Joe Biden was heckled on Monday during a speech about the new gun control laws at the White House by the Parkland shooting victim’s father.
“Sit down. You’ll there what I have to say” Biden responded according to C-SPAN video of the event.
President Biden to protester: "Sit down. You'll hear what I have to say." pic.twitter.com/FZvMZoLam5
— CSPAN (@cspan) July 11, 2022
The father Manuel Oliver, a South Florida resident, yelled “You have to do more.” at the President according to Politico.
Oliver’s son, 17-year-old Joaquin Oliver, was killed in the Feb. 14, 2018 massacre in Parkland, Florida.
While much of the recording was unintelligible, Biden said that Oliver should be allowed to speak, and agreed that while this “was real progress” “more has to be done”. But, according to the New York Post “Biden repeated his earlier call for Congress to ban “assault weapons.””
According to Politico, Oliver also shouted “You have to open an office in the White House. Name a director,”, referring to the federal director for gun control. Biden responded that “we have one”, but did not specify beyond that.
Despite being allowed to speak by Biden, Oliver was quickly escorted off the White House lawn by security.
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The man who just interrupted #Biden speech about the recently passed #guncontrol bill is Manuel Oliver, who lost his son in the 2018 #Parkland shooting. I was too far to hear what he said but watched him be escorted off the WH grounds. #F24 pic.twitter.com/kQ8in8yL2w
— Kethevane Gorjestani (@ketgorjestani) July 11, 2022
While this event was treated as a celebration by the Biden administration, Oliver quickly tweeted otherwise.
The word CELEBRATION has no space in a society that saw 19 kids massacred just a month ago. “Most people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in ten years.” Not me, not Joaquin. @ChangeTheRef
— Manuel Oliver (@manueloliver00) July 11, 2022
Oliver told CNN that this bill was more accurately characterized as a “green light” to do nothing for the next 30 years.
Tell Manuel Oliver to show the Republicans the same kind of energy. Why isn't he calling them every day, showing up in their offices, demanding THEY do more? They're the ones refusing to do anything at all. https://t.co/wKMuHJGB9Q
— THEE #VeryAsian politicalcat #WomensRights #KHive (@thepoliticalcat) July 11, 2022
According to the New York Post, Oliver met with activist group Guns Down America just hours after the incident where he said
“I have nothing to lose. I don’t have a problem by saying things the way that I say them … You cannot be polite with gun violence, because gun violence is not polite with you.”
Oliver has certainly practiced what he preached, going so far as wishing for Ted Cruz and Greg Abbott to “burn in hell” over the Uvalde shooting.
Time to be disruptive, aggressive, and move away from conventional reactions. @BetoORourke knows better than anyone in that room. @tedcruz and @GregAbbott_TX, I hope you both burn in hell along with the loud asshole wearing the blue shirt. https://t.co/5QGfohKEsc
— Manuel Oliver (@manueloliver00) May 25, 2022
However, his most flashy example of activism was when he climbed a 150-foot crane to unfurl a banner petitioning Biden to pass more gun legislation.
Happy valentines pic.twitter.com/Ho6zvjjA7o
— Manuel Oliver (@manueloliver00) February 14, 2022
According to Business Insider, the legislation was entitled the “Bipartisan Safer communities Act” which was voted for by 15 republican Senators, including Linsey Graham, Mitt Romney, and Mitch McConnell. According to the New York Post, the bill will cost $750 million for state-run programs including controversial “red flag laws” that allow for gun confiscation of community members suspected of ill-intent. Some of these laws have been called both unconstitutional and ineffective.
In America, we don't punish people for what they might do in the future#dueprocess #redflaglaws #redflag #2ndAmendment #Biden pic.twitter.com/Lx6Wrbq9IW
— Judge Napolitano (@Judgenap) July 11, 2022
😵💫 @TuckerCarlson opened his show yesterday railing against #RedFlagLaws that allow police to go through a court to remove guns from dangerous people.
And then made an excellent case for stronger red flag laws.
Illinois has a red flag law that was never legally triggered. pic.twitter.com/whLny6k0VC
— The Tennessee Holler (@TheTNHoller) July 6, 2022
The latest mass shooters in Buffalo, Highland Park, and Uvalde all showed warning signs that did not trigger red flag laws due to a lack of community reporting.
