Former Democratic Hawaii Rep. said Thursday the battle between the Department of Justice and parents who protest at school board meetings over masks and Critical Race Theory is “bigger” than Democrat and Republican party politics — it is about freedom for all citizens.

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“Every American should be concerned about what’s happening right now,” Gabbard told “Fox News Primetime.”This is something that is bigger than Democrats vs. Republicans. What we are seeing here is about the powerful elite in this country using their power to try to silence and control us.”

Gabbard argued that “what is so dangerous about this situation is we have the attorney general essentially weaponizing our federal law enforcement agencies to intimidate and silence the American people to try to silence us into compliance, essentially.” She noted that whether we happen to agree with somebody else’s free speech or not it is still there free speech and “whether our speech is quiet or obnoxious, our speech is protected by the First Amendment.” (RELATED: ‘Judge, Jury And Executioner: Tulsi Gabbard Says Joe Biden ‘Needs To Apologize’ For Throwing Border Agents Under The Bus)

The former congresswoman said that as a member of the Army Reserve and as a former member of the House of Representatives, she “took an oath to support and defend the Constitution and I may hate the speech that you say. I may completely disagree with it, but I will lay down my life to protect your right to say it.”

Gabbard said it is that oath that enables her “to stand up to speak out, to fight back, to take a stand for our freedom. The kind of action that we’re seeing from Attorney General [Merrick] Garland, it makes our country look more and more like we are moving to a police state rather than being the land of the free and so now is not the time to allow them to intimidate us into silence.” (RELATED: Lara Logan Says Biden Is ‘Demonizing’ Border Patrol, ‘Decriminalized Crossing The Border’)

The former Democratic presidential candidate urged Americans to “stand for each other, for our civil liberties, for our freedoms” because to fail to do so will result in “those who are in power” taking those rights away.

In a memo released Monday, Attorney General Merrick Garland directed the FBI to “use its authority” against parents who threaten public education officials or use violence against them. The National School Board Associated had urged the federal government and Biden to get involved with parents who protested school boards over issues such as mask mandates and the teaching of Critical Race Theory.

Gabbard has criticized Democratic California Rep. Maxine Waters for using race to “divide” American voters. She has also said Biden’s immigration policy has failed and that he should reconsider reintroducing some of former President Donald Trump’s initiatives to avoid an “open border.”