There has been a serious crisis in United States since the killing brutally by police African-American George Floyd in Minnesota on 25 May this year. Since then two weeks of protests rocked the United States. President Donald Trump has no other option but to assign military police to control the crisis.
Protests in fact concern about defunding police while President Trump against defunding police. There is another demonstration which was led by Mitt Romney, Senator of Republican party along with 1000 evangelical protestants to march towards the White House on 8 June. That breaks the policy of Republican Party indeed while five star General and former Secretary of State Mr. Colin Powell criticized the President by saying that he drifted away from the constitution and endorsed democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden for President of the United States in the election in November this year.
On the other hand, Democratic lawmakers in the House of Representatives headed by Speaker Nancy Pelosi proposed radical changes in the criminal law, apart from banning Chokeholds.
Joe Biden, prospective presidential candidate of the Democratic Party went to Minnesota on 8 June to meet members of George Floyd to express sympathy. Meanwhile, the final memorial took place at Houston in Texas, hometown of George Floyd on 9 June by black caucus of Democratic Party in the House of representatives. Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden’s prerecorded message played at the ceremony to bid final farewell to George Floyd. The fact remains that George Floyd becomes an icon of repression in the United States.
Activists and lawmakers are in fact pushing for reform in law enforcement since people in the United States are demonstrating for change in policing or defund police organization while Mayor of New York city Bill de Blasio promised to cut unspecified amount in the budget from country’s largest police network and invest the money to youth and social service as well. On 12 June the Governor of New York signed a series of legislation. That makes officers more accountable and criticizes chokeholds and other controversial restraints.
Governor signed an executive order making state funding to police contingent on New York agencies developing plans by April1 to be executed into law after consultation with the community to reinvest and modernize police strategies, including use of force guidelines. Although the bills vehemently opposed by a coalition law enforcement union. As thousands continue to mourn killing George Floyd, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi proposed structural change in policing but President Donald Trump is reported to have expressed 99percent of police officers are great. At a round table conference with police officers at the White House on 8 June President is reported to have expressed that we do not dismantle our police departments and our Police 99 percent great people. Attendees were Steven R. Casstevens, President of International Association of Chiefs of Police and Patrick Yoes, National President of the Federation order of Police after Democratic party unveiled a large police reforms package. Interesting part of the story is that the majority of police officers are white in 15 large cities of the United States.
As of now demonstration against police brutality continues till 12 June in the United states. It seems there is no respite. In fact, police brutality is rooted in systematic racism and oppression of black people and people of color.
While man made wide protests against repressive police action in the United States the country in fact tops 2 million deaths as a result of coronavirus surges in 26 states by now. While coronavirus is still prevalent in the United states Doctor Anthony Fauci, Director of National Institute of allergy and infectious diseases holds the view that the coronavirus pandemic is a nightmare and is not over yet.
(Mohammad Amjad Hossain, retired Bangladesh diplomat and former President of Nova Toastmaster International club of America, writes from Virginia)
