Black Lives Matter is an international activist movement founded in the United States because of violence against black people. It organizes protests, rallies, demonstrations after the cases of police brutality, killings, and racial discrimination. Despite the great intentions, the government’s attitude toward the demonstrators varies and is frequently hostile. Numerous questions surround the Trump administration and policies, as his secret police repeatedly contradict Black Lives Matter.
Protests have a lengthy history, but the death of George Floyd provoked an even more significant wave of public outrage. The incident was the last straw for members of the nation’s minorities. They have raised issues of racial inequality and police brutality since the deaths of Breonna Taylor, Ahmad Arbury, and Tony McDane in recent years (Gibbons, 2020). Nevertheless, Donald Trump’s stance on the issue is highly controversial. He has repeatedly called Black Lives Matter a hate slogan and has seen demonstrations as a threat. Trump believes that the movement supported individuals who spread violence in American cities (Gibbons, 2020). Therefore, federal forces used harsh measures on the grounds of protection of state property, which infuriated local authorities, who noted an increase in tensions in the region.
The secret police unit was created from the Border Patrol Service, the Marshals Service, the Federal Protective Service, and several other Department of Homeland Security units. In particular, such groups of enforcers were seen in Portland, Oregon, where they participated in the detention of protesters, acting without any identifying marks (Schrader, 2020). Initially, the primary purpose of such divisions was to protect federal buildings, but Trump has used them to “restore order.”
The terminology Trump operated is likewise intriguing, especially the interpretation of antifa (anti-fascists) and the attribution of responsibility for the riots. Trump has even stated that the U.S. will recognize the antifa movement as a terrorist group in the near future (Taylor, 2020). He blamed the activists of the movement for the ongoing actions related to the death of African-American George Floyd in police custody. Trump emphasized the swiftness of the police, who quickly suppressed the riots after the mobilization.
The former president has tried to reassure the public that the racial justice protests that are hunting the nation have a terrible message. He claims that antifa, the military leftist anarchist movement, uses the demonstrations to burn the country down. The only concern is that it is not a movement: the definition emerged in Germany and unites supporters of various political views (Taylor, 2020). While there is no doubt that antifa is present at some recent protests, there is no reason to believe it is responsible for the violence and anarchy. It is confirmed by internal FBI assessments and court documents related to the marches.
Therefore, this term is a contrived totem used to justify a violent “law and order” approach to genuinely legitimate demonstrations demanding racial justice. During the prosecution against antifa, Trump tried to cover up the violence that caused the protests in the first place. He has tried to hide the truth and the police brutality that took Floyd’s life, just as it endangered the lives of other black Americans. His authoritarian tactics are similar to those that existed before (Schrader, 2020). Even in the Cold War, failed operations led to widespread uprisings, which became the reason for violence from the state, and this chain of events has not changed.
In conclusion, it is essential to note that Trump is not the first president to use police forces in a non-human way. The topic of minorities has always been complex for the U.S., and despite democracy, discrimination still exists in the country. Numerous movements are fighting for the rights of people of color, and their intentions are obvious. Nevertheless, their demonstrations should not be dispersed in prohibited ways as these methods worsen inequality.
References
Gibbons, S. (2020). Trump’s Secret Police Are Waging a War on American Cities. Jacobin.
Schrader, Stuart. (2020). Trump Has Brought America’s Dirty Wars Home. The Soapbox.
Taylor, Vanessa. (2020). Anarchists are tired of being scapegoated by Trump. Here’s what they have to say. Mic.