I’ve seen people speak out about protests with comments ranging from “all this violence and property damage is unnecessary, they need to protest peacefully” to “just shoot one, that’ll stop ’em”. Seriously, it’s been that wide-ranging. I have a few thoughts on the matter.
**********
People protesting police brutality are being met with – wait for it – police brutality. The videos splashed across social media are disturbing in so many ways, not the least of which is that this is how they act when they know a camera is recording them. It makes me wonder what happens outside of our sight.
**********
There was a perfectly peaceful demonstration that started in 2016. Kneeling during the national anthem didn’t harm anyone or destroy property. It was even silent, so there were none of those irritating chants or screams. It was the epitome of a “peaceful demonstration” yet it was met with aggressive opposition and cost one man his career. Turns out “peaceful” wasn’t the key after all.
**********
Another note on calling the protests bad or good based on your definition of peaceful. In this context “peaceful” translates to “sit over there and be quiet while you wave a sign”. It didn’t take looters for someone to call a protest unacceptable; all it took was an angry crowd marching, shouting, and refusing to slink away at the first sign of police. This right here sums it up:
**********
One last note on those not-peaceful complaints: you don’t get to choose how someone else protests your wrongdoing. Picketing your place of business might be inconvenient but them’s the breaks. Protestors shutting down the city might be the last thing you want to see on the news every night but oh well. These people have been beaten and bled and died for YEARS so no, you don’t get a say in how they protest. Even if it’s loud.
**********
Final thoughts:
Protests are not supposed to be comfortable for you. Discomfort moves us toward change so sit with yours and figure out what’s triggering those feelings. Then do your work to be anti-racist.
Riddle from the Middle 
I have been struggling with this issue, so I appreciate your thoughts. I know protests aren’t supposed to be comfortable and that people need to be uncomfortable. I kept thinking I wanted to participate in a peaceful protest. Your post got me to think about the definition of peaceful, as in, calm. Now, I realize the word peaceful doesn’t really fit with protest. But I do want a non-violent protest. I can understand picketing. I can understand anger. But I don’t want to be in a place where anger turns destructive which seems to happen more after dark and which I can understand. Maybe a vigil is more my speed. (We have one coming up sponsored by BLM.) I can’t help but love the photos and videos where the police and protestors are walking together, shaking hands and hugging, and I wonder how that happens. I know a police officer who does a lot of community relations work. We’ve painted murals together. She is really having a hard time right now. She told me three officers have committed suicide in her Department.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I hope you find something that works for you, JoAnna. My daughter wanted to show up so I took her to a nearby candlelight vigil tonight — lots of speakers, some music, lighting candles, and 9 minutes of silence. A couple of hours and we were done by dark, which I felt better about since she’s 14 but looks much older. It’s weird to balance wanting to march for change with coronavirus concerns and keeping my kid out of the way if police and protestors clash. I’m so sorry to hear about the police officer you know. It sounds like she has the weight of the world on her right now. 💛
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for understanding. I hope you and your family stay safe. ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
I have relatives who work or have worked in law enforcement. And maybe it’s the ‘thin blue line’ talking, but I hear a far different story from ‘behind the scenes’ than is told in any media forum you want to name. The brutality of that cop towards that man was unspeakable, and that cop should be prosecuted, just like any murderer would. He committed murder. Does that mean the WHOLE of law enforcement is the same way? No it does not.
In my respectful opinion there are two groups being targeted in this latest battle in a war that apparently can’t be won – the persons of color AND the cops. Both are subject to profiling, hatred, violence and malice. When a person sees a cop, they don’t see a person – they see a COP. Same as those who see a black person and only see a criminal or a difference.
Either scenario OUGHT to be unacceptable. Because it truly isn’t that simple. There are all sorts of people in both groups and individuals, which is how they should be seen.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I used to feel this way too, Melanie. What I’m struggling with now is the pervasiveness of police brutality across so many states — we have to be willing to look at the culture of the profession when the behavior is so widespread. I used to believe the bad apples philosophy, that *some* bad cops hurt people. Except the other cops know what’s happening and they’re not turning them in which, to me, makes them just as guilty. One man knelt on George Floyd’s neck for 9 minutes and murdered him, but three other cops (ones some might argue are “good” cops) were within arms reach and didn’t pull him off.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I just wrote this earlier this evening “And before the hate mongers ask me how could I … please know one can be outraged by the murder of George Floyd while continuing to support law enforcement. The two are not mutually exclusive. But I’d be lying if I didn’t acknowledge that racism is alive and well in our country.”
LikeLiked by 1 person
What I’m starting to see — and what I *really* don’t know how to handle — is that racism is imbedded so deeply in our society that it affects everything, including all interactions with law enforcement. And if that’s the case…if a black person cannot get the same treatment as a white person because of the bias we’ve all implicitly absorbed…how can I say this is a good system? That’s hard for me to process because I know there are honorable people who believe in a call to protect and serve.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The system is deeply flawed there’s no sugarcoating it any longer. When I say support law enforcement it’s those honorable people doing their best to serve in that flawed system.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Melanie – I came back because I realized my answer sounded like I didn’t think *any* police officers have good intentions. I do think some feel called to protect and serve their communities for the principle, not for the power. I just know we’re all a product of our society so we all bring baggage to the table, and that baggage impacts people of color more negatively than it does me.
LikeLike
My city is having a protest today. The police sent out a great post about their rights to do so. They then went on to explain how to look for people not from the area coming in to cause a distrubance. It was well written and eye opening. Were it not for my age and medical conditions, I would like to be there with them.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve appreciated the feeds on twitter talking about how there’s other ways to support the cause if you can’t protest – signing petitions, donating to bail organizations, boosting visibility of black voices and protest activity. I hope your city’s protest has gone well.
LikeLiked by 1 person
For the most part it was calm.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Racists don’t want protesters to do anything too effective. That’s too bad. You have to break a few eggs to make an omelette.
LikeLiked by 2 people
And that’s the best sum up I’ve heard today.
LikeLiked by 1 person
My suspicion is that adding to the brutal reactions of some of the police departments are the trouble makers that are shipped in to make the protestors look bad, in addition to local trouble makers. I just hope reasonable dialog about what needs to be changed happens, and then change happens. Real change.
LikeLiked by 4 people
Here’s hoping this comes to fruition. I was at a vigil in Durham tonight and there seemed to be a great deal of hope.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I have been heartened by the last days of a coming together of law enforcement, local politicians, spiritual leaders and protesters of all races, ages, and genders, this is what we need to begin change
LikeLiked by 1 person
Things vary greatly city to city – some are standing together, some have terrible clashes between police and protestors. I hope they find a way to level them all out soon.
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is true and very disturbing.
LikeLiked by 2 people
There’s a lot to be disturbed by on the news these days. It’s hard to watch.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I know, yet to stay in the know we must.
LikeLiked by 1 person
For peaceful protests to work you need restraint, understanding and a willingness to work together for meaningful progress on both sides. In this case those conditions are completely missing. The same was the case with apartheid in South Africa. Mandela was labelled a terrorist. Now the terrorist here are a dumb white Bloke sat in a bunker who is happy for his country to burn. He even calls those bigots with assault rifles great Americans. That’s why peaceful protests escalate.
LikeLiked by 1 person
People demanding change have been called terrorists throughout time. Anytime someone challenges the status quo it’s a challenge to the power structure and it will fight tooth and nail to protect itself. We’ve gone through revolutions before, we’ll come out the other side of this one. Hopefully for the better.
LikeLiked by 1 person