Protests

America prides itself in being the 'land of the free,' and yet George Floyd's murder is one in a long list of black Americans who do not enjoy that freedom. The denial of racism in America by many right-wing politicians only perpetuates the grave injustice.

As this crisis balloons, it is clear that is does not exist alone. It exists alongside Covid, the China trade war, and other big issues of the moment. Why? It is ultimately an issue of truth: in all of these situations, anger, fear and distrust grow as leadership obscures the truth and replaces it with propagandising lies. The problem here is that trust in the state and law enforcement is now so eroded, there is no clear exit route. Proponents include Yahoo! Finance Editor-in-Chief Andy Serwer.

The problem with the police and military shutdowns of these protests is a constitutional one. It is a direct violation of the ensured right to free speech. The fact that these orders are coming from the President illustrates a dangerous shift towards a nation deprived of its fundamental rights. Once the right to protest has been taken away, our civil liberties hang by a thread; and so does what it means to be an American.

Many communities cannot take a peaceful approach to fight injustice because authorities will harm marginalized communities. To have their voice heard during policy-making decisions, violent protesting is justified.