85 Comments
Lyndi
5/31/2020 05:40:45 pm
I think it’s a good idea people are protesting. But I noticed that in some of the videos, people aren’t wearing mask which is unsafe. Also, people are lighting buildings on fire, stealing stuff from store, and breaking down police cars. People should have protest in a better way instead of doing it in a violent way.
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Leyu ding
5/31/2020 05:41:38 pm
To be honest I didn’t heard anything about the protesters and rioters. This is due to the fact that I don’t really want to watch the news, because of things that is happening, I did imagine it would be full of stuff that makes me sad, and I want to try to stay positive during this whole mess.
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Madison
5/31/2020 05:58:43 pm
Honestly I feel like it’s right for the protesters across country’s to be doing riots because when they do peaceful march protest they are not being heard and that’s why they doing the riots because they are sick of black people getting killed for unnecessary things cause of their skin. And I believe that all lives matter but right now it’s getting out of hand but I just hopes everyone stays safe and the protesters are being heard and fighting for justice.
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Mr. Piccigallo
5/31/2020 06:30:13 pm
What solutions do you think would bring this event to an end?
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Karen L.
5/31/2020 06:51:01 pm
Despite the fact that the Coronavirus is going on, people are now protesting due to an event that took place in Minnesota. This is a disaster in and to our nation. I believe that what the police did was too severe and exceeded the actions that should be taken. I get how everyone is in a bad mood and are eager to leave their homes. Some can't stay home anymore because they are mad that they are listening to the officials but when this terrible event took place, they couldn't do a thing about it. Of course, this demonstrates social Darwinism in my opinion. Not everyone can be as superior and not every race has an advantage. There are places where social Darwinism is more severe than other places. However, I think that the protestors are being too harsh because it is to the point where people have the audacity to fire trash cans, and I mean public trash cans that are on the streets. Those medal tins weigh so much and people do fire them at police officers. That one person's fault shouldn't trouble the other police officers. I HOPE EVERYONE CAN SEE MY WORDS HERE. One may say that similar incidents have happened in NY. I know some of you are angry but listen: police are people. If we want to protest, don't trouble the police. We only have the right to assemble peacefully which means to protest in a more respectful manner. All those police that we should also be heartbroken. All those nurses that we all own to. These nurses spend days, weeks, months to help us decrease the amount of cases in places, specifically NY. NY has one of the most severe cases of the viruses of the country. We have other ways to express our thoughts and anger. We can spread the words through social media, not use violence. How come everyone can hurt the city when its one of the officers fault? How is this being a good nation? We are a nation that should be proud of ourselves and should be able to stand up for one another. I know the community are standing up for lives and how black lives matter. I agree with this. Its hurtful to see our nation and city in disaster. we should not tear or steal. Just because everyone is in a mess and we are all going wild and that the police can't control us, we can't be doing things we wouldn't be doing. Those police are regular humans. They don't have super power. They are suppose to be the ones who try to protect us. However, we are giving them trouble. I know I am not understandable of others and some may say that I don't have experience or anything. I am giving suggestions of what we can do. It is very sad to see videos of people breaking the CNN headquarter and police stations. All those repairs that needs to be made. This is severe and is ridiculous. People are still spreading words around. Overall, I have a strong opinion on this issue. I think we should do it in a more peaceful way. This way, we can solve the problem better and officers wouldn't be shooting rubber bullets around either. There would be thousands of people getting hurt either. The nurses are busy enough and how come we don't give thanks to when they are helping throughout this harsh time. How come when something tragic happens, we are so aware. I think we should be able to reflect upon what we are doing. We can thank the nurses by protesting in a safer way and not in big crowds where the virus can really spread. Racism is still happening around the world and we should be cautious.
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Karen L
5/31/2020 06:52:02 pm
Sorry, I didn't realize how long of a paragraph I wrote. Pardon me.
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Mr. G
6/1/2020 06:52:18 am
Karen, what you wrote and the amount is amazing! We will be having a meet this afternoon about the civil protest and unrest across the nation. Please join and tell your classmates.
Kyra
5/31/2020 07:45:39 pm
I agree with you, and you basically said what I was going to. Thank you.
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Jared
6/1/2020 04:29:33 pm
People have been protesting for several years right now and not much change has been happening. Every day there are black victims abused by cops, it isn't just one cop. It was the one cop that triggered all the riots because they have had enough and multiple footage was captured. The media doesn't seem to pay attention to protesters when it is done peacefully. They are now paying attention because their property is being damaged. It may be chaotic, but it is the only way for them to have change. At least that's how protesters see it.
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Karen L.
6/4/2020 07:09:17 am
@Jared However, these damages are ending and rounding more people into being arrested. Then these faults turn into the polices'. I don't think this is the right way to interpret it. There are people who do speak up and their words are being heard too. There are words of memory, of kindness and true honesty. Those are words that touches other people and perhaps get more people involved. However, why do the damage when everyone are getting shot with rubber bullets and leave other people with the aftermath of these damage.
Mr. Piccigallo
5/31/2020 06:57:50 pm
Please don’t apologize Karen on sharing your thoughts and opinions. This is historic and we want to hear and read everything.
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Julia Wang
5/31/2020 09:07:51 pm
I think that it is right for people to protest about the whole situation, but I don't think it is a great time to. This is going to spread the virus even more. People aren't staying at least 6 feet apart and some aren't wearing masks. It is really sad to see what our world has come to. I hope we can all be one someday and not see each other for our skin tone but for what is inside. We are all human and there shouldn't be hate towards each other just because of a skin color difference.
