by Brandon Summers | June 10, 2020
TRIGGER WARNING: Disturbing Images. / The murder of #GeorgeFloyd is one of many deaths that happen almost daily at the hands of police. It’s not new. And it’s the tip of the iceberg of the constant cycle of misconduct, violence, and brutality of police officers and departments nationwide. There’s probably a George Floyd in your city. Many people are just catching on to the notion that #BlackLivesMatter because Floyd’s murder was captured on video— then it went viral. WE have to do better. WE have to understand that police departments and their unions have too much power and impunity. WE can’t stop at reform. WE have to defund, demilitarize, and abolish the police as they are today.
When people came out to protest police brutality in response to the murder of George Floyd, the police responded with POLICE BRUTALITY. The images of people being violently (and wrongfully) arrested, struck with rubber bullets, and teargassed are real and terrifying. Please focus on that instead of people looting Target. People > Property.
Don’t go back to sleep when this is over.
#SayTheirNames #GeorgeFloyd #BreonnaTaylor #ElijahMcClain #AhmaudArbery #PhilandoCastile #MikeBrown #TamirRice #ByronWilliams #CoreyJones #SandraBland #TashiBrown #FreddieGray #KeithChildress #LaquanMcDonald #AtatianaJefferson #JamarClark #TerrenceCrutcher #AltonSterling #BothamJean #WalterScott #JavierAmbler (This is not an exhaustive list of hashtags. Sadly, there are too many.)
DISCLAIMER: It’s worth noting that Deray Mckesson is a polarizing figure to some; and has been alleged of leveraging the murder of Mike Brown and subsequent riots in Ferguson for his own political and economic gain. I largely agree with his critics that he co-opted the work of protesters and activists in Ferguson, MO for clout. However, blue vests’s activism, research, and influence is valuable and I personally like the work that he does.
BuskLV 