I'm safe at home this Sunday morning. I think there's a daytime protest later at the Government Center downtown. I'll bike there. I'm not much of a one for group protests, but this is ridiculous.
I want to be repeat:
I place the destruction in this & other cities at the feet of the "law enforcers", from the individual cops who killed George Floyd all the way up to the enabler in the White House.
A friend in Finland emailed that she looked up where I live and where events have unfolded since ... when was it? Only Monday? Monday.
Looking at the map, my friend said, brought home that I'm RIGHT THERE.
Indeed.
So I made a map: The thrift store is top, left. I live bottom, right.
(That's the Mississippi River, top right. Downtown is up the river a mile or tw .
L& M and Mz live one or two miles west of the Thrift Store--protests and fires there too---and extend in every direction from the Third Precinct.)
Last night the police cracked down hard [Guardian article] on anyone out after curfew. TOO HARD:
Shoot [tear gas/flash bombs] first, order to disperse second, or not at all.
Last night Mz was at a peaceful protest; HM's sons were out on neighborhood patrol half the night.
--from "The Observer View on the Killing of George Floyd"
This has all been brutally and stupidly handled by the authorities, from the local police to the Supreme white-supremacist in the White House.
Trump's reign has encouraged the sort of thugs who live here or who came to my city in order to burn it down.
And they still haven't arrested ALL four police who participated in the killing of George Floyd.
Did you see the latest video to emerge shows three cops kneeling on the man:
www.cnn.com/videos/us/2020/05/29/george-floyd-arrest-video-minneapolis-dp-orig.cnn
I want to be repeat:
I place the destruction in this & other cities at the feet of the "law enforcers", from the individual cops who killed George Floyd all the way up to the enabler in the White House.
A friend in Finland emailed that she looked up where I live and where events have unfolded since ... when was it? Only Monday? Monday.
Looking at the map, my friend said, brought home that I'm RIGHT THERE.
Indeed.
So I made a map: The thrift store is top, left. I live bottom, right.
(That's the Mississippi River, top right. Downtown is up the river a mile or tw .
L& M and Mz live one or two miles west of the Thrift Store--protests and fires there too---and extend in every direction from the Third Precinct.)
Last night the police cracked down hard [Guardian article] on anyone out after curfew. TOO HARD:
Shoot [tear gas/flash bombs] first, order to disperse second, or not at all.
Last night Mz was at a peaceful protest; HM's sons were out on neighborhood patrol half the night.
.
If one smidge of justice for George Floyd comes out of this, I cannot regret the "collateral damage" of material things. . . .
My fear in recent nights, my sore throat from toxic smoke--these are NOTHING compared to the need to make the words "liberty & justice for all" REAL.
Broken glass swept up by kind humans and put in a trash can along Lake Street:
If one smidge of justice for George Floyd comes out of this, I cannot regret the "collateral damage" of material things. . . .
My fear in recent nights, my sore throat from toxic smoke--these are NOTHING compared to the need to make the words "liberty & justice for all" REAL.
Broken glass swept up by kind humans and put in a trash can along Lake Street:
This has all been brutally and stupidly handled by the authorities, from the local police to the Supreme white-supremacist in the White House.
Trump's reign has encouraged the sort of thugs who live here or who came to my city in order to burn it down.
And they still haven't arrested ALL four police who participated in the killing of George Floyd.
Did you see the latest video to emerge shows three cops kneeling on the man:
www.cnn.com/videos/us/2020/05/29/george-floyd-arrest-video-minneapolis-dp-orig.cnn
It was good to see a photo just now of locals cleaning the streets..that won't be in the newspapers.
ReplyDeleteAn online potter friend said that he shops at your store.. Lee Love.
Interesting reading Zhoen's latest post in One Word...
GZ: Yes, a lot of media coverage goes for the scariest stuff.
ReplyDeleteThe corner where the cops killed George Floyd, meanwhile, has been kept sacred space--I want to see more of THAT--the grief, love, and drive for justice.
Hey, tell Lee Love to say hi when we open. Just ask for the "Book Lady"!
Wow, you really ARE in the middle of it all. Interesting that a high percentage of people involved in the unrest aren't from Minnesota. I hadn't heard that before. Take care of yourself (and your community) and stay safe!
ReplyDeleteSTEVE: Well, many of the people who are literally burning stuff up are from out of town. It's scary. White supremacist groups post about it as an opportunity...
ReplyDeleteBut most of the protestors are local. And of course there are plenty of people here too who just want to see the world burn.