Montgomery County Commissioner responds to backlash over criticism of Black Lives Matter

NORRISTOWN - Montgomery County Commissioner Joseph Gale responded Sunday to the recent backlash he faced after making controversial comments about the Black Lives Matter organization.

Last week Gale called the organization a "radical left-wing hate group" that is "perpetrating urban domestic terror." The statement drew the ire of Montgomery County officials and residents alike who joined in denouncing Gale.

Philadelphia 76ers Tobias Harris entered the conversation on Twitter and shared a change.org petition that pushed for Gale to resign.

RELATED: Sixers' Tobias Harris calls for commissioner to resign following Black Lives Matter remarks

In a video response emailed to FOX 29, Gale did not relent from his position. Instead, the commissioner accused the Black Lives Matter movement of not acknowledging the racial disparity in abortion.

"What is truly systemic racism is the disproportionate numbers of innocent, unborn Black lives snuffed out by the atrocity of abortion," Gale said. 

The commissioner claims that over 200 Black babies are "murdered in abortion mills across America" every day. Gale says over 60 million preborn babies overall have been aborted since 1973.

"Rather than fight the generally racist evil of abortion, the far-left has chosen to paint all law enforcement as the enemy of Black Americans," Gale said.

Last week, the Norristown Municipal Council issued a counter-letter to Gale, saying that his workplace is made up of 13,000 black residents and all of their lives matter.

County Sheriff Sean Kilkenny called Gale’s remarks offensive, and both of Gale’s County co-commissioners jointly denounced their colleague’s original statement.

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