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I had the opportunity to march alongside thousands of Americans this weekend to peacefully demand change at the Black Lives Matter demonstration in Washington, D.C. It was inspiring to see so many people from diverse backgrounds united on an issue that speaks to the heart of our national character—that all are entitled to equal treatment under the law. Change will require more accountability in law enforcement, as an arm of government, to reduce abuse. This may include adjustments to training, personnel, and culture, so that we return to the stated mission of the police to "serve and protect” our communities. This isn't a political cause; it's an American cause. When we stand for the rights of others, we protect our own as well. Liberty and justice cannot exist in a vacuum for some Americans and not for others. —Evan McMullin
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1. Protests gain traction around the world
As Americans gathered in Washington, D.C., and cities around the country over the weekend to demand equal rights for African Americans, the rest of the world joined in. From Italy to Belgium to the UK, demonstrators chanted, "No justice! No peace!" along with their counterparts in the U.S. Statues of slavetraders and Confederate soldiers were torn down, and moments of silence were held in memory of George Floyd, the Minneapolis man whose death at the hands of police on May 25 sparked the international reaction. —Reuters
- — Romney marches, Barr demurs. Sen. Mitt Romney joined in the D.C. march yesterday, while Attorney General Bill Barr took a different, though not unexpected, stance. "I don't think that the law enforcement system is systemically racist," Barr told interviewer Margaret Brennan on CBS' "Face the Nation." He also defended police use of force to clear largely peaceful protests in Lafayette Square last week. —Forbes
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- — Minneapolis disagrees. Nine Minneapolis City Council members told a crowd yesterday that they will "begin the process of ending the Minneapolis Police Department." Reading from a prepared statement, they said, "We're committed to engaging with every willing community member in the City of Minneapolis over the next year to identify what safety looks like for you."
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- — Chauvin ruled a flight risk. Unconditional bail for former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who has been charged in the murder of Floyd, was raised to $1.25 million today. Chauvin made his first court appearance by video feed, handcuffed in an orange jumpsuit sitting at a small conference room table. He did not enter a plea. —Star Tribune
More: Two Buffalo police officers charged in shoving of 75-year-old demonstrator (The New York Times)
5. COVID-19 still rearing its ugly head
With so many people taking to the streets and chanting, singing, and coughing within close proximity, and police making more than 10,000 arrests, there is sure to be a coronavirus spike in the near future. But before we see protest-related cases around July, scientists were already starting to see an incline in cases in at least 14 states that began relaxing their stay-at-home orders. —WIRED
- — The lockdowns worked. Although the aggressive and unprecedented shutdown orders experienced nationwide for the last three months caused massive economic disruptions and job losses, the shutdown orders prevented an estimated 60 million coronavirus infections in the U.S., according to a research study published in the journal Nature. —The Washington Post
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- — The City that Never Sleeps is waking up. New York City plans to slowly reopen this week after being the U.S. epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic for three months, with more than 205,000 infected and 22,000 deaths. In the city's first phase of reopening, as many as 400,000 workers could begin returning to construction jobs, manufacturing sites, and retail stores. —The New York Times
— Taking it too far. The CDC has released survey data that revealed that roughly 200 adults have intentionally inhaled disinfectants, washed food with bleach, or applied household cleaning products to bare skin to combat the virus. The CDC plans to collect more data to understand some Americans' lack of knowledge when handling household cleaners. —Axios
More: Putin's global ambitions are upended by coronavirus' heavy toll in Russia (The Wall Street Journal)
If Derek Chauvin were a Minneapolis police officer in the 1970s, when Mary Tyler Moore tossed her tam o'shanter into the air in the iconic opening to her TV program, would he have wrestled her to the ground for littering? Perhaps not. But what if Oprah Winfrey did it? —Jim V., New York
As people are protesting the actions of a few officers, others are showing there are more than "just a few bad apples." People are shoved and fall, cops say they tripped. Among other things.
In D.C., Australian reporters are hit and attacked by the police; hit with shields and a club. The police report of the incident is total BS. How do I know? My eyes. There's video of the entire encounter. And I read what the police reported.
In Buffalo, a 75-year-old white man is talking to an officer, and it looks cordial. Another officer walks by and shoves the man. The man falls, bleeding from his head, not moving. One cop starts to help the man and another cop pulls him away. He's in the hospital in serious condition. The police report is a lie. How do I know? I watched the entire encounter caught on video and read what the police said about the incident.
"Just a few bad apples." I hope they (I'm a supporter of GOOD police) go to prison. Being fired is too good for them. But what kind of people are on these forces that do such things when people are protesting against it, and then the other cops say and do nothing? —Bill T., Arizona
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