Black Lives Matter Protests a big deal in new locales

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ASPartOfMe
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17 Jun 2020, 8:29 pm

Long Island, land of beaches, Billy Joel and protests against police brutality - Anti-racism activism isn't just in big cities and liberal college towns any more

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In the late afternoon on June 14, a small crowd of people – maybe 30 or 40 – gathered in New York to protest police brutality and racism in the aftermath of the police killings of George Floyd in Minnesota and Breonna Taylor in Kentucky. It was just one of thousands of nationwide protests since Floyd’s death on May 25. But the protest was not in Brooklyn or Manhattan, nor in a racially diverse city like Buffalo or Rochester. The protest took place in the small, conservative, largely white village of New Hyde Park on Long Island.

After a short rally outside Village Hall, protesters marched for about three miles down major thoroughfares, flanked by police on all sides, both in cars and on foot, who were shutting down streets on the fly for the small group. Marchers chanted “defund the police,” “f**k these racist ass police” and “How do you spell murderer? NCPD” in reference to the Nassau County Police Department. These were not words one normally would expect to hear in New Hyde Park, a middle class suburb that generally votes Republican.

Although protests against police brutality and systemic racism are typically associated with inner cities – and perhaps the occasional progressive college town – the last few weeks have seen an unprecedented crop of demonstrations in white, wealthy and conservative enclaves of the famously segregated Long Island, where racism and police misconduct are major problems. The New Hyde Park protest was just one of over 100 protests that have occurred on Long Island in the weeks since Floyd’s death. And even more are planned for the coming days.

Long Island’s modern history of racism and segregation dates back to the very inception of post-World War II American suburbia. The nation’s first mass-produced suburb, Levittown, was built on Long Island and its developers refused to sell houses to black people.

While such blatant discrimination is now illegal, housing discrimination continues, creating the extremely segregated neighborhoods and school systems that still make up Long Island.

Several of the protests have been scheduled in largely black and Latino neighborhoods, including Roosevelt, Freeport, Wyandanch and Hempstead. But many took place in largely white and sometimes very affluent parts of the island, including the Hamptons and in the Nassau County neighborhoods of Rockville Center, Oyster Bay and Manhasset. Marches often moved through multiple neighborhoods, illustrating stark contrasts between neighboring communities, like the majority-black and Latino Freeport and the majority-white Merrick. Wyandanch and next door Dix Hills is another example.

The majority of arrests of protesters and alleged rioters and looters have happened in New York City, as have complaints of excessive use of force against protesters.

But Long Island is not immune. Three protesters in the white suburb of East Meadow were arrested last week, with video apparently showing police violently arresting peaceful protesters. The Nassau County Police Department said the arrests were made because the protesters were not listening to police commands to remain on one side of the street and were purposely “going off course.” But in video of the second arrest, it appeared an officer stopped short in front of a marcher, causing the marcher to brush against the officer. As soon as that happened, several police rushed to the protester and wrestled him to the ground. Another video showed a third protester arguing with police about the second arrest, before he was arrested himself. Nassau police have opened an investigation into the arrests, although County Executive Laura Curran defended the police.

Eleven protesters were arrested at a June 6 protest in Merrick as well. There have not been reports of alleged brutality related to those arrests, although two officers were reportedly injured. The protest that day had been on Sunrise Highway and some marcheres had attempted to make their way onto the Meadowbrook Parkway as well, reportedly causing the confrontation. About 250 people were marching on June 6. Just days before, an estimated 6,000 demonstrators turned out in the Merrick, with a breakaway group of about 500 shutting down part of the Southern State Parkway.

Alleged police brutality and misconduct is nothing new on Long Island. The Suffolk County Police Department had a major reckoning in recent years, in part because of the assault of a suspect by then-Suffolk Chief of Police James Burke. What started as Burke losing his temper at a suspect who allegedly had broken into his police car spiraled into a cover-up, two federal investigations and the uncovering of a deeply entrenched web of corruption in Suffolk’s criminal justice system. In January, the Nassau Police Department was the subject of a civil lawsuit for alleged brutality against two teenagers in Roosevelt.

