Opinion

Opinion: This Is What Change Looks Like: Weekend Protests Are Enormous, And Peaceful

By News & Guts

What we are witnessing is historic.  Societal change that often takes generations seems to be on fast-forward over the last two weeks.  Why now?  What makes George Floyd’s death any different than Trayvon Martin?  It’s hard to believe, but the Black Lives Matter movement began eight years ago after the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the death of Martin, an unarmed teenager. There have been so many killings since, sometimes known not by the names of the victims but the city where it happened-Ferguson, Missouri, 2014.

But why the sudden coalescence of black and white protesters?  Why the massive crowds not seen in generations?

The difference in 2020 is a leadership void in Washington and a dispassionate president who has taken sides.  There is no effort to heal.  Compassion might make this president look “soft.” No, Donald Trump has chosen to cast his lot with the police.  He has walled himself off from the masses while he shouts “Law and Order” from his Twitter bullhorn.  An already unpopular president has attempted to divide America further to bolster his base.  But it is backfiring, bigly.

After days of confrontation, the weekend saw more protests, but the vast majority were peaceful.  And the police?  They backed off and watched.  This is what change looks like.  This is democracy-the people, in large numbers, demanding change.  Today, you will begin to see the politicians follow.  One of the largest peaceful protests was in LA (see video above.)  The Los Angeles Times writes:

“The political and social ramifications of the Floyd protests are already becoming clear. Many cities are considering restrictions on the use of police force, and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has proposed cuts to the LAPD. It’s far from the sweeping defunding of the LAPD demanded by Black Lives Matter but still represents a political sea change.

“Activists have also taken the protests into affluent, suburban neighborhoods across the city and found residents joining the marches and expressing their outrage.

“So many white and non-black folks are staying on message — that if we can lift black lives from the margins of society, we can lift all lives,” said Jody David Armour, a USC law professor.”

Several cities, including Washington and New York, have lifted curfews.

One of the largest protests was on Saturday in Washington, D.C. where police reported zero arrests, according to CBS affiliate WUSA.