Sen. Cotton: ‘Take matters in their own hands’ with pro-Hamas protesters

U.S. Senator Tom Cotton (R-AK) speaks during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on worldwide threats to American security, on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., March 11, 2024.

Senator Tom Cotton, who represents the state of Arkansas, told Fox News on Monday that people should “take matters into their own hands” when pro-Hamas protesters block traffic.

The comments were made as pro-Palestinian protesters, whom Cotton described as “criminals,” blocked San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge. Cotton claimed that if the protesters did this in his state, the protesters would get “very wet,” seemingly implying that they would be thrown from the bridge into the water.

Speaking of the impact that the protests could have, Cotton said he was concerned about how it would impact the diversion of police resources and whether emergency services were being blocked from their duties.

The Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco, CA at sunset. This photo was taken from the Marin Headlands. (credit: BROCK BRANNEN / CC BY 2.5 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/)

The Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco, CA at sunset. This photo was taken from the Marin Headlands. (credit: BROCK BRANNEN / CC BY 2.5 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/)

Sharing a clip of the interview on X, Cotton wrote that “These pro-Hamas extremists blocking roads across the country are Joe Biden’s base. I feel for those with health emergencies, kids, and places to be who are stuck in traffic because of these criminals.”

Emergency services blocked by pro-Palestinian protesters 

In March, pro-Palestinian protesters demonstrating in New York blocked the NYPD from accessing a bomb threat, The Jerusalem Post reported at the time.  An Uber driver discovered a grenade in the back of his car, but NYPD was unable to arrive at the scene as rapidly because pro-Palestinian protesters were blocking the streets.