Some of the recent demonstrators were met with backlash. During the New Hyde Park march, at least two drivers slowed down to shout “f**k you” at protesters out the window. A man yelling “blue lives matter” heckled marchers when they were stopped outside the police precinct. And several other people passed on the street or who came out of their homes countered protest chants with “all lives matter” or more quietly offered their support to officers as they passed. And that was tame compared to other protests.

Demonstrators were met by a considerable number of mostly white counter-protesters in Smithtown on June 7, leading to a confrontation between the two groups, although it did not escalate to violence. In the village of Merrick, where many large protests have taken place and which demonstrators from the neighboring Freeport would often march into, marchers were met with mostly white hecklers June 2 demanding that police redirect protests away from their village and yelling at them to “go home.” Rallies and marches only grew in Merrick after the confrontation.

On Sunday afternoon, the protesters from New Hyde Park marched to the Nassau County Police Department Third Precinct station house, in the nearby village of Williston Park, which is also conservative and even whiter than New Hyde Park. They were greeted by a large police presence, with officers lining the entire block outside the precinct along with police tape to prevent entry. When asked about the number of police guarding the precinct – a presence that appeared to outnumber the protesters – a deputy inspector with the Nassau police said it was a precautionary measure because, as he said, some protests could get nasty. “You never know,” he said.


This is my area she is writing about. There were two protests that went by my corner and the sound a police helicopter overhead is almost the new normal. The Vietnam era protests were nothing remotely like this. Like the reporter mentioned the anti-war protests would occur occasionally on college campuses or near government offices. If you were a progressive why protest here when New York City the progressive and media capital of America is less than an hour train ride away?

The success of the protests here is that they are well organized and peaceful a fact they advertise. When in Merrick protesters started attacking truck organizers swarmed all over them and stopped them immediately. When it looked like a fight was going to break out between a protester and a heckler the crowd chanted "Peaceful Protest" anda group ended their march by yelling 'I don't see a riot". Today's organizers have big advantages their 60s predecessors did not, the experiences good and bad of the 60s protests and those in the half-century since. And with social media, you can go viral from anywhere, you don't have to be in New York City or Los Angeles. And most people being home because of the pandemic is a big help also.


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Brictoria
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17 Jun 2020, 9:24 pm

With regards to the protests in unexpected locations, is there a break-down of size/number of protests in "Democrat" (reportedly friendly to "PoC") areas as opposed to those in "Republican" (Reportedly hostile to "PoC") areas?

My understanding has been they the protests (with associated riots) have been predominantly in areas where, based on political affiliation/results, it would have been expected that race relations were most harmonious, rather than those where there is supposed to be a "dislike" between different racial groups which would be expected to lead to protests.



ASPartOfMe
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18 Jun 2020, 4:27 am

Brictoria wrote:
With regards to the protests in unexpected locations, is there a break-down of size/number of protests in "Democrat" (reportedly friendly to "PoC") areas as opposed to those in "Republican" (Reportedly hostile to "PoC") areas?

My understanding has been they the protests (with associated riots) have been predominantly in areas where, based on political affiliation/results, it would have been expected that race relations were most harmonious, rather than those where there is supposed to be a "dislike" between different racial groups which would be expected to lead to protests.

It is surprising based on the racial composition and conservative lifestyles of the areas of Long Island where these protests have occurred. The biggest demonstrations have been in reaction to conservative heckling. In Merrick, a small group of protesters was met by a small group of residents telling them to go back to where they came from. A video of that incident went viral and that locale has seen daily protests since including the largest on Long Island so far.


