On August 14th, anti-fascist protesters got together in Durham, NC and took down the “Confederate Soldiers Monument” located within the city. Since then, there have been reports of the Durham Sheriff accompanied by officers forcing raids on homes to arrest the protesters responsible for taking the statue down. A huge line of protesters stood in line to turn themselves in for taking the statue down in a very grassroots-esque attempt to make a statement.
Just two days later, Deandre Harris was violently beaten and was a victim of attempted murder by a gang of white-supremacist racist KKK members. Since both incidents, eight protesters and none of the white-supremacists who beat Deandre Harris have been arrested. This is how whiteness works.
What happened in Charlottesville was a sorry excuse for “state of emergency”. Black Lives Matter protests are notorious for being violently broken up by police. Videos show that police handle white-supremacist protesters with much more respect and dignity than any other protest group. Police are notorious for having extreme racial prejudice, but this clear sense of motive and targeting is a huge example of injustice. If it was true justice, the white-supremacists who tried to murder Deandre Harris would be arrested, not the one’s who defaced a monument praising slavery. The police institution has always been racist in its very nature, so the process of this is totally legal.
Police are notorious for having extreme racial prejudice, but this clear sense of motive and targeting is a huge example of injustice.
Michael Ramos is one of the racists identified in the beating of Deandre Harris. He currently resides in Marietta, Georgia and the police have been notified. Cobb County Police spokesman Sgt. Dana Pierce said the department has not received a warrant for Ramos’ arrest from either federal authorities or police in Virginia. However, as stated before, they have issued warrants for the people who took down the monument. This is how whiteness works and this is why whiteness needs to be taken out of the police institution and removed from government. When I say “remove whiteness’ I am referring to the upholding of white values and people over people of color (white-supremacy). I am referring to protecting the values of white people and protecting white people, while not acknowledging the values of or people of color in general.
Action must be taken, there is so much work to be done at a time like this, but it needs to be made a priority. These men cannot be allowed to get off free. Call The Charlottesville Police Department and demand the arrest of Michael Ramos and the other men who were recorded beating Deandre Harris. You can reach the office at (434) 970-3280. Donald Trump has no intentions of fighting for justice and condemning or holding the white-supremacists responsible. It must be brought on all of us to take action and fight against this oppression. All police should be held responsible for this, swearing to fight justice should not come with limitations. All police must act for justice and work to bring these men in.
