Missouri Republican Party Executive Director Matt Wills characterized the voter registration efforts in Ferguson following the protests surrounding the police shooting of Michael Brown as “disgusting.”

“If that’s not fanning the political flames, I don’t know what is,” Wills told Breitbart News, a conservative website. “I think it’s not only disgusting but completely inappropriate.”

The comment drew immediate ire from Republicans, including State Sen. Ryan Silvey, R-Kansas City.

“I have NO problem w/ protestors, or ANYONE, getting registered to vote. How do we keep our gov’t accountable if not by ballot?,” he said on Twitter. “‘[O]utrage’ over voter registration in #Ferguson is dumb. I’d rather they vote than riot.”

Mark Siettmann, an aid to Republican State Sen. Will Kraus (a Republican candidate for Secretary of State in 2016), said: “While he is on military duty now, I know Sen. Kraus would support registering voters in any circumstance. Ballot box is the answer.”

Voter registration tents have popped up throughout Ferguson as community leaders touted the opportunity of the community to “choose your leaders.”

On Tuesday, the party sent out a fundraising email noting the politics in St. Louis County, and the ousting of Democrat Charlie Dooley, an African-American county executive.

“Last week, across Missouri, we saw people demand a stop to the liberal polices of Obama. Voters chased out incumbent Democrats in St. Louis County with a message of ‘we can’t take it anymore,'” wrote party Chairman Ed Martin.

The fundraising pitch asked donors to sign up at the “Lieutenant,” “Commander,” and “Captain” levels.

A spokesman for the Missouri GOP was not immediately responsive to an on the record request for comment.