breaking this morning. the saudi embassy in iran ransacked and fire bombed. the world reacts to saudi arabia's execution of a prominent shiite cleric. >> another levee in illinois holding back the mississippi river failed. massive flooding is cutting off several towns. the governor says it's the worst he has ever seen. donald trump back on the

campaign trial promise is his word -- your "new day" starts right now. >> good morning, everyone. i'm alison kosik in for christi paul. >> i'm victor blackwell. good to be with you this morning. a firearmstorm of protests in saudi arabia. in iran. [ screaming ] >> in iran, dozens of demonstrators attacked the saudi embassy in tehran throwing fire bombs and smashing windows and furniture. riot police have been called in and 40 people have been rested. >> some of the women turned out to protest a death in saudi arabia, ba rhrain, all the way india. let's bring in becky anderson. why is this causing among the 47

people who were executed, so much backlash. >> reporter: victor, this is a disturbi ining development that could have wide ranging ramification for this region and beyond, in fact. al nimr was outspoken shiite cleric and in the shia dominated eastern region. we have video to show that there is little evidence to suggest that he was actually active in taking out arms against the saudi state. by grouping him with convicted terrorists, the other 46, belonging to groups like al qaeda, saudi arabia, it seems, is sending a message that it will not tolerate any form of d dissent. we are seeing evidence of

inflamed relations between riyadh. they ransacked the saudi embassy you are showing on saturday. there are more protests expected today. in turn, riyadh has asked the iran ambassador to leave the country. so you can see already between the two tensions rising. >> let's talk with the response from the united states. the state department released this statement. we reaffirm our calls on the government of saudi arabia to respect and protect human rights. we are particularly concerned that the execution risks exacerbating sectarian tensions. this did not come from the white house but john kirby, a spokesman of the state

department. that gives us, i'm sure, the context of the difficult line the u.s. has to walk between ally saudi arabia and iran which has had this improving relationship over the past couple of years. >> reporter: yeah. this is where we really need to talk about the ramifications here, don't we? of this sort of rising shia/sunni divide. it's already being seen with reaction in this region. the governments here in the uae, for example, in bahrain coming out in support of the saudi monarchy, mostly sunni populations in those two countries, shia leaders in lebanon and iraq, for example, already denouncing the move and saying it will worsen sectarian tensions. let's remember this. this is massively important, especially when you consider the potential impact for syria. iran and saudi had just agreed to sit at the same table in upcoming talks so the question

is will this affect those plans? those talks are at least a start towards the end of january. and yemen, victor, a war the u.n. has caused a catastrophe. they announced the end of to a cease-fire there between the saudi coalition and houthi rebels. i think you can see there has been reaction in saudi and iran. you're seeing reaction across the region between shia-dominated governments and shia-dominated leaderships and you're seeing the impact on these regional battles that are syria and yemen. this is not a store that is going away. we will watch it closely but at present inflamed relations between two real fauxes, saudi

and iran. >> becky anderson, thank you very much. some of the sharpest reaction to al nimr reaction is coming from iran. let's go to a gentleman on the phone in iran who is joining us. good morning to you. >> good morning. despite the fact that the governor general's office has said there should be no protests in the embassey in iran. rider police on motorcycles and full gear just arrived. it looks like the beginning of a big demonstration. so far, there are only about two or three dozen people and about, maybe, 50 or 60 police officers. >> so you're talking about what

is happening at the saudi embassey in tehran, right? >> right. this is when the embassey was set on fire. there are no ideas on to their identity yet. >> are there fires still coming from the embassy? >> no, they put it out last night but some smoke coming out still. even that has been put down. the building is safe. of course, there is is dang from the outside. you can see the windows are broken but the saudis are okay. they are chanting loudly.

>> the protests, obviously, continuing today. are you feeling just -- in the air, are you feeling maybe the tension ramping up or is it calming any? >> no. i think it's going to rise. because, last night, when i was talking to people who were here, they seemed very angry about saudi policies towards the shias, the execution of al nimr and the policies in yemen as well as their policies in syria. the iranian people and the officials are extremely concerned about the situation and the ambassador of saudi arabia has been calling the foreign minister with a stern warning. and i just heard that the saudis [ inaudible ] in riyadh. >> clearly a developing situation. we will come back to you as need

need needed. thank you. leaders around the world have been quick to condemn the execution of al nimr. u.n. secretary-general moon ban ki-moon is also the secretary-general also calls for calm and restrained in reaction to the execution of sheikh nimr. >> ayatollah ali khamenei said the following. and then this quote from haider al abadi. rhetoric has become increasingly heated. you heard the chanting in the

background there from tehran. khomeini coasted this photo on a website. on the right using a picture of isis jihadi john. on the left, representation of a saudi calling this white isis and black isis, a split down the center to compare the two. to discuss we are joined by former commander mark hertling and former fbi director tom fuentes. is this what we will see this this morning the protests across that region of the world and these real strong words? >> i think it will, victor. this is a very difficult situation. first of all, sheikh al nimr was a peaceful protester. he used words, in fact, he said words are much stronger than bullets. he was attempting to represent

the 10% to 15% shia that live in saudi arabia. by the way, he is a saudi arabian. he is not an iran in saudi arabia. so he was attempting to approach king abdullah and the rest of the saudi government and princes and say we need more inclusion of shia in our population. it was the opposite side of many in saudi arabia who the king sees as extremist and terrorists. so saudi arabia, if you look at it from their standpoint, they are trying to tamp down insurgencies and anyone that speaks against the kingdom or the king. they do not have freedom of speech like we do here in the united states. anything that is done in that way is considered a crime against the society. so, yes, this will inflame more shia in the region, as you've seen it already has, and it will be another match being held very close to a gallon of gasoline in the region. >> tom, is there a strategic

balancing that must be struck here? we know the 40 arrests after the firing and bombing of the saudi embassy there showing the outrage in the country and across the world but also keep, yu know, rule of law in their own capital? >> victor, i don't know, you know, what kind of rule of law we are talking about there in terms of a comparison to our rule of law. as general hertling mentioned, they don't have freedom of speech in saudi arabia. you do not criticize the regime. on the other hand iran doesn't either, so interesting these two countries would go it a on those type of grounds when neither country tolerates any public statements against the ruling bodies of their countries and deal with that harshly. i think that anybody that thinks that in saudi arabia you are criticize the kingdom and get away with it, we have seen already that that is not going to happen.

maybe nimr thought being a cleric he would be immune or they would never carry it out. i think saudi arabia is sending a message to the residents of their country and the world that they are not just going to tolerate it. >> general, put into context the statement we have from the u.s. state department. as we went around the globe receiving statements, we got statements mostly from the top, the ayatollah in iran and we got it from the prime minister in iraq and we received it from the secretary of state-general from the u.n. this statement from the u.s. does not come from the president. it doesn't come from secretary kerry. it comes from the spokesman opinion he just says they are particularly concerned about the execution. is there some hedging here? put into context why this statement comes from kirby and not someone higher up and the words that were chosen. >> it certainly has to do with the friendship we have with saudi arabia and the deal we are attempting to make with iran, and add to that, victor, the attempts to bring people to the

table regarding a syrian solution. we are at a criminal time for the syrian crisis but we just signed a nuclear deal with the iranian leaders and we have a long going alliance with saudi arabia. so we have to walk a very fine line in this crisis. if you're a shia leader like in iraq or in iran, you're certainly going to condemn this. if you're the head of the u.n., you're certainly going to condemn them because this is -- it shows the potential for a great conflict. when uyou're the united states trying to pull folks together, poor john kirby has to issue the statement and it has to do with no kidding freedom of speech and allowing people to protest, more than anything else. we do not want to get involved in a religious dispute between the two major powers representing sunni and shia sects in the middle east.

