Protest Status Update: They’re Still Going, And Police Departments Are Being Dismantled

It will be sometime before we understand the full size and scope of the protests in America and across the globe since the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.  

But there is no arguing that the current moment marks the largest Civil Rights movement in history.

In the last tenty-four hours, dozens of Confederate monuments and statues of racist figures, both in America and across the world—have been toppled or removed. In Richmond, Virginia, African American ballerinas danced upon the largest Confederate monument in the country, erected in honor of Robert E. Lee and left gorgeously defaced by protesters.    

On Thursday, Stab staffer Sam Moody ended up walking five miles shooting the front lines of the enormous, entirely peaceful protests in San Diego. (You can and should click through his incredible gallery above and scroll below.)

Paddle outs around the world filled social feeds the last three days, culminating in Friday’s internationally organized series of paddle-outs by Black Girls Surf. 

This weekend, protests all over California made national news, especially in San Francisco, where Saturday thousands of protesters temporarily shut the Golden Gate Bridge down. 

At this point, there is no telling how long protests of this magnitude will continue, but the collective efforts are certainly shaking the American justice system to its very core, with demands to go so far as defunding the police—an idea long-held by radical activists, but until recently considered anything but mainstream.

Just today, according to the New York Times, “Nine members — a veto-proof majority — of the Minneapolis City Council pledged on Sunday to dismantle the city’s Police Department, promising to create a new system of public safety in a city where law enforcement has long been accused of racism.”

Meanwhile, in the last six hours, Donald Trump has pulled the National Guard out of Los Angeles, D.C., and elsewhere. According to the LA Times, “The California National Guard is departing Los Angeles this evening,” Mayor Eric Garcetti said in a statement. “A small number of units will be stationed nearby until June 10 to provide emergency support if needed. I’m proud that our city has been peaceful this week — and that our residents are leading a powerful movement to make Los Angeles more just, equitable, and fair for Black Angelenos, communities of color, and all of our workers, youth, and families.”

There are countless organizations currently doing good work that deserve your financial support. For our own little part, we’ree continuing to take orders for our “United Forward” tee, benefiting Black Lives Matter and the Gianna Floyd Fund, supporting George Floyd’s daughter.