When you want to win a battle and change a tide sometimes you have to be a bit more strategic.

 

We're in the midst of a worldwise pandemic which has crippled the Western economy for years to come. People can protest all they want but what are the Powers going to focus on first - the pandemic. There are loads of powerful things you can still do from home to make a protest. The sooner we are out of this the sooner we can get make to living our lives and trying to make the world a better place.

 

OMG this is boiling my thoughts and blood at the same time!!!

 

Like you legit agreeing that currently the pandemic is more important than Black Lives Matter movement...and if pandemic is over how is the world better place to live? For who, for white supremacy and privileged people? Because let me remind you black innocent men were brutalized and killed by police since forever and before Covid-19 existed. Enough is enough.

 

Some of you really need to think thrice before you post something like that!!!

OMG this is boiling my thoughts and blood at the same time!!!

 

Like you legit agreeing that currently the pandemic is more important than Black Lives Matter movement...and if pandemic is over how is the world better place to live? For who, for white supremacy and privileged people? Because let me remind you black innocent men were brutalized and killed by police since forever and before Covid-19 existed. Enough is enough.

 

Some of you really need to think thrice before you post things like that!!!

 

Maybe if you took some time to read my post your blood wouldn’t boil so much. Sorry to be a massive arse but you’re missing my point completely.

 

Can you really compare a pandemic to a Black Lives Matter movement? Why would I want to compare them, they’re two completely different problems. I mean I could be really pedantic and say you also missed black women off from being murdered by the police too, not just men. But they’re obviously not as important as men. Obviously I’m just being a massive arse here.

you said it yourself 'People can protest all they want but what are the Powers going to focus on first - the pandemic. The sooner we are out of this the sooner we can get make to living our lives and trying to make the world a better place.'

 

So help me then understand differently because what I am getting from it is that we have to prioritize one (pandemic) from the other (BLM)!!!

 

And men is grammatically wrong on my side, but you know I meant man (as in human being, a person)!!!

Can you really compare a pandemic to a Black Lives Matter movement?

You are comparing them though? We're in the midst of a pandemic that has damaged the economy, and taking steps to repair that is a higher priority and of greater importance than black people simply being able to exist peacefully?

 

It was all their fault for not being strategic enough though, I guess...

Sad thing is, making protests 'strategic' and compliant with all the rules makes them easily ignorable and ineffective. They're powerful because they are being seen like this and are staying in the news cycle, hopefully they keep going until the police are defunded and changes are made to the system to make it safer for black people to live.

 

The ideal government, a non-racist government, would be committing to making these changes already.

The ideal government, a non-racist government, would be committing to making these changes already.

 

Further to this, a twitter thread on the various states and cities in America that are already making changes to their laws because of these protests - encouraging stuff, and I hope everyone keeps going:

 

@1268603003231240192

The thing is though... protesters have already been aware of this and still went to physically protest anyway. Like I’ve seen posts on social media saying “be sure to take mandatory precautions because of the pandemic, this can also help save black lives”. Some articles have discussed the disproportionate amount of deaths due to COVID who are African-Americans. People are aware, but they’re still focused on the objective - to get justice for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and countless African-Americans who have lost their lives bc some bozo with a badge and a gun thinks they can be judge, jury and executioner, and to make sure this doesn’t happen again.

It’s an extremely difficult one. I completely stand by and understand the movement, the continued police brutality in the US speaks volumes. However, in terms of the pandemic, we’re at a critical stage now and it’s these types of events (as well as those beach pictures) that could easily put us back on the rise which is incredibly concerning. It’s not just about those at the protests being at risk, we know the virus isn’t contained in that way - it can easily spread exponentially again, through families, workmates, care homes, shops etc. We can’t go back to a stage where we were several weeks ago and go through it all over again.

It’s an extremely difficult one. I completely stand by and understand the movement, the continued police brutality in the US speaks volumes. However, in terms of the pandemic, we’re at a critical stage now and it’s these types of events (as well as those beach pictures) that could easily put us back on the rise which is incredibly concerning. It’s not just about those at the protests being at risk, we know the virus isn’t contained in that way - it can easily spread exponentially again, through families, workmates, care homes, shops etc. We can’t go back to a stage where we were several weeks ago and go through it all over again.

 

But when we do get a second wave, we cannot forget the beaches and Cummings. The worry is that BLM will be scapegoated as the reason for a second wave and although it will contribute to it, we can’t pretend that it wasn’t going to happen anyway given the reckless behaviour beforehand.

I know, that’s why I acknowledged those events.

I know, that’s why I acknowledged those events.

 

I know, that’s why I was adding to your point and not disagreeing with it.

you said it yourself 'People can protest all they want but what are the Powers going to focus on first - the pandemic. The sooner we are out of this the sooner we can get make to living our lives and trying to make the world a better place.'