>> thank you both. >> thank you. ahead, another big story here in the u.s. five levees breached along the mississippi river in illinois. the latest happening overnight. the state's governor is particularly concerned about people in the flood zones and it's not just because of the rising water. plus, we now know the name of that suspected gunman who opened fire on a pub in tel aviv. police have now raided that man's home and today, the suspect's family is talking. also ahead, donald trump has based much of his campaign criticizing president obama. now he vows to undo a key executive order obama has yet to sign. looking for 24/7 digestive support?

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this is a nightmare scenario in southern ill, just west of miller city. the mississippi river has now broken through the small levee. according to cnn affiliate kfvs the river is flowing miles into the river and completely surrounding two small towns. here is the illinois governor bruce rayner. >> the levee breached in five locations and the water is coming over in a pretty high pace. hundreds of farmers have been asked to evacuate. unfortunately the families we have contacted so far say they don't want to evacuate and want to stay with their homes. having a flood when it's cold like this is different than when

it's 80 degrees in june. if you're requested to evacuate, please honor the request and evacuate. stay safe. >> take you to missouri now. the cleanup happening there after days of flooding. cape girardeau you're looking at right now. the water line is over the town's ground level. mississippi river at record breaking level running 15 to 20 feet above normal. in illinois, emergency workers are scrambling to make sure everyone is safe. join me on the phone is tim slapper, the emergency management director in clinton county, illinois. good morning, tim. >> good morning, alison. >> tell me what you're seeing where you are. are you seeing the water recede? >> yeah. that is correct. once we kind of hit the crest, probably wednesday or thursday of last week, the water has

resr receded in a lot of the areas, especially in german town where some of the pictures i sent to you kind of went up to the sandbags about two or three feet. after we reviewed with them on friday and saturday, the water has receded in those areas. >> now that it's receded, you're able to get a better look at what that water did to homes, to streets, to buildings. can you describe what you see? >> well, it's unprecedented for most of the residents that we have seen. i mean, these people have been in their houses for 50, 60 years and some, even longer. like governor rauner said said about the evacuations, they

cannot believe it can do this damage because it's just never been seen before. homes and subdivisions north of the area have seen 57 inches of water come through there and just devastated about 12 residences in there where people just lost everything they had. >> our hearts go out to them. such devastating pictures. thank you, tim slapper, for joining us. you've heard about the water receding in parts of the missouri and illinois but now it's on its way south. allison chinchar is live with us now. the flooding could be several days away but arkansas and tennessee, i know, are concerned. >> yes, they are. they are a little bit farther downstream and trying to carefully watch what has happened around st. louis and cape girardeau. this is what happens. all of that water has to flow down into the mississippi at some point so it ends up in cities like memphis and down to

greenville and eventually in new orleans. 250 locations are either at or above their flood stage spread out across the midwest and into parts of the southeast. again, here is a look at the different areas. missouri river and arkansas river and ohio river all end up flowing back into the mississippi at various different locations. next on the list we know about cape girardeau. they have crested and we have that levee breach to the southeast of them. but cairo is next expected to crest today. then down to memphis and pine bluff are extended and memphis is expected to crest not until january 7th and when it does it is expected to be the fourth highest on record and it depends when the water makes it down there and if it's delayed it could play a huge factor whether or not they hit that crest mark. the big concern even farther south is also rain. if we have any rain in the

forecast starting 7 to the next 14 days, that is a big factor and whether they get bad flooding or if they can control it. >> tough days ahead. allison chinchar, thanks so much. chris brown is back in trouble with the law this morning. ahead what las vegas police say he did to a woman that now has the singer under investigation. later this morning, the fight against isis. new images of iraqi forces going at the jihadists. when your cold is this bad... ...you need new theraflu expressmax. theraflu expressmax combines... maximum strength medicines available without a prescription... ...to fight your worst cold and flu symptoms... ...so you can feel better fast and get back to the job at hand. new theraflu expressmax. the power to feel better.tm

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day through of the manhunt of the gunman who killed two people and wounded eight others in a new year's day attack. police have named the suspect as 31-year-old nash a' at melhem. his uncle says he is suffering from psychological disorders. in san bernardino, california, hundreds of employees at the inland regional center will return to work tomorrow with tighter security in place, including a new fence around the property. it's been posed since the mass shooting one month ago killed 14 people. the services provides services for disabled people. employees have been working from home using ipads.

an altercation in a hotel between singer chris brown and unidentified woman. the woman was allegedly struck and a phone taken away when she took brown's picture in a hotel room. the victim had minor injuries and police tried to contact brown but he had already left the hotel. president obama and his family returned from their hawaiian vacation today. one of his first pieces of business back at the white house is reviewing possible actions to reduce gun violence in the u.s. he also has to prepare for the annual state of the union speech and that will happen on january 12th. ahead in politics, donald trump is responding now to president obama's potential gun control executive order promising to undo every order if he becomes president. you'll hear it play out. and there is more. more coverage of the violent protests in iran over the execution of a shiite cleric in saudi arabia. we have got a live report straight ahead. that's charmin ultra strong, dude.

