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One Big
Thing: America struggles with death of George
Floyd, inequality and
injustice
Do you support the rights
of peaceful
protesters? | |
What is it?
- Over
the weekend demonstrators
across the United States protested the tragic
death of George Floyd and police brutality.
In some unfortunate cases, protesters clashed
with law enforcement officers while other law
enforcement officers were seen marching side by
side with the protesters.
- In
some cities, stores, government building and
monuments were vandalized and looted, leading to
over
4,000 arrests nationwide. This has led to
many impromptu city-wide or regional lockdowns
as over 45 million Americans were forced to stay
at home on Sunday night.
- While
these protests are occurring, many have
continued to encourage
demonstrators to wear masks and follow social
distancing guidelines as the COVID-19
pandemic remains prevalent around the country.
- On
Friday, May 29, a
CNN news crew was arrested on live TV,
drawing attention to some law enforcements’
unjust treatment of journalists covering the
protests. Since, multiple reports of journalists
facing
tear gas, rubber bullets and pepper spray
have surfaced.
Why is it
important?
- Freedom
of assembly and the right to protest are both
protected for all citizens by the Constitution
and are vital tool of democracy. When a society
does not see eye to eye with its officials,
non-violent civic protest is an effective
instrument to bring these issues to the
forefront of the conversation.
- Police
brutality is a human rights violation and should
be condemned whenever it occurs. The death of
George Floyd highlights this issue but it must
be addressed
in the same universal lens with which we regard
police brutality around the world.
- Many
political and thought leaders have spoken out
against violent protest. President
Obama reminded Americans to “not excuse
violence, or rationalize it, or participate in
it”.
- Maryland
Governor Larry Hogan said, "I
think one of the most important things that a
leader can do right now, and I went through this
in 2015 during the riots in Baltimore. One of my
primary focuses was to try to lower the
temperature,"
- Throughout
history, non-violent
protest has been proven to affect societal-wide
sustainable change. Looking back at the work
of Dr. Martin Luther King, Mahatma Gandhi,
Nelson Mandela, amongst others has demonstrated
the effectiveness and universality of
encouraging peaceful change.
What can you do?
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