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Yes, I and about 90% of the crowd wore masks. Yes, we did our best to keep 6 feet but not always, hence the masks. People were walking around with hand sanitize

Yes, I and about 90% of the crowd wore masks. Yes, we did our best to keep 6 feet but not always, hence the masks. People were walking around with hand sanitizer to share. A global pandemic is awful, but it does not alleviate us of our civic responsibility. Was it uncomfortable and difficult? Yes. Am I glad I went? Hell yes. Black lives matter.

craftinator 6y ago
Plus, it's awfully hard to avoid spraying spit and snot on everyone around you when you're getting tear-gassed. I know, I've been cs-gassed many, many times. The police are not helping the situation with this tactic.
kortilla 6y ago
> but it does not alleviate us of our civic responsibility. The protests haven’t worked though for the last 20 years or so. IMO it’s more important to vote and promote change than to block traffic. People remember how you made them feel more easily than what you actually said. Preventing them from getting somewhere is a great way to just piss people off.
- epakai 6y ago
  I believe protests were working, but progress has since been reversed. Police militarization is controversial. The previous administration made efforts like 'Smart on Crime' and federal laissez-faire approach to marijuana enforcement. Many of these issues were reversed in an attempt to be tough on crime again with a big push from the AG in 2017. Tensions have been stoked by things like a pardon dealt out to a sheriff who violated a court order relating to racial profiling. I have a hard time believing these acts aren't having their intended effects.
- 7952 6y ago
  Polite protests are completely ignored. And if the political system was working for them they would not feel the need to protest.
- learnstats2 6y ago
  Voting and "promoting" change hasn't worked either.
- jamiewilson 6y ago
  It’s no wonder that the protests over the last 20 years haven’t worked to garner more support considering that those who do participate are treated with violent retaliation. Maybe if those of us begging to be heard were allowed to speak, and scream and chant, it would inspire more people to unite, organize and vote.
  - kortilla 6y ago
    Occupy Wall Street was not meant with violence and it was huge headline grabbing protests that went on for weeks. It didn’t do anything meaningful.
    - jpster 6y ago
      IMO the media was not talking about income & wealth inequality before OWS. OWS forced it on the agenda and changed the very language we use to describe it: “the 99% vs the 1%”. That’s a big deal.
    - virgil_disgr4ce 6y ago
      > It didn’t do anything meaningful How do you know? Do you have an alternate timeline of history to compare it to?
      - kortilla 6y ago
        Well none of the things the protesters wanted (broken up banks, more taxes for the rich, arrested bank execs, more social entitlements, etc) came to fruition.
    - mcv 6y ago
      I'd say it raised a lot of awareness, which is exactly what protests are for. Protests don't create laws, they raise awareness. Based on that awareness, people vote and change laws.
  - cpursley 6y ago
    > Maybe if those of us begging to be heard were allowed to speak, and scream and chant, it would inspire more people to unite, organize and vote. You can. As far as I know, the US is still a democratic country with elections.
- sdenton4 6y ago
  You know, whining about blocked intersections is even less compelling during the never ending lockdown...
- pmiller2 6y ago
  You've got it backwards. Voting and promoting change is what has not worked. Economic damage is likely to be the only thing that's going to persuade the elites to throw the working class a bone. You're witnessing the anger of the masses in its most pure form here.
  - jeffdavis 6y ago
    Where is the MLK of 2020? I want to see someone who can go beyond their anger and have a plan and lead.
    - deleted 6y ago
      [deleted]
    - krisoft 6y ago
      So they can be assassinated? Good plan. (sarcasm indicator. It is not a good plan at all.)
    - ncallaway 6y ago
      MLK was despised by white America of his time, _because_ of his leadership of protests.
    - michaelt 6y ago
      You remember a few years back when some athletes took knelt during the national anthem? And they were told to "shut up and dribble" and the president said they were sons of bitches and should be fired? [1] There's your peaceful leadership right there. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._national_anthem_protests_(2016%E2%80%93present) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._national_anthem_protests_...
      - mcv 6y ago
        If you're black in the US, there's just no correct way to protest. Street protests get painted as riots (and often turn into riots due to excessive police response fanning the flames), quiet personal protests are claimed to be disrespectful (since when is kneeling a sign of disrespect?), speak up and they get told to shut up. There's no way to win.

