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On Monday, LA prosecutors announced that they won’t press charges against thousands of protesters arrested over the last two weeks. This is heartening news for the social movement. Recent weeks have seen widespread civil unrest and protests. The protests have been aimed at opposing police brutality and racial discrimination by police.
LA City Attorney Mike Feuer announced on Monday that prosecutors will be lenient with protesters. He noted that this won’t extend to violent crimes, such as looting or inciting violence. Recent polling has shown that a majority of Americans support the protesters’ cause. However, not nearly as many respondents defend looting and violence.
City Attorney Feuer noted that this is an important moment in US history. “Peaceful protest is profoundly important, and these protests have rekindled a long-overdue effort to change hearts, minds and institutions. We can’t let this moment pass as we have too many times before,” he stated on Monday.
It is unclear what punishments, if any, nonviolent protesters could face. Some have suggested that they could receive light fines or other “slap on the wrist” penalties. Feuer went on to suggest that there would be a forum for discussion where police and protesters could “really listen” to one another.
Moreover, LA County District Attorney Jackie Lacey confirmed on Monday that protesters charged with violating curfew or failing to disperse would not face criminal charges. Lacey also emphasized the importance of starting a dialogue between police officers and protesters.
Many protesters resent officials’ calls for compromise. They believe there is no common ground to be found with police departments. Instead, many argue for a sweeping movement to defund police departments. This would involve significantly reducing the role of police in civil safety and introducing non-violent social workers for non-emergency safety calls.
Some deride this movement as inviting lawlessness. However, proponents of the movement note that not all law enforcement should fall to police. For example, health inspectors can handle food safety. Similarly, issues like drug addiction and domestic violence could be better handled by specialized social workers.
Proponents of defunding the police have noted that years of piling cities’ problems on police departments has left them overfunded and ill-equipped to deal with the myriad of issues they’re meant to handle. Meanwhile, underfunded programs need free bankruptcy service regularly. Protesters argue that this system is in need of reform.
