racist flip-flops

[amw]

Yesterday i posted something on Facebook about how cynical you have to be as an American politician to cheer Hong Kong protestors fighting back against police brutality in their city, but call for "peace" when black protestors do the same in the United States

Comments

[amw]

I am very happy to live in 2020. I actually made a similar comment to yours recently in response to someone suggesting that things were better 50 years ago because anyone could afford to buy a house. Their response to my comment was that "some things are better, some things are worse". That's probably true. Income inequality is definitely worse

[amw]

I think we are more alike than you think

I'm in Minneapolis

[happysponge]

I don't think people here would necessarily object to the curfews as it makes the white supremacists opening roving our streets in unmarked vehicles easier to spot, EXCEPT the police are of course targeting all the wrong people for violating curfew, so "regular" people have to be out too, helping out and defending neighborhoods. Many many many people have been attacked by police for sitting on their own porches. Several people the other night were putting out a fire with a garden hose (because the fire department here has vanished) and cops shot them with rubber bullets. Not to mention medics, news reporters, etc. etc.

That's the tip of the iceberg, of course, but I'm exhausted. Suffice it to say, the general consensus around here is that the police are 100% to blame for instigating and escalating the destruction of my neighborhood.

Re: I'm in Minneapolis

[amw]

Yes, i think the thing people should be focusing on right now is that communities have taken to the streets to protest police brutality... and then they were confronted with even more police brutality. That's messed up! Of course there are some who will take advantage of the civil unrest - wannabe revolutionaries and opportunistic criminals alike - but focusing on that is missing the point. If the police didn't keep escalating the situation, there would be less cover for those who are only out on the streets to cause trouble

[styxx374]

My area of the US is pretty conservative, but I've been happy to witness that the local police have been showing solidarity with the protesters, and things have been peaceful.

[king_of_apathy]

Of course I’m hoping that Derek Chauvin gets convicted and put in jail for the maximum amount of time possible. But I disagree with the ‘let it burn’ take. Obviously I’m on the other side of the world from it all, but from what I read and watch it isn’t just elites in their ivory towers asking people not to riot, it’s many who live in the areas affected.

This isn’t just property being burnt. More people have been killed and numerous more seriously injured. As one commentator put it regarding the antics of Antifa. ‘Seeing mobs of white thugs chanting “Black lives matter” while burning down a Black man’s business - may be the most surreal frigging thing I’ve ever witnessed’.
George Floyd’s own family has pleaded for people to protest peacefully. I thought this video of Killer Mike and MLKs daughter asking for the same was also good. ‘Don’t burn down your own house’.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SN1TxJeFkHs

[amw]

Just a quick note: it plays into the hands of right-wing propagandists to capitalize "Antifa", as if it is some kind of organized group or gang. Antifa is just an abbreviation for "antifascist", and should be used in a similar way as anti-capitalist or anti-racist

[king_of_apathy]

Think we may have to agree to disagree on the use of rioting and destruction as a useful form of protest, but i'll take a look at the links you shared.

[geminiwench]

Here... SOME of our cops took a knee during the protest....

.... and then 6 hours later, a citizen in an SUV plowed through the crowd in front of the federal courthouse hitting 3 people and sped away. The crowd chased after them and the cops pulled him over... questioned him, and let him go without even getting him out of his car! The news ran through the crowd.. and the crowd started engaging the cops about, "WHY IS THIS OKAY!?!?!" and suddenly it was teargas and the cops talking about "looting"... except the only footage is someone broke a NIKE store window, and people ran in and threw all the merchandise into the crowd/street talking about commercial capitalism kills and enslaves people of color (um.. correct!) and yeah... most news coverage doesn't even cover the SUV hitting the crowd, they talk about the "violence" of the protestors while showing a 'looter' who is actually just throwing sportswear onto the sidewalk.

Yep. This is 'Merica.