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dozen of people this morning fire bombed and ransacked the saudi embassy in iran after saudi executed a prominent shiite cleric. al nimr was executed. leaders around the world are concerned this may lead to sectarian violence in the region. 7 million people in 15 states now under flood warnings in the midwest. the mississippi river set to crest in arkansas and tennessee over the coming days. now missouri was the first state hit. the river there running 15 to 20 feet above average. now cleaning up as the water recede. state of emergency has been declared to allow federal help to move forward. it was signed by the president yesterd yesterday. ♪ donald trump is not happy about president obama's plan to tighten gun control laws. >> the republican presidential front-runner promised to pack crowds saturday that he would

veto any executive action obama takes. cnn's phil mattingly has the latest from mississippi for us. >> reporter: that's right. donald trump is pledging to undo president obama's executive actions on guns before they are even released. in front of a capacity crowd saturday night in biloxi, donald trump said the president is leting an assault on the second amendment and he also said this. >> so he is going to sign another executive order having to the with amendment and guns. i will veto i will unsign that so fast, so fast! >> reporter: donald trump not mincing any words on his plans for president obama's executive actions even before they are released. the obama administration is expected to release those plans in the coming days. trump also targeted his usual list of suspects. marco rubio, jeb bush, hillary clinton, criticizing all of them and making sure everybody knew how good his poll numbers actually were. one interesting element, guys, he noted that democrats have,

quote, structural advantage when it comes to the electorate on national elections. saying maybe he is the one the republican party needs to expand the states that can actually win when it comes to a presidential race. back to you. >> phil, thanks so much. cnn political commentator errol louis joins us now. trump says he will undo -- he used the word unsign that any executive order the president signs. will he find it difficult to navigate the majority of republican voters who would support stronger background checks for people who gbuy guns online or at gun shows? >> no surprise there, victor. despite the polls, which can be, i think, misleading on this point, lots of people say they want background checks, but when you actually get to a real proposal and a real politician

who is supposed to push for it, whether the president, a senator, a member of congress, it all starts to change. and that really just reflects the issue of gun control as one that is largely emotional. kind of disconnected from the particular facts of the actual proposal. trump can, with a great deal of approval from his republican base, say he is going to, quote, unsign this proposal that he has never even seen, you know? everybody likes the idea in theory but the minute you try to do something, whether it's an executive action or legislation that goes before the congress, it all starts to change. >> we know that president obama will meet tomorrow with attorney general loretta lynch to go over options for that potential executive order. let's talk about the video from al shabab that was released including donald trump and al shabab the al qaeda arm of and caught about nonmuslim americans coming to the country. he did not mention that at this rally in biloxi.

i wonder, from your perspective, why? >> well, this is not something he can possibly be proud of. first of all, it confirms something that hillary clinton had said. i don't know if this was produced or before owe after she made those controversial comments a week and a half ago, saying that you have radicals who are using donald trump's words and proposals in order to recruit terrorists. it was an explosive charge for which we were all asking for some proof. i was asking for some proof and wondering clinton just letting her words get away from her. lo and behold here is the video. it's troubling. i'd like to hear from some experts frankly and i think donald trump would need to check with sports and say is this real and lead to recruitment or is this words being thrown around? >> one tweet, a top aide retweeted a pair of posts sugaring that hillary clinton and an aide were behind these. i think we can put them up.

one tweet says mr. cohen, i would not be surprised if hillary is somehow behind this clinton's play dirty tricks and when desperate and speaking of her assistant huma abedin who is a close confidant and he has gone after abedin before. >> he is the one went around threatening reporters and misstating the law all over the place and often using his twitter feed to sort of rile up the base and throw red meat out to his base. i don't know if anything that comes from mr. cohen be taken that seriously. we should, i think, look at the substance of it and that is what presidential campaigns is supposed to be about is look where does this recruitment happen? this is an important and elusive topic how people will look at

something on the internet and looking at a video and changing their life and putting their life and other lives in danger. this is serious stuff. we need somebody a lot more serious than mr. cohen to figure out where it's coming from it all means. >> trump should tots at clinton and obama and saying they created isis. watch this portion of it. >> they have created isis. hillary clinton created isis with obama. created with obama. >> huge applause. that works for the room. but what will be the impact if he does get the nomination? >> well, you know, this is a problem, i think, for the republican leadership and it is why, i think, a lot of members of the republican leadership and certainly the other candidates for president are very worried about mr. trump, because stuff

gets made up. and stuff gets made up that, you know, a lot of people who are listening may or may not realize that they are being fed a diet of complete misinformation on a really important topic. you know, this is what, i think, both the media, the candidates, all of us really have to try to buckle down on is to sort of catch the misstatements and correct the facts and push the information out there, and, you know, by and large, not a whole lot more we can do than that, you know? i mean, free speech means free speech for everybody, even people who sort of want to make up stuff and kind of throw it out there. >> errol louis, thanks so much. >> thank you. later this morning, you can hear from two of the top presidential candidates on cnn's "state of the union." bernie sanders and carly fiorina at 9:00 a.m. eastern and donald trump live on sunday's "new day" 6:00 a.m. eastern only on cnn.

>> i'm sure interesting nuggets will come out of that. new information surfacing on affluenza seen ethan couch. his attorney is speaking out. and some of the weakest security requirements at one of the busiest u.s. airports. looking for 24/7 digestive support?

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fugitive ethan couch so-called affluenza teen is locked up in mexico and fighting deportation back to the united states. the couch's parents are hired an attorney. he was convicted of killing four team. na drunken driving accident two years ago. this video, the video -- here it is. it may have violated his probation. >> his mother has returned to the u.s. last week to face charges she hindered her son' violation by law enforcement. couch's new attorney says his client hasn't done anything wrong. >> we want an eye for an eye.

that's human nature, but the reality is he has not committed a crime in mexico. there is no formal extake drirks request by the u.s. state department filed. >> let's bring in joey jackson on this. >> there is no formal proceeding that is filed. i think this is delaying the inevitability and here is why. what happens is you have proceedings in mexico and you have what is called a rite that was filed on behalf of ethan couch and that provides for a stay of your deportation. i would never begrudge any person for making full use of what is available to them within any legal system that they are. so certainly what that writ pro-providpro provides is a writ of protection

and establish what, if any crimes, i committed here make me eligible for deportation. i think once a formal extradition is filed. i think it will be delayed. >> this is prolonging the inevitable whether his return to the u.s. is delayed weeks or months. in the end it really doesn't make a difference, does it? >> i don't think so. look. you have the writ that was filed on his map behalbehalf. it's a writ that the human rights are protected. in the event they can establish the writ is sustainable and he did nothing wrong, that is fine. i think once he becomes before a judge in the system of mexico, which will ultimately happen, he'll be returned. no, he didn't commit any offense. i should say in mexico, itself, but he has committed offenses here from which they have

extraditable. deportation is a civil proceeding which pertains to whether you violated any type of laws in the country that you're residing in, there being mexico, and extra days ago that provides to laws you committed outside of that country and you return to the united states. in saying so, it should also be noted we have great relations, not that the extradition is something that the mexican judge will hear now, but ultimately when it gets down to the issue of extradition the united states had jurisdiction over him. he was in texas. the other issue it's an extraditable offense when you violate probation and believed he violated probation based on that video. i think ultimately justice will be done and he'll have to answer for his alleged probation violation. everyone is entitled to due process. >> let's talk about his mother for a moment.

it didn't take long for her to come back to the u.s. and she's in a heap of trouble, isn't she? >> she is. the writ didn't get to the judge in time, she, of course, is charged with hindering apprehension of her son and knowing he was charged with a felony and aiding and assisting him to flee and she is eligible up to ten years jail. i don't know if she will get that and depends on her prior criminal history, if any, and depend on what other mitigating circumstances and means less circumstances she can show. she will argue this is her son, her pride and joy. what mother, alison, wouldn't do anything or everything for their son. while she is eligible for ten years in jail i don't suspect she will get that but she will face significant punishment here in the united states. >> thank you, joey jackson, for your expertise today. >> thank you.

