It's not just that the Black Panthers showed up armed at the state house in California on May 2, 1967, it's why they were there. Assemblyman Don Mulford had introduced a bill to ban openly carrying firearms in the city. The bill was a direct response to the BPP's police patrols.
The Black Panther Party for Self-Defense monitored police interactions with Black people to protect against police brutality and the abuse of rights. So they protested the Mulford Bill. The protestors in Michigan want to repeal restrictions meant to curb the spread of a pandemic.
What often gets lost in public discussions of the Black Panther Party is their 10-point platform. Many of their demands are still, unfortunately, salient to this day.
As a result of the Black Panther demonstration (labeled an "invasion"), the Mulford Bill was fast-tracked and signed into law by then-governor Ronald Reagan who said armed protests were a "ridiculous" way to solve problems.
We can't just say that the press, public, and authorities demonized the #BlackPanthers for armed demonstrations while white protestors face no such repercussions. We have to contrast WHY each group assembled. One against racial injustice, the other against public health measures.
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