I'll try to say this in as gentle and sensitive way as possible, but it needs to be said.
To those who protested peacefully, maintaining social distance, and not causing danger to others or to police officers. Thank you. Peaceful protest for any cause (though socially-distant and outdoors during COVID) is the bedrock of our society.
To those who protested otherwise, you have done immeasurable damage to race relations in this country. Think on this.
1. Last year, in the USA, over 1,000 people were killed by law enforcement officers. In the UK, 3 people were. Two of them were white; the third was a terrorist who had already killed two people and was wearing an explosive vest.
We should praise the professional and efficient job done by our British police officers.
Yet according to the Metropolitan Police, protestors - in London alone - injured 14 police officers yesterday. Our hearts should go out to those victims. I don't know how many police officers were injured elsewhere in the country, or how many were injured today, but the true number is far higher. And for what? It's senseless.
Why should my friends who are diligent, decent, non-racist police officers be put in harm's way? They are being punished for something which happened thousands of miles away, something which they did not do. That's not valid protest.
2. We should feel anguish over the death of George Floyd, and we should feel a burning sense of injustice that he was treated so badly. That anguish should at least be tempered by the knowledge that his killer has been charged with his murder. Justice must be done.
We should feel heartbroken that, in the protests that followed, David Dorn was killed. A black retired police captain, protecting a shop from looters. In protesting against the death of one innocent-ish man, another totally innocent man was murdered. We should howl in indignation at what happened to him. The senseless murder of a 77-year-old black man should be just as bad. If you don't consider David Dorn's life to have been worth as much as George Floyd's, then you should think carefully.
3. We should, in fact, feel devastated about *all* those killed by law enforcement. We know that last year in the USA 457 of them* were white, 223 black, 179 Hispanic and 84 unknown. We should be aware that black people are over-represented in those statistics, and slightly so even when factors such as age are taken into account. The difference between the statistical likelihood and the actual death rate may well be down to racism. Whenever such a difference is down to racism (and, as a statistician, I must say that there must be no other lurking variable which explains it - we drill into A Level students that correlation is not causation), that racism should always be challenged. When you challenge a genuine demonstrable grievance, I will always be on your side.
4. We should feel anger - not rage, but a righteous anger - at those who protested in crowds and risked and endangered the safety of the whole community, knowing full well that black and ethnic minority people are at higher risk of death from COVID-19. The protests yesterday and today WILL kill people. Innocents WILL die as a result of those actions. A disproportionate number of those will be from black and ethnic minority communities.
5. We should deplore those who yesterday soiled and tarnished the memories of those who fought against fascism and gave their lives. One of my relatives died after being forced to work on the Burma railway. My grandfather fought fascism and was involved in most major engagements of World War Two. Charlotte's grandfather did likewise.
To see people choose the anniversary of D-Day as a time to vandalise the memorials of our victory over fascism is disgusting. The Cenotaph. Of all places. Protestors who did that do not deserve the moniker 'anti-fascist'. They have chosen their side: they have sided with the Axis over the Allies, despising the real anti-fascists - those of all colours who risked their lives or died to fight against the threat of global fascism.
6. We should worry when one side of a debate attempts to shut down debate by demanding that the other side must 'educate itself'. That leads to misunderstanding. It closes down communication. It is the breeding ground of all kinds of supremacism.
* - these figures refer to killings with firearms; the figures for all killings are slightly higher. Former MEP for the North -East, Jonathan Arnott.
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