The Socialist Party of Ireland criticized Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s attendance at the Met Gala on Monday as police reportedly arrested Black Lives Matter (BLM) protesters just outside of the event.
Ocasio-Cortez claimed to be breaking “the fourth wall” and challenging “some of the institutions” while wearing a dress emblazoned with “Tax the Rich” across the back. The Socialist Party’s official account challenged her for going to the event instead of joining alongside the BLM and “defund the police” protesters.
“AOC should have been out in the streets not inside the palace,” the official political party’s account tweeted. “Dining with the class enemy, despite whatever good intentions, will alienate you from the working-class.”
AOC should have been out in the streets not inside the palace. https://t.co/U3ancrFOas
— Socialist Party (@SocialistParty) September 14, 2021
Dining with the class enemy, despite whatever good intentions, will alienate you from the working-class.
— Socialist Party (@SocialistParty) September 14, 2021
Police arrested multiple people outside the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which hosts the Met Gala, according to Fox News. Protesters reportedly chanted the name of Mike Rosado, a Bronx man who was killed after firing multiple shots at off-duty police officers.
A member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), Ocasio-Cortez has voiced support for reallocating resources away from police departments and her worries that media outlets create “hysteria” about rising crime. She has defended the slogan “defund the police” as members of her own party, including House Majority Whip James Clyburn and West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, criticized it. She claimed their opposition to it is an attempt “to make it palatable for largely affluent, white suburban ‘swing’ voters.” (RELATED: Ocasio-Cortez Appears To Throw Shade At Joe Manchin For Defund The Police Position)
“Defunding police means defunding police,” Ocasio-Cortez said in June 2020. “It does not mean budget tricks or funny math. It does not mean moving school police officers from the NYPD budget to the Department of Education’s budget so the exact same police remain in schools.”
Despite her political support for defunding local police, Ocasio-Cortez has repeatedly moved to fund her own security with taxpayer dollars. She voted present in May for a bill that allocated $1.9 billion to Capitol Police. The bill passed by one vote. Three of Ocasio-Cortez’s fellow “Squad” members — Missouri Rep. Cori Bush, Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar, and Massachusetts Rep. Ayanna Pressley — voted with Republicans against the increased funding.
Ocasio-Cortez also spent nearly $40,000 in campaign funds for private security during the first filing quarter of 2021, according to documents submitted to the Federal Elections Commission.
Ocasio-Cortez and DSA did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller’s request for comment.