UT Knoxville law professor and USA Today columnist suspended from Twitter after he told followers to 'run down' Charlotte protesters

  • Glenn Reynolds said 'Run them down' while linking to Charlotte news story
  • He was banned for the tweet, made at around 9pm Wednesday night
  • Reynolds said he has no problem with peaceful protest but didn't like 'riot'
  • Protesters object to shooting of black man by black police officer
  • National Guard were called to Charlotte Wednesday after a man was shot
  • At least seven people, including four cops, have been injured in protests  
  • The account was restored Wednesday after Reynolds deleted tweet

By James Wilkinson For Mailonline

Published: | Updated:

A University of Tennessee in Knoville law professor and sometime USA Today columnist has been suspended from Twitter for telling his followers to 'run down' Charlotte protesters.

Glenn Reynolds, who posted on Twitter under the handle @Instapundit, made the post at around 9pm Wednesday, linking to a report about the protests with the words 'Run them down.'

But he apparently didn't realize he'd made a controversial point until he was contacted by press. 'Ah. I saw it was suspended and didn't know why,' Reynolds told the Knoxville News Sentinel in an email Thursday morning.

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Glenn Reynolds, a UT Knoxville professor
Reynolds has been suspended from Twitter for telling followers to 'run down' protesters

Suspended: Glenn Reynolds (left), a UT Knoxville law professor, has been suspended from Twitter for telling followers to 'run down' protesters upset by the cop shooting of a black man

Controversial: Reynolds said he didn't know why he was suspended from Twitter after making Wednesday evening's post (pictured), which came as protesters surrounded vehicles

Controversial: Reynolds said he didn't know why he was suspended from Twitter after making Wednesday evening's post (pictured), which came as protesters surrounded vehicles

Protest: Reynolds said he had no problem with peaceful protests, but said blocking roads and 'trapping people in their cars' was not a peaceful protest

Protest: Reynolds said he had no problem with peaceful protests, but said blocking roads and 'trapping people in their cars' was not a peaceful protest

He said his post 'was brief, since it was Twitter, but blocking highways is dangerous and I don't think people should stop for a mob, especially when it's been violent.'

The protests, over the fatal shooting of a black man by a black police officer, turned violent Wednesday night. Two and a half hours after Reynolds made his tweet, the National Guard were sent in.

During the protests, a man was shot by a civilian, and several shops and businesses were burned and looted.

Reynolds, who is also a columnist for the News Sentinel, told the paper that he supported peaceful protesting against police violence and had demanded more accountability from police 'for years.'

But he said he didn't support what he saw as 'riots' in Charlotte.

'And locking interstates and trapping people in their cars is not peaceful protest,' he added, 'it's threatening and dangerous, especially against the background of people rioting, cops being injured, civilian-on-civilian shootings, and so on. 

Violence: The protests descended into violence, and the National Guard was called out around two-and-a-half hours after Reynolds made his remarks

'I wouldn't actually aim for people blocking the road, but I wouldn't stop because I'd fear for my safety, as I think any reasonable person would.

'"Run them down" perhaps didn't capture this fully, but it's Twitter, where character limits stand in the way of nuance.'

Reynolds's account was restored Wednesday afternoon after he agreed to delete the offending tweet. 

UT Knoxville and USA Today have been contacted for comment.

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