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18 Jun 2020, 5:11 am

ASPartOfMe wrote:
Brictoria wrote:
With regards to the protests in unexpected locations, is there a break-down of size/number of protests in "Democrat" (reportedly friendly to "PoC") areas as opposed to those in "Republican" (Reportedly hostile to "PoC") areas?

My understanding has been they the protests (with associated riots) have been predominantly in areas where, based on political affiliation/results, it would have been expected that race relations were most harmonious, rather than those where there is supposed to be a "dislike" between different racial groups which would be expected to lead to protests.

It is surprising based on the racial composition and conservative lifestyles of the areas of Long Island where these protests have occurred. The biggest demonstrations have been in reaction to conservative heckling. In Merrick, a small group of protesters was met by a small group of residents telling them to go back to where they came from. A video of that incident went viral and that locale has seen daily protests since including the largest on Long Island so far.


Out of curiosity: Was it because of the race of the protesters, or because the locals didn't want to take risks with the current health situation through having people from outside the region potentially bringing in the virus to their area? (facts please, no assumptions/beliefs masquerading as the "reason".)

On a related note, my "dark humour" side is finding it somewhat fitting that people out protesting recently with the "I can't breathe" slogan are coming down with this virus, and so potentially experiencing what they were previously "claiming"...Being that, for the most part, these people were likely to have been against reopening\loosening restrictions in the first place, yet still went ahead and gathered in a large group against recommendations.



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18 Jun 2020, 6:12 am

Brictoria wrote:
With regards to the protests in unexpected locations, is there a break-down of size/number of protests in "Democrat" (reportedly friendly to "PoC") areas as opposed to those in "Republican" (Reportedly hostile to "PoC") areas?

My understanding has been they the protests (with associated riots) have been predominantly in areas where, based on political affiliation/results, it would have been expected that race relations were most harmonious, rather than those where there is supposed to be a "dislike" between different racial groups which would be expected to lead to protests.


The biggest racial problems are in the Democratic states and cities. That is a big question mark as to why. Seattle of all places got taken over, and the police kicked out, because Seattle is extremely racist. New York City has all the protests, because NYC is a racist stronghold. Atlanta, a big Democratic stronghold, lots of protests. It seems the minute you vote Democrats into office, racism occurs as a result. Cause and effect.

It may be a good idea to disband the police in those racist areas, like New York, Minnesota, Washington, Oregon, California. Then conduct studies to see what the results are. Other areas such as South Carolina, Alabama etc. don't seem ready to engage in this experiment quite yet, so if we gather results from say, California, it would be helpful to persuade others.


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ASPartOfMe
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18 Jun 2020, 5:57 pm

Brictoria wrote:
Out of curiosity: Was it because of the race of the protesters, or because the locals didn't want to take risks with the current health situation through having people from outside the region potentially bringing in the virus to their area? (facts please, no assumptions/beliefs masquerading as the "reason".)


Nassau Residents Block Peaceful Protesters From Entering Community
Quote:
A group of Nassau County residents blocked George Floyd protesters from marching through their neighborhood on Tuesday after a social media post sparked fears of looting and riots.

Video taken by News 12 reporter Shari Einhorn shows Merrick residents pointing and shouting at the protesters saying they were not going to allow them to come into the community.

Few can be heard shouting “Go west” – apparently directing them towards more diverse communities to the west on Merrick Road, which the protesters were marching along.

People on Twitter expressed outrage over the anti-protesters antagonizing a peaceful demonstration.

“Utterly disgusted by members of my community. A Black Lives Matter protest in Merrick was met with anti-protesters, many wearing American flags and shouting "F--- you" to those peacefully protesting. Blatant racism displayed in a community that is 92.12% White,” one user posted.

One supporter wrote: “How racist and priveleged (sic) do you have to be to protest against protestors who are against racism?!?!?!”

“A total disgrace. When they say ‘go west’ they mean go back to Hempstead, Malverne, Roosevelt… the predominantly black communities,” Billy Baldwin explained on his Twitter. “In the face of what has happened in this country over the past week… this level of ignorance, intolerance & blatant racism is shocking.”

Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder explains the community members were frightened by a threat they saw circulating on social media. However, he says the threat was not credible.

The Nassau County police commissioner says the false threat was posted to create division within the community.

Ryder said the police had received several reports over the last 24 hours about yellow crosses being painted on different objects throughout Nassau County that several posts on social media claimed were being used to identify locations where protesters should leave bricks and other items to commit acts of criminal mischief during protests.

In an advisory to residents, Ryder said, "Current investigations have found that the yellow crosses and the words 'Jesus Christ Is God' have been observed for over a month and have nothing to do with the current protests occurring throughout Nassau County and the Country."

Nassau County Executive Laura Curran issued a statement about the social media posts saying, "Although demonstrations on Long Island have remained peaceful, we continue to see concerning rumors circulate online threatening violence or looting in Nassau County. We take these threats very seriously. We want to assure residents that Nassau County PD is taking every precaution necessary to keep residents safe - including those peacefully demonstrating tonight. The dedicated men and women of Nassau County PD have sworn an oath to serve and protect all residents, and that is exactly what they will continue to do."

Nassau County police blocked the protesters from entering Merrick, saying it was over safety issues. News 12 reports they were allowed to walk about four blocks in before being directed out of the neighborhood.




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18 Jun 2020, 6:21 pm

The reason these protests/riots/rebellions, whatever you call them, don’t occur as often in more conservative areas is because people are afraid that the cops will unleash the same brutality the protesters are trying to stop.

They fear it will be 1950s-1960s Birmingham all over again. While I think most cops aren’t “bastards”, there are still quite a few with a Bull Connor-esque mentality.


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19 Jun 2020, 4:03 am

Tim_Tex wrote:
The reason these protests/riots/rebellions, whatever you call them, don’t occur as often in more conservative areas is because people are afraid that the cops will unleash the same brutality the protesters are trying to stop.

They fear it will be 1950s-1960s Birmingham all over again. While I think most cops aren’t “bastards”, there are still quite a few with a Bull Connor-esque mentality.


That could be, all I know is where I live that does not seem to be the case, cops like that get nipped in the bud--fired. Strong leadership at the top makes a difference, leadership that won't turn a blind eye to problem behavior.

I think a lot of folks are prejudging the police based on their experiences-- a traffic stop or drug bust. Unfortunately police enforce unpopular laws, such as speeding, marijuana. Police will never win a popularity contest with someone that just got a $200 ticket for going 15 mph over the speed limit.

Police in my town have an open door. You can sign up for a class and learn what the police do, ride along in the cruiser and see them in action. Get to know police. I wonder how many of the protesters have ever done that? Even know what police do? Seems to me that would be a basic prerequisite, try to get to know the police before you go off and judge them. They are not a monolith, but individual human beings.

All of the police I have ever known just want to get home to their families. Alive. They get injured and killed on the job, I wonder how many of the protesters work in jobs where that is true?


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19 Jun 2020, 4:13 am

Gentleman Argentum wrote:
I think a lot of folks are prejudging the police based on their experiences-- a traffic stop or drug bust. Unfortunately police enforce unpopular laws, such as speeding, marijuana. Police will never win a popularity contest with someone that just got a $200 ticket for going 15 mph over the speed limit.


Sadly, it seems to be human nature to focus on (and remember) negative situations.

I figure that if I ever get caught inadvertantly doing something that results in a ticket, it would make up for any\all times I have done the same without being caught. It's not their fault I did what I did at the time they were there, though prevention (complying with the law) is certainly preferable to the "cure" (penalty\fine).

I'd guess a lot of the people with bad experiences have entered the circumstances in a combative\defensive manner, rather than a friendly\conciliatory one, which would impact how the encouter would proceed as most people (yes, police are people) will react better to a "friendly" interaction with another person than an adversarial one.



