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Ex-Cop’s Offensive Tweet Slamming ‘Black Brunch’ Protesters Sparks Controversy, Heated Debate Escalates On CNN [Video]

By Meaghan Ellis
Published on: 04:21 PST, Jan 8, 2015

Former police officer John Cardillo may have added more fuel to the controversial fire surrounding police practices. But, apparently he must have felt some kind of way about the highly publicized interruption of patrons at New York City restaurants as a result of the Black Brunch Protest. For those who missed it, the “Black Brunch” sit-in-style protests protest took place on Sunday, Jan. 4. Many protestors in support of the #BlackLivesMatter movement crashed several local restaurants considered “white spaces” in the Big Apple and Oakland, CA.

According to Yahoo! News, an estimated three dozen people participated in the event, “disrupting” eateries while people ate. The controversial protest immediately began making headlines all over the Internet. While some supporters were in total support of the movement, others were quite annoyed by hit. Apparently, Cardillo was one of those people. So, he took to Twitter with his opinion of the big protest. Although he didn’t say very much, the message was quite clear and the picture spoke volumes.

On Jan. 4, Cardillo posted a selfie pointing a firearm. The caption for the picture read, “I’m really enjoying these Eggs Benedict so move along now.” The tweet was also labeled with the hashtag .

So, of course his tweet began circulating around the social network relatively quick. An overwhelming number of Twitter users weren’t too thrilled about his opinion and the negative feedback also came pouring in. Some users reportedly took Cardillo’s selfie as an open threat toward protestors, which sparked even more controversy.

Here are some of the responses:

Since Cardillo is an ex-cop, the message many have assumed he trying only adds fuel to the “anti-police” fire that’s been brewing for the past couple months. But, not everyone opposes his actions. He also has supporters who have sparked debates with protestors.

Guns and Curves discussed the role reversal of racism and posed the question of whether or not a picture of a gun signifies a threat. Cardillo’s selfie was compared to 50 Cent’s Get Rich Or Die Tryin’ album cover where he, too, was pointing a gun. Since Cardillo only mentioned “enjoying eggs,” and the title of the album revolves around life and death, liberals were questioned about why 50 Cent does not pose the same threat. This argument also sparked another debate.

The controversial tweet garnered so much attention Cardillo was asked to appear on CNN. The panel discussion started off with Cardillo explaining why he posted the picture, but things quickly took a turn. After just a few minutes, he was embroiled in a heated argument with NY Times columnist and political commenter Charles Blow.

While he felt his purpose for posting the picture was justifiable, Blow argued that his behavior was inappropriate. As a former police officer, Cardillo’s purpose should be to “protect and service.” Blow felt his actions were an example of hypocrisy because that’s not the message he’s sending. It was quite obvious Blow was not happy about the controversial selfie. He condemned Cardillo for his actions and even told him, “Your very presence here is demeaning.”

What do you think about John Cardillo’s tweet to Black Brunch protestors? Do you think gun selfies pose a threat? Share your thoughts.

[Image via Twitter]

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