Think Protests Have Done Nothing?? Think Again…

By Cooper Banks

There really are a great many changes occurring due to our present-day civil unrest over the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis Police custody.  Some of these changes are noticeable by the public.

Some are less noticeable but, notably just as important.

I’m glad I have really smart Facebook friends and one of them called “Warren Austin” (a black man) turned me on to a list compiled recently.  It’s a list of all things happening as a result of this movement toward greater equality among the races.

Take a look;

So, what’s protesting accomplished? 

Within 10 days of sustained protests: Minneapolis bans use of choke holds.

Charges are upgraded against Officer Chauvin, and his accomplices are arrested and charged.

Dallas adopts a “duty to intervene” rule that requires officers to stop other cops who are engaging in inappropriate use of force.

New Jersey’s attorney general said the state will update its use-of-force guidelines for the first time in two decades.

In Maryland, a bipartisan work group of state lawmakers announced a police reform work group.

Los Angeles City Council introduces motion to reduce LAPD’s $1.8 billion operating budget.

MBTA in Boston agrees to stop using public buses to transport police officers to protests.

Police brutality captured on cameras leads to near-immediate suspensions and firings of officers in several cities (i.e., Buffalo, Ft. Lauderdale).

Monuments celebrating confederates are removed in cities in Virginia, Alabama, and other states.

Street in front of the White House is renamed “Black Lives Matter Plaza.”  Military forces begin to withdraw from D.C.

Then, there’s all the other stuff that’s hard to measure:

The really difficult public and private conversations that are happening about race and privilege.

The realizations some white people are coming to about racism and the role of policing in this country.  The self-reflection.

The internal battles exploding within organizations over issues that have been simmering or ignored for a long time. Some organizations will end as a result, others will be forever changed or replaced with something stronger and fairer.

Globally:

Protests against racial inequality sparked by the police killing of George Floyd are taking place all over the world.

Rallies and memorials have been held in cities across Europe, as well as in Mexico, Canada, Brazil, Australia, and New Zealand.

As the US contends with its second week of protests, issues of racism, police brutality, and oppression have been brought to light across the globe.

In Amsterdam, an estimated 10,000 people filled the Dam square on Monday, holding signs and shouting popular chants like “Black lives matter,” and “No justice, no peace.”

A mural dedicated to Floyd was also spray-painted on a stretch of wall in Berlin that once divided the German capital during the Cold War.

In Ireland, protesters held a peaceful demonstration outside of Belfast City Hall, and others gathered outside of the US embassy in Dublin.

In Italy, protesters gathered and marched with signs that said “Stop killing black people,” “Say his name,” and “We will not be silent.”

In Canada, protesters were also grieving for Regis Korchinski-Paquet, a 29-year-old black woman who died on Wednesday after falling from her balcony during a police investigation at her building.