The FBI Asked Twitter Users for Help Identifying 'Individuals Inciting Violence' Against Protesters, and It Totally Backfired

Protests have emerged across the nation for nearly a week in response to the murder of George Floyd at the hands of former police officer Derek Chauvin.

After police in Floyd's home of Minneapolis unleashed tear gas and rubber bullets on peaceful protesters, the demonstrations soon turned violent. Demonstrators and video evidence show similar patterns occurring across the United States.

President Donald Trump's response has been widely criticized, with the President hiding in the White House underground bunker in response to protestors at the White House. The following day, military police gassed peaceful protestors in order to clear a path for the President to pose with a bible in front of Saint John's Episcopal Church.

In addition, Trump urged governors to be more "dominating" when dealing with posters, and encouraged violence against protestors to his 80+ million Twitter followers.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation posted a tweet asking its followers to report instances of inciting violence at protests.

People were happy to oblige, but likely not with the answers the bureau was expecting.

Trump isn't the only one.

Other lawmakers have sought to incite violence as well.

It's also worth noting that the FBI itself has a history of targeting civil rights leaders, including nonviolent ones, like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.