But one event that's getting massive coverage is the apparent murder of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, by a white Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin, who knelt on his neck. Chauvin has since been sacked and charged with murder and manslaughter.
The death has led to four nights of clashes between police and protesters, buildings being burnt, including Minneapolis police station, deployment of the National Guard, four Californian freeways shut down, and violent protests in numerous cities.
As we all know, such brutal police tactics, especially against black people, are nothing new. But the authorities are incapable of stopping the brutality, which goes on year after year. And it's not the first time Chauvin has been in trouble; he has had 17 complaints against him during his 19-year service.
One reason I'm interested in this story is that I've seen some heavy-handed police behaviour myself. Over the years I've been to dozens of rallies and protests and some of them got pretty nasty. I especially remember a rally against the far-right National Front, where there were some very ugly battles between police and demonstrators, and I fled, frightened for my own safety.
Another reason is that usually the police and the authorities concoct some fictitious version of what happened, and make out the victim was committing a crime, provoking the police, appeared to have a weapon, or was resisting arrest. In this case he allegedly offered a fake $20 note at a convenience store. However the shop's owner said "most of the times when patrons give us a counterfeit bill they don't even know it's fake."
It's certainly a riveting diversion from virus this and virus that. But it's an utter tragedy it centres on a totally pointless death.
PS: I wrote "apparent murder" before the two autopsies that concluded it was homicide.
Pic: George Floyd
Police, and so called "Security" (bouncers), can be heavy handed. I won't go into detail.
ReplyDeleteWhilst the "black" in George Floyd's case does offer an obvious angle, main thing, regardless of skin colour, whether you are a man. If you are man you are fucked.
Though you have mentioned it before I am surprised that you went to protests. For all my bravado and sense of adventure I shun crowd events. Maybe one of the reasons (apart from my father telling me not to) why I have never joined a club. Any. The moment you are locked into - be it an idea, an ideology, not to mention religion - reason leaves the room. Follow the leader.
I also find, and I can't stress this enough, that people if left to their own devices may turn into different people when in a flock, en masse. It's what I despise about humans and their capacity to leave themselves, their fundamentally decent self, outside the door. And that includes those BY-Standers who filmed the George Floyd incident WITHOUT intervening. How is that even possible? Defensible? May their heads hang in shame.
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Ursula: I'll join a rally for a specific cause, but I haven't belonged to a political party for decades. Precisely as you say because you get locked into a whole ideology and woe betide you if you go off-message on anything.
DeleteIndeed, people en masse do things they would never do as individuals. Then again, what else can people do when non-violent protests are so often ignored by the politicians, and incidents like this happen with sickening regularity.
As Mike says below, people may have been too frightened to intervene in what was obviously a violent situation.
Bystanders filming the incident and yelling at the cops to get off of George Floyd WERE intervening as much as was probably safely possible without escalating the situation.
ReplyDeleteOfficers should understand that anything confrontational they do in public is likely to be captured on video. The blatant arrogance of Derek Chauvin holding Floyd down by kneeling on his neck is appalling. Other footage has surfaced showing two other officers were also kneeling on Floyd's body but were hidden by the vehicle in the original video released to the public. It's absolutely unforgivable.
Apparently Derek Chauvin's wife thinks so, too, as she seeking the “dissolution of her marriage” (divorce) over his role in the in the incident.
I always find it outrageous when protests over terrible incidents like this turn to violent destruction of property, rioting, and looting. Angry protests are understandable but the escalation as has since, predictably, occurred makes no sense. The mobs of young people are destroying businesses, infrastructure, and other property in their own community.
Mike: As you say, things like this are usually captured on video nowadays, so the officers in question were particularly stupid to do what they did. And yes, violent protests of this sort are destroying the local infrastructure, but what are people to do when peaceful protests are brushed aside and ignored?
DeleteThe police in the U.K. got away with Orgreave, and felt confident enough to assume an attitude of policing by control rather than by consent...see the death of Ian Tomlinson.
ReplyDeleteI was in demos in the sixties, usually featuring the Met's C Division, the 'hard men' of that period. They were tough nuts, but not brutal, not out of control. I would not risk a demo in London these days - a real demo, I mean, not the prancing ponces of Extinction Rebeliion.
Fly: Indeed, the UK police have also got away with some appalling behaviour. They're more civilised in Northern Ireland though, especially since they may be facing paramilitaries or their supporters.
DeleteYes, whatever happened to Extinction Rebellion?
Since the virus attack, our Police force and Health Workers have been at the receiving end! https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/up-hundreds-attack-health-workers-police-in-moradabad-cm-adityanath-directs-action-under-nsa-6363903/
ReplyDeleteEvery state has had this new phenomenon. The reasons for this is something that I will write to you privately if you are interested. Not something that can be written here.
Ramana: There are some attacks on emergency workers, including health workers, here in the UK as well. I'm baffled as to the motivation, when the attackers are themselves dependent on the emergency services. Yes, do email me.
DeleteIt is all so primitive and racist and murderous. Apparently they knew each other too and worked in the same nightclub together.
ReplyDeleteI also attended protests and still protest as you know but have backed away last week due to stress and threats.
And PS I do wish people could get as equally worked up over increasing cases of femicide (called "domestic" in media parlance.)
XO
WWW
www: Primitive and racist and murderous indeed. I also wish people were more outraged by femicide, not to mention FGM, rape, unnecessary plastic surgery and all the other barbarisms that women are subjected to.
DeleteTake a look at this on police impunity
ReplyDeletehttps://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2020/05/racist-killing-and-impunity/
Fly: Thank you, very informative. I didn't know that the US police have LESS impunity for actions of this sort than the UK police. Shocking that the last conviction of a British policeman for the unlawful killing of a detainee was in 1969.