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19 Jun 2020, 9:47 am

There was a protest in the city near me.It’s a small city of around 12,000.I was glad to hear of it since the grand wizard lives nearby.Bet his robes got all in a twist. :twisted:
Last Friday I went into my small town to take papers to a relative at the jail.The jailer told me to come back later since something was going on at the courthouse.While leaving I noticed an unusual amount of cops on the square and up at the grocery store there were four state troopers.Really odd.In the store there was a cop checking out so I asked him what was going on.
He said there was going to be a protest at the square so I headed right to it.
It was small,maybe 40 people.It was possibly to social distance and I had my mask on.It was very peaceful.One of the protestors tripped and fell with her baby and one of the cops helped her up.There was a police dog and it was extra friendly and I got to pet it.We took the knee for eight minutes and some odd seconds.
It lasted an hour and we all went home.
The only weirdness was one man across the street holding a machine gun.I was glad one of the cops stayed near him.He positioned himself right in front of the Christian bookstore because if we broke bad and started to riot obviously that would be the first place we’d loot.Just can’t have enough bibles and religious tracts. :roll:
I didn’t have a sign, but just by chance I had my Cesar E Chavez shirt on that reads,
“Once social change begins,
it cannot be reversed.
You cannot un-educate the person who has learned to read.
You cannot humiliate the person who feels pride.
You cannot oppress the people who are not afraid any more.”


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19 Jun 2020, 11:18 am

Most Every Human Potential Problem Is Exacerbated
Where Population Stresses Occur. i Am So Glad, i went the
More Difficult 'Money Route' of Staying Put in A Sleepy Little Town;
No Matter How 'Red, 'Orange' and Ignorant And Backwoods' It is From Modern
Ways of Intelligent Thinking; The Fact is, 'These Folks' Do Love 'Their Own Kind'.
And the Result of that for Whatever Reason, Makes A Very Safe Environment to choose
One'S Own Flavor of Freedom Within the Still Fruitful Environment to Pursue Unique Individual Freedoms.
Thing is, No Matter Where You Live; Free Is What You Work for Tailored to Your Soul; and No one else's Soul.
And it's true; It Just Human Nature; You have to find someway to fit in Well Enough to Pursue Your Individual
Human Freedom;
The Reality Is as
Long as i look
Like a First
Baptist
Softball Player
Capable of Hitting
A Home Run; Relatively
Speaking, i can get away
with a 'Crazy' Dance In Terms
of Straying from the Norm Everywhere i go;
I had to fight for that Freedom of Joy; And i earned every ounce of it.

Others do the Same; No matter Where they come from or what they Look Like too.

Whatever it takes to be Free; Takes Enormous Work; But is Worth it; For me one of
the Sacrifices was to Stay Put; Change what i Will and accept the Rest; i See Many
More Disadvantages of Living in Areas suffering From Population Stresses; (the Homeless on the street).

The Socio-Economic Problems are what is also reflected very much in all 'these protests'; the straw that
Motivated the Camel to Move through the eye of the Needle and Truly Fight for Freedom; That's what it takes.

So Many Choices;
So Many Decisions;
Many Advantages And Privileges;
Many That We Create Or Do Not For Our Freedom;
For those who come from 'Nothing'; They Appreciate the 'Meal they Make' Most;
It's the way Animal Nature Works; Rewards Most that come as Intermittent Gratification;

The Meek Do Inherit Happiness this way Most.

Pleasure From Pain; Light From Dark; All that Real
Philosophical Jazz that Hits the Paths of Reality Now.

There is always gonna be someone who tries to S88T on You;
You Get Clever enough to avoid it; With Enough Authentic Living; Where folks can't bring you down.

Ya Gotta Get Smart to Make it in life; Gotta have Sails and Anchors too; to Keep the Boat Afloat in Storms.

