For the last week, the death of George Floyd and the ensuing protest against police brutality have dominated the headlines. Widespread outrage over the death of the unarmed man at the hands of police officers, including Derek Chauvin, has led to protests in many American cities. In some places, the protests have taken a turn towards violence.
While the public grapples with the death of yet another black person at the hands of the police, the Minneapolis police chief has weighed in on the subject. Medaria Arradondo said on Sunday that all officers present at the time of Floyd’s death were complicit. While only Chauvin has yet been arrested, many protests are calling for the arrest of the other three officers who were involved.
The comments from Arradondo came Sunday during an interview with CNN anchor Sarah Sidner. Sidner relayed a question from George Floyd’s brother, Philonise Floyd, about what the police chief was doing to secure justice for George.
Replying to the question, Arradondo stated bluntly “being silent or not intervening, to me, you’re complicit”. If the other three officers involved in the incident were to be arrested, it would likely be seen as a major win for the protests. However, as many protesters have noted, Floyd’s death alone isn’t the only reason for the unrest.
Years of tensions between police and the communities they operate in have boiled over into widespread protests. While Floyd’s death was the catalyst for the current protests, it’s only part of the story.
The current civil unrest is as much a widespread boiling-over of pent-up frustrations as a direct protest against the actions of the police who killed Floyd. Protesters torching businesses and climbing over roofing underscore those who are peacefully organizing in the streets.
The protests, which are occurring in dozens of cities across the US, could signal the start of something much bigger. The protests are coming on the heels of widespread lockdowns over COVID-19. As such, these are the first large gatherings most people have seen since March. Some pundits have even theorized that these protests are particularly well-attended due to the economic pressures of the coronavirus.
A record-high number of people are currently unemployed. This is coupled with frustration over the handling of the pandemic. There is long-standing mistrust of authority among marginalized communities. It’s easy to see how the current political climate was a powder keg for such a widespread movement.
American cities and the economy were looking at a long struggle to return from the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, while the virus is still a threat and the recovery has only just started, civil unrest wracks the nation. “Normal” has never felt more distant.