DeleteI often wonder if by nature, men on power trips are attracted to the profession or if the constant stress of the job creates these monsters? Probably a combination of both!
ReplyDeleteBijoux: Probably a mixture of both. Plus a sadistic tendency they can exercise on unsuspecting members of the public.
DeleteI know from experience that men on power trips prefer this type of job. BUT. I know of at least one who, while very "manly", also regularly tells his grown sons that he loves them. He's truly a gentle man who can appear tough so did his job well before he retired.
DeleteLinda: I know of one police officer who was the same - he could be tough if necessary on the job but at home was a lovely guy.
Delete" Chauvin has been in trouble; he has had 17 complaints against him during his 19-year service."
ReplyDelete17 complaints against him in 19 years of service?
didn't anybody in charge NOTICE that??? he quite possibly should have been sacked YEARS AGO! it indicates that he was/is a walking powder keg.
Tammy: Like other countries (including the UK), the USA seems to take a very lenient approach to misbehaving police officers. They're basically given a slap on the wrist and told to shape up.
DeleteIt's horrible that he was killed by the cops. That never should have happened. But what's happening now makes little sense. Rioting, looting and burning businesses that had nothing to do with this is just plain stupid.
ReplyDeleteMary: Burning the police station seems appropriate (as long as there was nobody inside), but what's the point of burning and looting local businesses? They're just wrecking their own community.
DeleteI'm so glad Chauvin has been charged, I thought it was going to be another cover up job. I've never been to a demonstration. I do online campaigns. The rioting and looting has lost its initial anger and has been taken over by mindless thugs.
ReplyDeletePolly: I've read several times that political activists and opportunists of various kinds are encouraging the rioters to cause mayhem. Whether that's true, I don't know.
DeleteUnfortunately just because a policeman is charged doesn't mean he will be convicted. Often the jury will find the policeman not guilty even in egregious cases. And apparently the state legislature of MN is partially responsible for not having higher standards for the police: https://www.themarshallproject.org/2020/05/28/before-george-floyd-s-death-minneapolis-police-failed-to-adopt-reforms-remove-bad-officers
ReplyDeleteFingers crossed some reforms will get through this time.
PS The Marshall Project is an example of great journalism. Its mission statement is
Delete"The Marshall Project is a nonpartisan, nonprofit news organization that seeks to create and sustain a sense of national urgency about the U.S. criminal justice system. We achieve this through award-winning journalism, partnerships with other news outlets and public forums. In all of our work we strive to educate and enlarge the audience of people who care about the state of criminal justice."
Back to your earlier post about poor journalism --- the site https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/ is a great place to check a news organization's bias and adherence to facts. I use it every time I come across a new source.
Jean: As you say, charges are no guarantee of convictions, if racist jurors come down on the side of a white police officer. The Marshall Project piece is interesting - recommended reforms not being carried out, no clear criteria on the use of force and de-escalation etc.
DeleteMediabiasfactcheck looks good. Likewise the Marshall Project. They're much needed in an era of fake news being spread in all directions.
Racism is another kind of deadly Sickness that has been a Plague upon Mankind for far too long and never been eradicated. It's right up there with COVID, except that the Virus is not a discriminator of persons and is an equal opportunity killer. Both are potentially deadly and MUST be addressed.
ReplyDeleteBohemian: Racism is indeed a deadly sickness, but getting rid of it is a mighty task as it's so entrenched in so many people's minds.
DeleteIs the rioting senseless? what do most of us do when we are unheard? talk louder? try getting attention some other way?
ReplyDeletethis is an entire community who are unheard, oppressed, murdered in cold blood. I'm glad people are angry. They should be. Rioting might not seem to achieve a lot but it's sure got helped to spotlight the issue
Kylie: I agree, they have to talk louder to get attention. Though it still makes no sense to loot and burn down local businesses. And yes, the rioting has certainly spotlighted the issue - even to the extent of knocking the virus into second place.
DeleteIt gets even better, Nick and Kylie.
DeleteThis morning, and I think this fucked up beyond belief, I read that Trump had crowds dispersed (violently) so he could emerge from his bunker and go to Church. There he gets his photo opportunity holding up the BIBLE, no less. Well, Jesus Fucking Christ. Wonder what the man who wanted peace on earth would have made of Trump. Shown him the door of the Temple? Or just offered the other cheek?
I am in knots. And whatever you do, Nick, don't go over to Rachel's and her last post. The last line of which is unbelievable. As usual she is sister in arms with her chum Trump.
Whilst I do not condone rioting and looting fact is, as Kylie points out, when there is frustration within the population, frustration not addressed by the administration, it will OUT. Like a pimple bursting. Pus.
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"Pimple"? No. Make that an abscess.
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Ursula: Trump is floundering helplessly through this crisis much as he flounders through everything else. Indeed, it's like an abscess suddenly bursting.
DeleteI don't visit Rachel's blog any more. She made it very clear I wasn't her sort of person.
As you imply: It's one thing if you flounder when you are a Nobody. It's another if people look to you for guidance. Not to mention "leadership". No further than your nearest fridge/freezer.
DeleteAs to Rachel: You have one over me there. My continued reading of her blog (and comments on blogs both she and I frequent) makes me feel like picking a scab; you know the one from childhood, falling off your bike, your kneecaps a sight to behold . . . bleeding. Five weeks later . . . you still find yourself picking at it. I mean when you are ten years old.
How is the lockdown coming apart at the seams your end?
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