What Happens Now?
Despite quarantine rules and public health concerns, the protests against racism and police brutality have not been silent. Thousands of protestors lined the city streets, chanting, yelling and overall just making themselves heard.
Unfortunately for the protestors, the UK is not taking things very lightly. Not to say that violence has been threatened, at least not officially. UK’s government around Downing Street and in Northern Ireland have issued several fines.
Reason being, if you take a glance at any one of the videos or photos, social distancing is not being observed. Granted, it is a difficult thing to achieve in a lot of cases, but it is going directly against CDC recommendations.
Protests also took place in Glasgow, Manchester and all over the UK. Fears about COVID spreading rapidly among the remaining population is now becoming a much larger fear than before.
Even in the US, where COVID has definitely taken a back seat, concerns are being raised about people’s proximity. It’s causing many health professionals stress due to realizing that if a second wave hits in the midst of protests, they’ll be overwhelmed.
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Do We Argue Racism or Pandemic?
Worst part is that they’re right. Protests are important, no one will deny that. An end to police brutality and racism is something that we should all be able to get behind in this day and age. Nonetheless, the cold reality is that there is still an epidemic throughout the world, isn’t there?
Either we should be listening and staying home, or we shouldn’t be listening and protesting. It can’t be had both ways. Maybe you heard people mention that the CDC did say that crowds of 100 people can gather as long as social distancing is observed.
100 people is a far cry from the 15,000 that gathered in London. Just saying, you cannot have your cake and eat it too. It has to be one or the other.
Ultimately, one of two things is going to happen when it comes to these protests. A, it will fizzle out having not achieved anything, which would be heartbreaking. B, it’s going to continue until health officials and government leaders begin using force to put people back home.
Neither solution is good, hopefully that is obvious. Begs the question though, what is the lesser of two evils? What happens when the US and the UK decide to stop being peaceful and begin using stronger elements of force? Yes, that is what we are protesting against, but eventually it’s going to escalate past what we can do.