craftinator 6y ago

Plus, it's awfully hard to avoid spraying spit and snot on everyone around you when you're getting tear-gassed. I know, I've been cs-gassed many, many times. The police are not helping the situation with this tactic.

kortilla 6y ago

> but it does not alleviate us of our civic responsibility. The protests haven’t worked though for the last 20 years or so. IMO it’s more important to vote and promote change than to block traffic. People remember how you made them feel more easily than what you actually said. Preventing them from getting somewhere is a great way to just piss people off.

epakai 6y ago
I believe protests were working, but progress has since been reversed. Police militarization is controversial. The previous administration made efforts like 'Smart on Crime' and federal laissez-faire approach to marijuana enforcement. Many of these issues were reversed in an attempt to be tough on crime again with a big push from the AG in 2017. Tensions have been stoked by things like a pardon dealt out to a sheriff who violated a court order relating to racial profiling. I have a hard time believing these acts aren't having their intended effects.
7952 6y ago
Polite protests are completely ignored. And if the political system was working for them they would not feel the need to protest.
learnstats2 6y ago
Voting and "promoting" change hasn't worked either.
jamiewilson 6y ago
It’s no wonder that the protests over the last 20 years haven’t worked to garner more support considering that those who do participate are treated with violent retaliation. Maybe if those of us begging to be heard were allowed to speak, and scream and chant, it would inspire more people to unite, organize and vote.
- kortilla 6y ago
  Occupy Wall Street was not meant with violence and it was huge headline grabbing protests that went on for weeks. It didn’t do anything meaningful.
  - jpster 6y ago
    IMO the media was not talking about income & wealth inequality before OWS. OWS forced it on the agenda and changed the very language we use to describe it: “the 99% vs the 1%”. That’s a big deal.
  - virgil_disgr4ce 6y ago
    > It didn’t do anything meaningful How do you know? Do you have an alternate timeline of history to compare it to?
    - kortilla 6y ago
      Well none of the things the protesters wanted (broken up banks, more taxes for the rich, arrested bank execs, more social entitlements, etc) came to fruition.
  - mcv 6y ago
    I'd say it raised a lot of awareness, which is exactly what protests are for. Protests don't create laws, they raise awareness. Based on that awareness, people vote and change laws.
- cpursley 6y ago
  > Maybe if those of us begging to be heard were allowed to speak, and scream and chant, it would inspire more people to unite, organize and vote. You can. As far as I know, the US is still a democratic country with elections.
sdenton4 6y ago
You know, whining about blocked intersections is even less compelling during the never ending lockdown...
pmiller2 6y ago
You've got it backwards. Voting and promoting change is what has not worked. Economic damage is likely to be the only thing that's going to persuade the elites to throw the working class a bone. You're witnessing the anger of the masses in its most pure form here.
- jeffdavis 6y ago
  Where is the MLK of 2020? I want to see someone who can go beyond their anger and have a plan and lead.
  - deleted 6y ago
    [deleted]
  - krisoft 6y ago
    So they can be assassinated? Good plan. (sarcasm indicator. It is not a good plan at all.)
  - ncallaway 6y ago
    MLK was despised by white America of his time, _because_ of his leadership of protests.
  - michaelt 6y ago
    You remember a few years back when some athletes took knelt during the national anthem? And they were told to "shut up and dribble" and the president said they were sons of bitches and should be fired? [1] There's your peaceful leadership right there. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._national_anthem_protests_(2016%E2%80%93present) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._national_anthem_protests_...
    - mcv 6y ago
      If you're black in the US, there's just no correct way to protest. Street protests get painted as riots (and often turn into riots due to excessive police response fanning the flames), quiet personal protests are claimed to be disrespectful (since when is kneeling a sign of disrespect?), speak up and they get told to shut up. There's no way to win.