Obama urges continued protests but condemns the violence and tells activists to channel their anger into 'peace' action and make George Floyd death a 'turning point for real change'
Former President Barack Obama has condemned the violence amid the nationwide protests over the death of George Floyd, urging activists to channel their anger into ‘peaceful, sustained, and effective action’ to help bring about real change.
Obama made the plea in an essay published to Medium on Monday, following a weekend filled with violence, vandalism and looting as demonstrations descended into chaos in dozens of cities all over the country.
‘Let's not excuse violence, or rationalize it, or participate in it,’ Obama wrote, declaring his support for those protesting peacefully. ‘If we want our criminal justice system, and American society at large, to operate on a higher ethical code, then we have to model that code ourselves.’
Obama added that the ‘point of protest is to raise public awareness, to put a spotlight on injustice, and to make the powers that be uncomfortable.’
Former President Barack Obama has condemned the violence amid the nationwide protests over the death of George Floyd, urging activists to channel their anger into ‘peaceful, sustained, and effective action’ to help bring about real change
Obama made the plea in an essay published to Medium on Monday, following a weekend filled with violence, vandalism and looting as demonstrations descended into chaos in dozens of cities all over the country
The former US President said the widespread nature of the demonstrations signifies the ‘genuine and legitimate frustration’ of the African American community over the ‘decades-long failure to reform police practices and the broader criminal justice system in the United States.’
However Obama, who worked as a community organizer in Chicago before running for elected office, stressed the need to ensure that the demonstrations were orchestrated in a peaceful manner.
'The overwhelming majority of participants have been peaceful, courageous, responsible, and inspiring. They deserve our respect and support, not condemnation, Obama wrote.
But he criticized the 'small minority of folks who’ve resorted to violence in various forms, whether out of genuine anger or mere opportunism,' for 'putting innocent people at risk, compounding the destruction of neighborhoods that are often already short on services and investment and detracting from the larger cause.'
Obama noted that protests have historically managed to bring about significant change in the US, and could do so again, though he argued another effective way to reform police departments is through the ballot box.
He advocated for increased civic participation in state and local elections, and encouraged activists to incept specific demands to hold leaders accountable who might otherwise 'offer lip service to the cause and then fall back into business as usual' after protests subside.
'Yes, we should be fighting to make sure that we have a president, a Congress, a US Justice Department, and a federal judiciary that actually recognize the ongoing, corrosive role that racism plays in our society and want to do something about it,' Obama wrote. 'But the elected officials who matter most in reforming police departments and the criminal justice system work at the state and local levels.'
Obama cited a report and toolkit developed by the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights as an outlet to aid such efforts.
He added: 'The bottom line is this: if we want to bring about real change, then the choice isn't between protest and politics. We have to do both. We have to mobilize to raise awareness, and we have to organize and cast our ballots to make sure that we elect candidates who will act on reform.'
The preliminary results of an autopsy on George Floyd have found he died from a combination of heart disease and potential intoxicants in his system that were exacerbated by the restraint placed on him by police officers not by strangulation or asphyxiation
Derek Chauvin, a 44-year-old white cop who has since been arrested, was seen in footage kneeling on Floyd's neck for eight minutes as the victim repeatedly said he could not breathe (incident pictured)
Obama's sentiments follow a statement he released last week calling for officials in Minneapolis to obtain justice for the Floyd family, as the killing of black men at the hands of police 'shouldn't be normal in 2020'.
The protests, which erupted in Minneapolis last week before spreading to the White House, New York City and to numerous other states across the weekend, have made Obama 'hopeful' amid the fear and uncertainty created by the coronavirus pandemic, he wrote.
'Watching the heightened activism of young people in recent weeks, of every race and every station, makes me hopeful,' Obama said. 'If, going forward, we can channel our justifiable anger into peaceful, sustained, and effective action, then this moment can be a real turning point in our nation’s long journey to live up to our highest ideals.'
Obama has long been vocal about the need for criminal justice reform in the US, commenting on the issue regularly during his eight-year tenure in the White House.
On Friday, he said that American citizens needed to 'create a "new normal" in which the legacy of bigotry and unequal treatment no longer infects our institutions or our hearts.'
Obama's comments mark a significant departure from his successor's, with President Trump calling protestors 'thugs' and threatening violence against looters, accusing them of 'dishonoring the memory of George Floyd'.
Trump on Sunday blamed left-wing extremist group ANTIFA for the protests turning violent, threatening to officially declare the group a terrorist organization - although his authority to deem a domestic group a terror organization remains unclear.
The protests, which erupted in Minneapolis last week before spreading to the White House, New York City and to numerous other states across the weekend, have made Obama 'hopeful' amid the fear and uncertainty created by the coronavirus pandemic
Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, died on Memorial Day as he was arrested by four police officers over allegedly trying to buy cigarettes with a counterfeit $20 bill.
He was seen in a video pleading that he couldn't breathe as white officer Derek Chauvin pressed his knee against his neck.
Floyd repeatedly asked for the officer to get off his neck but Chauvin remained. Chauvin is also heard saying that Floyd will be 'staying put where we got him'.
Video showed Floyd was unresponsive for the last 2 minutes and 53 seconds. He died minutes later in police custody. Chauvin was fired along with three other officers hours after the footage emerged.
A criminal complaint was filed against Chauvin Friday in which he was charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter.
In the days since, protests erupted in Minneapolis last week before spreading to the White House, New York City and to numerous other states across the weekend.
Though the protests began peacefully, the majority have since descended into chaos, becoming riots dominated by violence, vandalism and looting.
George Floyd’s younger brother, Terrence Floyd, appeared on Good Morning America on Monday, calling for the ‘destructive unity to end’.
George Floyd's younger brother, Terrence (pictured), has spoken out about the violent riots that have spread across several major US cities, calling for the 'destructive unity' to come to an end
A memorial mural for George Floyd is covered with flowers and banners laid in the memory of of the 46-year-old outside of Cup Foods in Minnesota
Terrence said his brother 'was about peace' and believes the violence happening during demonstrations is 'overshadowing' Floyd's memory.
Since last Thursday, authorities across the nation have arrested more than 4,100 people. At least three people have died since the protests began.
When asked what he thought about the violence at the protests, Terrence told GMA: 'I do feel like it's overshadowing what's going on. Like I said he [Floyd] was about peace. He was about unity. But the things that's transpiring now... they may call it unity but it's destructive unity.
'That's not what my brother was about,' Terrence added.
'It's OK to be angry, but channel your anger to do something positive or make a change another way because we've been down this road already,' Terrence told GMA.
'The anger, damaging your hometown is not the way he'd want,' he added.
Obama urges continued protests but condemns the violence and tells activists to channel their anger into 'peace' action and make George Floyd death a 'turning point for real change'
![Obama urges continued protests but condemns the violence and tells activists to channel their anger into 'peace' action and make George Floyd death a 'turning point for real change']()
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June 02, 2020
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