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Of: TT
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Photo: Noah Berger / AP / TT
A Black Lives Stuff Show in Portland in July. Stock Photography.
Almost every demonstration this summer in the United States about the importance of black lives ended without serious injury to people and property, the independent organization Acled said in a report.
The conclusion certainly does not fit well with the media image many have of protests against US police violence.
Not least, President Donald Trump and the far-right media have launched the message that the United States has been invaded by “violent left-wing demonstrations” and “domestic terrorists.”
Acled, in collaboration with Princeton University, has documented 7,750 demonstrations between May and the end of August. They were organized by the Black Lives Matter Movement in over 2000 locations.
Strong answers
– There were some violent demonstrations, but if you look at all the detainees, it was overwhelmingly peaceful, says research director Roudabeh Kishi of Acled to The Guardian.
More than 93 percent of the demonstrations examined did not cause serious injuries or property damage, according to Acled.
But the US government has responded with harsh measures and has used force “most of the time,” the organization says. These are tear gas, rubber bullets, pepper spray, and batons.
Car attacks
Acled also sees a worrying trend of increased violence and intimidation from other actors targeting the demonstrations.
Gunmen showed up at least 50 demonstrations this summer, according to the report that continues:
“Individual perpetrators, sometimes linked to hate groups such as the KKK (far-right Ku Klux Klan), have carried out dozens of car attacks at demonstrations across the country.”
New US Crisis Point
Acled is believed to have provided reliable information on, for example, the death toll in war-torn Yemen, civilian casualties from African regimes, and conflict violence against women.
This year, Acled launched a new project, a crisis monitoring of the United States, arguing that there is a “greater risk of political violence and instability before the 2020 general election.”
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