COVID-19, BLM Protests, 2020
COVID-19 spreading from Wuhan, China to the rest of the world in 2020 has had a major impact on the George Floyd/ Black Lives Matter protests being as big and widespread, in my opinion. This virus has hit hard in many countries, including the U.S.A. To combat it and in hopes of defeating it, many countries had ‘shelter in place’ laws, which inadvertently gave time to many people who were now working from home or unemployed. Mid-March to May 24th, the focus was on clapping and thanking our medical and healthcare heroes nightly. However, on May 25th that changed.
2020 started off a new decade. 1920 started the Roaring 20s, and some were calling 2020 the Soaring 20s. It seemed full of promise and possibilities. In the background was the rumblings of a new coronavirus called COVID-19: CO for corona, VI for virus, D for disease and 19 for having started in 2019. It was originally called 2019 novel coronavirus. Human coronaviruses are plentiful, but this one is new to humans.
Scientists and medical professionals are having a tough time discovering how it is spread and why it affects people so differently. There are many symptoms as well as “asymptomatic” people who have the disease, but never get any symptoms. There are those with mild symptoms, and there are those who manage to self-isolate and heal at home. Others are those who are hospitalized, and need ventilators. Others have died from it, and yet others are still battling it weeks and months later.
In many countries including the U.S.A., mandatory lockdowns AKA “shelter in place” were ordered. Essential workers at essential businesses beyond healthcare including grocery stores, pharmacies, transit, sanitation, farmers, migrant workers, post office workers, delivery people, and more remained at work and at risk daily. The lockdowns caused businesses that were deemed nonessential to be abruptly shut down, employees to be furloughed, work from home, or left unemployed. Schools were closed. People remained at home much like the 1918-1919 Spanish flu pandemic, though now we have the internet, social media, streaming services, e-books, audiobooks, and more ways to communicate with others than they did back then.
With this time on their hands and their streets mainly empty, people had time to react and reflect when it was announced that Ahmaud Arbery had been killed after being ambushed while jogging in February, while Breonna Taylor was killed in bed in March during a no knock warrant while the suspect had already been arrested by the police department hours before. However, those two killings were not in the public awareness until May. Then on Monday, May 25th two events happened: Chris Cooper’s encounter with Amy Cooper in Central Park in NYC and then George Floyd’s being killed by a cop with three cops as accessories in Minneapolis.
Since all of these were revealed to the public in May regardless of the month the deaths occurred, I think heightened the effect. Before we could come to terms with one, another was being reported. I also believe that because COVID19 lockdowns, people had more time to focus on the killings, watch the videos, and discuss online. It seemed the video of George Floyd saying, ” I can’t breathe” while a police officer kneeled with his knee on George’s neck and his hand in his pocket, while a cop kept the bystanders away and the other two cops pressed George’s body down too was the final straw.
Because COVID19 emptyed the streets and so many people being unemployed or working from home, I think had an effect in that the protests were bigger than expected. The protests continued week after week and spread to other countries who were either in lockdown or coming out of a lockdown. Since people were not on their way to work and/ or dropping off their kids at school, they had the time and the space to protest. A number of large corporations came out in favor of Black Lives Matter, instead of condemning the protests, also helped even when some of those businesses were looted or burned.
Masks were optional in the U.S.A. until mid-May in many states and cities. By the end of May, they were mandatory as more cities and states were reopening, and masks along with social distancing (6 feet /2 meters) And the protesters wore masks to the protests which also helped to protect their identity. The peaceful protests were met with police in riot gear in cities including NYC and L.A., while other cities and towns had police joining the protests and even kneeling in protest. The National Guard was brought in certain areas, and at one point NYC and L.A. even had curfews.
There was also looting, rioting occurring concurrently with the protesting. The looters and rioters were not part of the peaceful protests, though some chose to focus on the destruction of property and theft from stores instead of the danger that many protesters were facing as well as why they were protesting. With charges for al four of the officers involved in George Floyd’s death as the result of the protests, it seemed that they were effective. Though Breonna Taylor’s murder remains without the police officers being charged.
Black Lives Matter has been deemed a controversial statement that started a movement. “In 2013, three radical Black organizers — Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi — created a Black-centered political will and movement building project called #BlackLivesMatter. It was in response to the acquittal of Trayvon Martin’s murderer, George Zimmerman.” (from BLM website)
Beyond the protests, Black Lives Matter put forth and supported #DefundThePolice. This went beyond the protests to attempt to fix the foundational problems within the system that created the large police forces with military gear and oversized budgets. The budgets for police departments in many cities was often much larger than any other services, and in L.A. and NYC, it is just over 50% of the entire budget. This means that other community services, including education, healthcare, and more were cut and would now have less chance of helping those who need them.
Defunding would reduce the amount that the police department would be allocated and increase the funding of other necessary community services that could offset underlying problems. There is talk of getting the police out of schools and replacing them with more guidance counselors, mental healthcare providers, nurses, and so forth. Providing support to the community in ways that could prevent crimes from happening in the first place. Not relying on cops to make wellness calls, handle kids at school, arbiters for arguments, or handle all the miscellaneous nonemergency things would be better for the cops. They could focus on actual crimes and criminals.
2020 has shaken up a lot of lives. There are those who have had relatives, friends, and family die or get sick with COVID-19. Others have had their lives upended abruptly with being unemployed, worried about getting evicted as rent moratoriums are ending soon, and dealing with how to get food. Some have gotten some benefits from it if they were able to work from home and had more time with the family, less time commuting, time to reflect, etc. Though it has affected all of us, though not in the same way.
I think that 2020 is the year that we will see with 20/20 vision in the present moment. That this might be the year when we make the changes that will change our world for the better in a domino effect. That we see ourselves and our place in the world as helping each other out and coming out stronger due to our current challenges. Hopefully, an effective and affordable vaccine for COVID-19 as soon as possible. Then the next challenge will be getting enough people to take the vaccine.
Badass Lioness 