a new twist on law enforcement. consider this. officers who are not allowed to carry guns, but at the sign of an attack, are trained to run and hide. yeah. we are going to dig into this one. it's a cnn investigation and, of course, our coverage continues on the violent protests in iran over the execution of a shiite cleric in saudi arabia. we have got live reports and analysis at the top of the hour. and a discreet fit that hugs your curves. so bladder leaks can feel like no big deal. get your free pair and valuable coupons at always discreet.com

ten minutes to the top of the hour now. this morning, we have got new pictures from ramadi where iraqi forces are sweeping neighborhoods where they suspect isis fighters are still hiding. now, iraqi troops have retaken the city center from isis but the group has control of some pockets of the city. this is happening as isis suicide bombers have attacked iraqi forces in a military base near ramadi on new year's day. refuges are still streaming into europe. a 2-year-old boy drowned after the dingy he was traveling in slammed into rocks off a greek island. the first known migrant casualty

of the year. the other 39 passengers were rescued and some were taken to the hospital and treated for hypothermia. the vessel had set off from turkey in windy weather. in the united states it's a busy travel weekend with a lot of people heading home after the holidays. o'hare is one of the nation's busiest arirport and along with midway, it is the focus of a new cnn investigation. >> we want to know why some of the officers assigned to protect both airports are not allowed to carry weapons. that is first. they work alongside armed police officers but there is a major difference. if there is an attack at any terminal, these aviation police officers say that they are trained and told to run away. now those officers are speaking out. here is cnn's senior investigative correspondent drew griffin. >> reporter: take a look around the passenger terminals at chicago's o'hare and midway airport you see police officers

but take a closer look. not one of them is carrying a gun. the event of an active shooter or terror strike here, you might be surprised to hear how they have been told to react. not fight back, not try to neutralize the threat, but, instead, to run. you guys are police officers, but you don't have guns. you're unarmed. do you feel safe when you're working? >> no, sir. not safe at all. >> absolutely not. >> reporter: do you feel almost as if you're a sittin target? >> absolutely. >> reporter: it's not for lack of training or licensing or experience. aviation police officers are all sworn officers in the state of illinois. they get the same training as chicago police and many are military veterans or have second jobs in suburban police departments. these two officers, speaking in silhouette, for fear of being fired, say all they want is to carry a gun like any other law enforcement officer. >> on the floor now! >> reporter: just two years ago

at los angeles international airport, a man with an assault rifle killed a tsa officer and wounded several others before being shot and wounded by an armed police officer. if the same event took place in chicago's two airports, the nearly 300 unarmed aviation police would be defenseless to stop it. so in the event of a, let's say, it's a terrorist attack, let's say it's a shooter, what are you supposed to do? >> run. >> reporter: run? >> hide. >> reporter: hide? >> and seek shelter. >> reporter: this internal chicago aviation department document obtained from aviation department sources outlines the policy. if evacuation is not possible, hide. we must also ensure that unarmed security personnel do not attempt to become part of the response. here is the training video officers say they were instructed to watch. >> if evacuation is not possible, you should find a place to hide where the active shooter is less likely to find you. block entry to your hiding place

and lock the doors. >> we are talking nothing but casualties if we run and hide and how can the public look at us if they see police officers running and hide? that goes against the sworn we took. >> reporter: the chicago police carry guns at both airports since they are the primary law enforcement agency. if there is a major incident or an arrest, aviation police tell us they must wait for chicago police to show up. a unique arrangement among major u.s. airports. >> it doesn't make any sense. >> reporter: matt brandon is an official with the union that represents aviation police officers. so, basically, they are just, no respect to those officers, but as their role at the airport, they are glorified security guards. >> that is right. you send these men and women to the police economy to respond as police officers and to be able to act as police officers. >> reporter: the chicago police

department has 231 armed officers assigned to o'hare and midway and the city says that is enough. so, too, does the chicago aviation department about its unarmed force and the staffing level of armed police is, for the most part, similar to other major u.s. airports. if you compare the top three busiest airports in the u.s., atlanta's hartsfield-jackson airport has 178 armed police, los angeles, 572 and o'hare budgeted 175. the numbers do not include additional security such as private security personnel. in an e-mail to cnn, the aviation department says the multilevel security has proven effective in stopping and preventing crime and that violent crime incidents are extremely low. but there has been no explanation why the nearly 300 aviation police officers here are unarmed. discuss security measures.g to - cnn has surveyed large u.s.

airports and found chicago's use of unarmed aviation police officers is unique and according to miami security expert wayne black, absurd. >> sworn u.s. police officers at a u.s. airport are trained to hide if there is an attack? it's crazy. airports are targets of terror active. what are they going to do if somebody runs in with a gun and there is no law enforcement officer there? >> reporter: in october a man caught with these knives attempted to get on the air field and actually told the officers he knew they were not even armed. the gun issue has been part of an ongoing dispute between the officers and their chief richard edgeworth. chicago aviation police recently called him incompetent and someone who exerts control through intimidation and fear. despite the vote, edgeworth's boss says he has the full confidence and trust of the aviation department. edgeworth has completely refused to answer numerous phone calls

from cnn and when we approached him to ask our questions, he did what his officers are supposed to do if everyone procheds thap them, armed. excuse me. drew griffin with cnn. >> how are you? >> reporter: good to see you. we wanted to ask you why your officers aren't armed? >> i don't have any -- >> reporter: why they are not armed? wouldn't the public be better protected if they were armed and able to engage a threat instead of -- sir? instead of having to run and hide? >> you know, they wind up being sitting ducks. they are wearing uniforms and they become targets and sitting ducks. it's unfortunate. that was drew griffin reporting. a lot of news to tell you about this morning. >> the next hour of your "new day" comes up after this short break. stay with us. e way i should. so i drink boost® to get the nutrition that i'm missing. boost complete nutritional drink has 26 essential vitamins and minerals, including calcium and vitamin d to support strong bones

