By: Eeman Atif
On 25th May 2020, a black man was killed by a white police officer. The man had been pinned to the ground, and the officer had placed his knee on the back of his neck. Over the next few minutes, this man repeatedly asked the officer to move his knee saying “Please, I can’t breathe” before he eventually stopped. He was pronounced dead almost an hour later at a local hospital. His name was George Floyd.
George Floyd was killed by a police officer while he was being arrested over a possibly counterfeit $20 note. He died begging for the ability to breathe. But George Floyd’s case wasn’t the only one. A black man asked a white woman to put her dog on a leash in a park with multiple signs saying unleashed dogs are not allowed. The woman then threatened to call the cops and accuse him of threatening her. A white pastor claimed that he had been kidnapped by two black men in order to cover up the fact that he had been cheating on his wife. A white woman drowned her autistic nine-year-old son and claimed that a black man had done it. Regis Korchinski Raquet died after being shoved off a balcony by an officer. Her death was ruled as a suicide. These events took place over just 72 hours. 72 hours.
Floyd’s death sparked a series of protests in the state of Minneapolis. Police showed up in riot gear and used water cannons, tear gas, and rubber bullets against the protesters, injuring many. The use of tear gas is a war crime. The use of tear gas in warfare was outlawed in 1993. Think about that. Today, President Trump tweeted that he had authorized the National Guard to intervene in Minneapolis to bring the protesters under control, allowing protesters to be shot.
Now, let me paint a very different picture. Many of us may remember seeing images of the protests in Michigan a few weeks ago, where many people came together to protest the stay-at-home orders issued by the Democratic governor, in light of the coronavirus situation. These protesters were heavily armed, and demanded that Michigan’s businesses be reopened holding signs with messages like “WE NEED A HAIRCUT.”
Funnily enough, there was no police brutality, no calling in the National Guard, and these armed protesters were called “very good people” by the President. What’s more is that the White House released a statement saying that the right to protest was a constitutional right given to Americans, which begs the question, why did protests in Minneapolis receive such a different response than those in Michigan? White supremacy, anyone?
Police brutality is a major issue in the United States and has been for a very long time. Incidents such as George Floyd’s death are horrifying, but they are nothing new. This is why we need to raise our voices alongside our black brothers and sisters. Right now, being neutral, being apolitical, is a privilege that we do not have. If you remain silent in situations of injustice, you have already chosen the side of the oppressor. Let George Floyd’s death be the one that wakes you up. Let his death inspire you to fight for change.
If you would like to help, here’s how:
Contact the Minneapolis mayor and the Hennepin County attorney at 612-673-2100 and 612-348-5550, respectively. You can also email the attorney at citizeninfo@hennepin.us, or contact the Minneapolis police department at police@minneapolismn.gov.
Educate yourself, speak out against racism and injustice.
Sign a petition to demand that the police officers involved are appropriately punished for their actions https://act.colorofchange.org/sign/justiceforfloyd_george_floyd_minneapolis/
(ANADOLU AGENCY VIA GETTY IMAGES)
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