We Won't Be Silent Anymore

Happy Juneteenth!

Which side are you on? If you choose to remain neutral in situations of injustice,  Bishop Desmond Tutu states you have chosen the side of the oppressor. The following are some photos of a local Juneteenth march and community event celebrated by those who have chosen to take the side of the oppressed. They have chosen to take this message to the streets and declare boldly, "Black Lives Matter!"

Juneteenth celebrates the date June 19, 1865, the day when the last of the slaves in the defeated Confederacy were informed of the Emancipation Proclamation. If you're not familiar with it, you're not alone. It's not a holiday that's taught much in American schools because history texts are written predominantly by the "winners," and we all know from the past 155 years that white supremacy has reigned in the good ol' U.S. of A.

 

But this year the holiday has taken on special meaning in the wake of the George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery killings (among others). It has become a wake up call that freedom for all may be proclaimed by those in power, but in reality it doesn't exist until all are free from the tyranny of police brutality and governmental manipulation.

 

There was music, singing and public declarations of solidarity once the marchers made it to their destination at the Frederick Douglass Community Center. This is the beauty of Juneteenth--the continued freeing of the minds of those enslaved by the predominant racist culture in America.

As the song says, "Somebody is hurting our people, and it's been going on far too long. And we won't be silent anymore!" 2020 is the year to break both the chains of bondage and silence that keep the immoral oligarchs in power.

Our lives begin to end the day that we become silent about things that matter. --MLK

We Won't Be Silent Anymore
by C.A. Matthews
 
This past Saturday, June 20, the first day of summer, the Poor People's Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival was to take place in Washington, DC. Unfortunately the coronavirus pandemic shut down the marches, protests and speeches that were planned to be given live in our nation's capital. Still, this seemingly insurmountable obstacle didn't stop the PPC organizers.

The Poor People's Moral March on Washington went digital instead. The three and half hour broadcast was available on Facebook and other online platforms and gathered an audience of (at last count) two million and a half. It was filled with interviews, songs, sermons and prayers, but most of all it was filled primarily with the visuals and the voices of the poor themselves--people of all colors, ethnicities and religions, children, LGBTQ folks, immigrants (documented and undocumented), indigenous Americans, the elderly, the health challenged, workers making slave wages, unprotected "essential" pandemic workers, workers who are persecuted when they try to organize into unions for their own welfare and protection...

These are the voices that need to be heard after all--not those of celebrities or the ordained clergy who sympathize with the plight of America's poor. The poor can eloquently and succinctly tell their own stories, thank you very much. There's no need to patronize them or treat them as less than able. There's no need to have an overly self-entitled, educated person "interpret" the poor and their life stories as many in the mainstream media are wont to do.

The strength of this "Call for Moral Revival" comes from the unvarnished, uncensored narratives of those affected directly and intensely by racial discrimination, sexual harassment, police violence, capitalist exploitation, environmental devastation of their communities and lack of adequate health care. The Poor People's Campaign gives these voiceless people a voice and a chance to change their narrative for the better.

But will those who hoard the nation's wealth and power listen to these newly-voiced poor? It remains to be seen. But perhaps, combined with millions of masked activists marching in the streets this summer, our voices will at last be heard and become an undeniable fact to the immoral status quo. Perhaps, at last, we will be able to cry out as Martin Luther King Jr. did over fifty years ago and sincerely mean it, "Free at last, free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

For those who didn't get a chance to watch the broadcast, the following link will get you up to speed on the Poor People's Campaign.

https://youtu.be/r7kWAdL2xOg

PPC co-chair Dr. Barber speaks at about 2 hours 48 minutes into this video. (Thanks to The Tim Black Show for recording the broadcast on their You Tube channel.)

https://youtu.be/eviTAayTGT4

The Sunday before the Moral March, Dr. Barber gave the sermon at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.  It's a "truth to power" talk you can't afford not to hear. His spirited oratory is very reminiscent of the late Dr. Martin Luther King's. Listen carefully to his outline for how we can make life better for all Americans. Let your elected officials know that you support the PPC and want them to heed Dr. Barber as well.

