People of the United States of America are currently protesting for the #blacklivesmatter cause. While it has been a pertinent issue for quite some time, the arrest and murder of George Floyd was the last straw for a lot of Americans in terms of police brutality. The protests began in Minneapolis where a police precinct in the city was set on fire by protesters who broke windows and went over fences of the building.
The protest grew overnight and it expanded to all corners of the country, including Denver, New York, and Oakland. Additionally, many people from neighbouring cities came to Minneapolis to protest together. FINALLY, on the 30th of May, Derek Chauvin was charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
Throughout all this, US President Donald Trump tweeted his thoughts and in the usual fashion, just triggered people more. It was evident by his tweets that the president had no intention of calming the protest but instead was just adding more fuel to the fire.
The Lamestream Media is doing everything within their power to foment hatred and anarchy. As long as everybody understands what they are doing, that they are FAKE NEWS and truly bad people with a sick agenda, we can easily work through them to GREATNESS!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 31, 2020
He even infamously said “looting leads to shooting” when reports of protesters looting and destroying businesses surfaced and the police actually shot and killed a man in Minneapolis last Wednesday night.
Stores looted in the 1500 block of Chestnut Street in Center City Philadelphia @CBSPhilly pic.twitter.com/3SqlpGhdLB
— Joe Holden (@JoeHoldenCBS3) May 30, 2020
“If protesters tried crossing the line, they were greeted by the most vicious dogs, and most ominous weapons, I have ever seen.”
CNN reported that on Friday night, Trump along with First Lady, Melania Trump and their son, Barron Trump, were briefly taken to the underground bunker for a period of time as protesters gathered outside the White House. They were there for an hour or so before they were brought up again.
The following day, the president released a series of tweets not regarding the safety of the protesters but instead praised his Secret Service and said the protesters “didn’t know what hit them.”
Great job last night at the White House by the U.S. @SecretService. They were not only totally professional, but very cool. I was inside, watched every move, and couldn’t have felt more safe. They let the “protesters” scream & rant as much as they wanted, but whenever someone….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 30, 2020
The next day, speaking at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida after the launch of the NASA/SpaceX rocket, he expressed support for the “majority of the police officers” who were failed by the small handful who didn’t abide by their oath to serve and protect.
“I stand before you as a friend and ally to every American seeking justice and peace. And I stand before you in firm opposition to anyone exploiting this tragedy to loot, rob, attack and menace. Healing, not hatred, justice, not chaos, are the mission at hand.”
Let this protest be a reminder that the people can only stay quiet for so long under the rule of a less than competent leader. To the Malaysians saying that this issue doesn’t affect us, take a minute to reflect and you’ll see that these problems exist here, just in different magnitudes and most of the stories go untold due to fear.
Also read: Double Whammy! Cop in George Floyd Case Faces Murder Charges and Divorce
