting on politicians to act feels like a betrayal of my own conscience.

— Shaun King (@ShaunKing) June 24, 2015

King issued another tweet about an hour after offering to pay someone to hit the flag with paint or manually take it down. In the tweet, he apologized, saying that his "idea was pretty widely blasted for being reckless and foolhardy."

OK. My idea was pretty widely blasted for being reckless & foolhardy. I accept that and apologize. I'll take the criticism like a G.

— Shaun King (@ShaunKing) June 24, 2015

Below are some of the responses to King's deleted tweet:

I can't believe this. Isn't it aiding and abetting?

— Alysia Stern (@AlysiaStern) June 24, 2015

@AlysiaStern @TomKattman Guess he doesn't know instigating a crime is a crime.

— Kitastrophe (@thedaemonspawn) June 24, 2015

@AlysiaStern Accessory before the fact?

— George R. Chisenhall (@grcjr) June 24, 2015

@AlysiaStern @CradleOfLiberty Inciting to commit a crime by offering payment is "solicitation," a crime itself...

— rmack2x (@rmack2x) June 25, 2015

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