Georgia judge suspended for comparing anti-Confederate statue protesters to Isis

A judge in Georgia has been suspended after sharing controversial comments on social media about Confederate statues and protesters.

Judge James Hinkle from Gwinnett County said: "It looks like all of the snowflakes have no concept of history. It is what it is. Get over it and move on."

It comes amid a growing national row between the alt-right nationalists and neo-Nazis who have been protesting against the removal of Confederate statues across southern states.

Overnight on Tuesday (16 August) Confederate statues were taken down in the city of Baltimore in Maryland.

At the weekend an attack by white supremacists ended up killing one person and injuring 19 others at at rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Judge Hinkle compared those who wanted the statues removed to that of Isis. He said: "The nut cases tearing down monuments are equivalent to Isis destroying history."

After authorities were made aware of the social media posts, he was suspended by the the chief magistrate.

Chief Judge Kristina Blum wrote in a statement: "I have made it clear to all of our judges to conduct themselves in a manner that promotes public confidence in the integrity, impartiality, and fairness of the judiciary. I consider any violation of those principles and policies to be a matter of utmost concern."

Hinkle served as Grayson's mayor for 25 years. He's currently a part-time magistrate judge for Gwinnett County.