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Black Lives Matter Says ‘Oppressed People Have Right to Violence’ Following Murder of Iryna Zarutska
An official Black Lives Matter account has defended the suspect in the Charlotte train stabbing that killed Iryna Zarutska, declaring that “oppressed people have a right to violence.”
Iryna Zarutska was tragically killed last week in what authorities are calling an “unprovoked attack” by Decarlos Brown Jr., 34, who had previous arrests and convictions spanning over a decade, and had been released after an arrest in January.
The BLM Instagram post came in response to news reports of the murder and said: “We have a right to violence. All oppressed people have a right to violence. And I’m going to tell you something. It’s like the right to pee. You gotta have the right place, you gotta have the right time, you gotta have the appropriate situation. And I’m absolutely convinced that this is it.”
People are furious. Comparing violence to peeing? Saying oppressed people “have a right to violence”? Critics say it’s completely irresponsible. Framing violence in racial terms will stir even more division.
Law experts say posts like this are dangerous. Even if it’s “just words,” telling millions of followers that violence is okay can have serious consequences. And right now, tensions are already high.
Supporters of BLM try to defend it, saying it’s just about frustration with injustice, not a real call to hurt anyone. But most people aren’t buying it.
“These people are violent dangerous racists” social media influencer Tim Poole said. “It’s not inspiring justice—it’s telling people it’s okay to be violent. That’s messed up,” said an X user in reply.
With no clarification from BLM yet, the post is fueling outrage and debate online. People are asking: when does activism cross the line into recklessness? And is this kind of messaging making things worse instead of better?
