Current Events

Rioting During the Black Lives Matter Protests

After the death of George Floyd, an issue that was heavily covered by the news and media where the riots that occurred during the Black Lives Matter protests. When these riots took place, looting, vandalism, and violence occurred. In class we discussed that under the first amendment, our freedom of speech and of assembly is protected. Therefore, those who wanted to could participate in the protests whiteout trouble as long as the protest was peaceful. However, when the riots developed, people's businesses were damaged and even destroyed in some cases. The picture below shows the aftermath of a business that was affected by the riots. One could argue that the riots were an expressive action as the intent was to send a message, however, these actions were illegal and therefore, individuals were held accountable for the crimes committed. The best example of a protected action is flag burning because it is symbolic yet it does not place anyone in danger.

One might ask why protestors continued to riot knowing that they ran the risk of being charged for vandalism or stealing. Author Sarah Sheppard wrote an article called The Psychology behind Rioting, where she explains that "Violence is not a preferred action by protestors, but rather a consequence of being ignored, criticized, and oppressed after numerous attempts to be seen and heard." Therefore, rioters where willing to be run into legal problems in order to get their point across. Although the riots grabbed the attention of several American's, the way in which they were conducted was against the law.