Cotton Encourages Action Against Gaza Cease-Fire Protesters, Sparking Backlash Over Vigilante Remarks

• Sen. Tom Cotton encouraged people stuck behind Gaza cease-fire protesters to "take matters into your own hands," appearing to encourage violence. He later edited the post to clarify they should just get the protesters "out of the way."

• Protesters blocked major roads and bridges across the U.S. on Monday in support of Palestinians, backing up traffic for miles. Cotton denounced them as "pro-Hamas."

• Former Obama speechwriter Jon Favreau said Cotton was "calling for vigilante violence" and that his edited post didn't "fix" matters.

• Cotton's remarks were compared to his controversial 2020 New York Times op-ed advocating military force against George Floyd protesters.

• In 2020 Cotton also called for charges against "mob vigilantes" who defaced Confederate statues, saying "civilization recedes" as "the mob rises."