George Floyd – latest victim of racist violence

CLYDE WEATHERHEAD

ON MAY 25, a 911 call to police emergency alleging a forgery payment described the suspect as “drunk and out of control.” Within minutes four white policemen in three marked cars took the black suspect out of his vehicle with no resistance.

Three police pinned the handcuffed suspect on the ground, one of them with his knee pressing on his neck till he died. Witnesses kept asking the officer to get off his neck.

That was the end of George Floyd. His death was the outcome of a complaint about an alleged US$20 forgery.

His killing was the outcome of much more – the history of a society built on racist hatred and a mounting compilation of violent police killings of black men and women, most of which have gone unpunished.

All four officers were quickly dismissed. Subsequently, the principal assailant was charged with second-degree murder and the other officers face other charges as accomplices.

To add fuel to the fire, the state prosecution officials have suggested that convictions will be “difficult,” even suggesting that Floyd had “underlying conditions.” There is a rule of law that says a wrongdoer’s liability is not lessened because of the condition of his victim (take your victim as you find him).

Anyone seeing the video of this cold-blooded killing would have been appalled, at the least. Most were outraged.

Daily protests have been sustained all across the US and have spread to several other countries worldwide demanding an end to systemic racism and targeted police violence against African Americans. The slogan – Black Lives Matter!

The Reactions

The massive, sometimes violent outpouring of discontent unleashed by Floyd’s murder was met with a range of responses by the accused state and system reminiscent of the colonialists’ response to the 1937 uprising in our country. As Susan Craig labelled it – “Smiles and Blood.”

The protesters were confronted with the police dressed in their tactical wear and unleashing non-lethal weapons – tear gas, pepper spray, water cannon, rubber bullets and common assault.

The streets of the “greatest western democracy” were hardly distinguishable from any other streets where the forces of the State are unleashed against disaffected populations.

In Washington DC, protesters were even savagely displaced in an unprovoked attack so that the chief could walk to a church for a photo op, bedecked with Bible and all. A new wall has been erected and an array of military forces including prison riot squads from Texas were brought in to protect the commander in chief from his people.

The president threatened deployment of his expanded military to “quickly solve the problem” of “riots and lawlessness” in the name of “law and order.”

Various forces have also been unleashed with the objective of derailing the protests either by creating provocations, including looting and burning, to encourage more repressive measures against the protesters.

Other elements were also pressed into action to encourage opposition to the demands for justice. One such was a female commentator who posted a rant (her description) of victim blaming, publicly trying Floyd for his “criminal” record.

The revolving door of political forces have also been busy making attempts to direct the protests into electoral support and for their own aims which may not necessarily be the same as those of the protesters.

Despite all the efforts to halt their protests, the demonstrators have vowed to continue until measures are taken to deliver justice according to their demands.

Outside of the US, protests have also been mounted in many countries in solidarity with the US people fighting against racism, racist police violence and for justice.

In Europe, Latin America, Africa and Australia thousands have hit the streets to protest against state violence against aboriginal people, youth and others in their own countries and in support of the US protests.

Here at home some symbolic solidarity protests have been organised outside the US Embassy in Port of Spain.

Black Lives Matter

A counter-slogan campaign aimed at deflecting the objectives of the protest has been pursued, headlined All Lives Matter.

While the callous snuffing out of any human life in the manner that George Floyd was murdered and widely seen because of the presence of mind of a 16-year-old witness, this incident has sparked the reaction it has because of the accumulated effect of the particular situation that blacks face in the US.

Black Lives Matter draws attention to the specific problems of racist oppression and police violence which affect this minority segment of the population of that country which has not moved past its racist roots.

This particular situation and the demands for ending it cannot and must not be diminished.

While some reforms of police rules including the outlawing of chokehold restraint are already being put in place in some states, there is need for national measures to stamp out police acting with impunity against black youth and communities or at all.

In the final analysis, until the system which has been built on and breeds racism and diminishes the value of human beings because of their ethnicity or national origin is ended, the real underlying condition will not be eliminated.