Related articles:

A Moral Agenda for a Troubled America
https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/21/opinions/moral-agenda-troubled-america-barber-theoharis/index.html

Greta Thunberg on Black Lives Matter Protests: People Are Starting to Find Their Voice
https://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/318-66/63604-greta-thunberg-on-black-lives-matter-protests-people-are-starting-to-find-their-voice

Trump ally Senator Rick Scott is calling for sanctioning countries that request aid from Cuba’s medical missions, including the teams fighting COVID-19 around the world! For Trump & friends, spreading lies is more important than saving lives!

Trump and his allies are at it again, trying to convince the world that Cuban medical volunteers treating COVID-19 in 27 countries are actually victims of human trafficking. This time Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) is the one peddling the lie, and he’s gone so far as to ask the White House to sanction countries that receive help from Cuban doctors!
We know the truth: Cuban doctors are working all over the world as an expression of solidarity and love. As we formally launch the campaign to award the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize to Cuba’s Henry Reeve International Medical Brigade, we must also fight the vicious smears they are receiving. 
Click here to tell Senator Scott that demonizing Cuba’s medical missions is cruel, completely misguided and irresponsible, particularly during a global pandemic!
The claims about human trafficking are completely baseless. Cuban medical personnel volunteer for their missions abroad and earn more money on these missions than they make at home. Not all the missions earn revenue - only the countries that can afford it actually pay for the services. Some of this revenue goes to the doctors, while most goes directly to Cuba, where it is then reinvested in education and healthcare, thereby contributing to the wellbeing of the Cuban people and enabling Cuba to send even more missions abroad. That is a far cry from human trafficking, but Trump and his allies are more interested in spreading lies than in saving lives!
This is part of a coordinated plan to ruin Cuba’s economy. Just last week, the Trump administration imposed new sanctions on Cuba’s tourism industry and on its ability to handle remittances. Cuba’s medical cooperation is another important part of its economy. Rather than exporting weapons and violence, like the U.S., Cuba exports medical assistance!
Tell Senator Rick Scott that Cuba’s medical missions are an example of solidarity we should imitate, not sanction! Medea will deliver the petition to his office in Miami later this week.
Of course, the best response to Trump, Scott and their allies would be for Cuban medical personnel to win the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize. CODEPINK is proud to be part of an international coalition seeking to recognize Cuba’s solidarity and internationalism. Check out the links in the p.s. for more info!
In friendship,Medea, Teri, Michelle and Leonardo
P.S. The Cuba Nobel campaign officially launched this week! Here’s what you can do to follow this campaign:

1. If you haven’t already, sign the petition!
2. Like and follow the campaign on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram 
3. Check out the campaign’s website!
4. Tell your friends about the campaign and help it grow!
5. Check out Medea and Leonardo’s article on the Trump administration’s latest sanctions and threats towards Cuba

P.P.S. On Thursday at 11 a.m. Eastern / 8 p.m. Pacific, listen to Medea Benjamin talk about the campaign on CODEPINK radio!

***

Black men were found hanging from trees, but police dismissed their deaths as suicides. Demand justice now!

Sign Now

White Americans are increasingly waking up to the reality of racist police brutality, and now we're being faced with yet another terrible realization: that the evil of lynchings isn't confined to the past. In the last two weeks, three Black men have been found dead in public areas, their corpses dangling from ropes strung up in trees. The symbolism of using a noose to hang African Americans shouldn't be lost on anyone — this is directly related to hundreds of years of terror that have been inflicted on Black people. Yet police near Los Angeles and in New York don't seem to care about that. In fact, in all three cases, officials have jumped to label the deaths as "suicides" — before autopsies had even been performed. In one case, police even lied about there being "no security cameras" nearby that could have recorded the murder, when in fact at least four existed. Malcolm Harsch, Robert Fuller, and Dominique Alexander all had full lives ahead of them. They had families who loved them, dreams, and aspirations. Now all three are dead, and the police have been reluctant to take their hangings seriously. Sign the petition to demand that police investigate these men's deaths as homicides, and that the U.S. Department of Justice review them as probable hate crimes! Thank you for all that you do, Miranda B. The Care2 Petitions Team P.S. At a time when the public is increasingly demanding police accountability, it's disturbing that they're so quick to assume "no foul play" in these lynchings. Demand that authorities find the racists who murdered these three men!

