I get that 7 minutes is a long ass video on the internet nowadays so I'll forgive you for skimming through the video... But it goes quite a bit beyond some people who just happen to be white (like come on, seriously? You?)

You're right though, it very well could be BLM supporters, who happen to not know each other but came equipped with fire starting material, who talk to each other briefly, but arrived and left separately, burned down a decommissioned police car that was left parked in the middle of the street.

ORRRRRRRRRRRRRR

It could be that there's some people who want to instigate and provoke, and cause more violence to detract from the peaceful protests.

I don't claim to know the truth, but I definitely believe what's more likely, in my personal opinion.

A counter 'opinion'. Violent protesters are not 'outside' agitators but they are ... local violent protesters.

Some U.S. officials are blaming outside agitators for unrest. That tactic has a long history, experts say

From cbc - https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/protes...tors-1.5593978

Governor, president claimed, without evidence, that 80% of protesters in Minneapolis came from out of state.

"Our best estimate right now that I heard is about 20 per cent is what we think are Minnesotans and about 80 per cent are outside," said the state's governor, Tim Walz, at a press conference Saturday.

He didn't provide any proof. Similar assertions were made by the mayors of Minneapolis and St. Paul, though later St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter said that he was given inaccurate information about the provenance of the protesters.

U.S. President Donald Trump also echoed Walz's statement on Twitter Saturday.

"In a lot of communities, southern sheriffs and politicians would raise the spectre of outside agitators to deflect from the legitimate concerns of local activists," he said.

"The Communist Party, for example, is one of the favourite whipping boys of the southern segregationists who claimed that it was communist influences that were really stirring up civil rights protests."

Williams sees the same deflection happening now, as some public officials once again focus on outside agitators and blame them for the violence instead of addressing the concerns over racism voiced by the protesters.

I think there are anarchist groups that travel to these spots to cause mayhem. Not sure what their motive is, except to cause trouble? But I do agree that the cops have an incentive to making these protesters look bad and try to get their public on their side if there is excessive violence and looting.

From my own experience during the Stanley Cup riot in 2011, I remember seeing a group of young people (18-22yo?) gathered in an alley right after the game was finished, all wearing dark clothes with masks, hoodies and backpacks and were speaking in a different language other than English. They stuck out to me because none of them were wearing any Canucks or Bruins gear, whereas at least one person in any other group would wear something Canucks related.

Later on, I saw 2 girls, same M.O., start dragging out newspaper boxes onto the the middle of the street. I took a pic of the second one they did, but it definitely look like they were doing it in an organized manner. Again, this was before other people started to act stupid. Another 5 to 10 minutes after this pic was taken, they were successful and the rest was history

What? The police most definitely are encouraging the violence. Have you not seen the videos of police running people over in New York, physically abusing peaceful protesters on the streets in various cities here?

If you don't think that type of militaristic action from the police doesn't incite further violence, then you have your head in the sand.

This is why black people get so discouraged by white people. You have some people in this thread that would rather spend time complaining about the small portions of violence in these very much needed protests, meanwhile COMPLETELY ignoring the reason we're here in the first place.

It's unbelievable. Perhaps educate yourself on the police response to peaceful protests going back decades by the black community in the US, look at how the police are responding to these people today, some of these images are very much akin to the 1960's.

The hypocrisy in some of these arguments are laughable at best. The same people who claim "not all cops are bad, there's good one's too" will be the same to lambaste some vandals as indicative of all protesters.

These arguments always fall into the "left" vs "right" asinine paradigm.

What solutions are you offering here by arguing about the violence? Why not concentrate on what you'll do, or what you think should be done to fix this issue, maybe then we can address the rioting.

This will not end until there is some concrete change here.

Ben & Jerry's going hard

We Must Dismantle White Supremacy - Silence is NOT an option

All of us at Ben & Jerry’s are outraged about the murder of another Black person by Minneapolis police officers last week and the continued violent response by police against protestors. We have to speak out. We have to stand together with the victims of murder, marginalization, and repression because of their skin color, and with those who seek justice through protests across our country. We have to say his name: George Floyd.

George Floyd was a son, a brother, a father, and a friend. The police officer who put his knee on George Floyd’s neck and the police officers who stood by and watched didn’t just murder George Floyd, they stole him. They stole him from his family and his friends, his church and his community, and from his own future.

