A prominent Black Lives Matter activist appeared to threaten Daniel Penny and called for violence after Penny was acquitted of criminally negligent homicide in the death of a deranged homeless man on the New York City subway last year.
Hawk Newsome, who cofounded Black Lives Matter Greater New York and now leads a new activist group called Black Opportunities, shouted "It’s a small world" in the court shortly after the jury acquitted Penny, according to reporters in attendance. At a press conference after the court was dismissed, Newsome said, "We need some black vigilantes. People wanna jump up and choke us and kill us for being loud? How about we do the same?"
Hawk Newsome, who founded BLM of Greater New York, explicitly calls for black people to kill white people after the Penny verdict:
"We need some black vigilantes. People wanna jump up and choke us and kill us for being loud? How about we do the same?"pic.twitter.com/5hBUoo0oP9
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) December 9, 2024
Newsome was an organizer behind protests outside the court each day during the Penny trial. Activists shouted "Murderer, Murderer" and waved signs that said "Convict Daniel Penny."
Penny’s attorneys suggested the behavior was a form of jury intimidation in court on Monday and asked prosecutors to do more for jurors not to hear their chants. Shortly after that request was denied, Penny was found not guilty on Monday.
Newsome earned headlines in 2021 after he dissociated from the national Black Lives Matter nonprofit and alleged financial improprieties. He founded Black Opportunities the same year.
It is not clear what business Black Opportunities engages in. Although the group still accepts donations on its website, it lost its nonprofit status from the IRS in May. Black Opportunities has not filed any tax returns since it was founded, nor is there any financial information about the group available publicly.
Aside from organizing the anti-Penny protests, Black Opportunities’ website is largely dedicated to selling various apparel, which includes sweatshirts and t-shirts that say "F— THE MAYOR."
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