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Lawmaker Shoved By Anti-Vaccine Protester Says Facebook Should Remove Video

SACRAMENTO (AP) — A California state senator is criticizing Facebook for refusing to remove a video of an anti-vaccine protester shoving him in the back.

Democratic Sen. Richard Pan said in a speech on the Senate floor on Thursday that Facebook is "deliberately giving a platform to violence." He says he worries the video will incite others to violent acts.

Representatives for Facebook did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Pan has authored several bills that seek to limit exemptions for child vaccinations that have prompted protests.

Richard Pan
In this May 22, 2019, file photo, State Sen. Richard Pan, D-Sacramento, calls on lawmakers to approve his measure to toughen the rules for vaccination exemptions in Sacramento. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File)

On Wednesday, 54-year-old Kenneth Austin Bennett filmed his confrontation with Pan on the sidewalk near the state Capitol. The video shows Bennett shoving Pan in the back.

The Sacramento Police Department cited Bennet for misdemeanor assault and released him.

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