US police chief resigns over ‘death to all Democrats’ posts

Lang Holland, chief of police in Arkansas city of Marshall, wrote there should be ‘no survivors’

File image: Arkansas cop posts hate speech before Biden’s victory,  suspended (AFP via Getty Images)

A police chief in Arkansas has resigned after posting messages on a right-wing social media app calling for “death to all” Democrats.

Lang Holland’s posts on Parler went viral and received widespread condemnation on other social media platforms such as Twitter. 

The mayor of Marshall, the small city where Mr Holland was posted, confirmed the police chief had stood down on Saturday in response to the backlash.

Mr Holland posted the messages shortly before the projected victory of Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden. The police chief claimed the election had been “stolen” and called for violence against Democrats.

In his series of posts, the he called for "death to all Marxist Democrats," and said to "take no prisoners" and "leave no survivors".

Another post said Democrats "have no right to live in this Republic after what they have done."

According to a report in The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, another deleted post by Mr Holland included a manipulated image of former president Barack Obama, 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, and House speaker Nancy Pelosi in orange prison jumpsuits.

He wrote: “I pray all those in that picture hang on the gallows and are drawn and quartered!!!!” Anything less is not acceptable.”

Mr Holland reportedly first denied wrongdoing and claimed the account was fake. However, he later admitted posting the messages when confronted by the mayor.

“The City of Marshall strongly condemns the actions of Mr Holland in his posts to social media,” mayor Kevin Elliot wrote in a statement. “The Marshall community does not in any way support or condone bullying or threats of violence to anyone of any political persuasion! We condemn it!"

Parler is a Twitter-like social media app that describes itself as “free speech platform” where users can “speak freely and express openly.” It is popular with the far right and conspiracy theorists and has been gaining conservative users since social media giants Facebook and Twitter began clamping down on misinformation, including by flagging misleading by Donald Trump.