Police Response To BLM Protesters Being Shot Is Nearly As Despicable As White Supremacists’ Actions
The death of Jamar Clark at the hands of Minneapolis police while in police custody has sparked a wave of protests around the city. The independent media channel Unicorn Riot has been actively following the protests in Minneapolis. Their live stream of these protests has given us all an eyewitness to the events. Last night’s protest, however, turned ugly after unknown gunmen opened fire, injuring five.
According to eyewitness reports four white men were asked to leave the crowd of BLM protesters after they refused to remove their masks. It was noted that these men came not only armed but wearing bulletproof vests. Once out of sight of the cameras surrounding the protest, the four men drew their weapons and opened fire on the protesters. At least five people were taken to local hospitals, one severe enough to warrant surgery. It could easily have been far worse.
This comes after an earlier event targeting protesters. On Friday, a pair of masked, armed vigilantes attempted to intimidate that protest. It is not at this time known if these two events are related, however, the timing and nature of both events are suspicious.
When the BLM protesters called to report the incident, which was near the 4th police precinct headquarters, the response allegedly given by the 911 operator was “you asked for this.” Despite the nearby emergency services, it is claimed that the ambulance did not arrive for over 15 minutes. To add insult to injury, once the police did come, it is reported that rather than securing the scene the police turned on the protesters themselves, using mace and tear gas to disperse those assembled rather than interviewing witnesses or collecting evidence.
The entire incident demonstrates the heightened racial tension in the Minneapolis area. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center’s hate map, there are three white supremacist groups, including one neo-nazi organization, within the area. It also is the home of publisher Weisman Publications, which promotes White Supremacist viewpoints under the guise of “Christian values.”
The police response to the shooting calls into question how seriously they will investigate these events. Despite the violence, we can expect these protests to continue, and likely grow in response to the events last night. And the pressure will continue to increase upon the Minneapolis police department, which now have agents from the Department of Justice arriving to assess the situation.
Last night demonstrates that the police now have lost control over the situation. The next step is in the hands of the protesters. Evidently, their protests have struck a nerve, and exposed an ugly underside of Minneapolis which others wished to keep hidden. The cold, unblinking eye of the media is now turned to the twin cities. Time for these White Supremacists to crawl back under the rock where they belong, and leave civilized people alone. They have no place in society today.