This Is A Revolution

This Is A Revolution

photos and words by C.A. Matthews

Happy Fifth Anniversary to The Revolution Continues!

We've been posting a weekly blog for half a decade now. It seems like only yesterday when a bunch of isolated Ohio progressives got together and decided to post a blog to promote Bernie Sanders to a larger audience. Well, times change and candidates drop out (or was he pushed?) and both ours and our audience's political outlooks have developed and expanded. Five years on, we're still privileged to publish opinion and news pieces from a variety of writers. Truly, it's been a learning experience. 

Not that it hasn't come with its share of pain. Censorship by the mainstream social media platforms is a given nowadays. For instance, Facebook this past week blocked our posting about the Toledo protest that resulted in the use of teargas and rubber bullets and wooden plugs being shot at peaceful protesters. Obviously, Mark Zuckerberg doesn't feel the public has the right to know about police brutality in America. (Like what is shown in this very illuminating video of protesters in Portland.) There is no way to make Facebook share the blog link on their platform once they decide to block it. 

Still, it's not quite as bad as the repression reporters have suffered in Minneapolis recently.
Teargassed, Beaten Up, Arrested: What Freedom of the Press Looks Like in the US Right Now https://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/318-66/63328-teargassed-beaten-up-arrested-what-freedom-of-the-press-looks-like-in-the-us-right-now

Or what's at risk for protesters' health on the streets.
Tear Gassing Protesters During An Infectious Outbreak Called a Recipe For Disaster https://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/318-66/63345-tear-gassing-protesters-during-an-infectious-outbreak-called-a-recipe-for-disaster 

The photos featured here this week were taken at two peaceful protests in two suburban areas, Bedford Township, Michigan, and Maumee, Ohio. Police/sheriff deputies in both municipalities cooperated with the protest organizers and made sure marchers could march down the roads unmolested, unlike the week previous when they used teargas and projectiles to stop a peaceful march in downtown Toledo. (This is explained further in the TRC story blocked by Facebook. Please click here and share the story with others if you can. If you can't, I hope it demonstrates to you how much censorship is happening on popular social platforms.)

What I found the most interesting about these smaller protests (that happened in the shopping areas of suburbia) compared to the downtown Toledo protest was the tone struck by the police on those days. Suburbia in these parts is mainly Caucasian and upper-middle-class/middle class--no real surprises there. This demographic was reflected in the majority of the participants, and it apparently help set the tone police used with the protesters. The cops kept to the background and made sure marchers weren't hit by cars speeding by on the other side of the road, for example. There were several police vehicles at both suburban protests, but there weren't a large number of officers present overall. The people felt free to express their opinions in signage, chants and testimonies at the end of the march. The tone was one of unity, community and neighborliness.

Now contrast that with the city protest a few days earlier where police officers stood on the roofs of nearby buildings (some possibly holding sniper guns I was told), drones circled overhead spying on the crowd, and as the people began to march around the corner, riot police were at the ready to meet them. The riot squad seemed aching to use the teargas and projectiles on the city marchers, a gathering that contained a good mix of Caucasians, African-Americans, Latinx and others. I dare say the Toledo city crowd contained more poor/working poor persons than either of the suburban crowds. The tone set in the city by the police was one of distrust and outright hostility toward the people

Why such a contrast in tone between these protest settings? Suburbanites can expect cooperative and helpful policing, but city folks...? Well, you just have to use a firm hand with them, don't you? Poor city people and people of color just won't behave themselves unless you use force is the message police send.

Is it the message they want to send, or is it the message their paymasters are telling them to send to less advantaged people? "Stay in line or we will crush you, violently if we have to. You are ours to use as we please. You are expendable."

I don't want to put anyone down for protesting--suburbanite or city folk, rich or poor, black, brown, red, yellow or white--but I do want to call to everyone's attention that the tone set by those in authority in their interactions with us, with all of We the People, is blatantly a pro-white/pro-wealthy tone. If you can't see it, or refuse to acknowledge it, then you are part of the problem and not the solution. You are why protesters chant, "Black Lives Matter!" because "All Lives" won't matter until "Black Lives Matter." They just won't.