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♪ [ screaming ] protesters you see here ransacking and setting fire to the saudi embassy in tehran to protest the execution of a shiite cleric. iran condemned his death and the u.s. voiced its concern over

mass executions. another levee in illinois holding back the mississippi river has failed. the governor says it's the worst he has ever seen. >> we are out of here because the people have been abused long enough, really. their lands and their resources have been taken from them to the point where it's putting them literally in poverty. >> this man is leading a group of protesters that broke into a refuge building in that state. their demand is to use the land as free men and they say they are appeared to stay on that refuge as long as it takes, possibly years! your "new day" continues right now. ♪ good morning, everyone. i'm alison kosik sitting in for

christi paul. >> good to have you this morning. i'm victor blackwell. the execution of a shiite cleric in saudi arabia has ignited a firestorm of protests. in iran, dozens of demonstrators attacked the saudi embassy in tehran throwing fire bombs and smashing windows and furniture. riot police were called in. 40 people have been arrested but there is more. hundreds of people turned out to protest al nimr's death from saudi arabia and india as well and bahrain. let's bring in becky anderson. what is the latest we are hearing from iran? >> reporter: let me come to that in a moment. let's just go over exactly who sheikh nimr -- al nimr is and then talk about the

ramifications, victor. he was an outspoken critic of what was a sizeable support base in the eastern region of the kingdom. this is a shia-dominated region. he was known for fiery certiser and you can see there is little evidence to suggest that he was active in taking arms or taking up arms against the saudi state. so by grouping him with convicted terrorists, by executing him with terrorists belonging to groups like al qaeda, saudi arabia sending a message, it seems. it will not tolerate any form of dissent. so 47 were executed, including sheikh nimr, al nimr. you're right to point out iran's

leader saying saudi leaders will face justice. they ransacked the embassy on saturday. our viewers are seeing those protests. more protests are expected today. we have seen evidence in recent weeks of a thorning relation between the two. reports that saudi would send a new ambassador to improve the ties. hard-liners i think it strengthens them in both capital. the road outside the saudi embassy in tehran renamed martin nimr today and provocative in anybody's books. now compare those comments with those of the more reformed-minded president rouhani who has condemned the sacking of the saudi embassy in

tehran and called it unjustice i'vible and ordered the arrests of those who broke into the embassy early on and setting fires to it and throwing papers from the roof. very, very different reaction from the different camps in iran. i know that washington will be watching that very closely, victor. >> and speaking of washington, we have got this statement from the u.s. state department and let's put it up on the screen. we reaform our calls on the government of saudi arabia to respect and protect human rights. we are particularly concerned that the execution risks exacerbating sectarian tensions. difficult line the u.s. has to walk between saudi arabia and iran. >> reporter: you were pointing out this is a spokesman for the state department. this isn't coming from the white house, nor is it coming from john kerry. very difficult times here as they negotiate the sort of

diplomatic language. the ramifications are already being seen in reaction in this region in the arab region, the governments of the ua in gulf are coming out. shia leaders in lebanon. very conflicts going on not least that of syria. a proxy war many say between the shia and sunni. let's consider the potential impact for sea. iran and saudi had just agreed, just before christmas, to sit down at the same table in upcoming talks. january 25th is when the u.n. wanted to kick off these talks about peace in syria. so the question is with what is going on now and destabilizing

effect it has between riyadh and tehran, how will that affect these plans? and then, victor, you've got yemen. this is a war that the u.n. has called a human catastrophe. no doubt that washington wants to see the end of the war in yemen. this is another regional proxy conflict between saudi arabia and iran. perhaps coincidentally also this weekend when we got the execution of sheikh al nimr we also had an announcement in riyadh of the end to what was a recent cease-fire in yemen. so two conflicts, not least the incredibly important conflict in syria, displacing outward of 11 million people, three or four million of those outside of the country, hundreds of thousands of people continue to die. 50 people a day in syria per hour we are told by some experts continue to die.

just as plans were being put in place to potentially sort that conflict out with a peace deal. you see this sort of regional destabilization happening. incredibly important at this point. >> very complex situation and we may be seeing just the beginning of the response there as we saw that fire bombing in tehran. becky anderson, thank you so much. we will continue to speak with you throughout the morning. one of our cnn producers was actually at the saudi embassy in tehran last night and he was actually reporting as those protests, those fiery protests were under way. right now he is joining us on the phone. shirzad, what was it like last night? >> reporter: actually, when i got there, it was practically over, but there was still smoke coming out of the embassy and there were several fire engines and firemen coming in and out of

the embassy. police iver all over the place. and some demonstrators there but they weren't doing anything violent, just standing around. it was about 3:00 a.m. iran time when the police started to push the crowd away from the building. by 3:30 a.m., tehran time, it was all over. but, right now, i'm in front of the embassy again and despite the fact that the government general's office and police saying a ban gathering in front of the embassy, there are 200 people demonstrating and people are saying you have to leave. it looks like the demonstration is going on for a while as others are arriving, even if it was illegal. >> can you tell what the protesters want at this point? are they telling you that?

>> reporter: big yo-- i beg you pardon? >> are the protesters saying what they want? >> yes. [ inaudible ] they are saying that -- against saudis, not only nimr's execution but what they are doing in yemen and syria, and also the 500 who died this year in mecca. people here are angry. people who are demonstrating here are actually very religious people, very -- some of them are -- militia. they do present a certain cross-section of iran society, but not the majority.

>> cnn producer shirzad, thank you. we will continue to check in all morning for updates. let's stay in iran for a moment. i want to bring in cnn global affairs analyst bobby gosh and lieutenant general mark hertling. bobby, tell us about the tone and response we are seeing from iran's leaders. we are hearing from president ro rouhani calling legal acts done by extremists and we are hearing from the ayatollah a much harsher tone. tell us what is happening here? >> this is the traditional dwight in iran you have president and foreign minister, although we haven't heard from him this morning, who take what we would regard as a line, and

you have hardliners led by the ayatollah who take a much harsher line. it allows iran to both have its cake and eat it too. on the one hand you have a government that presents a kind of gentler face to the world but, on the other hand, you have these militias and organized thugs who can run rampant, as we saw last night. it's a little -- as a sort of kind of two-step, it's getting a little tired, frankly, to have to hear from the president of the country, the buck doesn't stop with me, blame somebody else, blame the hard-liners, it's not me, it's not my government. well, he is the president of the country. he is the elected leader of the country. at some point, you need to see him step up and take responsibility for things that are taking place within his country. it's understandable in many countries in the world, there are dual in the power structure

but for me any way this is getting a little long in the tooth. >> general, the response potentially beyond the strong word that we have seen from rouhani, from al abadi, and the spokesman from the state department, will this end in condemnation of the u.s. or do you expect there will be more? all right, i think we might be having an audio issue. bobby, let me stay with you because we are having an audio issue with the general. bobby, let me put up this picture we saw put on the supreme leader in iran, a split screen comparing saudi executioner here with jihadi john of isis. the split screen here. what is your response -- let me put the same question to you. the ayatollah said there would

be devine justice. what does that mean? will we see more? >> he is rathus and he is the ayatollah so it is expected for him to call upon divinity and divine justice. that image speaks to how much in the -- many in iran and many in the middle east see things. they see isis and saudi arabia as actually two side of the same coin. they point out that issuing sis follows a particular strain, extremist strain of islam that is the official religion in saudi arabia, saudi financing, long been suspected goes into isis, not necessarily from saudi government, but from private donors. so it's a very common theme across the middle east and especially in iran that isis and saudi are essentially two side regarded in the same light. be - >> general, i think we fixed your audio issue now. the question i posed to you, we had on on the bottom of the

