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{{flagicon image|Thin Blue Line Flag (United States).svg}} Counterprotesters
{{flagicon image|Thin Blue Line Flag (United States).svg}} Counterprotesters
*[[Blue Lives Matter]]
*[[Proud Boys]]
*[[Proud Boys]]
*[[Patriot Prayer]]
*[[Patriot Prayer]]

Revision as of 03:06, 7 September 2020

2020 United States racial unrest
Part of the Black Lives Matter movement
Clockwise from top:
DateMarch 13, 2020 – present
(4 years, 9 months and 3 weeks)
Location
United States
(sporadic unrest in other Western countries)
Parties

Protesters and rioters

United States United States government (multiple federal law enforcement agencies)
Various state and local police departments

Counterprotesters

Boogaloo movement
Casualties
Death(s)George Floyd protests: 31

(+George Floyd, Rayshard Brooks, and Breonna Taylor)

Kenosha: 2 (+Jacob Blake)

Minneapolis downtown riot

(+Eddie Sole Jr.)

The 2020 United States racial unrest is an ongoing wave of civil unrest comprising of protests and riots against systemic racism towards black people, especially killings by police officers. An international unrest centered in the United States and across the Western world,[1] it is aligned with the Black Lives Matter movement and was initially triggered by the shooting of Breonna Taylor but quickly escalated after the killing of George Floyd. The subsequent George Floyd protests grew into a wider wave of racial unrest. Major protests also followed the shooting of Jacob Blake and the killing of Rayshard Brooks.

Major protests and riots

According to the Washington Post database of every fatal shooting by an on-duty police officer in the United States, as of August 31, 2020, 9 unarmed black people had been shot by police in 2020. As of that date the database lists four people of unknown race, 11 white people, 3 Hispanic people, and 1 person of "other" race who were shot while unarmed.[2]

According to a data set and analysis released by the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED) at the beginning of September, there were more than 10,600 demonstration events across the country between May 24th and August 22nd associated with all causes: Black Lives Matter, counter-protests, COVID-19-pandemic-related protests, and others.[3] Black Lives Matter protests peaked in number sharply at the end of May after Floyd's killing, declining to dozens per week by September, and are characterized as "an overwhelmingly peaceful movement" with more than 93% of protests involving no incidents of violence nor destructive activity.[3]

Breonna Taylor protests, 13 March

Main article: Shooting of Breonna Taylor § Protests

On March 13, Breonna Taylor was shot and killed. This led to a series of demonstrations and protests which lasted into August 2020.[4] One person was shot and killed during the protests.[5]

Daniel Prude protests, 22 March

Main articles: Killing of Daniel Prude § Subsequent protests, and Rochester protests

On March 22, Daniel Prude was killed by Rochester, New York police officers in what was found to be a homicide caused through "complications of asphyxia in the setting of physical restraint" in the county medical examiner's report.[6][7] On September 2, the release of a police body camera video and written reports surrounding his death provoked protests in Rochester.

George Floyd protests, 25 May

Main article: George Floyd protests

The major catalysis of the unrest was the killing of George Floyd on May 25. Though it was not the first controversial killing of a black person in 2020,[8] it sparked a much wider series of global protests and riots which continued into August 2020.[9][10] There have been many deaths related to the protests.[11]

Rayshard Brooks protests, 12 June

Main article: Killing of Rayshard Brooks § Reactions

Further unrest occurred as a result of the killing of Rayshard Brooks on June 12.[12] An 8-year-old girl was shot and killed during the protests.[13]

Kenosha protests, 23 August

Main article: Kenosha protests

The shooting of Jacob Blake on August 23 sparked the protests in a number of American cities.[14][15] Two protesters were shot and killed.[16]

Minneapolis downtown riot, 26 August

Main article: Minneapolis downtown riot

The Minneapolis downtown riot is an ongoing instance of civil unrest which is occurring in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The protests, riots, and looting occurred after false rumors that 38 year old Eddie Sole Jr was shot and killed by police.[17] Surveillance video showed that Mr. Sole had actually commited suicide with a gunshot to the head during a manhunt for a homicide suspect in which he was the person of interest.[18] Controversially, the police released the CCTV Camera footage of the suicide in attempts to stop the unrest.[19]