 

So help me then understand differently because what I am getting from it is that we have to prioritize one (pandemic) from the other (BLM)!!!

 

And men is grammatically wrong on my side, but you know I meant man (as in human being, a person)!!!

 

I said what are the powers going to focus on, I didn't state what I thought was more important. But it would be naive to think the powers in the world are not going to focus all their immediate resource in to controlling and killing off Covid-19. Unlike racism, Covid-19 is not discrimenatory.

 

 

You are comparing them though? We're in the midst of a pandemic that has damaged the economy, and taking steps to repair that is a higher priority and of greater importance than black people simply being able to exist peacefully?

 

It was all their fault for not being strategic enough though, I guess...

 

Like I said above, I did not explicity state my own point of view. People just merly want to read what they want to read. But you have to be naive to think the world won't focus on the pandemic. Because as well as the deaths and the economic downturn there are also a whole range of social issues that come off it as well.

 

The world only has so much finite resource so while it would be lovely to tackle every situation at once with full capacity, you can't. That's of course you cannot make small steps, but like I've said we're in the middle of a pandemic and whether people like it or not if the infections rise they will get finger pointed at the protests. If people can't see the naivety in organising and demonstrating in mass protests during a global pandemic (especially in the UK) then words fail me.

Tweet summing up my thoughts:

 

@1269561264776327168

 

There are of course risks to protest at this time, however those who wish to discredit this movement and shut down debate are using those apparent risks now they have become convenient when not one week ago they were quite relaxed about the schools reopening and Dominic Cummings travelling for a day out during the peak of the pandemic in this country.

 

I just don't think it is relevant to THIS debate/discusion, nor do I think it will necessarily be the main factor behind a second wave (if one does happen).. surely the damage to public trust in the government's message was more important.

 

Those who maintain otherwise are being disingenuous.

Covid-19 is not discrimenatory.

 

What a completely ignorant thing to say. You are ok to work from home in your nice little middle class bubble, safe from exposure. Try saying that parroted government sentence to the BAME community.

 

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/go...ties_review.pdf

 

Risk of dying among those diagnosed with COVID-19 was also higher in males thanfemales; higher in those living in the more deprived areas than those living in the least deprived; and higher in those in Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) groups than in White ethnic groups. These inequalities largely replicate existing inequalities in mortality rates in previous years, except for BAME groups, as mortality was previously higher in White ethnic groups.

If there are no spike in cases in the next two weeks then I really hope this stops the second wave hysterical mob from losing their

minds everytime people leave their homes.

 

We’ve had Easter, VE Day, beach visits, end of May bank holiday and now the protests. The first four haven’t caused cases to grow out of control so I really hope this puts an end to the debate once and for all as to whether specific aspects of our lives can continue to take place without the social media hysteria.

 

I support the protests yesterday despite Quarantilas opinion, I just didn’t like the violence.

If there are no spike in cases in the next two weeks then I really hope this stops the second wave hysterical mob from losing their

minds everytime people leave their homes.

 

We’ve had Easter, VE Day, beach visits, end of May bank holiday and now the protests. The first four haven’t caused cases to grow out of control so I really hope this puts an end to the debate once and for all as to whether specific aspects of our lives can continue to take place without the social media hysteria.

 

I support the protests yesterday despite Quarantilas opinion, I just didn’t like the violence.

 

You're right — the police need to stop escalating situations and inciting violence.

Edited June 7, 20205 yr by blacksquare

The 7 day average for deaths is plateauing though, meaning that it remains at a high level particularly compared to other European countries, when it should be falling. The R rate has also increased, with London going from 0.4 to 0.9 and one area being over 1 (I can’t remember which, North West or Midlands??)

 

The debate can’t be put to an end once and for all because there’s still so much we don’t know about the virus. Every aspect needs to be monitored to analyse any trends until it is no longer a threat.

Honestly, the protests need to happen. But the way they are happening in certain places is a danger to everyone. They can very easily be held in a safe way, keeping distance, wearing a facemask, like they have been held in various places around the world.

 

This is not a matter of health vs BLM like some of y'all are making it out to be

The 7 day average for deaths is plateauing though, meaning that it remains at a high level particularly compared to other European countries, when it should be falling. The R rate has also increased, with London going from 0.4 to 0.9 and one area being over 1 (I can’t remember which, North West or Midlands??)

 

 

I also think it’s unfair to label it as ‘social media hysteria’. People are genuinely worried, as Klaus said we don’t know enough about the virus to say it’ll all be over at x point. People on this very site have shared their fears that people are flouting the rules and not caring about others-check our Lounge thread for COVID as an example.

 

The criticism, as already mentioned in here, is people using COVID-19 as a weapon to bash BLM with.