AgreedAlthough while it makes me uncomfortable, having thought quite a lot about it I'm now quite firmly of the opinion that these protests are a bad idea.
I've been to protests before, and I'll go to them in the future, but right now I don't see the benefits outweighing the negatives.
It's absolutely the case that structural racism and inequality kills people. And I recognise that there is a long history of civil rights protests been responded to with delayed promises and insufficient action. But I don't see what benefits there are to protesting this week that outweigh the serious risk of pushing us back into the exponential rise of a fatal virus - particularly one that disproportionately affects the less fortunate. Especially when any protests at this time have their message blunted not only by reactionary ignorance but also by legitimate public health concerns, with lots of people who would ususally be co-opted into a wider movement staying at home.
I'm still open to being convinced that I'm wrong, but right now I don't see it.
Anyway, I don't really know why I've put this here other than it was an opportunity for me to try and think things through a bit more.
(I've been to protests before, and I'll go to them in the future, but right now I don't see the benefits outweighing the negatives.
It's absolutely the case that structural racism and inequality kills people. And I recognise that there is a long history of civil rights protests been responded to with delayed promises and insufficient action. But I don't see what benefits there are to protesting this week that outweigh the serious risk of pushing us back into the exponential rise of a fatal virus - particularly one that disproportionately affects the less fortunate. Especially when any protests at this time have their message blunted not only by reactionary ignorance but also by legitimate public health concerns, with lots of people who would ususally be co-opted into a wider movement staying at home.
I'm still open to being convinced that I'm wrong, but right now I don't see it.
Anyway, I don't really know why I've put this here other than it was an opportunity for me to try and think things through a bit more.
Cassius Kray floats like a butterfly, stings like a trout,
Sun 7 Jun 2020, 10:12,
archived)