Sen. Merkley on AG Barr: Charging Violent Protesters with Sedition Is ‘Authoritarian Approach’

EXCERPT:

MERKLEY: "Well, I’m astounded. If people are engaged in property damage and I condemn violence on -- on all fronts, they should be charged with property damage, but what I read into Attorney General Barr’s comments is he wants people who are protesting in opposition to the administration to be charged with sedition. I don’t know that it’s that clearly laid out but that’s impression I took from it. This is part of an imperial presidency, authoritarian approach where you undermine the legitimacy of the press. You absolutely make disagreeing with the administration a — a crime, charge them with sedition. It’s — I think the Attorney General or the various prosecutors who weighed in and shared that news, they are professionals who were just astounded that our top law enforcement person would — would propose really what is politicizing protest."