A Beautiful Rising – Part I
| revcom.us
Editors’ Note: Tens and tens of thousands of people—in the U.S. and across the world—have poured into the streets these past two weeks to draw a clear line: For centuries, and with intensifying horror today, the rulers of America have regarded the humanity of Black people as counting for nothing. Now, in the face of the truly cruel and heartless police murder of George Floyd, people have said NO MORE! They have defiantly asserted that Black lives do and must matter, and this has included a growing section of white people who have denounced white silence as violence. Demonstrations have built around the world, including in places like London and other cities in the UK, where people linked this to other victims of police murder and targeted their anger at symbols of white supremacy and colonialism like statues of slave traders.
The mass outpourings defied bloody police repression, mass beatings, arrests, and violence—in Buffalo, New York City, Louisville, Los Angeles, and other places. After Trump threatened to bring in the military on Monday, people rose in even greater numbers and determination. In fact, Trump and the whole regime he heads and the fascist movement he leads and mobilizes have made clear their antagonism and determination to suppress this beautiful and righteous outpouring. In that light, the actions called by Refuse Fascism this past week were very important and need to grow—with FUCK TRUMP! resounding as a rally cry and choruses of Trump/Pence Out NOW! And the efforts of revolutionaries needs to redouble in “announcing ourselves and making ourselves known to the world,” manifesting Revolution—Nothing Less! and oriented to working towards this at the soonest possible time—and to attract and organize new forces into the revolution.
On this page is Part 1 of a picture round-up of the protests. Watch revcom.us for more to come.
Cities Across the U.S.
Minneapolis – Demonstrators gathered outside the governor’s mansion where victims of police brutality told of their experiences. Photo: AP.
The Revcoms in Minneapolis
Minneapolis – Police line after firing barrage of tear gas at protesters, May 30, 2020. Photo: CNN.
Refuse Fascism at protest in Minneapolis, June 6.
Revcoms at protest in Minneapolis, June 6.
Revcoms at protest in St. Paul, June 6.
Washington, D.C. – Cops attacking newsmen June 1, 2020, to clear the way for Trump's photo op.
Washington, D.C. – Tens of thousands converged on the newly named Black Lives Matter Plaza in front of the White House, now surrounded by high fences and concrete barriers. Photo: AP.
Refuse Fascism joined by Revolution Club at the protest in Washington, D.C., June 6.
Philadelphia – Thousands of protesters packed the entire area around City Hall. Photo: AP.
Detroit, Michigan – There were several protests in Detroit and the surrounding areas. Photo: AP.
Chicago – 20,000 people protested, shutting down a portion of Lake Shore Drive.
Atlanta – Atlanta Police detain demonstrators protesting, Saturday, May 30, 2020. The protest started peacefully earlier in the day before demonstrators clashed with police.
Starkville, Mississippi – Thousands, many of them Mississippi State University students, protested on the MSU campus.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - A “lie-in” outside the Allegheny County Jail on June 4, to protest the murder of George Floyd. Photo: AP.
New Orleans – Thousands gather in Jackson Square. Photo: AP.
New York City – There were at least two dozen protests across the city, with many going past curfew and including a march across the Brooklyn Bridge. Photo: AP.
Vidor, Texas - 200 rallied in this city that in the past had been a stronghold of the KKK.
Berkeley, CA - Thousands flooded the streets, parks and intersections
Refuse Fascism at protest in San Francisco, June 6.
San Francisco, CA - Refuse Fascism Contingent in the protest where thousands marched across the Golden Gate Bridge.
Los Angeles – Thousands demonstrated in many areas of Los Angeles, with reports of at least 30 separate protests.
Louisville – Thousands gathered at Metro Hall with Breonna Taylor’s mother, on what would have been Breonna’s 27th birthday. Photo: AP.
Revcoms at protest in Los Angeles, June 6.
On June 5 hundreds of medical professionals in St. Louis lined the street outside the Barnes-Jewish Hospital and stood silently for 8 minutes, 46 seconds, to honor George Floyd. Photo: AP.
Maui, Hawai’i, May 31 – about 300 people held a sunset “paddle out for George Floyd”. Surfers held Paddle Out for George Floyd events in Galveston, TX; Malibu, CA; Dakar, Senegal; Biarritz, France, and other locations. Paddle outs are a Hawaiian tradition used to honor surfers who have died with groups paddling out and sitting together on surfboards.
Alabama – Protests were held in Montgomery as well as Birmingham and smaller cities. Photo: AP.
Latin America
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - Hundreds protested up against police tear gas. Photo: AP.
Kingston, Jamaica - Several hundred protested outside the U.S. Embassy.
Mexico City, Mexico – Hundreds of people gathered at a protest/vigil in Mexico City. Sign reads, “Your Struggle is My Struggle”. Photo: AP.
Europe
Paris, France – 1,000s defied a government’s ban and went up against riot police at the U.S. Embassy
Berlin, Germany – 20,000+ demonstrated (above), and tens of thousands protested in other cities in Germany
Oslo, Norway – Thousands of protesters outside Parliament building
Genoa, Italy – A crowd of about 1,000 protested.
London, UK - Tens of thousands protested in Parliament Square and clashed with the police. Photo: AP.
Asia – Pacific
Sydney, Australia – Protesters also spoke out against racism and police brutality against the Aboriginal people.
Seoul, South Korea – Dozens gathered, some with “can’t breathe” masks and signs like “George Floyd Rest in Peace” and “Koreans for Black Lives Matter.” Photo: AP.
Auckland, New Zealand - Protesters also spoke out against police brutality of the Māori people. Photo: AP.
Tokyo, Japan - Hundreds of people of various nationalities took to the streets. Photo: AP.
Africa
Nairobi, Kenya – Mural of George Floyd. Haki is Swahili for Justice
Pretoria, South Africa – Re-enacting the murder of George Floyd in front of the U.S. embassy. Photo: AP.
Dakar, Senegal – Protesters in front of African Renaissance Monument – the sign in French reads, “Too Much is Too Much”. Photo: AP.
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