This is why America needs a revolution. White privilege is far too ingrained in our society, and it's not going to go away without us taking it to the streets in outright rebellion against the corrupt system. Those in power aren't going to go quietly, so we should expect more injuries and death from teargas and projectiles--up to and including regular bullets--being shot at protesters.

Protesters are not "terrorists" as some pundits in the mainstream media say we are. We are the true patriots, the true dreamers who dream of a better world where everyone is treated fairly and justly. We envision a country where George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and other African-Americans killed at the hands of police would still be alive and well today and with their families. 

This is a Revolution of Love and Justice. Learn more on June 20 from the Poor People's Campaign--A National Call for Moral Revival. It's a lesson we all need. It's a lesson we cannot afford to miss.

Join us on June 20 for the biggest digital event of the century! The Poor Peoples' Campaign--A National Call for Moral Revival will gather folks from all over to proclaim this is the year we will not forget those who are oppressed, those who are imprisoned unjustly, those who are struggling to simply survive in America 2020. Be there!  june2020.org

***

Tell Congress you support making lynching a federal hate crime 158,550 have signed stop lynching coalition’s petition. Let’s get to 200,000!
Sign now with a click
Click the box above to sign the petition. From 1882 to 1986, Congress has tried to pass anti-lynching laws 200 times. They failed every time. During the Civil War and Reconstruction and up to the Civil Rights era, 4,745 lynchings took place across America from 1882 to 1968. Almost all lynchings have been racially driven, targeting and terrorizing African Americans and other minorities. Ninety-nine percent of lynch mob perpetrators have escaped any punishment at a state or local level. With no laws on the books that would make lynching a federally punishable offense, lynching victims and their families are left with no justice. Right now, a bipartisan anti-lynching bill could have a fighting chance at passing. It’s sponsored by Senators Kamala Harris (CA-D), Cory Booker (NJ-D), and Tim Scott (SC-R). There’s a small window to tell your Senators and Representatives that you support ending over a century of racial hate crimes: criminalize lynching in America. White supremacy terrorism and lynching is still a deadly threat to minorities in 2018. Over the last two years, the number of new Neo-Nazis groups have increased nationwide by 22%. Just last year, there was a 17% increase in overall racially driven hate crimes in America. Of all extremist group-led murders in the U.S., 53% were committed by white supremacist groups in 2017. White supremacy violence is on the rise. Tell Congress to protect Americans: white supremacy violence cannot go unchecked. Make lynching a federal crime. With white supremacist hate crimes and groups increasing, it’s vital that the Justice for Victims of Lynching Act passes both the House and Senate. It’s 2018, tell Senators and Representatives to make lynching a federal crime. Click the box below to sign.
C Sign now with a click
*** Join us in demanding justice for Breonna Taylor, an innocent Black woman killed in her own home! Sign Now Across the United States, and around the entire world, people have taken to the streets to protest the racism-fueled police brutality that has led to the murders of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, and too many others. Today, on what would have been Breonna Taylor's 27th birthday, we ask that you add your name to the list of people demanding justice for her murder. In the middle of the night on March 13th, 2020, three officers executed a "no-knock warrant" at the home of Breonna Taylor, barging in through her front door with a battering ram without identifying themselves as police. Before she knew what was happening, Breonna Taylor was shot eight times and died on the scene. Over two months later, no charges have been brought against her murderers. The names of the officers who entered her home that night are Sergeant Jonathan Mattingly, Detective Brett Hankison, and Detective Myles Cosgrove. So far, the only repercussion these officers have faced was being placed on administrative duty. They are still working, still being paid, and still walking free. At the time of her murder, Breonna Taylor was working as an emergency room technician. Her mother said she had dreams of becoming a nurse. Dreams of buying a home. Dreams of starting a family. These dreams were stolen from Breonna Taylor, and the men who stole them from her dare to justify her murder through vague claims that she was involved in a case they were working on. Breonna Taylor was completely innocent. Had she not been, her brutal murder would still have been an inexcusable act of racist violence by police. This is not an isolated incident. If the police are not held accountable for these crimes, the terrorizing of Black people in the United States will not end. Sign the petition today to call for Sergeant Jonathan Mattingly, Detective Brett Hankison, and Detective Myles Cosgrove to be charged with the murder of Breonna Taylor. Thank you, Lauren W. The Care2 Petitions Team P.S. Breonna Taylor's murderers have faced no consequences. That needs to change. Please sign the petition today. ***  This is a revolution--and you can help! Five years on, and we're still fighting. But it's tough. This blog is pretty much a full-time venture for your faithful editor, and it's about time for her to retire.  But you as a fellow revolutionary can make it easier for her to stay on the job by simply sharing some of your pocket change now and then. Use the Paypal link below to donate to keep her lights and Internet on.   http://paypal.me/camatthews Thanks for all you do in making the world a better place. Power to the people!