screen the iraqi prime minister saying that these executions will topple the saudi regime. we have statements from leader around the world but will there be any state sponsored response beyond the strong words? >> interestingly enough, victor, i had some input from a friend of mine who is in iraq right now. he said last night the saudi arabians before this reopene their embassy in baghdad for the first time in 25 years. and it was shelled last night by a rocket. that tells you that there is going to be some extreme violence associated with this. we have to tamp it down, though. i think this is a critical time, as you stated earlier, iran and saudi arabia are starting to come together to try and affect change in many parts of the world that are seeing this conflict in the middle east. their representatives and their politicians and king abdullah of saudi arabia is a much more progressive leader and wants to end this kind of approach, but he's got a hard, tough fight in

front of him, balancing the inclusion of the shia minority, about 15% in saudi arabia, with the other leaders that are there. it's internal politics in one regard, but it's also external flun influence and will call tension if they don't get together. >> good to have you both this morning. still to come, donald trump has based much of his campaign on criticizing president obama. well, now he vows to undo an executive order obama hasn't signed yet. plus now five levees breached along the mississippi river in illinois. the lait just happening overnight. the state's governor is particularly concerned about people in those flood zones, of course. and it's not just because of the rising water. and coming up, a group of armed protesters occupy a federal building in oregon.

they say they want to use the lands as what they call free men and are taking a stand against the government's use of power. >> we are out here because the people have been abused long enough, really. their land and their resources have been taken from them to the point where it's putting them literally in poverty. without the wasteful wadding. it has comfort cushions you can see that are softer and more absorbent, and you can use up to 4 times less. enjoy the go with charmin.

president obama's final year in office is reportedly gun control. the president's response to mass shootings is expected to in the next few days via executive order but it won't last long if donald trump is elected president. last night in mississippi, the republican presidential front-runner vowed to, in his words, veto any action the president takes on guns. calling it an assault on the second amendment. cnn's phil mattingly has the latest from biloxi and was at that rally. a huge crowd there at the start of the year. and a new promise from the front-runner.

donald trump targetng something that doesn't exist yet. take a listen. >> so he is going to sign another executive order having to the with amendment and guns. i will veto i will unsign that so fast, so fast! donald trump's position puts him firmly in the center of where the republican party is on this issue. other presidential candidates, including ted cruz, also coming out and saying they would attempt to undo any executive action taken on guns. texas governor greg abbott coming the president to come get the guns in texas if he wants to. last night it got a big cheer from this rally here in biloxi. >> we are told the president will be meeting with attorney

general loretta lynch on monday to figure out the option for an executive order. there was one thing that really wasn't directly discussed by donald trump. it was his inclusion in recruiting video produced by an arm of al qaeda al shabab in somalia. what is the reaction? >> reporter: an hour long peach from donald trump and no mention of this. this goes back to december in the democratic debate when hillary clinton said the remarks by donald trump particularly prevented muslims to come to this country were serving as an opportunity for jihadist organizations to recruit. that video didn't exist at the time. now, according to experts, it does. donald trump didn't mention it last night but his supporters, i talked to them about this a couple times yesterday. they had three responses. first, was, they hadn't seen is. second, it didn't matter because

donald trump was saying what needed to be said. one said elbows hillary clinton's campaign might have been behind the video. whatever stance they took on it, they weren't that bothered by the existence of this video. >> phil mattingly reporting for us from biloxi, thanks so much. let's bring in jeffrey and ben. jeffrey, we heard from via twitter and some of the interviews, donald trump called for an apology from hillary clinton after she made the claim that he was in these isis videos and he turns up in an al shabab video so why no mention of his inclusion in the video? >> i see what you're saying. you know, look. i think that she -- she made a mistake and, clearly, in this hypersensitive communications age, somebody out there decided to take her up on it and put him in one. other people have been in one. i understand that president clinton is in one of them.

i don't really think there is anything extraordinary here. you know, so they put him in there. they don't like donald trump and for that matter they don't like clinton's either or they don't like the americans. >> ben, the issue of guns, we are hearing from donald trump, in his words, he will retow or unsign the executive order if there ever is one. i spoke with you about the poll. this is from quinnipiac before christmas. it seems there is no nuance here from donald trump on this. >> no. i think it's a smart political move by donald trump, because it will be very interesting, the devil is always in the details of these executive actions by the white house and they figure out what they can get qae wiawa. i think they are going to go as far as they possibly can, even knowing that they are going to be challenged legally on this

because they are not going through congress, they are going around congress. i think the point that donald trump is going to make and people are going to like is the fact he is saying, look. when you're the united states of america you don't get to make laws without going through congress. that's not how this country works. he is attacking the second amendment. i don't trust him on the second amendment is what donald trump is saying and if you vote for me i will rescind this and undo it and that is another reason why many people are continue to back donald trump because they like the idea he is saying you can't be a dictator when you're a president. you have to work with congress and you can't make laws like this when congress doesn't back you or support you. >> jeffrey, let me get to a tweet that was by mike cohen, a top aide. it was suggesting that hillary clinton was behind the video from al shabab. one says mr. cohen i would not be surprised if hillary is somehow behind this and clinton playing dirty tricks when

dissipat desperate. another one saying the following. is that something that is widespread? i mean, you're a trump supporter. is that something widespread among trump supporters that assumption or conspiracy theory that this was something drummed up by the clinton's? >> i think what he may be referring to, i don't know, but it sounds to me, andrew mccarthy who was the u.s. attorney who prosecuted the blind sheik is now a columnist for the national review. years ago documented that members of huma abedin's brother has a tie. i don't know. you'd have to ask him. i don't think there is anything unusual. this has been out there for quite a long time from a pretty reputable columnist. >> let me ask a more direct question. do you expect it or do you believe that this was something that was drummed up politically, not by al shabab beyond the

reported connection -- >> victor, i do think -- i do think when hillary clinton says this in public and gets all of the intended publicity, people out there on the other side, isis, et cetera, that will take her up on it and just do as she suggests and put him in a video. sure. what? >> after, therefore, because of? this was produced because hillary clinton said that he was in that isis video? >> i'm not saying that she, you know, there is a conspiracy here. i'm saying by the act of saying this in public, the bad guys will pick up on it and do it. >> ben? >> victor, i think there is something here. there a difference between recruitment and propaganda. this video, i talked to two different intelligence sources and they both said this is what we refer to as a propaganda video. they saw an opportunity after hillary clinton named donald trump to put him in a video for propaganda purposes. this is not what they say is a

traditional recruitment video and they saw an opportunity to then get even more press for al shabab which is really playing number two to isis in terms of media and what attention they get, this throws them in the spotlight and it helps i'm sure al shabab with fund-rising as well. there is no doubt in my mind that donald trump should have put a video because donald trump was talked about by hillary clinton as being in a video. this is not a recruitment video as they seized on it and blame whoever you want to but the reality donald trump wouldn't have been in an al shabab a video a couple of weeks after hillary clinton talked about it if it wasn't for the fact she talked about it. >> we will end it there. ben ferguson and jeffrey lord, thank you. >> thanks. two things we want you to know about. later this morning, you can hear from two of the top presidential candidates on cnn's "state of the union." bernie sander and carly fiorina

live at 9:00 a.m. eastern. monday morning, donald trump will be live on "new day" beginning at 6:00 a.m. eastern only on cnn. chris brown is back in hot water with the law this morning. ahead, what las vegas police say he did to a woman that now has the singer under investigation. plus, in mexico, armed men killing newly elected mayor inside her own home and the mayor was attacked just one day after taking office. live 24/7 with 24/7 digestive support. try align, the undisputed #1 ge recommended probiotic.

