Justin Brannan says he is getting death threats for anti-NRA comments

April 30, 2018 By Paula Katinas Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Councilmember Justin Brannan isn’t letting death threats keep him from doing his job, his chief of staff said.

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A City Councilmember who exercised the First Amendment against the Second Amendment made some people so mad that they’re threatening to violate the Fifth Commandment, he says.

Councilmember Justin Brannan said he is receiving death threats after posting on Twitter how pleased he was that Brooklynites had stood up to the group Brooklyn Friends of the NRA, which finally met last week at a Dyker Heights catering hall after being turned away from Gargiulo’s restaurant in Coney Island and the Grand Prospect Hall in Windsor Terrace.

“It’s a little crazy,” said Brannan’s chief of staff, Chris McCreight, who added that his boss was taking the threats to his life in stride. McCreight declined to offer specifics but said the NYPD and City Council security officers were aware of the situation.

It all started late last week, when 100 NRA members and fans finally held their meeting — and attracted approximately a dozen protesters. There was no violence, but gun supporters taunted the anti-gun marchers, with one yelling “Sieg Heil,” the Nazi pledge, and others offering raised middle fingers in a graphic salute. Several gun opponents yelled “Shame on you!”

So I called out the NRA. Trolls & bots came out in full force. Called me fat, said I should resign, etc. I laughed. But what scares me is the amount of NRA supporters who immediately compare themselves to Jews under attack by the Nazis. It is disgusting, horrifying & indefensible

— Justin Brannan (@JustinBrannan) April 27, 2018

“@NYCCouncil member @JustinBrannan is literally bragging that gun owners in a state as hostile to gun rights as New York have to resort to hiding to be safe from violent anti-gun fanatics.” —@DLoesch #NRA pic.twitter.com/pNkbCxa391

— NRATV (@NRATV) April 28, 2018

But afterwards, Brannan (D–Bay Ridge) boasted on Twitter, “Looks like we’ve successfully chased the @NRA underground in #Brooklyn. Now they’ve gotta sneak around behind our backs and book catering halls under fake names just to have a meeting. Sounds about right.”

That prompted gun rights supporters to paint a symbolic target on Brannan’s back. NRATV, the official online organ of the National Rifle Association, ran a segment on Brannan’s tweet, featuring host Dana Loesch accusing the freshman councilman of calling out a “mob” to attack law-abiding gun owners.

Near tears, Loesch also claimed that gun owners have been under fire by liberals.

“Anti-gun individuals have been incredibly violent … targeted their families,” Loesch said about gun-owning victims supposedly under fire from violent liberals. “They’ve done horrible things and threatened to even kill law-abiding gun owner because these individuals hate guns so much.”

Then she turned her ire on Brannan himself, addressing his criticism of the NRA group’s use of a fake name to book the Knights of Columbus post in Dyker Heights on Wednesday night.

“So why do you think these people would like to use fake names, particularly when an elected official like you is out there essentially trying to incite some kind of mob against these people,” she said. “This councilman is literally bragging that gun owners in a state as hostile to gun rights as New York have to resort to hiding to be safe from violent anti-gun fanatics.”

After the segment aired, Brannan started getting plenty of attention from gun owners on Twitter, much of which cannot be printed in a family newspaper.

“You ain’t chased s— underground, you fat f—,” a gun fan named John Prescod emailed Brannan. “You’ll never stop the 2nd Amendment. F— you and f— your mother.”

Brannan taunted right back: “So I called out the NRA,” he posted. “Trolls & bots came out in full force. Called me fat, said I should resign, etc. I laughed. But what scares me is the amount of NRA supporters who immediately compare themselves to Jews under attack by the Nazis. It is disgusting, horrifying & indefensible.”

Many local officials and government aides came to Brannan’s support.

“When the NRA lies about what you said and then targets you nationally, you’re doing something very right. Go @JustinBrannan!” tweeted mayoral spokesman Eric Phillips

Councilman Brad Lander (D-Park Slope) added that he was “proud to support my friend @JustinBrannan who has riled the NRA (and, sadly, attracted not only vicious name-calling but also very real threats). Justin, thanks for your courage & your humor. We’ve got your back.”

On Monday, despite continued threats, Brannan doubled down on his attacks on the group.

“The fact that the NRA had to cancel 2 events in #Brooklyn due to public outcry is significant. The fact that they were only able to hold their event in our neighborhood because they used a fake name speaks volumes. If anything, it shows the NRA is 100% self-aware,” he posted. “They know they are widely unpopular & majority of folks disagree with their tactics. But to understand why they are so disliked would require too much introspection so they pound their chests, act like their rights are under attack, and intimidate those who want real gun reform.”

In another post, he wrote, “I’ve got no problem with a bunch of guys sitting around talking about how much they love guns. My beef is with an organization that spends tens of millions $$ bribing boneless politicians to block common sense gun reform that 90% of Americans support.”