The murder of George Floyd was the result of inhumane police brutality that is perpetuated by a culture of white supremacy. What happened to George Floyd was not the result of a bad apple; it was the predictable consequence of a racist and prejudiced system and culture that has treated Black bodies as the enemy from the beginning. What happened to George Floyd in Minneapolis is the fruit borne of toxic seeds planted on the shores of our country in Jamestown in 1619, when the first enslaved men and women arrived on this continent. Floyd is the latest in a long list of names that stretches back to that time and that shore. Some of those names we know — Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Oscar Grant, Eric Garner, Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Emmett Till, Martin Luther King, Jr. — most we don’t.

The officers who murdered George Floyd, who stole him from those who loved him, must be brought to justice. At the same time, we must embark on the more complicated work of delivering justice for all the victims of state sponsored violence and racism.

Four years ago, we publicly stated our support for the Black Lives Matter movement. Today, we want to be even more clear about the urgent need to take concrete steps to dismantle white supremacy in all its forms. To do that, we are calling for four things:

First, we call upon President Trump, elected officials, and political parties to commit our nation to a formal process of healing and reconciliation. Instead of calling for the use of aggressive tactics on protestors, the President must take the first step by disavowing white supremacists and nationalist groups that overtly support him, and by not using his Twitter feed to promote and normalize their ideas and agendas. The world is watching America’s response.

Second, we call upon the Congress to pass H.R. 40, legislation that would create a commission to study the effects of slavery and discrimination from 1619 to the present and recommend appropriate remedies. We cannot move forward together as a nation until we begin to grapple with the sins of our past. Slavery, Jim Crow, and segregation were systems of legalized and monetized white supremacy for which generations of Black and Brown people paid an immeasurable price. That cost must be acknowledged and the privilege that accrued to some at the expense of others must be reckoned with and redressed.

Third, we support Floyd’s family’s call to create a national task force that would draft bipartisan legislation aimed at ending racial violence and increasing police accountability. We can’t continue to fund a criminal justice system that perpetuates mass incarceration while at the same time threatens the lives of a whole segment of the population.

And finally, we call on the Department of Justice to reinvigorate its Civil Rights Division as a staunch defender of the rights of Black and Brown people. The DOJ must also reinstate policies rolled back under the Trump Administration, such as consent decrees to curb police abuses.

Unless and until white America is willing to collectively acknowledge its privilege, take responsibility for its past and the impact it has on the present, and commit to creating a future steeped in justice, the list of names that George Floyd has been added to will never end. We have to use this moment to accelerate our nation's long journey towards justice and a more perfect union.

^They should make a flavor for George Floyd, call it "BLM" or something, make it heavily chocolate in flavor, I'll buy 20 pints :)

I think we have to draw a line somewhere.

You want to make a case for BLM, that's all fine and good. Looting and rioting, even resorting to violence is not.

There are people, who see this as an opportunity, be it to create social unrest or down to a dude trying to snatch some shit for free. They don't CARE about BLM. They just use it as an opportunity or excuse to gain something. Worse, they are blaming what's happening to them BECAUSE of Discrimination.

I am all in for racial equality and stop discrimination. I am Asian that grew up in a white dominant society in South America. Growing up, I've suffered my share of discrimination. But I am also taught to respect others and be a good citizen. If I told my parents that there's a chaos, let's go loot the stores as no one would come after my ass. My parents would have whoopped my shiny Asian ass until it's mashed in one piece.

These people should feel ashamed. They are taking advantage of an unfortunate event of other, so they can advance themselves in a certain way. All while making havoc in other's life. Have they thought about the people life who depends on working on those stores they rooted? Have they thought about the families of people who rely on the income of these businesses? What are they going to do now that they are out of work?FUCK THESE STUPID PEOPLE and I hope they burn in hell.

BLM is NOT an excuse to one's incompetence and life misery. I have many black friends who came from families with little to no resources and even fucked up ones. But all that didn't stop them to excel in their own life. The fucking difference is that they didn't take the easy way out and blame their skin as an excuse for their life. They work hard to prove that they can be BETTER, even to those with different skin colors.

#BlackLivesCANmatterWITHOUTVIOLENCE.

Please explain your solutions and what you mean by "concrete change".

resort to violence to be heard

"Family-owned pharmacy already hurting during COVID-19 hit by looters in SJ"

https://abc7news.com/looting-san-jos...today/6228349/

and a convenient store looted...let's target the immigrants, that'll show the police/government!

https://pbs.twimg.com/card_img/12675...pg&name=medium

https://www.gofundme.com/f/20ucq3292o

I've noticed on FB some people asking about which restaurants and stores are "black operated" so they can go eat and buy stuff in support.

https://scontent.fyvr3-1.fna.fbcdn.n...10&oe=5EFD4CAD
https://www.afrobiz.ca/Vancouver/res...t-hmZSHITYIRz0

Thoughts?

