Protesters who riot will cause more harm than good POLINA ZUBAREV EDITOR-IN-CHIEF rioter, face covered, armed with bricks and a lighter, smashes a shop window, runs inside, proceeds to loot the building and finally lights it on fire. Citizens across the nation have been gathering to protest institutionalized racism and police brutality, primarily against black people. These protests for Black Lives Matter reignited with more vigor and outrage when George Floyd, a black man, was killed by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. While these protests began as peaceful acts of opposition, many of them quickly turned into violent riots. Citizens of this country have a right to protest, especially if they are being actively oppressed, beaten and killed by those meant to protect us. The majority of this country does not and will not ever understand the suffering black citizens experience on a daily basis. But burning buildings, looting and rioting unprovoked by police is unacceptable
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and not the right way to fight against a racist system. Violence will not end violence, and causing chaos and destruction will invalidate any change that protestors want to bring to this nation. Burning down small businesses and homes will also affect people of color more than anyone else. Nearly 21% of black people are living in poverty, and are therefore more likely to work minimum wage jobs. Furthermore, those who loot and destroy buildings may target black-owned businesses without even realizing it. On May 28, more than 160 buildings were looted, damaged or destroyed in Minneapolis alone. Although these protests have come to be about more than just the killing of George Floyd, it is important to remember what sparked them. On June 1, George Floyd’s brother, Terrence Floyd, met protesters in Minneapolis. He urged protesters to continue to fight peacefully, and said that violence is “not going to bring my brother back at all.”
By rioting and destroying buildings, people go against the direct wishes of the Floyd family. While many people believe that looting is a legitimate form of protest, there are so many other ways to allow your voice to be heard. When people preach justice yet destroy private property with no concern for others, it gives reason for others to belittle their cause. “We are all angry… But what are [protesters] changing by tearing up a city?” said Keisha Lance Bottoms, the mayor of Atlanta and a black woman. “[They have] lost all credibility now. This is not how we change America.” With violence, protesters are adding more fuel to the fire that is America’s prevalent racism. However tragic, the past cannot be undone, and it is up to us to change the future and bring peace. We need to let our voices be heard, not loot and riot in George Floyd’s name.
ARE RIOTS JUSTIFIABLE? Riots are necessary to fix this country’s problems
DALIA FISHMAN MANAGING & COPY EDITOR o you remember Willie Tillman? How about Antonio Richardson? Or Kisha Arrone? Or how about the other 133 black people killed by police officers in just one year? No, you probably don’t recognize them, but one name you most likely recognize is George Floyd, a black man whose recent death initiated riots in Minneapolis. George Floyd was murdered by three police officers kneeling on him for no evident reason, after he exclaimed several times that he could not breathe. He, and his malicious death, however, are not the controversy. The controversy lies with the aftermath of Floyd’s death—the riots all over the country, resulting in the mass destruction of property. Protesters began looting stores as well as vandalizing buildings by spray painting them, both of which were done in the name of justice. Simply put: drastic actions are necessary to correct the systemic racism that people of
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color face every day in this country, and these riots are what is needed for that change to occur. “Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.” John F. Kennedy’s famous quote echoes loudly in today’s societal climate. After generations of racial prejudice affecting millions, with no solution in sight, violence seems to be the only way to get the public’s attention. Those who ignored peaceful revolution must realize that violent events, like the ones in Minneapolis, were inevitable. In no way is destroying property belonging to innocent people, pillaging uninvolved stores and taking advantage of the riots to steal for personal gain acceptable, but people are talking about it. People are discussing George Floyd, his death and what we, as a country, can do to prevent this kind of atrocity from happening again. People of every race are gathering in the streets all over the nation and the world to make real change.
George Floyd has sparked a revolution, and now no one can deny the prevalence of police brutality. After several cases of trying to make a difference peacefully, people started to see just how impossible that would be. These protests for George Floyd started out peaceful, but it wasn’t until things became unruly that people actually began talking about police brutality. In an ideal world, people would not have to resort to violence, but this is not an ideal world, and it is naive to believe that extreme and long-lasting change can be achieved without large sacrifices—large sacrifices by people who will someday be treated as heroes. Once again, the people of this country are called to action. It is your duty to stand by these protests, and let whoever will listen know that as a country, we will do whatever it takes to ensure the safety of any victim who needs protection. Most importantly, we will not let our voices be silenced. We will be heard. We will be listened to. And we will get justice for George Floyd, no matter what. JUNE | OPINIONS | 21
