The riots are not about George Floyd
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These protests have become little more than a repulsive and patronizing exercise in virtue signalling.’
It is almost universally agreed that the death of George Floyd was unlawful and that the police officer responsible by kneeling on his throat is guilty. There is not a sufficient alternative explanation apart from the difficult reality of a failed public institution in the United States. The riots and violent protests that have erupted across America in the aftermath of the killing in Minneapolis illustrate exactly what happens when institutions break down and fail to function as they ought to.
This doesn’t mean the numerous episodes of rioting and looting are justified. The destruction of small businesses and livelihoods that are owned by black individuals by members of their own community is devastating to watch. The rioters are doing nothing more than selfishly exploiting the civil unrest for their own gain.
No matter how long and how excessively the riots continue in the United States, they will not bring George Floyd back from the grave; nor will a violent response to each series of police brutality do anything to bring about meaningful change. We cannot have civil liberties without the rule of law. Some individuals are all too willing to forget this fact. The ballot box is where you make your voice heard.
The British public, along with the global community, have been concerned about the spread of the coronavirus for weeks. Prudent individuals have acted accordingly to protest themselves and keep their families safe. But how prepared were they to guard against the rapid spread of angry protest and civil disobedience? I was horrified and dismayed to watch thousands participate in Black Lives Matter protests in London and Cardiff at the weekend. Not only were these protests an obvious example of flouting social distancing guidelines and an outrageous display of a public gathering with more than six people, they were an illegal gathering of individuals who throughout lockdown have barked at the rest of us and pointed the finger.
What is frustrating about those who are now protesting in Britain is their attitude towards the police and their blatant hypocrisy. I have no doubt that the protestors chanting Black Lives Matter in Trafalgar Square were the very same people who were their clapping their hands for the NHS and mouthing the slogan ‘Stay Home, Save Lives’. They are the neighbours who would grass you up to the police, and now have a black square on their social media. For them, the liberal cause has moved on. The trendy and popular thing to do now is boldly deciare your support for the black community, when ordinarily you wouldn’t care less.
These protests have become little more than a repulsive and patronizing exercise in virtue signalling. But the tone of such actions has shifted. The cries of ‘f*** the police’ indicate this is less to do with justice or solidarity for George Floyd and other black men like him, and instead is more to do with an anarchic rejection of the State and the legitimate institutions that are employed to keep the peace.
There is a very real chance we shall see rioting Britain this summer. The conditions for it are ripe: the days will be hot, and the people will be bored. The effects of lockdown will unfortunately mean some young people will be more enamoured than usual towards antisocial and criminal behaviour. We cannot say we were not warned.
If we are not careful, things will escalate and get very nasty, very quickly. There are ideological agitators out there who are waiting patiently to strike and exploit any civil unrest. What a way to win an election, or boost a victory after one, than taking a tough line and declaring war on the side of the public’s anger.
