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Black Lives Matter explained: the history of a movement (Channel 4 News) -…
Black Lives Matter explained: the history of a movement (Channel 4 News)
Origins
2013
Murder of Trayvon Martin in 2012
17 years old
George Zimmerman shot Trayvon Martin after following him and telling the police he thought he was suspicious
Claimed self defence and was not arrested for 44 days and it took widespread public outcry for this to happen
Found not guilty
Routes in previous civil rights struggles
Alicia Garza shared a tweet with the words 'Black Lives Matter' in and Patrisse Cullors turned it into a hashtag
Opal Tometi created an online platform to join up efforts and bring together activists
Eric Garner was murdered in 2014 and his last words 'I can't Breathe' became the centre of protest
Was arrested and killed by being placed in a choke hold
Daniel Pantaleo was only arrested after 5 years and was never charged
Michael Brown Junior was shot by police (2014)
Darren Wilson said he suspected his involvement in a robbery
Once again claimed self defence and resigned without being charged
18 years old
Increase in organised protests
Tear gas and rubber bullets used by police and the National Guard used
Movement became more prominent
White police officers continued to kill Black citizens
Police brutality
3 times greater chance of being killed by police in the US if you are Black
Very rarely results in criminal charges
Obama
Consent decrees (the court can overule the police department)
Limited local police forces access to military grade weapons
'Pattern and Practice' investigations
Repeated use of excessive force
Did not do enough to break down systems which protected the police
Union contracts made it hard to be fired
'Qualified immunity' - protected from legal retribution
Close relationship with district attorneys
Invited activists to the White House who were involved but also challenged the lack of concrete policy changes
Trump 2016
Increase in 'All Lives Matter' , 'Blue Lives Matter' and 'White Lives Matter' and going back on Obama's changes therefore making policing less accountable and more discriminatory
Charlottesville Riot
Right nationalists and extremists against counter protestors
One woman killed and others injured
Trump did not condemn the extremists
Killings continued but no longer received much media coverage
Record low unemployment rate in 2019
Ahmaud Arbery
Killers did face murder charges
Breonna Taylor
killed by police in her apartment but noone arrested
George Floyd
Derek Chauvin held his knee on his neck until he killed him
Defunding the police
Healthcare, education and community programmes
Corrupt and cannot be repaired