I support all local businesses equally.

Agree, if you like the restaurant and the food they make support them. I'm not going to go out my way to support a restaurant because the owner is of a certain ethnicity. Your food/service is good or it's not.

Same here. Something about supporting someone purely because of their ethnicity feels wrong. It evokes a negative feeling in my gut so I wouldn't do it.

collateral damage. The us military are experts in it.

Isn’t solving racism, just like sexism, about treating people equally? I totally get going out of your way to support the ‘underdog’ if you will. But patronizing an establishment on no other merit but race is not equality.

Edit: I’m born and raised in the GVRD with good parents that raised my family right. We’re very multicultural as is the GVRD as whole. I can’t put my mindset in the shoes of a white person in Iowa or Alberta/Saskatchewan etc that is extremely white-dominant. I’m not ignorant to how white people are in other places, but I just don’t see it here.

Maybe you should go eat from the Bannock food truck to do your part in reconciliation while you’re at it

I see that restaurant post akin to ‘affirmative action’ which absolutely has its place. No question that in companies in certain places or times some races would be picked over others purely on the colour of their skin. Something like affirmative action is a way to right past wrongs and I understand that.

But again, in my life experiences in the GVRD. With the friends I have, family I enjoy and businesses I work with/for I do not see racism. Practically everyone here has an equal chance. Maybe I’m shockingly ignorant, or just blind to the plight of the fellow citizens in the gvrd.

People can choose to patronize establishments on whatever merits they want. I think is more of an awareness thing No one is "stop going to restaurants owned by white people, go to restaurants owned by black people instead". They're saying "Just so you know, here are some restaurants owned by black people you may want to try and support".

If you want a more controversial discussion about what constitutes equality/inequalities, talk about affirmative action programs...

Right, I think a lot of people feel helpless right now, and want to do SOMETHING. I think they want to show support to Black Lives Matter in some way, and to them, supporting individuals financially is one way to do it.

Do it or don't do it, but it's kinda weird to be hyper critical about it, IMO. By consciously supporting black people in your community, it's not like you're saying you don't care about white people or chinese people... I think people are just trying to show compassion right now *shrug* (we need a shrug emote btw).

It's so weird to see compassion being criticized so much. Like criticizing a prime minister for pausing to think before answering a question, I feel like I wouldn't have seen this kind of thing 10 years ago, but maybe I'm wrong...

It also counters the racists who are probably purposefully NOT going to these places right now. Obviously that's not going to be a huge trend in Vancouver, but we all know that type of person exists.

Uh, yeah I did, literally the post above yours. I also addressed that I’m clearly sheltered and truly won’t understand the plight

#allrestaurantsmatter

A few positive things have already happened because of the protests.

1. A number of cops have been fired for misconduct.
2. A number of racist statues and buildings have\will be coming down.



https://www.usnews.com/news/us/artic...ciated%20Press

It's interesting how welfare's secondary account comes out in times like these.

Do you care, welfare? Do you actually care if I go down the list of items I'd like to see concrete change in, and addressed?

I won't even delve into the issues as a result of red-lining, the lack pf parity in the justice system when it comes to those that are white versus black, to the issues of income in-equality and the systemic Jim Crow laws that the US government has had in place to put these communities in the position they are in today. If I knew you cared, perhaps I would put together in essay discussing these topics.

Very simply to answer your question on the highest scale, accountability.

You know why we keep seeing these videos? You know why that officer was able to stone face look at bystanders watching him slowly kill a man? Lack of accountability, impunity, he knew that he would not be held accountable under normal circumstances.

I want to see officers punished to the full extent of the law in every scenario where this happens going forward.

The medical examiner that attempted to exonerate the force by fudging his assessment that George passed away due to a "pre-existing" condition. It took independent examiners to clearly prove that this was not the case. Even in such a high profile case such as this one, the law is still attempting to resort to their trickery and lies.

Do you know how often this occurs in cases? Too many to call here.

I've spoken about the DA's in Georgia that attempted to cover up the Arbery shooting.

To the prosecutors that throw black men in jail under false charges, or trumped up confessions, to the judges that sentence these men, there is rot in every facet of the system here.

So please clarify to me, what do you require me to expound on in terms of what I'd like to see change? In fact, let me pose you a question. Tell me specifically, what do you know about this very subject?