WASHINGTON DC - Today Americans for Prosperity President Tim Phillips denounced the dangerous rhetoric coming from key leaders in the Occupy Wall Street movement, in response to video emerging in which an OWS speaker brazenly calls for their self-described revolution to turn bloody and makes favorable comparisons to the French Revolution while the crowd cheers.

“Occupy Wall Street protesters have a right to be heard. What should not be tolerated however, is the disturbing emergence of violent rhetoric coming from their members and supporters. Even more alarming is the fact that national labor unions and politicians like Nancy Pelosi have offered support for the protestors while turning a blind eye to their calls for violence and repeated violations of the law,” said AFP President Tim Phillips.

Anti-growth policies and the adversarial approach to business adopted by the current administration are responsible for the economic downturn and high unemployment. The White House’s class warfare rhetoric tries to divert attention away from its failed policies by continually vilifying “millionaires and billionaires,” when it really should own up to its mistakes.

While AFP agrees with the Wall Street protestors about the severity of this economic crisis, there are deep fundamental differences in how to solve the problem. Tim Phillips further commented, “Occupy Wall Street has been calling for an increase in wasteful spending and further government intrusion into the private lives of citizens and business owners. The protestors are seen repeatedly advocating Socialism and an end to free enterprise which would be repulsive to our founding fathers. In stark contrast, AFP is calling for a return to the free-market principles that have created more wealth, more opportunity, and a higher standard of living than any other system in modern history. Occupy Wall Street protestors know that high unemployment is the problem, but they are clueless about the right solution.”

Americans for Prosperity calls on Occupy Wall Street to denounce violent rhetoric within their group, and recognize that demanding more wasteful spending, bailouts, and intrusion by the federal government will never lead to economic freedom & prosperity.

Members of the media wishing to interview Tim Phillips should contact Levi Russell at LRussell@afphq.org, or (703)224-3200.