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♪ . [ screaming ] breaking news this morning. a crowd fire bombs and ransacks the saudi embassy in iran after saudi arabia executes a prominent shiite cleric. >> al nimr was indicted. leaders around the world are concerned this could lead to sectarian violence in the region. 7 million people in 15 states now under flood warnings in the midwest. the mississippi river set to crest in arkansas and tennessee over the coming days. we know missouri was the first state hit. the river there running 15 to 20 feet above average. they are now cleaning up as the water recede. a state of emergency has been declared to allow federal help

to move forward and it was signed by the president yesterday. a nightmare scenario in southern illinois west of miller city as the mississippi river breaks through the small levee. according to cnn affiliate kfvs the water is surrounding two small towns. let's go to allison chinchar who is joining us live. the next couple of days this water will continue to flow into several more states, making this even motive sdedevastating for many people. 15 states with flood watches or warnings of some kind throughout the area. the reason for that is we still have over 250 locations across the midwest and the southeast that are reporting either at or above their flood stage. we have all of the water from that rain the last two weeks, it will ooevent flow from the missouri, river, arkansas, and ohio down into the mississippi

because it has to go somewhere. around cape girardeau, we had a levee breach around miller city. the emergency management director out at alexander county, which is where this levee broke, it's actually a good thing where the location of the breach actually took place because it's all agricultural area and no homes near where the breach took place. even tho it's an agricultural area but this isn't peak planting season so it shouldn't affect that either. it could breach farther south of that, especially as the water continues to flow south and it could cover roadways or areas where homes are or business. we look at memphis. they are not expected to crest until january 7th. farther down to the south, greenville and vicksburg not for at least another 10 to 14 days. the problem with these locations, it's not just waiting for that water to come down, but any new rainfall that you would get in the next two weeks could

contribute to that also. baton rouge is not expected to crest until january 19th. new orleans will be a little bit earlier. here is the thing. notice new orleans is the lowest of the colors. it's only action stage, not flood stage. the reason for that they have the bonnet carre spillway that takes place between baton rouge and new orleans. as the water comes down through baton routh they can use the spillway to take excess water and put it into lake pontchartrain and areas like new orleans don't go through the same problems some of the areas farther upstream have. >> we certainly wish everybody experiencing that weather all the best as they clean up after those devastating floods. thank you, allison chinchar. a councilman in mississippi has some odd advice when it comes to deg wialing with polic officers there. one that has gotten him into

trouble. people are wanting to use lands in oregon what they call free men and are taking a stand against the government's use of power. to smoke all day. i want this time to be my last time. that's why i choose nicoderm cq. ...of fixodent plus adhesives. they help your denture hold strong more like natural teeth. and you can eat even tough food. fixodent. strong more like natural teeth. fixodent and forget it.

let's take you to oregon now. armed protesters have taken over the headquarters of a wildlife refuge. the property is managed by the u.s. fish and wildlife service. no employees were on the land because the refuge was closed for the holidays. the armed occupation grew out of a protest earlier in the day near the town of burns and rally to show support for two local ranchers dwight and steven ham hon hammond who are convicted of arson and expected to turn themselves in monday morning. cliven bundy was the center of a tense standoff last year with the bureau of land management over grazing fees for his cattle. bundy opens other like-minded people will join the armed

protests at the wildlife refuge. watch and listen. >> for those who understand what is going on and those who want to feel a need to stand, we are asking them to come. we have a facility that we can house them in, we have blend of work to do to start to unwind all of these unconstitutional land transactions and controls to and we have plenty work to do. we need you to come and be unified with us so we can be protected and be together and we are calling people to come, absolutely. >> ammon bundy is on the phone with us now to explain what he hopes to accomplish. thanks for making time. i know it's quite early there in oregon. i want to start, first, with the question of the purpose of taking over this building. what are you hoping to accomplish to, i guess, engage the federal government to get

the land returned from the refuge to the people who live there, a communetation of the sentences? what is the goal specifically? >> well, one is to get people aware of what is happening, that from the very beginning of the existence of this refuge, it has been destructive to -- to the people of the county and to the people of the area. this refuge, alone, is 187,000 acres, and in order to make that 187,000 acres, it took a hundred ranchers homes and livelihoods and everything in order to make it. so we have -- we have just very good example of how government is taking and destroying livelihoods to make their selves

a little park. >> let me ask you what specifically then, mr. bundy, using that as the context of this standoff, what do you want from the government? do you want the sentences for the hammond's to be reduced or -- what ends this? >> well, this isn't a standoff, by the way. we are not walking around with a bunch of guns -- >> occupation -- >> excuse me? >> the occupation. we will use that term. that's fair. >> yeah. basically, we -- went the government to abide by the constitution, abide by the authorities in which the people have given it, and to play by the rules so that the people can -- can live and prosper without fear and without being terrorized. >> what specifically, though?

i'm not getting a specific answer. what does the government have to say or a government official have to say that will -- that you'll find appropriate and say that this occupation will end? >> well, we -- we -- they -- it has ended because we've basically removed them at this point from the management, which they do not have authority to be doing in the first place. we are -- we are extremely saddened by what has happened to dwight and steven. innocent people that -- steven hammond, innocent people have been -- that are symptoms of a much greater problem, but -- and we are saddened that they are being forced to go to prison for the second time for the same crimes up to five years, for

five years. and -- >> how many -- >> but, again, this is just -- they are -- it's a symptom of a great problem which is the federal government controlling the land and resources that belong to the people. >> how many people are there with you, mr. bundy? >> excuse me? >> how many people are there inside this headquarters with you? >> we are not disclosing that yet. >> why? >> just -- it would just be for operation safety mostly. >> okay. you've said this. this is a quote. if force is used against us, we would defend ourselves. flush that out for us. what does that mean? >> that mean that we have no no intention on using force or being aggressive or going on the offense. but just as all people have the right to defend themselves, that's exactly what that meant -- means.

