Opinion — Racial Bias in Protests
Law Enforcement in LA County have shown a clear racial bias towards protesters of color. Police demonize Black Lives Matter protests while they let violent Trump supporters fistfight in the streets in front of Los Angeles City Hall.
Law enforcement needs to show equal treatment to protesters, no matter their skin color.
As the Black Lives Matter celebration of the defeat of LA District Attorney Jackie Lacey, the police presence was strong despite the event being peaceful demonstration. Law enforcement blocked roads and sidewalks, and remained on high alert as the demonstration took place.
Black Lives Matter served hot dogs, snacks, and merchandise at the event. Despite the clear signs the event was peaceful, law enforcement stayed on high alert.
Police kept stayed very close to the event in case it turned violent.
On Jan. 20, a handful of BLM members peacefully protested in front of LA City Hall. For this reason, law enforcement felt the need to ride down the peaceful protest on horseback.
These protesters did not vandalize property, or harm anyone, but police rode them down.
However, at the majority-white Trump protest on Jan. 6 in front of LA City Hall, police stayed very far away from the scene. Units waited down the block, unlike at the BLM celebration where they were stationed at every coroner.
Law enforcement watch the Trump protest unfold as protesters refused to wear masks, breaking coronavirus restrictions.
Even as Trump protesters openly broke the law, police refused to intervene.
During the early hours of the protest, several fights broke out between protesters. Law enforcement did not arrest the early fights, choosing to instead break them up and push them back to the front of LA city hall.
When the Trump supporters used mace and pepper spray on counter BLM protesters, police watched from across the street as the violence took place.
Trump supporters then migrated to the other side of the street and continued to protest there, again macing BLM protesters.
Police did nothing but watch.
Law enforcement waited until noon to declare the event an unlawful assembly and made arrests. By this time several people were bruised in fistfights, maced, and bleeding.
If this was a Black Lives Matter protest, the police would have broken the event up after the first fistfight. They would not have let the protest spread across the street or watch as people were maced and beaten.
LAPD has shown they have a clear racial bias toward minority protesters. They need to treat minority protesters as equals and recognize their constitutional right to peacefully protest, only intervening when the demonstration turns violent.
