Even as the president doubles down on “law and order” rhetoric, most of the country seems to support the current widespread protests. A new poll released by Reuters and Ipsos finds that the majority of Americans are sympathetic to the protesters. While some scattered protests clashed with police Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning, most protests across the country were peaceful.
Since Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police, the country has been wracked by widespread civil unrest. Protests, both peaceful and violent, have been a common sight in most American cities for over a week. And, while Floyd’s death was the catalyst, protesters say this moment is about more than just one man. Instead, many have noted, the current Black Lives Matter protests represent a movement.
Powerful scenes of protesters kneeling or chanting in cities around the country underscore a transformation. What began last week as formless protests, often morphing into violent looting by nighttime, has shifted into a movement. Many pundits have noted the national popularity of these protests is different than similar movements in the 2010s.
Some combination of video evidence of police brutality, frustration with the current administration and the lasting effects of the COVID-19 lockdowns seems to have come together to make the current protests stick in the American consciousness in a new way. Across the country, police have arrested some 9,300 people.
In a rare public statement, former president George W. Bush stated that he and his wife Laura were “anguished” by the video of Floyd’s death. The former president continued, noting they were “disturbed by the injustice and fear that suffocate our country.”
Remarking on the current events, Bush added that he and his wife “resisted the urge to speak out, because this is not the time for us to lecture. It is time for us to listen.” Likewise, polls have shown that a majority of Americans support the protests.
As the protests against police brutality continue, many videos show police using brutal tactics. In Charlotte, NC, police on Tuesday corralled a crowd of protesters into a parking garage before firing tear gas into the enclosed space. Military forces frequently use this tactic known as “kettling.”
Excessive use of force and police brutality has led to countless injuries to protesters over the past week. From rubber bullets aimed at people’s heads to excessive violence causing the need for atrial fibrillation treatment, many instances of police overusing force have been caught on camera over the past week.
