Current BLM Protests are a disservice

[Aurgjelme]

Oh a circle jerk of people who don't understand why people are protesting or that the protest aren't a big deal because... well it doesn't affect them so why should they care?

So, we should protest and resort to violence and desecration of property every time a minority or group of people somewhere in the world are victims of injustice?
I mean, not everyone on the forum lives in the states you know.
Tibetans? Hong kong? Palestinians? Uighurs?
I hope in the spirit of solidarity you at least destroyed some trash cans or something useful...

No, its not worth risking it right now with covid 19. At least not in Europe. People who would survive this pandemic might fall victim now, because the unwashed left wanted to play anarchist.

[Ragnarohk]

Not protesting right now is a disservice.

So, if I had gone to protest with my friend today at Karlsplatz in Munich, Germany there would have been positive effects that outbalanced the negative consequences?

It's the equivalent of changing your profile pic in FB with a support banner, but this time with deadly tangible health risks.

[Elegiac]

So, if I had gone to protest with my friend today at Karlsplatz in Munich, Germany there would have been positive effects that outbalanced the negative consequences?

It's the equivalent of changing your profile pic in FB with a support banner, but this time with deadly tangible health risks.

Man, it's almost as if the risk makes it not equivalent despite your attempts to dismiss it because you personally do not understand the motivation for the protests, huh?

[lonely zergling]

These protests in europe feel missplaced there is no reason to protest such issues in a country like germany tbh. No police violence against black people here and we dont care about the color of your skin anyway here. But if they really want to spread corona we should just let them I guess..

[Elegiac]

These protests in europe feel missplaced there is no reason to protest such issues in a country like germany tbh. No police violence against black people here and we dont care about the color of your skin anyway here.

Germany Struggles to Face Its Own Police Racism

As riots triggered by the death of George Floyd spread across the US, many activists in Germany want the police to face its own accusations of racist violence. Several people of color have been killed by police or died in custody in the last 20 years — the most well-known being Sierra Leonean asylum-seeker Oury Jalloh, whose burned body was found in a police cell in Dessau in 2005.

And there have been many others: From Cameroonian asylum-seeker Achidi John, who died after being forced to take emetics, a drug that causes vomiting, while in custody in Hamburg in 2001, to Hussam Hussein, an Iraqi refugee who was shot dead outside a refugee home in Berlin in 2016.

These cases might have scandalized many, but for black people in Germany they are simply deadly examples of racial profiling they face every day, even though that has long been officially banned. "The African community has never had the experience that the police is there to protect them," said Sylvie Nantcha, founder and head of The African Network of Germany (TANG). "Rather they have the impression that the police is there to suspect them."

This is why protests in Germany and the UK are necessary. Because y'all are unaware that there is a problem at all.

[Sorensen]

So, if I had gone to protest with my friend today at Karlsplatz in Munich, Germany there would have been positive effects that outbalanced the negative consequences?

It's the equivalent of changing your profile pic in FB with a support banner, but this time with deadly tangible health risks.

Absolutely, you would have been one more voice telling the world that racism is no longer ok where you live or anywhere else.

[Stormspark]

"Sorry, I guess we'll just go home and accept a dictatorship since there's a pandemic."

[Ragnarohk]

Man, it's almost as if the risk makes it not equivalent despite your attempts to dismiss it because you personally do not understand the motivation for the protests, huh?

Dou you prostest because every 2.5 hours a woman dies to gender violence in Mexico? Or acid attacks in India?

Would you protest about those things now? In the middle of a pandemic? Even if they are unrelated to the country you live in?

[JohnBrown1917]

These protests in europe feel missplaced there is no reason to protest such issues in a country like germany tbh. No police violence against black people here and we dont care about the color of your skin anyway here.

You ignoring it does not mean these sort of problems do not exist.

[Themius]

Germany Struggles to Face Its Own Police Racism



This is why protests in Germany and the UK are necessary. Because y'all are unaware that there is a problem at all.

What confuses many Europeans is the fact American minorities are vocal and as they are more numerous than most other countries. They can have their voices heard. In a lot of Europe the voice of minorities are entirely drowned and then white Europeans simply conclude racism doesn’t exist or is very little.

[lonely zergling]

You ignoring it does not mean these sort of problems do not exist.

Corona is a much bigger problem at the moment (atleast in germany), maybe they can protest after we have a vaccine?

[Deadite]

Don't you love how apparently rioting over WINNING an American football game is apparently legitimate. Or rioting over not being able to party about fucking pumpkins is legitimate and okay.

No one said that.

Lol at the British people in this thread trying to pretend the UK doesn't have a problem with racism or police brutality.

No one said that either...

