Barack Obama Calls For Nonviolent Protests After Chaotic Weekend
Barack Obama has been sharing his thoughts over police killing of George Floyd.
Late last week, the 44th President issued a statement about the 46-year-old’s tragic death and a call for substantive police reform across America.
Now, Mr. Obama is reacting to the nationwide protests that erupted in 75 cities across America over the weekend calling for an end police brutality.
Via an essay on Medium, Obama called for peaceful protest from demonstrators as they continue to gather and make their voices heard.
"Let's not excuse violence, or rationalize it, or participate in it. If we want our criminal justice system, and American society at large, to operate on a higher ethical code, then we have to model that code ourselves," he wrote.
Obama also noted that while protesting puts a spotlight on racial injustice, the public’s "aspirations have to be translated into specific laws and institutional practices.”
"Yes, we should be fighting to make sure that we have a president, a Congress, a US Justice Department, and a federal judiciary that actually recognize the ongoing, corrosive role that racism plays in our society and want to do something about it," he continued. "But the elected officials who matter most in reforming police departments and the criminal justice system work at the state and local levels."
He added: "The bottom line is this: if we want to bring about real change, then the choice isn't between protest and politics. We have to do both. We have to mobilize to raise awareness, and we have to organize and cast our ballots to make sure that we elect candidates who will act on reform."
From Los Angeles and Atlanta to New York and Detroit, demonstrators have taken to the streets to express their frustration over the lack of police accountability and calling for reforms.
BET has been covering every angle of George Floyd’s death by police and the subsequent aftermath. For our continuing coverage of the protests nationwide, click here.