Everybody's Got A Right To Live!

Join us on June 20 for the biggest digital event of the century! The Poor Peoples' Campaign--A National Call for Moral Revival will gather folks from all over to proclaim this is the year we will not forget those who are oppressed, those who are imprisoned unjustly, those who are struggling to simply survive in America 2020. Be there!  june2020.org

What "Kneeling" Offends You More?

Words fail at a time like this. How can one possibly write anything uplifting about another sadistic white cop killing a defenseless black man? So, this week we're sharing a variety of voices, memes and photos taken at a local police accountability rally to highlight the zeitgeist of America 2020. They say a picture paints a thousand words, but can a photo ever provide an adequate explanation of why We the People are being terrorized by overly militarized local police departments? Possibly nothing can, but the wealthiest classes seem to weaponize the cops as fast as they can get their failed banks bailed out by the government. 

For until we scrap the immoral system that helped create these monsters in uniform who murder their fellow citizens in cold blood, we can expect a lot more protests. We can expect more rioting. And scapegoating. And bloodshed. As the song says, it's going to be "a cruel, cruel summer."  And a long one at that.

Warning: If you're easily offended by Colin Kaepernick taking a knee at a football game to protest police brutality, it's guaranteed that you will be offended by some of the following words and images. If you scream "All Lives Matter!" but still don't give a shit about the plight of your brothers and sisters of color, then you're going to be highly offended by the following, because we're fixing to rain on your little racist parade. 

You know what? It's high time you were told to shove your "offense" up the back passage where your head currently resides. You're a part of the problem and not the solution. It's time you woke up to the harsh reality that is America for the majority of its inhabitants. Because any country that has the money and where-with-all to provide numerous armored Humvees and rubber bullets and tear gas to dozens of cities to shoot at peaceful protesters, but somehow doesn't have enough money to provide enough coronavirus testing and establish free health care during a pandemic, isn't "great" by any stretch of the imagination. It's time to burn those MAGAt caps and start working in harmony with your fellow human beings to build a better world.

This peaceful police accountability rally in Toledo, Ohio, would later turn into a short march through downtown streets where riot cops appeared out of nowhere to shoot tear gas, pepper spray, rubber bullets and wooden plugs at protesters. Several were taken to local hospitals for head injuries, cuts and bruises. (first six photos by Adrian M.)

Police watched the proceedings from the top of surrounding buildings while drones buzzed the crowd while they were listening to area BLM activists. Witnesses said snipers were positioned atop the Lucas County courthouse opposite the "Safety Department" (a.k.a. Cop Shop) building as well.

After the rally speeches were over, the crowd started its march around the block, only to be confronted by riot police who tossed tear gas canisters into the marchers to disperse them.

Police drove into the crowd and divided them into smaller groups, scattering the marchers through nearby areas, mostly African-American neighborhoods.

Here's a protester's story about their photo (above):
"That's some serious gear for people marching through a neighborhood. I don't recall this being the standard gear when a bunch of white people showed up fully armed at the Statehouse, do you? And btw, this was taken as they started tear gassing and shooting pellets at everyone, AGAIN. I went to take video right after this photo and they threw tear gas directly at us. Needless to say I didn't get my video."

