Slate Deletes Tweet That Called Violence ‘An Important Tool For Protests’ But Original Tweet About June Podcast is Still Up

Following backlash, online magazine Slate, which describes itself as covering news, politics, technology, and culture, deleted a tweet where they shared a June podcast titled, “A History of Violent Protest: Big structural change in America doesn’t happen without violence.”

On the tweet itself, it was worded, “Non-violence is an important tool for protests, but so is violence.”

The deletion of the tweet can be seen by some of the responses, which are still active, like conservative user “Liam” who responded to the now deleted tweet and said, “Yes, get the police defunded by being violent. I’m sure that will work out nicely.”

Yes, get the police defunded by being violent. I'm sure that will work out nicely.

— Liam (@LiamConstruct) December 24, 2020

In the podcast, they speak with guest Kellie Carter-Jackson, PhD, a professor at Wellesley College and the author of Force & Freedom: Black Abolitionists the Politics of Violence.

Slate described it as “the summer of 2020 was a summer of protest. The images were startling: Police wore riot gear, armed with batons and cans of pepper spray. Protesters sported bruises, pouring milk on each others’ faces.”

“The anguished unrest that spread across the country may have made you feel uncomfortable and angry. But Kellie Carter-Jackson says that’s the point: Peaceful protest may not be able to spur the structural change so many people are seeking,” the description adds.

It turns out that the podcast was also tweeted out on June 4th and used the same wording at the time and it also received a critical response. That tweet, however, remains up today.

Non-violence is an important tool for protests, but so is violence. https://t.co/DD6gaLPKuF

— Slate (@Slate) June 4, 2020

Many responses call out the magazine for potentially perpetuating violent protests at the time.

Leftists say words are violence, but are a-okay with actual violence. – @AF632

Leftists say words are violence, but are a-okay with actual violence.

— Aldous Huxley's Ghost™ (@AF632) June 4, 2020

Tell me how this solves anything – @HausSante

Tell me how this solves anything pic.twitter.com/MUr4S0UtFV

— Haus (@HausSante) June 4, 2020