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Darren Lin
6/1/2020 05:31:02 am
The people have the right to be angry. After all, racism was always in the country, but most of the time, it didn’t lead to the deaths of innocent people. However, protesting in large groups without any sort of protection is bound to jumpstart this pandemic once again. Furthermore, what happened to peaceful protesting? I understand the death of an innocent person brings grief and anger, but that doesn’t give you the right to start harming police officers and cause damage equivalent to that of a horde of angry ostriches. I thought the situation couldn’t get any worse. How horribly wrong I was. Revenge never ends well. It ends up destroying both sides of the conflict due to the sheer amount of hate that builds up every time the police open fire on innocents and every time the “peaceful” protesters start hurling items at the police.
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Hailey
6/1/2020 05:43:02 am
I agree with the protesters and what they think about racism and that black lives do matter. However, I don't agree with them being violent while protesting. It causes a lot of trouble. I am also worrying about the crowds because the protesters aren't social distancing so the infections might go up. Other than that, protesting is fine as long as it is peaceful.
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Trent
6/1/2020 05:57:55 am
I think that the protesters have a right to protest and that they should be doing it. However my main concern about these protests is that they could easily spread Covid-19 which means everyone has to stay inside longer. While I do understand that everything that happened to George Floyd in the moments leading up to his death were horrible and that it should spark outrage like it has done, I fear that they consequences of these protests will mean we have more Covid-19 deaths and we have to quarantine for longer.
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Sam
6/1/2020 06:06:06 am
The protest and riots are for a good cause but this does not help with flattening the curve and burning down a police station doesn't show that we are strong. Don't fight fire with fire, and don't fight corona with massive gatherings.
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Leo Chen
6/1/2020 06:11:37 am
I agree with the protesting about George Flyod and wanting peace, but I feel like the rioting and looting is getting out of hands. Also, there is still Covid-19 going around which isn't safe for the protesters since they are in a large gathering. Overall, I think that the protesters are right and that the system is corrupt, but I don't really like how they are destroying their own cities and destroying small businesses people worked hard for.
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AlexK
6/1/2020 06:13:20 am
I undertand that people have the right to protest and i completeley support that but this is going way to far. these arent protests, these are riots. since when do you damage property, attempt to kill police officers and loot while doing a "peaceful protest". i think these actions are contradicting everything they are fighting for and is quite dangerous and substandard of the rioters. i dont understand the rioting. why riot and have people dismiss the important message you are trying to display? its a known fact, people like others more when they are nice, so why riot and try to get the bad side of people. I also don't understand why you need to loot when theres supposed to be a PEACEFUL PROTEST. i think the riots are threatining because no body is social distancing and little to none are wearing masks. this creates an opportunity for COVID to breakout again. we already have enough to worry about in the country. lastly, racism is still there and rioting and injuring people that are trying to protect you is not the answer to that.
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rachel x
6/1/2020 06:52:39 am
I believe that protesting against racism is the right thing to do. However, not at this time. Protesting during a pandemic would only risk increasing the amount of infected and that wouldn’t be good. I’ve also heard about some people taking advantage of this situation and robbing stores for their needs. In addition, I do like the fact that people with a bigger platform (and lots of fans) are spreading awareness of this situation and supporting #BLM. I really hope this protest can show increase the amount of supporters of the Black Lives Matter Movement and hopefully the racism would start to decrease.
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Tina
6/1/2020 06:54:06 am
I think that everyone has a right to protest for what they want and believe in but all those violence isn’t going to help. I saw a video where people just smash all stores and it’s destroying the community. It was a mess. All the glass was smashed and they took everything inside. It’s kind of creepy that people are doing this to our nation. Every night, I hear helicopters and police cars going through. I believe that everyone should be treated equally but can they stop the violence.
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chloe
6/1/2020 07:06:38 am
I think that people have a right to protest, however i don't think it's the right way to do it. Firstly, it is a terrible time to protest because of the virus going around. This just spreads the virus more. In addition ruining stores and building is just making it worse. There are people out there who have gotten their businesses robbed and destroyed. These people have families to support, i don't think it's okay for stores to be destroyed like this. It makes it even worse because the police officers are having a hard time, and can't do much to help these stores. I like the fact people are standing up for racism, especially online where people are posting about it to help the movement. At the same time the posts online do kind of scare me because of how violent the protests gets. I don't think violence is the key.
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Alex Luong
6/1/2020 07:16:44 am
I believe that this is just fate. It was obvious that people got mad. After all, the peaceful protests happened just before the riots. A lot of people were not happy about being cooped up and were already speaking out about their rights and things. That comes at election day. However, the "racism" and lack of response to the pandemic as "set fuel to the fire." In times of crises, there is no order. Especially since the head of the government is so weak that it is not able to come up with a response quickly enough and just dismisses it. of course, that is just because of politics. red states have not been as affected as the Blue states, which is why democrats are pushing so hard for relief and republicans are not. this just leads to chaos, as we see now. however, in this very specific pandemic, this is uncalled for. although masks can help prevent the spread of the virus, It is less effective if people are closer. That is what we see in these protests. Although it may be okay to exercise their rights, doing so may lead into death. of course, the people brought it upon themselves, and it is up to the people to decide what's best. america does not run on "dunkin's" or the president or the military. It is run by the people. It is up to the people to decide if they die or not. Although it may seem cruel of me to say all these things, this is what i believe. Many people whom i saw outside were breaking the law. Specifically New York Executive Order 202.17. i saw a lot of people not wearing face coverings in a public area. This allows stores to not serve these people as they are not wearing face coverings. It is also within a store's rights to choose not to serve people. No one can force anybody to provide a service they don't want to provide. The only thing to fear is fear itself. Chaos ensues when there is no order. It's just life. When people are scared or angry, they destroy. Destruction is just one of the leftovers of people. People create, then they destroy. We create buildings, but we destroy trees. We create cars, but we destroy the environment. we created planes, but we used them to kill others. We created technology, now we destroy our intelligence. We create governments, and we create wars. We create rockets, and we destroy other satellites. So we create testing centers, and we destroy everything else.
