The protests are working, in so many ways. Shall we count the ways? Please add to this.
1. Justice: The lead killer charged, then all 4 charged and charges increased.
2. Politics: Klobuchar will not be the Running-Mate; Ferguson has a black woman mayor; Steven King is over.
1. Justice: The lead killer charged, then all 4 charged and charges increased.
2. Politics: Klobuchar will not be the Running-Mate; Ferguson has a black woman mayor; Steven King is over.
3. The public conversation has shifted. Defunding is on the agenda. All 50 states have seen rallies. Mainline white churches finally speaking out. The power elite looks split.
4. Massive organizing, especially black young people.
5. Politicians and businesses in bargaining mode
4. Massive organizing, especially black young people.
5. Politicians and businesses in bargaining mode
Each day more victories. Please add.
Thanks to those who messaged me. Do add directly too.
6. The plan to “send in the troops” is failing.
7. The NYT’s bosses face a journo rebellion.
8. More monuments to slavers are coming down.
9. Cities are *starting* to reallocate budgets from punishment & control to support.
6. The plan to “send in the troops” is failing.
7. The NYT’s bosses face a journo rebellion.
8. More monuments to slavers are coming down.
9. Cities are *starting* to reallocate budgets from punishment & control to support.
10. Elites in other countries who hoped to make this an “America problem” are facing BLM risings of their own.
11. Many thousands of European activist kids who had previously marched for climate only are now energised to be active in confronting white supremacism too.
And ?
11. Many thousands of European activist kids who had previously marched for climate only are now energised to be active in confronting white supremacism too.
And ?
More victories from the protests just won.
12. Los Angeles abandoned the curfew after protestors defied them and the ACLU sued them. losangeles.cbslocal.com/2020/06/04/la-…
and ...
12. Los Angeles abandoned the curfew after protestors defied them and the ACLU sued them. losangeles.cbslocal.com/2020/06/04/la-…
and ...
13. UK prosecutors are looking again “in recognition of wider public interest” into the person who spat on railway worker Belly Mujinga & announced they had Covid, which Belly then died from. Decision comes a week after police said they wouldn’t prosecute. huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/belly-mu…
14. A big shift in public opinion, detailed in rigorous polling here nytimes.com/2020/06/05/us/… (NB protests should not be expected to get quick results, especially in shifting attitudes, it takes time, so this is extraordinary.)
The protests keep winning so many victories, of so many different dimensions, in so many places, and so many more keep coming, that it’s hard to keep up. Please keep adding as more victories come.
Washington DC now.
(By the way)
This from the UN: ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/… 
Today would be Breonna Taylor’s 27th birthday. In Breonna’s memory, please do one of the actions on this link.
Thank you. msha.ke/30flirtyfilm/
Thank you. msha.ke/30flirtyfilm/
15. Several cities are saying they will ban choke holds and require bystander police to intervene to stop colleagues.
16. The NFL just said “We, the NFL, admit we were wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier and encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest.”
16. The NFL just said “We, the NFL, admit we were wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier and encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest.”
17. Louisville is set to limit the use of “no knock” warrants courier-journal.com/story/news/pol…
(none of this is enough or constitutes an acceptable compromise; but none of them would have been won without the protests, & none of the most recent would have been won if protests had stopped; the protests are working; people power is building)
- please keep sharing victories -
- please keep sharing victories -
(The answer is not training the answer is not training the answer is not training) abc7news.com/san-jose-polic…
(Those who have risen are not calling for police or political leaders to hug them or dance with them or kneel or cry or give a speech; they are calling for accountability, for rights, & for reallocating resources from control to support.) m4bl.org/week-of-action/
Ways to help blacklivesmatters.carrd.co
18. A judge has ruled that the cases against all three defendants charged with murder in the death of Ahmaud Arbery can advance to the trial court. cbc.ca/news/world/geo…
19. Portland is replacing the police officers who were inside schools with counsellors instead wweek.com/news/schools/2…
20. Congressional push to shut down a Pentagon program that transfers military weaponry to local law enforcement departments nytimes.com/2020/06/01/us/…
(A bit like the surprise many white people have felt seeing videos of so much police brutality, that black people had been repeatedly recalling, so too there will be shock that some of the most extreme policies & programmes that may now be scrapped were even there to begin with.)
History shows that protest and challenge and organising to build power from below is essential for any meaningful progress to justice. It is never given. So what we are seeing now is not a new lesson, but a lesson being taught anew.
Without checking, can you guess where this #blacklivesmatter march is?
(That’s Brisbane, Australia, just now. They are shouting #BlackLivesMatter #AboriginalLivesMatter #IndigenousLivesMatter.)
Protest is inspiring protest: ‘Whenever one person stands up and says, "Wait a minute, this is wrong,” it helps other people do the same.’ - Gloria Steinem
Protest is inspiring protest: ‘Whenever one person stands up and says, "Wait a minute, this is wrong,” it helps other people do the same.’ - Gloria Steinem
(The protestors are calling for a shift in the imbalance of power & wealth. So JP Morgan bosses need not kneel in front their *massive bank vault*. *Open* it. Pay full tax. Stop cheating. Stop lobbying for special treatment. They won’t choose that, but #peoplepower can force it.)