I guess just making shit up is great but everyone agrees with you two antagonistic dobbers. I guess how dare us not want people to risk there own life and that of others in Scotland in a futile protest that will change nothing in the US. They can support your cause in other safe ways like social media.

[Sorensen]

What confuses many Europeans is the fact American minorities are vocal and as they are more numerous than most other countries. They can have their voices heard. In a lot of Europe the voice of minorities are entirely drowned and then white Europeans simply conclude racism doesn’t exist or is very little.

Oh yeah for sure. Europe is vastly more racist than the US, but they just pretend it doesn't exist.

[tehealadin]

Okay cops aren't as bad as those in America... okay... by the way I am British just so you are aware of this.

I note the demographic because saying that Scotland doesn't really have the racial issues US does is short sighted. It's like when people claim there's no racism against asians in Denmark, while a Chinese woman gets laughed at for saying it exists after being harassed by white guys. Who was then told oh it's just jokes.

Like yeah when you're the majority and a country is very homogenous it is easy to forget that other people have issues.

Quote me where I said there are no issues here and I will quote you where I said there were.

I will repeat myself- if you racially abuse someone here, the police will charge you and you can go to jail. I know a kid who went to jail for calling someone "a paki bastard". And for the absence of doubt, fuck that kid. If you tell a joke here that is deemed racially offensive you can get charged here- you must have heard of Count Dankula, he is Scottish, you must have known what happened to him at a Scottish court, so Danes can do whatever they want, in Scotland there isn't "its just a joke" when it comes to racism and the courts, infact I am not aware of any other country in the world that has convicted someone for making a racially offensive joke (please let me know if there are other places, I won't lie, I didn't look). Plus I never once mentioned protests in Denmark, I don't know the situation there. The police to not murder black men in the streets here. If you are from the UK then you should know this. Why behave like you didn't?

The point I am making is that whilst there are still issues, they are demonstrably not as bad as in the US. No one can reasonably claim that they are. You even concede that the cops aren't as bad here.

So now can you explain to me why these protests planned in Glasgow are worth the risk in the context of covid? Forget Denmark, it isn't in Glasgow. You have so far refused to explain this to me, despite your posts suggesting it is worth the risk, given you are being critical of me for suggesting they aren't, that is the only conclusion I can make.

You either think covid is over, or at least not a big deal, or you think things are so bad here it is worth the risk and/or the US authorities will listen to the people of Glasgow and make meaningful change and/or acts of symbolism that put public health at risk are worth it. Which is it? Please answer this. Tell me which one, or combination of these, that you think is true. And can you explain why you think it is true?

If it is none of these then I kindly thank you to withdraw your earlier criticism.

[Ragnarohk]

Remember when everybody hated Colin Kapernick for kneeling during the national anthem to peacefully protest against racist police brutality?

I bet the people who bit his head off wish they could go back to just kneeling now.

I never understood people that were against that. I feel that many americans have this wierd fetish with their anthem and flag.

[arandomuser]

I find the current goal and cause for protest much more justifiable than when conservatives were upset they couldn't get a haircut though.

But yes, it's a complete shitstorm and I lay the blame entirely with US leadership and their lack of willingness to hold the police responsible for unlawful and violent behavior.

its also a uniquely american problem where lockdowns have caused widespread misery and unemployment because we have a party against any social safety nets.

https://www.ft.com/content/0a4f4bb0-...b-499244625ac4
I have a bias, it was hard for me to feel sympathy for protestors who actively supported a man who made the situation worst than it had to be by every measure
And i am more supportive the protests after watching the video seeing george floyd beg to breath for 8 minutes
I dont think any amount of public shaming or public health advice could of stopped this kind of anger and momentum from people after the george floyd video, and ahmaud arberys murder, and breona taylors murder.

[KaPe]

Hey, wanna see their brain do a div zero crash?

Ask them what they think about COVID-19 disproportionately affecting communities of color.

I have actually seen this as an "argument" for "covid is fake" conspiracy theories. "How can the virus possibly be attacking PoC more than whites? Are viruses racist now? It's all propaganda and (the usual bullshit follows)"

I'm being generous about their intelligence and assume they know the real reason - but then again, they might very well genuinely believe that this "explains" everything. Perhaps the next step is "I don't see why rich people would be less affected, does the virus know about your bank account? Checkmate!"

[Egomaniac]

It's funny that so many people saying that now is "not the right time to protest racial injustice" were strangely silent about a month or so ago when people were protesting about how badly they needed a haircut.

[JohnBrown1917]

Oh yeah for sure. Europe is vastly more racist than the US, but they just pretend it doesn't exist.

Varies from country to country.

[Traveler Voltin]

honestly i think the only way to fix the issue, you need to fix the top first (President, house, congress, and supreme court)