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Jiaming
6/1/2020 07:24:03 am
My thought on this whole protest thing going on is their right, however for our safety we should calm down and just deal with it because it's for our own good because it's dangerous right now not wearing a mask. About the whole police thing and the whole skin color situation, we should protest in a peaceful way. I get that those who are mad are breaking down windows and breaking down car's but in my opinion this is to much. i think we should protest in a more peaceful way, people can be mad but they took it to far.
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Amy C
6/1/2020 07:26:21 am
I understand why people are protesting but right now is not the right time. With Covid-19 still being an ongoing issue, rioting outside without a mask or any social distancing doesn't help to flatten the curve. People are resorting to violence to express their outrage which is understandable but there are aways other way to express anger. Smashing windows and looting businesses doesn't exactly solve the problem; it may create an even bigger issue. It's sad that it has come to this but people continue to go this route to have their voices and heard and to know that they will be treated equally.
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Jonathan Leung
6/1/2020 07:42:08 am
I think that it is right for people to protest about the whole situation because we have the freedom to protest against things that are unjust. However I feel like this isn't the right time. I feel like everyone just forgot about the corona virus and that your right is the most important. I feel like we could protest but everyone should wear a mask. However, most people don't wear mask when protesting and people are throwing things at the police and this just causes more trouble.
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Katherine Ni
6/1/2020 07:45:04 am
With a similar mindset as other students, protesting is a right thing to do for certain circumstances, but during a time like this, it is a half witted choice. What are the protesting? I don't really get their point of view of their rights taken or not being able to do what they want. People are serving the community and people to keep the community alive. People risking their lives for a chance for others to be able to live. Yesterday, I went outside after two months of staying indoors. I overhead a white man talking to an officer about the protest. Honestly, their voice is heard but what can they do about the current situation? Is it to find something to do or is it they want to express their disagreement with all the precautions?
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ling fei
6/1/2020 07:46:53 am
I get what they are protesting for and I support that but the fact that they are hurting other people that have nothing to do with whatever happened is not good. The whole thing is just a mess now, it's not reasonable for them to burn down other people's businesses. It's for a cause, but this cause does not give them the reason to hurt the people who are unrelated to this matter.
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Nathaniel Bartels
6/1/2020 08:05:49 am
I mean I get that people are standing up for something they believe in and, thats totally fine, but in times like these why protest and not social distance, the numbers are going to start spiking again.
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Elaine Li
6/1/2020 08:09:53 am
I think it’s a good thing that people are protesting to make a statement. However, it is extremely dangerous at this time to be protesting with the virus going around. People still needs to be cautious while protesting because this whole situation can increase the cases for Covid-19. In addition, what the officials are doing isn’t helping the situation. They are fighting against the people and making them more angry, which is not making the situation better by any chance.
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Vicki R
6/1/2020 08:34:21 am
I think that people should have the right to protest but I don't think that it is the right time and the right way. The Covid-19 is still going on currently and people shouldn't be gathering in large crowds. They are forgetting about social distancing and wearing masks. It is not solving the problem and may be creating a bigger problem. People should be allowed to express their opinions and protest but what they are doing is not protesting. They are smashing and destroying stores and buildings. They are rioting. They are using violence to respond to the problem and I don't think that help to the issue.
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lea
6/1/2020 08:35:32 am
I feel like it was way over due. The government hast gotten too comfortable. I agree and dont agree with what is happening. I mean protesting is right and it should happen but looting areas, and burning things isn't going to make the police stop doing what they are doing, and taking advantage of there job. But there not going to treat use right or want to treat us equally if we keep destroying things .Its just going to make them scared that this is going to keep on happening to the point where its going to get worse for all of us. If this goes on we are going to keep on losing people. I understand not being treated equally as a personal issue myself because its happen many many times before, so this topic means a lot to me. But i dont think we should use violence like police did for years to make a point because then they are going to respond back with violence as usual, and not listen to what we are trying to say.
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Mr. G
6/1/2020 02:39:54 pm
Lea, I love "the government has gotten too comfortable"
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Angela
6/1/2020 08:53:38 am
I believe that the protest and riot was a good thing to do, because everyone is coming together, to fight for the right thing. However, I do believe that breaking stores, looting them, setting fire on it isn’t the right thing to do. Many people believe that those people are taking advantage of George Floyd’s death, since breaking down other people’s stores wouldn’t solve the problem and it’s hurting the owners work they’ve put in. Even though, everyone is outside fighting for Floyd’s death, it isn’t safe too. For instance, the virus is still going on and many police are shooting people with rubber gun and spraying them with pepper. These things can lead the virus to increase which means we’ll have to stay home for more and more days. Moreover, this protest/riot is dangerous because people are getting hurt and hit by the police and arrested. Protesting and rioting is the correct thing to do especially standing up for racism. This should not be a thing that we should be worrying about in 2020, since it’s been for many years. Martin Luther King even fought for equality for the blacks, so everyone can be fair. Overall, the protest is a good thing and a bad thing because of the virus going on, and destroying stores. It’s nice to see that no every white person is racist and some are even protesting with them.
