Protests of police killings of Black people spread around the country Thursday night, which was the third night of protests in Minneapolis. There was a lot to protest—and Donald Trump was trying to ensure there will be more, judging by his tweets calling for further state violence.
In Minneapolis, police killed George Floyd on Monday, kneeling on his neck as he choked out: “I can’t breathe.” In Louisville, Kentucky, the release of the 911 call from Kenneth Walker after police shot his girlfriend, Breonna Taylor, spurred new protests. Police—who were at the wrong house—claim they announced themselves as police and Walker fired at them. But in the call it’s clear that he had no idea they were police. He told the dispatcher: “I don't know what happened ... somebody kicked in the door and shot my girlfriend.”
Protesters gathered in Columbus, Ohio; Los Angeles, California; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Denver, Colorado; Memphis, Tennessee; New York City, New York; and Portland, Oregon.
The Minneapolis police precinct where the officers worked who killed Floyd, and the workplace of those who stood by while he was killed, was burned in the protests. Some local businesses were burned as well. Police quickly responded to protests on Tuesday with tear gas and rubber bullets. Police also arrested a Black CNN reporter live on the air while treating his white colleague nearby with respect.
Seven people were shot at a protest in Louisville while officials said police did not fire. In Denver, shots were fired near what The New York Times describes as a peaceful protest, but no one was injured. In another incident, a driver intentionally rammed into a protester. The Denver protest blocked traffic on Interstate 25 and surface roads. Police in Phoenix, Arizona, fired tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters.
For some odd reason, police weren't nearly as quick with the tear gas and rubber bullets when heavily armed white people protested the coronavirus shutdowns.
This uprising is the result of years of police violence against Black people, with prosecutors and courts lined up to protect police from any consequences for even the most blatant and brutal murders. This backlash was created by years of pain and rage and injustice. If you’re a white person saying “but the protests are too violent,” consider how you would feel if you lived your life in active fear of what happened to George Floyd and Breonna Taylor happening to you or a loved one. If you’re saying, “If only they were more like Martin Luther King Jr.,” remember that white people didn’t like him too much during his lifetime, either. You should be uncomfortable.