Protests Are Supposed to Make You Uncomfortable
On protests, nonviolence, and injustice
After George Floyd was murdered by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, three days of protests ensued, during which a Target and a police precinct were vandalized and set on fire.
During this time, many people, including the President, had a lot to say about violence, none of which was directed towards Chauvin, the other three officers involved, or the Minneapolis PD.
Instead, their ire was taken out on the protesters, some of whom had destroyed property.
That was what outraged them. Property damage. Not the murder of a handcuffed, unarmed black man.
While I do not advocate for any kind of violence, I know that they also would have had something to say about the protests had they been vandalism-free.
The people screaming about how these protests should be nonviolent are the same ones who have told nonviolent protesters in the past that they’re doing it wrong. Either way, they’re not speaking out against violence.
They just don’t like feeling uncomfortable and facing the facts, which is the entire purpose of a protest in the first place. Protesting injustice is supposed to make people feel uncomfortable.
They were uncomfortable when Colin Kapernick kneeled during the national anthem, even though his form of protest was completely peaceful and nonviolent. They’re uncomfortable when people peacefully march, and they’re uncomfortable now.
Trump was so uncomfortable, he even threatened to have the National Guard shoot people for protesting.
All the while, everyone was missing the point of the protests in the first place: an unarmed black man was killed by the police. Again.
Thankfully, Chauvin was finally arrested for third-degree murder and manslaughter, but if history is any indication of the future, there’s no guarantee he’ll actually be convicted.