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Rachel Z
6/1/2020 08:55:59 am
I feel like the protests are right, and I understand that people are upset. However, the riots and the raids are very unnecessary, which made me upset. I think people forgot about the coronavirus and the pandemic, and that the protesting made everything worse. Sure, people have the right to be angry, but violence and chaos won't help what has already been done. These raids and riots has made me disturbed, scared, and angry, and I feel like the world is unsafe at this point.
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Sherry
6/1/2020 08:58:47 am
I think that people are right to protest. However, there shouldn’t be violence going on and they shouldn’t protest at this time when the virus is spreading around. People also shouldn’t be smashing windows of stores to rob things. I agree with people who are protesting online because they are social distancing and also protesting without violence.
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Shrina
6/1/2020 09:01:50 am
I do understand why they're protesting and I think they're doing it for a good cause because racial inequality is real, especially with the case with George Floyd and how he unfairly died. I remember reading somewhere, that George Floyd and the cop that killed him were actually co-workers, so it might be something personal, but that doesn't excuse the cop's actions. I also feel like a lot of protesters are exploiting Floyd's names in order to loot and break in/vandalize stores with innocent owners that have built up their store for years, just to watch it fall down.
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Mateo Gomez
6/1/2020 09:03:28 am
These protests are good and i believe that they are protesting for a good reason. The one thing I am furious about is the looting. Personally, my dad's restaurant got looted and all the money their was stolen. This is unfair and the looting has to stop. I support the protests but not this stupid looting stuff.
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Adam
6/1/2020 09:10:58 am
I can completely understand why people are frustrated. However during this pandemic this is not the right thing to do. People across the country are gathering many without masks and putting people at risk for the virus. Many saying they don't care and they only cared about justice for George Floyd. If the virus didn't exist I completely respect the people who are fighting for the rights of others. Although during this period these protests are dangerous.
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Nicole Y
6/1/2020 09:23:56 am
I think that these protest for good because we do have the right of assembly since that is one of our amendment rights as speaking out about our thoughts. Although I think these protest are good there are still concerns that I have for instance, there are lots of looting going on which is horrible because many people who worked hard for their stores end up having their stores being completely destroyed and left into ruins. Many of these store owners have probably put their whole life into the stores to have it be be destroyed. Violence is never the answer. There have been many peaceful protest and i'm wondering at what point does a protest become violent. Moreover, there have been many videos all over the media of police brutality. Now i get that they're doing their job but there is no need for violence and hurting innocent lives. There have been many videos of people being sprayed with tear gas and what not. My main issue is that I saw a video where a little girl, a young girl was sprayed by the police. It really got me wondering what is going on?! Who in their right mind would spray a poor girl. In addition there are many videos on people being shoved by police, getting run over, etc. 2020 hasn't been our year and this will go down in history as probably one of the worst year to be alive because of the amount of issues happening. I think that America is slowly falling apart bit by bit and we aren't united together as a country and we are having a repeat of history. Since the riots happening right now reminds me of the civil rights movement of 1950s-1960s where minorities are fighting for the end of racial discrimination and still after 60 years we are still fighting for the end of racial discrimination.
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Luke
6/1/2020 09:28:45 am
It's a double horrible situation. First of all, people should be more careful with all that's going on. COVID is a huge problem and this will spike cases all over the country. The recent cause for protest is completely reasonable, but it happens to be at a bad time. Social distancing is being completely ignored in the protests, and so are masks. This being said, the things going on and that have been going on for so many years with the police and black people is so unacceptable that the police basically brought on the protests. Peaceful and safe protests such as the ones going on in DC outside the White House are the best because they express anger and frustration without violence. However, violent threats such as Trump's tweet or L.A. and Seattle where people are shattering glass cannot be accepted. We need to be peaceful and careful.
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Andrew J
6/1/2020 09:28:59 am
How come the corona virus cases didn't spike yet with all of the protesting going on.
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Mr. G
6/1/2020 02:33:00 pm
Andrew great point--from what I read/heard the virus takes about two weeks before individuals will show symptoms--so we all should take a deep breath
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Wendy
6/1/2020 10:19:45 am
I believe that the protests that are happening everywhere to spread awareness about the racism and how everyone should be treated equally is a good movement. However, the violence that is included on both sides are very dangerous. On the protestors’ sides, they are wrecking places and destroying them. In addition, our current state with the virus would not get any better by people gathering together to spread the virus even faster. This leads to people who work at hospitals to have a harder time with more and more patients coming in. But, all this violence would have not started if there was not inequality in our society. Luckily, many people are taking action by spreading the news throughout social media platforms including many influencers. Hopefully, racism can be something that does not happen as often which can lead to safety for lots of people.
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I agree with a lot of the comments. I understand that many people are angry because of the current event. However, protesting in a pandemic and destroying buildings are not ok. I understand that many people are very angry and want to express their feelings and opinions through a protest but it's just doing more damage. Many stores and buildings are being destroyed and there's a likely chance that more people will get infected with the virus. There are certainly more ways to protest and get your thoughts across.
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Carter
6/1/2020 11:02:52 am
I think that protesting peacefully is perfectly fine. And I fully understand why many people are very upset and angry about George Floyd's death. I am too. I think what happened was horrifying and terrible. But, I also think responding with violence against other innocent people is just awful. How is beating someone up or stealing a flat screen TV or lighting a police car on fire or raiding store's honoring the death of George Floyd? How is it helping in any way? It's not. And many people are treating the police horribly, when the reality is this. Generally, the Police are very good at their job, but just like everywhere else in life, there are some police who are terrible. What that policeman did was awful. And, he should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. All four officers should be. The other three officers just stood there watching and did nothing. And I'm pretty sure they are going to be. But there is no excuse, and nothing to justify people rampaging around the country, burning things down, hurting other people, and doing all these other terrible things. George Floyd's family was begging people to stop. And yet, no one has. Protesting would make perfect sense to me. But rioting and causing destruction seems to be hurting the people who have been most affected by COVID-19 and the injustices they are supposedly protesting against.
