Are you angry yet?
As readers of the BFD know, not only have lockdowns not made a difference, but there is now one rule for some and another rule for others.
Just this past week a bunch of people marched in “solidarity” with looters and rioters peaceful protestors in the United States, in clear breach of lockdown rules. When given the chance to weasel her way out confronted with this, the Prime Minister responded with the tried and true excuse that it was nothing to do with her and that it was up to the police to do something. Never mind of course that just a few weeks earlier she had been on TV telling off a group of people who had stood outside a particular meat sandwich shop and that earlier in the lockdown she had demanded names when told during a press conference that there were businesses breaking the rules.
What about the police? Fortunately for us Stuff were able to get the police’s side of the story. The police’s reason for not doing anything? They didn’t want to cause any “tension”.
Enforcing alert level 2 restrictions at the Black Lives Matter marches could have caused tension in an otherwise peaceful protest, says one of New Zealand’s top cops.
On Monday, thousands of protesters around the country marched in solidarity after the death of African American George Floyd while in police custody.
[…]Assistant Commissioner Lauano Sue Schwalger said the actions of police are dictated by the situation that presents them.
“In these circumstances, it was probable that attempts to enforce alert level 2 would have caused tension in an otherwise peaceful protest, without being effective to enhance physical distancing, given the numbers in attendance.”
Schwalger said the police’s role is to ensure safety and uphold the law while recognising the lawful right to protest.
Except the law wasn’t upheld.
[…]Schwalger acknowledged that organisers made an effort to ensure participants of the marches complied with the alert level 2 guidelines.
“For example, at the vigil on Parliament grounds, participants were provided with sanitiser and encouraged to maintain social distancing, and in Auckland, organisers specifically requested that participants maintain social distancing.
And just how effective were the organisers’ attempts at enforcing social distancing? Have a look at this photo from the same article.
As you can see, the organisers did a great job getting everyone to stay apart and everyone wore masks with plenty of hand sanitiser to go around.
Anyway, it doesn’t matter. The revolution is coming, hopefully.
Are you angry yet?