Protester Josh W. states:

"I began filming right after they were shooting randomly into the crowd. The abrupt end was when my hand holding my phone in front of my face was shot by the officers not even ten feet away. If you’re upset that I was yelling, pleading with the cops to stop, keep in mind I had just been shot three times with wooden/rubber bullets. I had been watching them shoot at people for no reason. I had just watched them shoot my friend in the back of the head with a rubber bullet while she was giving someone first aid and she had to go to the hospital to get ten staples!

I saw one cop car being vandalized by a white guy. Multiple black people stepped in to stop him. Every time anyone got really angry and picked something up to throw because they were being tear gassed and shot at, people stepped in to stop them. The police overreacted and escalated. They shot into the crowd. They shot at children. They shot people with their hands up, shot people in the back at point blank range. They were fully armored and I did not see one cop get hit with anything. None of us were armed or had armor on. They just opened fire with wooden and rubber bullets. They shot tear gas canisters at people. They hit my fiancé in the back with one. They shot people as they ran away."

Protester Sierra W. shares her story:

"I want to bring to light a few things that most likely none of you who just watched the live videos saw. Even if you did, I need to explain the unknown context. Things I experienced with my own eyes about the peaceful protest yesterday here in Toledo.

Around 4pm, the beginning of our March and Protest. We're chanting and walking. The first round of tear gas was thrown. I was far away from it, but people began running. In front of me were two women with their children, one in a stroller. They began running and I ran behind them, we were all just taking precaution and weren't hurt. We come up to the first police officers I had seen, standing their ground. Shields on, behind or near their vehicles, guns drawn. One of the women and I looked at each other with confusion and fear. People behind us are chanting, " HANDS UP, DON'T SHOOT". I immediately put my hands out to cover their babies and stand in front of their stroller. "PLEASE DON'T SHOOT US. We are leaving," the woman said. The cop turns to us, gun still drawn. I yell, "They have children!" One of the four officers laugh and say. "Don't worry, I wasn't gonna shoot," as we pass by. That family was Black and we were running. We all worried... the tear gas was unprovoked.

As I make my way around the block to join the rest at the safety building, I notice above the line of officers, on top of the safety building, and behind us, on top of the jail, were 4 snipers- two on each building. At least one, gun drawn, ready to shoot. They had drones flying above us. As the protest went on, we Marched through the streets. We came up to the next blocking of officers. Some people threw water bottles. At this point, I only saw white individuals throwing them. POC immediately bombarded them. "STOP. THIS IS A PEACEFUL PROTEST". Followed immediately by "HANDS UP, DON'T SHOOT." The first few police did nothing and let us pass. They looked away as I stared at them and passed with my sign and hands up. Within a mile of that walk tear gas was thrown again. Because we were going to close to their barrier and they wanted us dispersed and in a certain area. Our March split up at this point.

We come around eventually to a halt. Something clearly happened up the street after we split, which was later reported to be vandalism, again by a white individual, to a cop car. They got away as far as I know. Our crowd stopped in front of the waiting officers. We were across the street from them. Probably 40 to 50 feet away. A water bottle was thrown. Protesters yell, again, "STOP. THIS IS A PEACEFUL PROTEST". Followed immediately by "HANDS UP, DON'T SHOOT." The police did nothing. We stood there and kept chanting, trying to keep the peace. SWAT pulls around and we begin to disperse afraid of getting tear gassed. The front line protestors stayed, unafraid. Within minutes as SWAT was driving by, they threw off 3-5 rounds of tear gas and multiple wooden bullets. We dispersed and those of us who were far enough away to be unaffected began first aid to help relieve the burn of the tear gas on others. In this same moment a woman, who was peacefully holding her sign across the street, was shot by what was confirmed to be a wooden bullet at her leg. She needed immediate medical attention and couldn't walk. She did absolutely nothing. A group of protesters covered her as she began trying to crawl her way to safety. She got far enough away to meet a fireman who took her to get medical attention. She's okay now but is clearly shaken and didn't understand what she did wrong to get shot.

