Rep. Ilhan Omar said Sunday that she supports Georgia boycotts of the state’s new voting laws, breaking with activist Stacey Abrams on the issue.
Speaking to CNN’s “State of the Union”, Omar (D-Minn.) Was asked if he agreed with Major League Baseball’s decision to withdraw its All-Star Game from Atlanta in protest of the law.
“We know that boycotts have allowed justice to be served in many spaces. The civil rights movement was based on boycotts. We know that, you know, apartheid ended in South Africa because of boycotts, ”said the progressive congresswoman from Minnesota.
“So our hope is that, you know, this boycott will result in changes to the law because we understand that when you restrict people’s voting power, you create a democracy that doesn’t fully work for all of us, and if we are to continue being a beacon of hope for all the democracies of the world, we must defend ourselves ”, he continued.
Abrams, the failed 2018 Democratic gubernatorial candidate, made her case against a boycott in an opinion piece published Wednesday by USA Today, after weeks of public outrage, including from Hollywood and numerous corporations.
“[B]Trading is complicated business that requires a long-term commitment to action. I have no doubt that voters of color, particularly black voters, are willing to put up with the hardships of boycotts. But I don’t think it’s necessary, yet, ”he wrote in the article.
The legislation in question, signed by Gov. Brian Kemp late last month, revises electoral protocols in the Peach state, imposes new restrictions on voting by mail and increases legislative control over the voting process.
President Biden initially referred to the bill as “Jim Crow on steroids” the day after it was signed, but went even further last Wednesday, saying he would “strongly support” moving the MLB mid-summer classic into protest.
“I think professional athletes today are acting incredibly responsible,” Biden said in an interview with ESPN. “I would strongly support them in doing that. People look at them. They are leaders. “