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Xuhan
6/1/2020 11:07:13 am
Protesting against unjust systems is our human right as Americans. However, I do wish that people would be safer about this. Especially in the midst of a pandemic. New York City alone has about 200,000 confirmed cases. If this keeps going on the number of cases will rise.
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Mr. G
6/1/2020 02:22:47 pm
Wow--Xuhan I can sense your anger and frustration in a system that needs to change. There is a difference between civil protesting and civil unrest, and I am confident we all support peaceful assembly. Word choice matters and I agree the term "thugs" is uncalled for in situations like this. There needs to be a tactic of deescalation in policing instead some events during these protests have been questionable. As for the anonymous group, let's cite these groups when they are willing to show their faces and show the evidence. As we know from our yellow journalism unit--there is a great deal of disinformation compounding this crisis. You and your classmates remind me of our book White Bird where the character Julien did something as well as his family and neighbors--many of you are doing your part by thinking, reacting and writing your thoughts and opinions, please continue to do so.
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Sasha
6/1/2020 03:31:04 pm
In my opinion I feel that the protesters have a right to make their voice heard. What that cop did was terrible, and the worst part is this has happened so many times. I believe the cop should be charged with murder and held with the responsibility that he killed a mans life. The protests should be going on and be made as a statement. However, I think riots aren't the answer. I say this because burning things down, breaking into malls, stealing is not helping. Communities are being destroyed, peoples shops that they have worked for are being burnt and stolen from. The people that live next to these actions are scared. This can't be the answer. I also believe people should keep wearing masks and have awareness for the spread of coronavirus.
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Mr. Piccigallo
6/1/2020 04:25:50 pm
Thank you for all the comments and thoughtful ideas and questions. Keep up the wonderful wok!
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Maya
6/1/2020 06:33:59 pm
In my opinion, the protests that are going on are great. They are spreading a message that everyone should hear. However lately the protests have been out of control. If protests are causing violence then these people are no better then the people that they are trying to stand up against. People have to show that they are better in order to try to make a change in society. Raiding, looting and setting fires is not going to solve the problem. Lots of store owners are already losing a lot of money and the fact of all this looting and raiding is just making the whole situation worse. Adding on to that thought I think that one reason why people are being so physical in these protests is because of the quarantine. Everyone has been cooped up for almost 3 months now. I feel that if we weren't in the current situation that we are in people wouldn't be this violent in the protests. I agree that the protests are fighting for a great cause. However my question is if there a difference that is made in society as a result of these protests what will happen. How does the government exactly change the mind of the people that are against this. You can't exactly change peoples mind by using the law. Everyone already has an opinion. Opinions are hard to change especially because there are so many stubborn people out there. People have opinions, even if not everyone agrees and in this case the people who think this is ok is terrible. What I'm trying to say is if the protests work then what?
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Gideon
6/2/2020 06:48:28 am
I saw the video of what happened to George Floyd and it's honestly nauseating. He was in handcuffs and unarmed but some police officer felt the need to put his knee on the man's neck and suffocate him. All for a suspected counterfeit 20 dollar bill. There were other police officers there and they just stood by and did nothing. So of course, with all this in mind, people have every right to protest this atrocity. But there are ways to protest that do not involve physical methods or even in-person protesting. We are still in the midst of a pandemic and grouping up with hundreds of people is the opposite of what you should be doing. We can protest virtually, like what some people are doing with Black Out Tuesday, and it is important that we don't do more harm than good. People going outside, spreading Covid-19, and throwing rocks at police officers is not going to change anything. If anything it is making things worse, more black people are being arrested because of their protesting and they aren't helping their case by being violent. If anything positive is going to come from this it will come from peaceful protests demonstrating that we don't want any of this police abuse, and that the people with the power to do so must change something. If the officer who murdered George Floyd is not convicted it is obvious that there is corruption in persecution. There is video of what he did, and no case that can prove him innocent. If this is the case and the officer is not convicted, then there needs to be a change in personnel for the people who are judging cases such as these.
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Nahia K
6/2/2020 06:55:50 am
I think that it is a good idea to still take the precautions when going to protest so that no one can contract covid-19. But i do feel that people do not wear it because they are protesting against the government system so they are doing a lot of what they have told them not to do. like not wearing a mask, being in large groups of people and not staying 6 ft apart.
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Karen
6/2/2020 07:00:17 am
I believe that the protesters have the right to be frustrated. I think it's a great thing that people are coming together to assemble protests and speak out. However, I have no respect for those who are taking advantage of George Floyd's death to burn down places and steal from different stores. This is outraging because they're basically stealing innocent people's jobs. Most people are already in a financial disavantage due to COVID-19. At this point the looters are not even part of the movement anymore. However, not all protesters should be categorized as violent and destructive. For instance, in many places, even police officers joined the peaceful protests.