Deon Kay protests, 2 September

On September 2, Deon Kay, an 18-year old man, was shot and killed by a police officer in Washington, D.C. Later that day, protesters started gathering outside of the Seventh District Metropolitan Police Department building.[20]

Themes and demands

"Defund the police"

Main articles: Defund the police and Police abolition movement

Activists in the unrest have used the slogan "defund the police", calling for divestment in policing.[21]

Statue removal

Main article: List of monuments and memorials removed during the George Floyd protests

Protesters have called for the removal of statues commemorating historical figures now judged racist.[22] A number were either removed by authorities, or vandalized and toppled by protesters.[23]

[relevant?]

History professor Brenda Gayle Plummer, writing in Foreign Affairs magazine, noted that "The particulars of Floyd's murder, taking place against the backdrop of the pandemic, may well have been the dam-break moment for the global protest movement. But they are only part of the story. International solidarity with the African American civil rights struggle comes not from some kind of projection or spontaneous sentiment; it was seeded by centuries of black activism abroad and foreign concern about human rights violations in the United States."[1]

Netherlands

Related racial unrest in the Netherlands included widespread participation in George Floyd protests. The unrest has led to a change in public opinion on Zwarte Piet, a blackface character used in Dutch Christmas celebrations. Leaving the appearance of Zwarte Piet unaltered has traditionally been supported by the public but opposed by anti-racism campaigners, but a June 2020 survey saw a drop in support for leaving the character's appearance unaltered: 47 per cent of those surveyed supported the traditional appearance, compared to 71 per cent in a similar survey held in November 2019.[24] Prime Minister Mark Rutte stated in a parliamentary debate on 5 June 2020 that he had changed his opinion on the issue and now has more understanding for people who consider the character's appearance to be racist.[25]

United Kingdom

Main article: George Floyd protests in the United Kingdom

The 2020 United States racial unrest has triggered major protests, political gestures and policy changes in the United Kingdom, both in solidarity with the United States and in comparable protest against systemic racism in the UK. [citation needed]The debate over statues has been a defining feature of the unrest in the United Kingdom,[26][27][28][29] following the unauthorised removal of the statue of Edward Colston in Bristol on 11 June during a George Floyd protest. Her Majesty's Government (HMG) opposes even the legal removal of statues, with culture secretary Oliver Dowden writing a three-page letter to MPs, peers and councillors defending them as part of Britain's heritage.[30] Prime Minister Boris Johnson and home secretary Priti Patel condemned protesters who defaced the statue of Winston Churchill in Parliament Square in London and HMG ordered that the statues be boarded up and protected.[citation needed]