We began making our way back to the safety building. I was mainly lost from the crowd just finding protesters who might need water or help with relief from tear gas. A few things happen in the duration of this time, but I cannot speak on them as I was not there. At least two more incidents of tear gas. I don't know why. At least one time was reported by other protesters as unprovoked. Eventually the majority of us make our way back to the safety building. The first thing we do is reconvene and let the First Aid stand know what happened so they can begin making runs towards people who need more milk to relieve the tear gas. They also had free snacks and water. The people who didn't break took a knee in front of the line of police officers in front of the safety building. They were also protected by their gear, behind their cop cars, guns ready. We waited for the rest of the protesters to make their way to this spot and we cheered as they arrived.

It was peaceful. The worst that I experienced happen is a few water bottles were thrown and those people were yelled at to stop.

I witnessed it with my own eyes. I don't care what ANYONE says. We were ultimately peaceful. We had the support of our Mayor, Governor and other prominent community leaders to protest. Nothing we did, in my experience with the majority of the crowd deserved for anyone to be tear gassed or shot with rubber and wooden bullets. They feared us, and didn't even try communicating with us. I must ask: what might have happened if they joined us, asked what we wanted from them or took a knee with us. WHY did they tear gas and shoot when we were PEACEFUL.

I can admit some officers did absolutely nothing when this happened. And some of them reacted just from us marching forward past their boundary.

(This is before any rioting began and I left, so I cannot speak to that. But from what others have told me, the riot was induced by a firecracker being set off. At this point some military vehicles of some sort showed up. DeWine stated he would send the National Guard to help support the people. They stood against us. Just for some clarification.) I've never experienced anything like this in my life. I'm disappointed and outraged. If my experience alone doesn't explain why we protest, I don't know what much more can.

Let's not forget the fact that we were there to speak of Justice in the name of our Brother, George Floyd- MURDERED by a police officer. The police believe they have the control. They are taking our tax dollars and using it to tear gas and shoot us for demanding justice for our Black community.

That's all I have to say. PLEASE unfriend me if you cannot understand this. I don't want to argue anymore. My Black Brothers and Sisters are TIRED of explaining themselves. TIRED of living in fear. TIRED of losing their loved ones. I am TIRED of trying to understand and convince those who are ignorant to these facts. We might get tired, but we will still show up and do this work that so clearly needs to be done.

We were peaceful.
It was our constitutional right.
We were peaceful.
We were peaceful.
And WE still were attacked.
We still did not have the support of our police officers.
This is NOT power to the people.
We were peaceful."

Toledo Fire Chief Brian Byrd wrote this touching poem and posted it on Facebook, summing up his feelings as an African-American father:

Last night....
Last night my soul was torn....
Last night, as I do EVERY night, I faced the fact that I was a black man BEFORE becoming a civil servant.
Last night, as I do EVERY night, I faced the fact that I AM a black man WHILE I work as a civil servant.
Last night, as I do EVERY night, I had to face the fact that I WILL BE a black man AFTER I am a civil servant.
Last night...
Last night, I felt the same anger and rage over the very issues being protested...because those same recurring issues affect me, my sons, my family...
Last night, while trying to manage the chaos sparked by the same anger that I FEEL, I have to beg my son to not take part because I see the potential consequences of not only his actions, but the actions of others...as I watched the night unfold.
Last night, I had to balance the responsibility of my duty with praying that I don't see the face of my son looking at me in disappointment because I asked him not to participate...when he knows that I really want to stand beside him with my fist raised...because he knows that I know his pain.

And now a meme for those who are offended by those who shout "Black Lives Matters!"

 

From R.P.: "Anyone who continually tries to cover for the police's racist behavior is pretty much of the same mindset. They believe there are two levels of justice--one for white entitled people and one for everyone else. You can't win arguments with anyone who can't see their white privilege because they are steeped in the systemic racism of the predominant culture that glorifies white oligarchs and demonizes poor people of color."

From an anonymous Facebook post making the rounds:

"Imagine being pressed down onto concrete with a solid 200 lbs sitting directly on your neck. This man begged for his life. This grown man asked for his mom, for water, for mercy once he realized he was slowly being killed. His nose bled and he lost control of his bladder. Yet he remained trapped under the weight of the officer’s knee. In handcuffs crying because he could not breathe. Onlookers tried to intervene only to be threatened with pepper spray. Then he lost consciousness. 

