Los Angeles Sheriff After Larry Elder Attack: ‘How Is This Not a Hate Crime?’

After a woman in a gorilla mask threw an egg at Republican gubernatorial candidate Larry Elder on Wednesday, Los Angeles Sheriff Alex Villanueva cited “woke privilege” as the reason politicians have not yet labeled it a “hate crime.”

In a tweet on Thursday, Villanueva said woke white people have free reign to carry out racist attacks without being charged with a “hate crime.”

“QUESTION: How is this not a hate crime? ANSWER: Because ‘woke privilege’ means a white woman can wear a gorilla mask and attack a black man without fear of being called a racist. Where is the outrage from our politicians?” he tweeted.

QUESTION: How is this not a hate crime?

ANSWER: Because “woke privilege” means a white woman can wear a gorilla mask and attack a black man without fear of being called a racist.

Where is the outrage from our politicians?#Hypocrisy #WokePrivilege @LarryElder @GavinNewsom pic.twitter.com/h6vnXQ2Uzd

— Alex Villanueva (@LACoSheriff) September 9, 2021

In a video that went viral Wednesday, Larry Elder and members of his campaign were seen walking through a neighborhood in Venice as a woman activist in a gorilla mask threw an egg at him from behind. The egg narrowly missed Elder only by a few inches.

Breaking: A flying egg narrowly missed the back of recall candidate @larryelder's head after it was thrown by an activist wearing a gorilla mask in Venice. A scuffle broke out and the candidate was escorted into an SUV.

Here's the raw (pun intended)
CW: f-bombs@SpecNews1SoCal pic.twitter.com/FeFx3wnuSD

— Kate Cagle (@KateCagle) September 8, 2021

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), who stands to lose his seat in the recall on September 14, has yet to condemn the political violence committed against Elder. In a tweet Wednesday evening, Elder vowed to “save California” and refused to let himself be intimidated.

“Today I kicked off the Recall Express bus tour. Before we even left Los Angeles, my security detail was physically assaulted, shot with a pellet gun, and hit with projectiles. The intolerant left will not stop us. We will recall Gavin Newsom. We will save California,” he tweeted.

Today I kicked off the Recall Express bus tour. Before we even left Los Angeles, my security detail was physically assaulted, shot with a pellet gun, and hit with projectiles. The intolerant left will not stop us. We will recall Gavin Newsom. We will save California.

— Larry Elder (@larryelder) September 9, 2021

Conservative pundits on Twitter noted that the establishment media apparatus would be abuzz with accusations of racism if Larry Elder were a Democrat being egged by a Republican wearing a gorilla mask:

Put any black Democrat in that picture and you have the cover of every newspaper in America tomorrow.

The people are with you @larryelder.https://t.co/QCohv7h4Mw https://t.co/WTR2qzhldT

— Dave Rubin (@RubinReport) September 9, 2021

The newspaper that called Larry Elder a "white supremacist" in a headline now refuses to state in a headline that a white person wearing a monkey mask attacked him. https://t.co/wwgV8FMt4s

— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) September 8, 2021