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Alisen
6/2/2020 07:02:44 am
I agree with the person who had said that they think the people are using George Floyd's death as an excuse to rob places. Yeah, some people care about George's death and want to do something about it but why does that result in them breaking into places? How is there a connection between that? We are trying to make the world a better place and when we are trying to get rid of a virus they decide we are gonna break into places and steal whatever we want because you killed our friend?! I don't know what kind of person George was but I know for sure this isn't how he would've wanted to let the world become. I watched a video recently, this African American man wore a shirt saying free hugs, he hugged an officer during one of the protests. Then one of the citizens in the crowd wanted to fight the man who gave out hugs. They started yelling at him saying things like why did you do that or they are against us. Do you know what he said back to the? He said " it's not about that, it's about being neutral, he didn't kill anybody he didn't do anything wrong, we are all human. When he takes off his uniform he's gonna feel the same injustice we do but right now he has a job to do. If I didn't have a job I would go find work to feed my children, that's what they have to do so just because he's wearing that uniform it doesn't mean he doesn't feel anything, it doesn't mean he's a "The way we're going to fix the problem is when he can see me as a human being and I see him as a human being." I didn't hear anything from the cops saying they killed anyone because of their race, that was something the public made up themselves. I get it no one should've been killed in the first place but welcome to the world where it's not always a fair place. But we can try to change that. We are in the 21st century for goodness sakes stop relating every single problem or death to a claim against race. WE ARE NOT THE PEOPLE OF THE PAST, WE ARE THE PEOPLE OF THE FUTURE. Stop relating everything to something that is in the past, this is why the economy is so behind. Even the politics are behind! As a kid, everyone dreamed of 2020 being the decade of flying cars or upgraded technology. Are we anywhere near this accomplishment?! Referring to every problem today, back to the past leads nowhere towards the future. Breaking into stores does nothing for George, neither does killing another innocent person. WE ARE NOT OUR PAST, WE CHANGE OUR FUTURE. So change the future so that another innocent life does not have to be the lost. Make it so that this kind of problem never has to happen again. You just need to work together, not against each other.
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Mr. G
6/2/2020 10:23:13 am
Alison, I love "We are not people of the past, We are people of the future."
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Alina
6/2/2020 07:26:02 am
Honestly, I think that its great that there are also so many people that want to make a change and I am so happy that people are bringing attention and light to this issue, because it is a real issue in the world. I believe that the people have good intentions and I think that these people do want to make a difference. People say that it started off as a peaceful protest. I think that the peaceful protests are great, because they do bring light to the issue. Others don't agree. They think that with the only way that people will listen is by rioting. I don't agree with this. 2 wrongs don't make a right. If there are enough peaceful protests, there will be change. The riots aren't really changing anything. If anything, it is just making things worst. I am not saying that it is the protesters faults, I just think that it is important that we all keep it peaceful and safe for everyone. I think that the protests got way out of hand, and that we need to realize that by looting and trying to solve the issue with violence, it isn't going to do much. Trump even tweeted out when the looting starts, the shooting starts. This means that things are going to get way worse if there is more of this rioting.
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I have mixed feelings. I feel great that black people are getting their rights, and are slowly rising to the status of everyone else. However, it makes me mad that all my parents care about is their own safety, and how the helicopters and stuff keep them up at night.
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Anonymous
6/2/2020 07:34:48 am
My dad used to work as a police officer but he transferred to One Police Plaza. He was called down yesterday being addressed about protesters showing up today around 1:30. Once they showed up he would stay outside of One Police Plaza in his group of eight. His group would be determined when she showed his I.D. In addition, he was informed that there are professional antagonizers that would try to provoke the police. If they were to make an arrest move swiftly and fully commit to it. But only arrest someone who is provoking by throwing things.
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Mr. G
6/2/2020 10:35:00 am
Brian, I certainly understand your concern for your father and I am glad you asked him his professional opinion about what happened in Minneapolis. Good job!
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Jason C
6/2/2020 08:38:37 am
I agree with most of the comments in this place. The strive for equality are pretty self explanatory. However, I really dislike the riots that people are making. Protesting can be a good call, but in this case, I think it is very dangerous for both sides of the parties. For instance, there is the coronavirus still going on. Why would you risk going out doing all this if you have a chance to further increase and harm all the people around you, not only the ones being discriminated. Sure, it is equality for all, but you're killing the people you are protesting for. Makes zero sense. Furthermore, you are destroying the properties of everyone, even the people are protesting for. You are essentially making things even worse. Sure, you are spreading awareness, but you are making EVERYONE uncomfortable and unsafe. To keep order, the police have to step in, but accidents might happen and people will get hurt for no reason. Hospitals are already packed with people wanted ventilators for the coronavirus, now they have to treat injuries from these riots. Don't people think there should be a safer way to do all this? Why are you smashing windows of people and affecting everyone's lives. Equality is great and all, but things are going so south for the year 2020, we should probably save all this *bad word* for another time.
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Gebran
6/2/2020 09:17:36 am
Protesting is within our rights as Americans, however, I believe that the protesters are going about this very disrespectfully and are being very destructive. For example, many protesters are writing FTP (I think we all know what that means) in many historical places. Someone spray painted those letters all over the Brooklyn bridge. Not only is this defacing a piece of history, but it is not technically accurate. FTP is insulting and disrespectful to all those police officers out there who do good, and put their lives on the line everyday to protect this city. i understand that the protesters are protesting the system, however, it's the good cops who are trying to calm these riots and its those cops who are getting hurt. Furthermore, these protesters are also being extremely disrespectful to all of those who work as healthcare workers and once again, put their lives on the line everyday to help the city. By amassing as crowds, they are not social distancing and are condemning many more people to a fate at the hands of corona. In conclusion, I believe that a cause like police brutality is worth protesting for, but I just want the protesters right now to think about who they are really hurting
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Mr. G
6/2/2020 10:31:07 am
Students, I am so proud of all the comments that I have read. I can't even imagine what it must feel like living as teenagers during this very difficult and troubling time. Every generation has moments that will change the course of history--your generation has witnessed a global pandemic and the hidden truths about racism and social injustice in America. Let's all see how the pandemic, social protest and unrest will continue to unfold.