>> you said that you're doing this for the hammond's, but a lawyer for the hammond's said they do not welcome your help specifically, and this is from "the new york times," from the associated press, neither ammon bundy with his group or organization speak for the hammond family. so why did you travel to oregon if your help is not wanted? >> well, that -- that attorney's letter did not speak for the hammond's either. and we have been in communication with the hammond's over a period of -- a long period of time -- i guess i should say if eight weeks is a long enough, we know that they have expressed that what has happened to them and what is going on is not only about them, it's about all americans and as dwight says, that we need to

figure out what is going on with this country and get it right before the wheels fall off. >> let me read a statement. >> so that is all we are doing here. >> i hear you, sir. let me read a statement from the u.s. fish and wildlife department. while the situation is ongoing, the main concern is employee safety, and wen can confirm that no federal staff were in the building at the time of the initial incident. we will continue to monitor the situation. have you personally had any communication with federal authorities? >> no, i have not. >> how long realistically are you willing to occupy this building? >> well, we feel that we will occupy this as long as is necessary. >> are we talking days, weeks, months? >> we need to restore the constitutional rights of the individuals back, and that is

pretty much what our goal is. >> are we talking days, weeks, months, or longer? >> i don't know. i mean, it may be days. it might be weeks. it might be longer than that. but what we cannot do and must not do is just allow what is going on to go on. i mean, people need to be aware that -- that we have become a system where government actually is claiming and using and defending people's rights, and they are doing it against the people. and we cannot allow that to happen. i mean, in order for us to prosper as a people, we have to have access to the land and resources. >> all right. >> and everything we -- you know, everything we live, everything we wear, all of the amenities that we have come from the land and all wealth is

generated from the land. so if america wants to prosper, they have to be able to have access to their land and resources and government has to stop claiming these things and taking them from the people. they just have to or we don't have a future as a country and as a people. >> ammon bundy there at the national wildlife refuge that has taken the building there on that federal land. he says he will be there as long as he needs to be. thank you so much for taking sometime to answer the questions and we will be in touch. >> yeah, thank you. i appreciate it. >> sure. >> when we come back, a councilman in mississippi had some controversial advice for his community when it comes to dealing with cops. what he said that got him into trouble. that is next. for up to 30 days with the febreze car vent clip break out the febreze, and [inhale/exhale mnemonic] breathe happy.

that's why i switched from u-verse to xfinity. now i can download my dvr recordings and take them anywhere. ready or not, here i come! (whispers) now hide-and-seek time can also be catch-up-on-my-shows time. here i come! can't find you anywhere! don't settle for u-verse. x1 from xfinity will change the way you experience tv. a councilman in jackson, mississippi is being condemned by other local leaders after he suggested throwing bricks and bottles at police if high speed chases come through city neighborhoods. cnn affiliate wlbt.

>> last the statements that mr. stokes made is complete ignorance. >> reporter: the sheriff said what jackson councilman told reporters was thursday was highly inappropriate. stokes' statements came after police chased someone into a neighborhood in stokes' district. >> i suggest we get the black leadership together and as they come into jackson we throw rocks and bricks and bottles at them. that'll send a message we don't want you in here. >> reporter: reaction from metro area law enforcement was swift. >> actually, councilman stokes is inciting racism and violence against police officers. >> reporter: some say they're concerned about the safety of their officers now. >> that's why we're here in unity saying we don't agree with it. we are very disappointed in mr. stokes' statements we stand unified against that activity. if i have somebody throwing a brick or bottle to me, it's a threat to my life, healthy, and

safety. to me he's inside and some innocent young person that doesn't understand the law is going to get hurt because of him. i expect my police to defend themselves. >> mississippi governor called the remarks reprehensible on facebook. he said this "this is nothing short of an outright assault upon all who wear the badge." he asked the state attorney general to investigate to see if what stokes said amounts to a criminal threat against police officers. with us now to discuss this is cnn legal analyst joey jackson and jonathan gillium a former police officer. jonathan, you're a former cop. if you were chasing someone into this guy's jurisdiction, does it sound like a threat to you that he's encouraging people to throw rocks and bottles and bricks? i don't think it sounds like it. i think it was. i think this guy needs to be held accountable if anything

happens. technically you can't go into a theater and yell fire and expect to get away with it. you're inciting a riot. in this case he's inciting violence against law enforcement. he's in an official capacity. he should be held accountable. and he should be asking why are so many cops coming into his neighborhood. as a councilman maybe he should be turning around and trying to help heal whatever problem he has within his community. >> joey, what do you think. could the councilman face charges? >> these are tough times, as we know within around the country for relations as they involve communities and police. any responsible elected officials need to bridge the gaps, work on closing the relationships and work on shoring up the relationships and forging the relationships. the police can do their jobs and go home safely and residents can live in peace and gohomesafely as well. you know, when it gets to the issue of freedom of speech, we should talk about the following. freedom of speech is a founding

principle, of course, this country, as you know very well, alisyn, the first amendment protects the free speech. there are limits however. the analysis is whether he crossed the line. jonathan mentioned you can't yell fire in a theater. that's an exception because it puts other people in danger. when you analyze the exact statements he made the issue is going to be the threat sufficiently immediate to cross the line. was he advocating immediate lawless action and what his statements likely produce immediate lawless action. that's the question. if you're the supreme court if you're advocating some kind of idea or violence that's indeft at some future time it doesn't run afoul so it's protected. the issue is he saying do you immediately go and do something to the police, if he's not doing that, then it does not instit e

constitute a crime. >> he's fanning the flames even racial tensions saying let's get the black leadership together and do these things. it's almost like he's inciting a riot. >> yeah, you know, alisyn i would hope if and when the black leadership comes together or any other leadership, multicultural leadership, every leadership comes together that the focus, again, will be on letting people know, you know, you need to work with police. communities need work police and police need to work with communities. perhaps as a result of the statements, the flames will be less centered upon fighting and getting up in arms with police and communities coming together and meeting and talking with the police about whatever divides or issues there are. whatever could make communities safer and people safer. ultimately, i think that, you know, that need to be the focus here. and it should not be any advocacy of violence against anyone including police officers. >> or maybe open up the lines of

communications between jurisdictions. joey jackson and jonathan gillium, thank you. the execution of a shiite cleric in saudi arabia. ahead on the next hour of your "new day."

good morning everyone.

i'm alisyn kasik. >> i'm victor blackwell. more demonstrations are expected today after the execution of a shiite cleric ignited a firearm storm of protests. [ yelling ] >> in iran dozens of demonstrators attacked the saudi embassy in tehran throwing, as you saw, fire bombs, smashing windows and furniture. riot police were called in and 40 people, so far, have been arrested. there have also been protests around the world. hundreds of people turned out to protest in bahrain and india. let's bring in becky anderson. first, help us understand why there's been a passionate response to the execution, not the of all 47 but mainly -- >> yes, nim al-nimr,s