BLM activist Bree Newsome defends rioting and looting as 'a legitimate, politically-informed response to state violence'

A prominent activist who supports the Black Lives Matter movement has appeared to support violent protests, arguing that rioting and looting are 'a legitimate, politically-informed response to state violence'.

Bree Newsome, 35, made the passionate remarks in a series of tweets this week, arguing that police are not limited to non-violence, and that a violent response to injustice can be appropriate and justified.

Newsome, a filmmaker and activist on racial justice issues, famously scaled a flagpole at the South Carolina State House to tear down the Confederate battle flag in 2015. Weeks later, lawmakers order the divisive symbol's removal from the grounds.