Twitter flags U.S. lawmaker's video on Biden, Ocasio-Cortez for violating policy

[November 09, 2021]    By Shivam Patel

(Reuters) - Twitter Inc added a warning label on Tuesday to an anime video shared by U.S. Republican lawmaker Paul Gosar, depicting him swinging swords at President Joe Biden and killing Democratic congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) questions United States Park Police acting Chief Gregory T. Monahan, during a U.S. House Natural Resources Committee hearing on "The U.S. Park Police Attack on Peaceful Protesters at Lafayette Square", on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., July 28, 2020. Bill Clark/Pool via REUTERS

Twitter said the video violated its "hateful conduct" policy and restricted engagement with the tweet, blocking the ability to like, reply or retweet it.

However, the social media giant said in a notification attached above the tweet that it had determined "it may be in the public's interest for the Tweet to remain accessible."

"As is standard with this notice, engagements with the Tweet will be limited," Twitter said in an email.

A representative for Gosar did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment.

The 90-second video shared by Gosar on Sunday appears to be an altered version of a Japanese animated series and is interspersed with real-life footage of U.S. Border Patrol officers rounding up migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border.

The doctored video has been widely condemned by prominent politicians and social media users.

Ocasio-Cortez responded with a Twitter https://bit.ly/303BCX8 thread noting the video posted by a "creepy member I work with" and said she expected no consequences for Gosar from the Republican leader of the House of Representatives.

"This man should not serve in Congress," Democratic representative Ilhan Omar said. "Fantasizing about violently attacking your colleagues has no place in our political discourse and society."

(Reporting by Shivam Patel in Bengaluru)

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