Things are still, Overall, Relatively Speaking Okay in 'Mayberry'....
But of course i make my own way more than i was born With
As those who Make their Life True Successes Naturally Will, Freely.

Here Where i Live, Folks Peacefully Protest Singing together Black And
White and All the Other Colors of Humanity too; there is enough easement for that here.


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20 Jun 2020, 8:53 am

Brictoria wrote:
Sadly, it seems to be human nature to focus on (and remember) negative situations.

I figure that if I ever get caught inadvertantly doing something that results in a ticket, it would make up for any\all times I have done the same without being caught. It's not their fault I did what I did at the time they were there, though prevention (complying with the law) is certainly preferable to the "cure" (penalty\fine).

I'd guess a lot of the people with bad experiences have entered the circumstances in a combative\defensive manner, rather than a friendly\conciliatory one, which would impact how the encouter would proceed as most people (yes, police are people) will react better to a "friendly" interaction with another person than an adversarial one.


I know I've been in mindset where I hate the police. I mean really hate them. I did not even know any police and had very little interaction with them other than a traffic ticket. But tickets have skyrocketed over the past couple decades, what used to be $30 or $40 will now run you $200 or $500. It is because towns try to get their revenue from tickets, because they view it as a way to tax outsiders and passers-thru. A lot of small towns have a speed limit of 15 mph, that is a joke and obviously just a way to write tickets. Honestly any speed limit under is 30 mph is a joke to me. I obey it but it is insane.

However I changed my mind after getting to know what the police deal with. It is NOT a job I would want to do.Now I am a supporter of police. It is some laws need to change, that is all.


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20 Jun 2020, 9:01 am

Misslizard wrote:
There was a protest in the city near me.It’s a small city of around 12,000.I was glad to hear of it since the grand wizard lives nearby.Bet his robes got all in a twist. :twisted:
Last Friday I went into my small town to take papers to a relative at the jail.The jailer told me to come back later since something was going on at the courthouse.While leaving I noticed an unusual amount of cops on the square and up at the grocery store there were four state troopers.Really odd.In the store there was a cop checking out so I asked him what was going on.
He said there was going to be a protest at the square so I headed right to it.
It was small,maybe 40 people.It was possibly to social distance and I had my mask on.It was very peaceful.One of the protestors tripped and fell with her baby and one of the cops helped her up.There was a police dog and it was extra friendly and I got to pet it.We took the knee for eight minutes and some odd seconds.
It lasted an hour and we all went home.
The only weirdness was one man across the street holding a machine gun.I was glad one of the cops stayed near him.He positioned himself right in front of the Christian bookstore because if we broke bad and started to riot obviously that would be the first place we’d loot.Just can’t have enough bibles and religious tracts. :roll:
I didn’t have a sign, but just by chance I had my Cesar E Chavez shirt on that reads,
“Once social change begins,
it cannot be reversed.
You cannot un-educate the person who has learned to read.
You cannot humiliate the person who feels pride.
You cannot oppress the people who are not afraid any more.”


I hate that black folks have gotten killed by interaction with police. Hate it. When police do wrong, then yes there should be consequences, that is one positive change brought about by this whole situation.

However--I think society needs to get real and wrap its head around the reality that yes, police will do wrong, because they are human beings, and this is a country of 300 million. A lot of people ride around with loaded guns, so our police must also be armed. We have a crazy, messed-up culture where rap music exalts the murderer, the gunman, the shooter. People think it is "cool" to have a loaded gun, it makes them a "man".

Every once in a while, somebody with a badge is going to make a mistake. That does not mean, oh, police are racist. No, it means they are in a dangerous occupation dealing with a lot of bad people, and sometimes one individual fails to make the right call.

Whether a so-called "bad cop" should be dealt with harshly (i.e. life in prison etc.) depends on the circumstances, however I think the judge must take into consideration if he was acting in the line of duty. It does not excuse the act but does mitigate it, I don't know how much, it depends on the circumstances.


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