By: Waqar-ul-Malik Makhdoom
Where the entire world is dealing with an epidemic, the hegemonic state of the globe is in an internal uprising. The eruption of the public outrage lighted when George Floyd an African American man was viciously killed by police in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The murder of this man has ignited demonstrations in major cities of the USA. Hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets to demur against racism and police brutality. The country is on fire in every direction. Even the demonstrators have clashed with the National Guard in front of the White House and the president of the world’s most powerful state needed to take shelter in a bunker.
he uprising against state brutality has also been a part of US politics, from the civil rights movement to Ferguson, Missouri, to today.
It is not the first time in the US, many such pitiless and racial incidents have occurred before. Every year in the US, large numbers of people are killed by the police and the African Americans are three times more probable to be shot than whites. African Americans who are victimized by police are more likely to be unarmed and are not linked with any serious violation. In spite of that these people often targeted by police forces.
Historically there are plenty of examples of police brutality that triggered the nationwide uproars, for instance in 1992 Rodney King a black American construction worker had faced the brutality of Los Angeles police which triggered the series of tumults and civil riots in the country. During these riots, various offenses have occurred such as looting, murders, and arsons. It costs 63 people’s lives and over 1$ billion property damage. Similarly, in 2014, Michael Brown an 18-year-old black guy was shot by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri. This fatal shooting has sparked civil unrest in the US.
The above-mentioned events have shown that in American history black people continually have been suppressed at the hands of the state or the white supremacy. The uprising against state brutality has also been a part of US politics, from the civil rights movement to Ferguson, Missouri, to today. The contemporary uproars are just the newest chapter in that story.
However, today’s demonstrations are clutching the country at a moment when a pandemic has already created turmoil. The country is experiencing a high rate of unemployment, income disparity, and political dichotomization that are leading the country towards cleavage. In these circumstances, the President of the US has deployed the military in cities to stop the rioting instead of addressing deep inequalities in society. This could make things even worse. Now it is a time to curb racial and ethnic inequalities that are rooted in American society. It is an inherent societal mess and the country’s system is in urgent need of reformations to obtain fair and equal treatment for the citizens. If the rage and frustration of racial oppression could not be restrained the consequences will be far beyond.
The writer is a student of Department of International Relations, University of Sindh, Jamshoro. He can be reached on [email protected]