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Mr.G
6/2/2020 10:37:12 am
I am also wondering how is what's happening in our country currently related to the themes of our book White Bird?
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Karen L
6/4/2020 07:16:28 am
Unjust, and discrimination even on innocents.
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Dieenah
6/2/2020 04:20:41 pm
I feel that the protest in the country is needed because people are entitled to their rights and justice. I have mixed feelings about the looting because on one hand people are angry and their voices are not being heard. But, this does not help the problem for African Americans because it makes them look even worse. I am very upset by the images of Mr. Floyd but also very confused.
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Mr. G
6/2/2020 04:56:13 pm
Dieenah, so happy to read your comment. Many should be angry of the horrific video of Mr. Floyd, and I understand why you would have mixed feelings, one thing to remember, I forgot who said, "The only thing violence has achieved is more violence." Mahatma Gandhi, who influenced Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a lawyer and leader of India and he said, "An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind. " The anger that many are feeling should be channeled in protesting peacefully. Gandhi and King both used non- violence and achieved many changes----- were these changes enough-- NO! and so here we are ---entering a new chapter in US history. I am so happy you and your classmates can be the solution to this crisis. Keep writing-- there is much more power in words than fists!
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Eileen
6/2/2020 07:13:11 pm
There are a lot of pros and cons about protesting and the riots. I fully support the message that people are sending about equality and that every person, no matter the color of your skin, gender, or culture, should be treated equally. We need to call out and focus on the topic of police brutality and RACISM. Racism still goes on despite countless fights and tries to prevent as much disadvantages people have because of the color of their skin. We need to look beyond skin color. Going a little bit off topic but more about racism in general, (not to disregard the topic of black lives matter and the blm moment), but especially in a time like this, Asians are receiving a lot of hate. A lot of people state that the Chinese, specifically should be blamed for the virus and they state that we as a minority, should still deserve to be called out. They state that we make more money as Asian Americans compared to any other race. We don’t, as Americans, yes, we have more privileges than other ethnicities but we are not on top of the hierarchy. We did not “create” the virus and neither African Americans, White Americans or Asian Americans should be considered a “threat” to society. Speaking of the virus and not being a treat, recently some protest have gone out of control. Looters have defeated the purpose of the whole movement. Instead of peacefully protesting and standing up for our rights and remembering George Floyd and all the other Americans who have had their lives taken away due to police brutality, people are taking away peoples sources of incomes and jobs. Especially, small businesses. People use the protest as an excuse to burn, and completely destroy places. They steal and harm more people than helping to make a change. We can’t forget that these are our own people as well. Not ALL police are bad. Just as we see all these protesters as human and how we see minorities and those more privileged as equal, (our whole point) we should also see police are human. Some, specifically have come out and spoken on how unjust the recent death of George floyd was. There is no need to go and harm anyone. It only makes it worse than before. Yes, the police have harmed people with teargas and rubber bullets, (which is pretty extreme) but both sides are at fault. Of course, the ones that are peacefully fighting for peoples’ rights shouldn’t be bothered. Please be cautious about your surroundings, especially with the virus and people around, who could easily push, harm, or spread germs onto you. Don’t add fuel to the fire. Things have been changing very quickly and everyone is trying to make adjustment to their lives. The least we can do it not interfere with further problems. I’ve seen a lot of people using social media platforms or joint protest PEACEFULLY to express and speak out their ideas. We should definitely keep this up and most importantly, BLACK LIVES MATTER!! ✊ STAY SAFE EVERYONE :)
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Eileen
6/2/2020 07:18:17 pm
✊🏻✊✊🏼✊🏽✊🏾✊🏿**
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Eileen
6/2/2020 07:18:52 pm
on**
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Aidan
6/3/2020 08:06:58 am
Eileen: I cannot lol
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Andrew Kitch
6/3/2020 06:18:46 am
I think it is very important that people are protesting but I think it could make our progress on Covid - 19 be wasted. In some of the videos I see of people protesting some people are not wearing masks which could be very dangerous since they are in large groups. I think it is amazing to protest but I am scared that there is going to be an increase in Covid - 19 cases as a result.
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Henry
6/3/2020 06:38:31 am
I agree with the protests because there is a lot of racism in this world but you dont need to cause violence to show what you think.
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Ethan Yi
6/3/2020 07:04:03 am
I think that the protests are needed to raise awareness of the situation that is going on in the world right now. But all the rioting is really unnecessary and is causing more issues for us. The curfew is helping a little but more needs to be done.
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Adrianna
6/3/2020 07:05:36 am
I think that people do have the right to protest for there rights because of how racist people can be towards other people and how we should have freedom in the world to have a voice for there saying, but I also feel like during these protest they can be very dangerous since people are burning things down and breaking stores. And I’m scared that more Innocent people are Going to get hurt or killed in a way just because of who they are.
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Christina
6/3/2020 07:45:14 am
I definitely agree with protestors and the goal of ending racism. However, the rioters and looters taking advantage of this situation are extremely wrong. Looting an apple store, gucci, clothing stores, etc is not something we should do to bring forth the matter. Burning buildings and even homes is utterly evil and extremely disrespectful for the ones affected. Family owned businesses will have a hard time, especially since covid-19 is still happening. Doing these violent acts will only bring down the community and people there. Peacefully protesting is alright though. In my opinion, the media will always show the negatives and never the positives. On the news, we aren't seeing the videos of protestors peacefully protesting and the cops that are actually good. Instead, all we see are the violent acts and the wrongful cops. I've seen many videos of cops supporting the blm movement and protestors protecting businesses from looters. I've seen protestors and police agreeing with each other, and some were even marching together. Yet these things never get brought up, and the negatives will always dominate. Hopefully, everyone stays safe and this situation ends in a positive note.
