Police Officers Pay Visit to Home of Anti-War Activist Over Harmless Tweet Criticizing AOC
By Cristina Laila
Published April 9, 2021 at 11:49am
65 Comment

Two plainclothes California police officers showed up to the home of an anti-war activist over a harmless tweet criticizing Democrat Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
The police officers were sent to the Los Angeles home of Ryan Wentz, an anti-war activist on April 8 on behalf of the Capitol Police.

AOC denies any involvement, however many are asking who initiated the phone call to the Capitol Police.
The Grayzone reported:

As he waited for a food delivery at his home in Los Angeles on April 8, Ryan Wentz, an anti-war activist and producer for the online viral program, Soapbox, heard two men calling his name from over his front gate. When he approached, he realized they were not delivery drivers, but police officers flashing badges of the California Highway Patrol.
The cops informed Wentz that they had received a call from the Capitol Police, the federal law enforcement agency tasked with protecting the US Congress, about a tweet he had sent that allegedly threatened Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Wentz told The Grayzone, “The officers said, ‘We got a warning about a sitting member of Congress. And it was because of your tweet, which tagged them in it. And then they just wouldn’t back down from this accusation that I threatened to kill her.”
“I’m really shaken up right now. I was just visited by two plainclothes police officers from California Highway Patrol at my home. They said they came here on behalf of the Capitol Police and accused me of threatening AOC on Twitter yesterday. This is provably false,”

Human Rights Watch Watcher

@queeralamode

(1/X) I’m really shaken up right now. I was just visited by two plainclothes police officers from California Highway Patrol at my home. They said they came here on behalf of the Capitol Police and accused me of threatening @AOC on Twitter yesterday. This is provably false.

6:22 PM · Apr 8, 2021

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(1/X) I’m really shaken up right now. I was just visited by two plainclothes police officers from California Highway Patrol at my home. They said they came here on behalf of the Capitol Police and accused me of threatening @AOC on Twitter yesterday. This is provably false. pic.twitter.com/NGR8KViy93
— Human Rights Watch Watcher (@queeralamode) April 8, 2021

Wentz believes his criticism of AOC’s comments on Palestine/Israel prompted the visit from the police.

Wentz never threatened AOC and he has never threatened a member of Congress.

Human Rights Watch Watcher

@queeralamode

Replying to @queeralamode
(2/X) I assume this is the tweet they are talking about, where I lightly criticized @AOC for a disappointing answer in response to a question about Palestine/Israel.

Human Rights Watch Watcher

@queeralamode
On April 1, @AOC did a livestream with Michael Miller, the head of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York. She was asked about “peace between Israelis and Palestinians.”

Her response was incredibly underwhelming, to say the very least:

6:22 PM · Apr 8, 2021

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(2/X) I assume this is the tweet they are talking about, where I lightly criticized @AOC for a disappointing answer in response to a question about Palestine/Israel. [t.co]
— Human Rights Watch Watcher (@queeralamode) April 8, 2021

Wentz said the police intimidated him and he feels violated.

(3/X) This is completely outrageous. I was visited by two police at my home over a harmless tweet about @AOC. I felt scared, intimidated, and violated. They knew my name and where I live. It was done on behalf of a congresswoman who advocates against police state tactics.
— Human Rights Watch Watcher (@queeralamode) April 8, 2021

The activist said he doesn’t feel safe in his home.

Human Rights Watch Watcher

@queeralamode

Replying to @queeralamode
(4/X) I’d really appreciate it if @AOC could look into this. I recognize she probably receives a lot of threats, but I shouldn’t be harassed by police for critiquing her politics. I frankly feel very unsafe in my home right now.
6:22 PM · Apr 8, 2021

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(4/X) I’d really appreciate it if @AOC could look into this. I recognize she probably receives a lot of threats, but I shouldn’t be harassed by police for critiquing her politics. I frankly feel very unsafe in my home right now.
— Human Rights Watch Watcher (@queeralamode) April 8, 2021

A spokesperson for AOC said the Congresswoman did not report the tweet to the Capitol Police.

Ryan Grim

@ryangrim

A spokesperson for @AOC says they did not report this post to police, and have asked for answers from Capitol Police: "No, not at all. But when we saw his tweets last night about being visited we asked Capitol Police to look into what happened here."

Human Rights Watch Watcher

@queeralamode
Replying to @queeralamode
(4/X) I’d really appreciate it if @AOC could look into this. I recognize she probably receives a lot of threats, but I shouldn’t be harassed by police for critiquing her politics. I frankly feel very unsafe in my home right now.
9:40 AM · Apr 9, 2021

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A spokesperson for @AOC says they did not report this post to police, and have asked for answers from Capitol Police: “No, not at all. But when we saw his tweets last night about being visited we asked Capitol Police to look into what happened here.” [t.co]
— Ryan Grim (@ryangrim) April 9, 2021