Ann Coulter: 'Occupy Wall Street' Protesters Are 'Demonic'
News commentator and author Ann Coulter has said that demonstrators participating in the "Occupy Wall Street" movement have embraced "demonic aspects," and compared demonstrators to a possessed man encountered by Christ in the gospels.
Coulter, who has written a book called Demonic, made the remarks during an appearance on "Fox and Friends" Sunday, in which the topic of conversation was how rapidly the "OWS" protests have been spreading across the United States to dozens of cities.
"It's funny how for the first nine months when the tea parties were up and operating, the mainstream media ignored them. When they finally paid attention, you had most of the mainstream media outlets and most major Democrats denouncing the tea partiers as mobs, unruly mobs and racist brutes," Coulter said.
"Now we see an actual mob uprising and now they want to say that this is just like the Tea Party. They really could not be more different."
Coulter went on to mention her book, Demonic, which discusses "mob uprisings" and helps add context to the "Occupy Wall Street" protesters, the conservative claimed.
"It's somewhat stunning how they are following the contours of what a mob uprising is, including the embracing of their demonic aspects," Coulter said, as video played on the right of the split-screen of a protester writhing on the ground after apparently being pepper sprayed.
The author and commentator then referenced Jesus' encounter with a demoniac, in which Christ asks the unclean spirits in the man for a name (see Mark 5:9).
"Now you have this video on behalf of 'Occupy Wall Street' with them saying 'the voice of the people is the voice of anonymous for we are legion.' They are just openly embracing their demonic aspects and of course you see the result of that in the arrests, the defecating on police cars, the block of traffic, blocking pedestrians. You can tell it's just on the edge of violence."
Coulter went on to allege that Democrats were using the "OWS" movement as a way of "seizing" power, while specifically mentioning President Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi.
The commentator took her biblical analogies even further when asked to comment on the "OWS" protesters' message.
"That is exactly an aspect of a mob, it is without cause. It is as Jesus said 'they hated Me without cause.' On one hand to the extent they say they stand for anything at all. They're against Wall Street? Yet they support Obama? ... It was Obama who bailed out the banks."
Despite Coulter's assertion that the "OWS" protesters are somehow embracing "demonic aspects," members of the Christian community have been voicing their support for the movement's cause, which has been described as a call to hold big banks accountable for their part in the flailing economy.
Some faith leaders have even asserted that Jesus Himself would be standing with protesters to cry out against greed, capitalism and economic inequalities.
The Rev. Michael Ellick of Judson Memorial Church, who joined the "OWS" protest on Sunday, promised that he and others in the faith community would stand with demonstrators for as long as necessary.
"We will not tire. We will not falter. We will stand with you in every city, every state, every country," he said. "And whatever [the protesters] need, the faith community of New York will be there to give it to them."
As the original "OWS" protest in New York enters its fourth week, other "occupy" protests have been popping up in dozens of cities across the U.S., as well as in Canada and Europe.