Ajit Pai, the Indian-American chairman of the powerful Federal Communications Commission, finds himself up against increasingly angry protests over his controversial proposal to repeal the Obama-era net neutrality rules and give a virtual free hand to big-time Internet service providers.
Some of the activists wanting to safeguard net neutrality have taken their protests to Pai’s home in suburban Virginia. One of the protest signs they put up aimed at Pai’s children, saying: “They will come to know the truth. Dad murdered democracy in cold blood….It’s not too late for you, Chairman Pai. You don’t have to be evil.”
Pai, who continues to fiercely defend his plan to dismantle net neutrality and expects it to be cleared with a party-line FCC vote on December 14, has asked protesters to stop harassing his family for his official actions.
“Internet regulation activists have crossed the line by threatening and harassing my family. They should leave my family out of this and focus on debating the merits of the issue,” Pai said in a statement on Monday.
“It was a little nerve-racking, especially for my wife,” Pai told Fox News when asked about the protests outside his home. “I understand that people are passionate about policy, but the one thing in America that should remain sacred is that families, wives and kids, should remain out of it. And stop harassing us at our homes,” he said.
An advocacy group that otherwise opposes Pai’s plan distanced itself from protesters issuing racist comments or threatening messages.