Criticism of Black Lives Matter deceitful, activist says
Mckesson: Cops chase people ‘for kicks’
The day after his release from jail, prominent Black Lives Matter activist DeRay Mckesson said Monday that mounting criticism of the movement from the political right is an effort to deflect attention from the need for meaningful changes on police accountability.
Mckesson, who was among more than 100 demonstrators arrested Saturday in Baton Rouge while protesting the police shooting death of Alton Sterling, told USA TODAY that critics of the movement were doing “everything in their power” to distract the nation from continuing a difficult conversation on police brutality and racism.
“It’s not a new tactic, and we know it’s not an honest tactic,” Mckesson said in a telephone interview. “We should not have to protest. We’re in the street because police have killed people. We would love to go home, but we can’t go home. We are unwilling to go home.”
Tensions remain high after protesters around the country took to the streets over the weekend following last week’s policeinvolved shooting deaths of two black men, Sterling in Louisiana and Philando Castile in Minnesota, and a retaliatory attack by a black sniper in Dallas, who killed five officers and wounded nine others.
Conservatives, including former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, former Alaska governor Sarah Palin and talk show host Rush Limbaugh, have taken aim at the movement, charging protesters are exacerbating tensions and sowing racial divide.
Giuliani continued his criticism of the Black Lives Matter movement Monday, saying in a television interview that the group is “inherently racist” and “divides” America. “They don’t mean ‘black lives matter,’ ” Giu- liani said in a Fox News interview Monday. “They mean ‘let’s agitate against the police matters.’ ”
Presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump described himself Monday as the “law and order” candidate and declared that the nation must work “to ensure every American feels that their safety is protected.”
Mckesson traveled to Louisiana from his hometown of Baltimore to join the protest on behalf of Sterling, 37, who was shot and killed outside a Baton Rouge convenience store by two white police officers Tuesday. Video of the shooting was posted online and set off protests.
Dallas Police Chief David Brown confirmed that he and his family received death threats on social media.
Mckesson was among those taken into custody Saturday night while walking along the shoulder of a major road and live-streaming the protest on Periscope, including his arrest.
He was released Sunday afternoon after spending about 16 hours in jail.
On the video, Mckesson talks with fellow protesters and describes what he said was provocative police behavior against protesters.
“The police in Baton Rouge have been truly awful tonight,” Mckesson said on the video. “They have provoked people. They chase people just for kicks. The police have been violent tonight. The protesters have not.”
Mckesson, who rose to prominence as an activist in the BLM movement during protests in Ferguson, Mo., after the shooting death of black teen Michael Brown by a white police officer in August 2014, maintained that he and others were unlawfully arrested.
Even before last week’s events in Baton Rouge and Falcon Heights, Minn., BLM activists had planned protests at this month’s Republican National Convention in Cleveland and the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.
Mckesson said activists will push the political parties “to do their work.”
“I think the last 22 months have shown that there are people across the country that believe that this country can be better than it is today,” Mckesson said. “In that spirit that started in August 2014 in Ferguson and continues to mobilize people, I think we’ll see that spirit at the convention.”
President Obama has defended the movement as being part of a long line of American protesters who have helped change America for the better.
In the aftermath of last week’s violence, Obama urged protesters to “maintain a respectful, thoughtful tone.”
Dallas Police Chief David Brown confirmed on Monday that he and his family received death threats on social media after last week’s incidents.
In Detroit, four men were arrested over the weekend after they allegedly made threats on social media to kill police officers. Detroit Police Chief James Craig announced Monday that a detective who called BLM activists and supporters “terrorists” was demoted and faced an internal investigation.