See also

Similar unrest

References

  1. ^ a b Plummer, Brenda Gayle (June 19, 2020). "Civil Rights Has Always Been a Global Movement: How Allies Abroad Help the Fight Against Racism at Home". Foreign Affairs. Vol. 99, no. 5. ISSN 0015-7120. Global reactions to the Floyd murder were not simply responses to a single event. The world already knew about antiblack racism in the United States. Voter suppression, disproportionately affecting people of color, has no parallel in other democracies. The particulars of Floyd's murder, taking place against the backdrop of the pandemic, may well have been the dam-break moment for the global protest movement. But they are only part of the story. International solidarity with the African American civil rights struggle comes not from some kind of projection or spontaneous sentiment; it was seeded by centuries of black activism abroad and foreign concern about human rights violations in the United States.
  2. ^ "Fatal Force: Police shootings database". Washington Post. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
  3. ^ a b Kishi, Roudabeh; Jones, Sam (September 3, 2020). Demonstrations & Political Violence in America: New Data for Summer 2020 (Report). Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project. {{cite report}}: Unknown parameter |lay-date= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |lay-source= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |lay-url= ignored (help)
  4. ^ Wolfson, Andrew. "Lawyer for protest group seeks to block enforcement of new Louisville police policy". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
  5. ^ "Authorities identify suspect in fatal shooting at Jefferson Square Park". WDRB. June 29, 2020. Retrieved June 29, 2020.
  6. ^ WROC staff (September 2, 2020). "Autopsy report: Daniel Prude death ruled a homicide, died from asphyxia due to 'physical restraint'". Rochester First. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
  7. ^ "What to Know About Daniel Prude's Death". New York Times: New York Today. September 4, 2020. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
  8. ^ Mahdawi, Arwa (June 6, 2020). "We must keep fighting for justice for Breonna Taylor. We must keep saying her name | Arwa Mahdawi". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
  9. ^ Press, Associated (August 22, 2020). "George Floyd protests: police declare a riot outside precinct in Portland". the Guardian. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
  10. ^ "2020 is not 1968: To understand today's protests, you must look further back". History & Culture. June 11, 2020. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
  11. ^ https://www.forbes.com/sites/jemimamcevoy/2020/06/08/14-days-of-protests-19-dead/#78111f294de4
  12. ^ Staff, WSBTV com News. "Rayshard Brooks shooting: Protesters block traffic on Atlanta highway". WJAX. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
  13. ^ Burns, Asia Simone (July 5, 2020). "Police ID 8-year-old shot, killed; $10,000 reward offered in case; Atlanta mayor: 'Enough is Enough'". ajc.com. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on July 6, 2020. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
  14. ^ "IN PHOTOS: Black Lives Matter organization rallies in Kenosha". Kenosha News. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
  15. ^ "In photos: Black Lives Matter organization rallies in Kenosha". Kenosha News. Archived from the original on August 27, 2020. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
  16. ^ Bredderman, Pilar Melendez,William (August 26, 2020). "17-Year-Old 'Blue Lives Matter' Fanatic Charged With Murder at Kenosha Protest". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on August 26, 2020. Retrieved August 26, 2020.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  17. ^ "Homicide Suspect Who Shot Self On Nicollet Mall Identified". August 28, 2020. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
  18. ^ Levenson, Michael (August 26, 2020). "Minneapolis Homicide Suspect's Suicide Spurs More Protests, Police Say". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
  19. ^ "When a graphic video can bring both truth and harm". MPR News. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
  20. ^ Mitchell, Samantha; Gayle, Anna-Lysa (September 2, 2020). "Protesters gather outside D.C. police department after officers shoot person in SE". WJLA-TV. Retrieved September 3, 2020.
  21. ^ "What does 'defund the police' mean? The rallying cry sweeping the US – explained". the Guardian. June 6, 2020. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
  22. ^ CNN, Eliott C. McLaughlin. "Honoring the unforgivable: The horrific acts behind the names on America's infamous monuments and tributes". CNN. Retrieved August 31, 2020. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  23. ^ https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2020/07/photos-statues-removed-george-floyd-protests-began/613774/
  24. ^ "Niet alleen Rutte is van mening veranderd: de steun voor traditionele Zwarte Piet is gedaald - weblog Gijs Rademaker". Een Vandaag. June 17, 2020. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
  25. ^ "Rutte: ik ben anders gaan denken over Zwarte Piet". NOS Nieuws. June 5, 2020. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
  26. ^ Weiss, Sabrina (June 12, 2020). "When we tear down racist statues, what should replace them?". Wired UK. ISSN 1357-0978. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
  27. ^ "Are statues history? What historians think after the Edward Colston monument was toppled". inews.co.uk. June 12, 2020. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
  28. ^ "The other controversial statues in UK which have faced calls to be pulled down". www.independent.co.uk. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
  29. ^ Russell, Anna. "How Statues in Britain Began to Fall". The New Yorker. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
  30. ^ Parveen, Nazia (June 13, 2020). "UK government seems to rule out removal of controversial statues". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved August 31, 2020.

Template:Ongoing protests


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