Widespread Protests Erupt Across the US Over Police Brutality and Institutional Racism

Strategic Insights -

Protests against police brutality and institutional racism continued to spread across the US, with over 140 cities witnessing unrest, despite the deployment of the National Guard and imposition of curfews. The widespread demonstrations, which began a week after the death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old African-American man who died after a white police officer kneeled on his neck, have laid bare the country's failure to address systemic racism.

Key Takeaways:

  • The protests have resulted in over 4,400 arrests in the past week, according to a tally by The Associated Press.
  • At least 20 states and the District of Columbia have called in the National Guard to quell the protests.
  • Over 40 cities have imposed curfews in an attempt to stop the after-dark property destruction and fires that have accompanied many of the protests.
  • Former President Barack Obama has called for protesters to focus their efforts on local governments to force city councils and police to properly investigate and clamp down on brutality.
  • Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has announced plans to set up a human-and civil-rights commission, including an office of racial equality, to fight racism in the second-largest city in the US.
  • Mayor London Breed in San Francisco has called in 200 additional police officers from other parts of California to crack down on looting and vandalism.

Statistics:

  • 4,400: The number of people arrested over the past week, according to a tally by The Associated Press.
  • 140: The number of cities witnessing unrest, according to reports.
  • 20: The number of states and the District of Columbia that have called in the National Guard.
  • 40: The number of cities that have imposed curfews.
  • 1: The rate at which Black Americans dies from COVID-19, compared to white people.
  • 43: The percentage of Black Americans who have been killed by COVID-19 in the US.

Sources:

  • The Associated Press, "Protests spread across US after George Floyd's death, National Guard deployed"
  • The New York Times, "Trump Berates Governors Over Response to Protests"
  • Medium, "former President Barack Obama, "Let's not try to excuse violence, or rationalize it, or participate in it. If we want our criminal justice system, and American society at large, to operate on a higher ethical code, then we have to model that code ourselves.
  • The Globe and Mail, "Protesters surrounding the White House amid escalating unrest over the death of Mr. Floyd.
  • The White House, "Press Briefing by Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany, June 1, 2020