This is Black Lives Matter the slogan and Black Lives Matter the organization.
“Black Lives Matter” as a message is NOT something anyone disagrees with. Injustice is evil and, while there are flaws in the justice system, by and large, millions of police interactions are just, non-violent and protect the public.
The horrible death of George Floyd sparked an outcry and fueled the marxist elements of the Black Lives Matter organization, leading to violent outbursts, ripping down of statues, vandalizing public property, the formation of “autonomous zones,” racist attacks across the nation…so we ask: who are the protesters and what to they want?
BLACK LIVES MATTER: ABOUT US
The organization has an extensive page on “What We Believe” which lists the history from Trayvon Martin to Michael Brown to now. Focusing on injustice and racism is part of that universal message and slogan, but the “state-sanctioned violence” and globalist language aligns more with marxism and socialism that anything resembling freedom and liberty.
Moreover, the group seeks to “do the work required to dismantle cisgender privilege and uplift Black trans folk, especially Black trans women who continue to be disproportionately impacted by trans-antagonistic violence….Build a space that affirms Black women and is free from sexism, misogyny, and environments in which men are centered.”
So this isn’t about criminal reform, even defunding the police, it’s about a wide range of far-left ideologies.
They propound anti-family messaging: “…disrupt the Western-prescribed nuclear family structure requirement by supporting each other as extended families and ‘villages’ that collectively care for one another, especially our children, to the degree that mothers, parents, and children are comfortable.”
Citing statistics on black families with one parent seems moot at this point (Google Dr. Walt Williams and those keywords to expand your horizons on the topic) because they seem more interested in virtue signalling to the LGBTQ community by “freeing ourselves from the tight grip of heteronormative thinking.”
Tampa Bay Community Action Committee (TBCAC)
So of the biggest organizers in the Tampa area is the Tampa Bay Community Action Committee (TBCAC), self-described as a”grassroots organization, formed after the murder of George Floyd, dedicated to fighting for justice and progressive change in Tampa.”
Over the last couple of days, here’s their message: “Protesting is not a crime, drop the charges now!” and “TPD kills while on patrol, what do we want? Community control!”
They are attempting to pressure Attorney General Andrew Warren to drop more charges against protesters, even those committing felonies and resisting arrest. Conflating protesting with blocking traffic and vandalizing statues is commonplace to BLM in 2020.
“Warren has only dismissed the cases from the night of June 2, where peaceful demonstrators were corralled, tear gassed, pepper sprayed, shot by rubber bullets, and finally arrested,” said David Jones, a member of TBCAC. “While it is definitely a win that those charges were dropped, we have to fight for the numerous other protesters whose cases have not been dismissed.”
WHAT DO THEY WANT?
It’s clear that nothing is universal and seem folks may be seeking elements of reform and change, but these protests want some control….control of the police.
“TBCAC was also demanding the creation of a civilian police accountability council, a locally elected board of citizens who would have the power to subpoena evidence from departments, hire and fire officers, negotiate the police union contract, approve or deny the department’s budget, and investigate cases of police misconduct. Much of these functions are currently done internally in police departments.”
“This movement will not stop until change happens,” another member of TBCAC stated in the coverage from the last couple of days. “We will do sit-ins at town hall, marches in downtown and protests all over until the charges are dropped and justice is won.”
Protesters’ bail is being paid for by Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) using GoFundMe (which has raised over $70,000 at the time of this writing)
So what is SDS fighting for?
“On July 2, students gathered at the gates of the on-campus residence for the president of the University of South Florida (USF) to demand that the university take measures to increase Black enrollment,” a new article begins. “Over the past 10 years, the percentage of Black students at the university has been on a steady decline, from a high of 12% a decade ago to the most recent report of 10%. But even the highest percentage is much lower than the demographics of the Tampa Bay area, in which Black people comprise nearly a quarter of the population.
“Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) led the crowd in chants calling for an increase in Black enrollment, as well as Black faculty and counselors. Tampa Bay SDS also drew attention to the fact that they have been met with pushback from administrators in the past when voicing these demands, with representatives of the university implying that an increase in Black enrollment would negatively affect the school’s graduation rates.