Today on Sojourner Truth:
After a week of protests, the nationwide (and now worldwide) uprising against racism and police killings of Black people in response to the murder of George Floyd continues to grow. From Los Angeles to Louisville, New York, Philadelphia and Minneapolis, tens of thousands hit the streets while Floyds family called for the arrests of three other officers involved in the Memorial Day murder. Thus far, just one arrest has been made with a third degree murder charge. In Paris, nearly 15,000 demonstrators defied police orders and marched in a sprawling protest against police violence outside the citys tribunal. The crowed was overwhelmingly people of African descent and not only were they connecting with what was happening in the U.S., but they were also opposing the murder by police of a Black youth in Paris. There were multiple reports of police deploying tear gas. Similar protests were held in cities across Europe and in Australia.
Meanwhile, back in the U.S., Trump has unleashed the full might of federal law enforcement against protesters. This includes military police, the National Guard, border agencies, the Drug Enforcement Administration and F.B.I. hostage rescue teams. As of Wednesday, June 3, governors in 24 states and Washington, D.C., had called in the National Guard, with over 17,000 troops activated. From the beginning of the protests to the morning of June 3, at least 11 people have died and over 9,300 people have been arrested, according to the Associated Press.
In New York City, a group of protesters marched across the Manhattan Bridge, only to be denied entry from Brooklyn to Manhattan by the NYPD. In Los Angeles, thousands peacefully demonstrated in Downtown LA and then marched to Hollywood. Some of the protesters joined Black Lives Matter LA to protest outside of the LA Mayor's residence, opposing the city's proposed budget, which has increased funding for law enforcement while cutting much-needed services.
In Washington, D.C., protests continued outside of the White House, which was heavily guarded. In Louisville, Kentucky, people held a gospel prayer service in the parking lot of a Kroger grocery store. And in San Juan, Puerto Rico, police officers used pepper spray as more than 200 protesters broke a 7 p.m. curfew. The protest, organized by Colectiva Feminista, included more than 500 people demanding a stop to racism and police brutality on the island. Protests have been ongoing in Minneapolis, where Floyd was murdered, and several other cities across the country. Protests have been ongoing nationwide. Over 100 cities have participated in the protests thus far.