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hunter
6/3/2020 08:02:05 am
I understand that this topic is very important and we should be protesting to try and stop it but I feel like people shouldn't protest because then they could spread Corona and then we are stuck inside longer which pisses me off. Don't get me wrong, people should protest since this is something that we need to fix but given the circumstances I don't think now is the time to protest.
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AIdan
6/3/2020 08:05:46 am
Theres nothing wrong with a peaceful protest, but when things start to get out of hand, for example people using georges death as an excuse to destroy things and run into houses and stores to steal things. Its not justified at all. As long as there is a peaceful protest that isn't making the US and other places unsafe, than it is completely fine
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Syrita
6/3/2020 08:53:18 am
I get why they are protesting. I also get why they want to protest and they have the right to do it. However, I honestly am not a big fan on people looting because like its just making it worse. By them doing this, real robbers would take this as an opportunity to loot stores and its just not right. This is making the economy worse. Also, when people protest at night and walk together, its not safe and they arent staying at home so they are making the virus spread even more. Im also confused as to why people think that they should do things that i think are illegal/ not right. I mean like i get they want tp speak about what happened but they shouldnt be assaulting the police like we still need them. Because of these protests the society is getting worse. im not saying they shouldnt protest but they should should protest in a more responsible way. Overall, the protests are okay but it would be nice if they calmed down
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Derek Power
6/3/2020 09:32:51 am
I think that the protests are good, however people are gathering very close to each other and spreading corona very quickly. This will delay when the country fully reopens, and will increase the number of people infected. Also, there are some violent protesters who are looting and causing fires. That has to stop. Other than that, the protests are great.
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Mr. G
6/3/2020 03:12:15 pm
I keep hearing or reading in the news how this reminds them of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. Whereas, I do agree that the 1960s movement has led to this moment, I do think however,it is different in two ways. First, from what I have seen there is a broader range of ethnicities, races and religions who have collectively joined together in protesting against social injustice. In the 1960s this was noticeably different. The other part that is very significant and different from the 1960s, although similar, is the video of George Floyd. One aspect that tends to be forgotten is the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s had a voice and momentum because more and more American households (and the world) began to buy television sets and saw the brutal images of what was unfolding in the US, This was a "game changer" just like the current video because the news captured disturbing scenes that played on the emotions of humanity. People throughout the world witnessed what was happening in America, the land of democracy. In the Minneapolis video the level of horror exceeds some of those images of the 1960s via social media. The news through cell phones/internet travels so fast that the world notices immediately. At the same time, let's never forget that there was a 15 yrs. old boy Emmett Till lynched (1955) in Mississippi and his mother allowed images of her son to be shown to the public. This was essential because whenever videos/pictures are viewed, it changes most of our opinions. The impact of Till's killing did this but unfortunately it was not enough. The images become undeniable to what racism does. The other part to remember is we are in the middle of a pandemic, where most have been social distancing in their homes and in many cases are struggling to make ends meet. I am sure seeing the Floyd video and the pandemic has exacerbated everyone's emotions to the highest level. Anyway, this is truly one of the most important moments in our nation's history and your generation has the best chance to create this change.
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Yeji
6/4/2020 07:22:25 am
I believe a protest needed to be done but it is absolutely ridiculous to loot. How crazy and uneducated are people these days to use this situation ti steal? People say that's the only way but WHY ARE PEOPLE STEALING FROM LOUIS VUITTON THEN? OR STEALING PHONES? It's because they want the products not to spread awareness. In addition people are not aware of their spaces. Places that are doing well are following social distancing and the regulations, but here if it becomes sunny everyone goes out! Yes it's okay but to have full on gatherings is absurd. (which I've seen before) Same with protesters I see most are not even wearing masks. Not to mention Asians are getting still discriminated. So overall, if all of this keeps happening corona isn't going to get better and frankly people in the protests will probably get sick. This is kind of off topic but I feel like the government is so sketchy. And personally, I never trust the government especially after how many secrets they're keeping.
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Sandra
6/4/2020 08:07:17 am
I believe that the protesters are doing what is right, which is fighting that black lives matter. However, looters and rioters should not be robbing stores and breaking into them. Many families depend on them for income, and this is not how you protest. Many people are saying that the looters are not protesters, but are pretending to be. That is sick that people are pretending to support the cause while burning things up. In addition, I think people need to keep in mind that not all police are bad. Right now, the police are being viewed in a negative light, but you can not say that about all police.
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Mr.G
6/4/2020 02:09:28 pm
Bianna, our website does not allow other links to be posted for security reasons since this is a school. If you would like to rewrite and post your opinion again please do ----just no websites. Thank you
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miguelangel
6/4/2020 11:57:46 pm
I agree with the protesters and i like what they're doing to make sure everyone knows that they are tired of the cops treating INNOCENT black people badly and I also agree with them. But I don't like the rioters because there just making peoples business that are almost out of business because of Covid-19 more out of business.
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Leila
6/9/2020 09:02:00 am
I mean honestly I get why the protesters are like this and how they feel but we still have corona and it's still not even that safe for like a huge group of protesters/rioters to be walking around yelling at policemen and looting. But I understand how they feel about having innocent black lives being taken away such as George Floyd and others.
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