 The weight of that knee stayed firm while a first responder demanded they check for a pulse. They refused. The weight stayed on his neck. Off duty medical personnel begged for the officer to get up. We watched a man being killed. For 10 agonizing minutes. 

Imagine dying that way.

His name is George Floyd. I understand people will dig through everything he’s done wrong in his life. I understand that people will roll their eyes at this. We will see his mug shot and he will become a villain. There is no crime that justifies this punishment. Whether he has a criminal history or mental health issues, there is no justification for this death.

The cop should be charged with murder."

The following is an eye-opening video. It's perfect for refuting the idea that it's only a handful of "bad apple" cops escalating the violence, because in reality there's an orchard full of rotten apples out there.
https://youtu.be/j3DX3SLGB34

This short video will give you some hope: Flint, Michigan cops laid down their gear and started marching with protesters-- https://www.reddit.com/r/MadeMeSmile/comments/gttn56/cops_in_flint_laid_down_all_their_gear_and_start/


Related articles:

Colin Kaepernick is Paying the Legal Fees for  Protesters in Minneapolis
https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/colin-kaepernick-is-paying-the-legal-fees-for-protestors-in-minneapolis/ar-BB14OnN0

Top 6 Reasons Authorities Are Cracking Down Hard on Black Protesters While Treating White Supremacist Reopeners with Kid Gloves
https://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/277-75/63181-top-6-reasons-authorities-are-cracking-down-hard-on-black-protesters-while-treating-white-supremacist-reopeners-with-kid-gloves

Trump's "When The Looting Starts, The Shooting Starts" Is Classic Fascism, Classic Racism
https://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/277-75/63220-trumps-when-the-looting-starts-the-shooting-starts-is-classic-fascism-classic-racism 

A Journalist Blinded, A Child Maced and a Congresswoman Pepper Sprayed: Police Violence Explodes Across the Country
https://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/277-75/63221-a-journalist-blinded-a-child-maced-and-a-congresswoman-pepper-sprayed-police-violence-explodes-across-the-country 

Police Violence in America: Six Years After Ferguson, George Floyd's Killing Shows Little Has Changed
https://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/318-66/63197-police-violence-in-america-six-years-after-ferguson-george-floyds-killing-shows-little-has-changed

***

From Color of Change:

Hennepin County Attorney Michael Freeman announced that Officer Derek Chauvin has been arrested and charged for the murder of George Floyd.¹ This is why folks protest. Because even when a violent murder of a Black person is captured on video by an officer with a long history of misconduct, public officials drag their feet in securing justice for our communities. 

Without the brave people of Minneapolis putting their lives on the line by hitting the pavement and protesting every single night, Derek Chauvin may have NEVER been arrested. Still, this announcement hardly goes far enough. The other three officers involved in the murder need to be held accountable as well.

This is why we are calling on County Attorney Freeman to hold ALL four officers, Derek Chauvin, Thomas Lane, Tou Thao, and J. Alexander Kueng accountable for the murder of George Floyd. They ALL have a hand in George’s tragic death. 

Our communities are tired, outraged, and fatigued over police officers murdering Black people with impunity. This is why over 2 MILLION people have signed our petition demanding justice for George Floyd. The protesting and anger you see on TV is a direct response to the systemic failures that have plagued Black communities for decades. We did not create this problem. The police officers who abuse our communities and prosecutors who fail to hold them accountable created this problem. Time and again, justice is denied when killer cops are not charged, or even arrested for their misconduct.

It's time for a change. We can't give up. Let’s keep fighting.

Sign the petition demanding County Attorney Freeman to do more than just the bare minimum. All four officers must be charged NOW.

Until justice is real, 

-- Scott, Rashad, Arisha, Erika, Malachi, Marybeth, Leonard, Madison, Cheryl and the rest of the Color Of Change team

Reference:
1. "Former MPD Officer Derek Chauvin In Custody, Charged With Murder In George Floyd’s Death." CBS Minnesota News.