Minneapolis Unrest: The Erasure of Systemic Violence
📰 THE STORY: The Hill reports on intensifying protests in Minneapolis after a second deadly shooting, with threats of a government shutdown amidst a perceived winter storm, focusing on immediate responses and disruptions. 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: Minneapolis, like many US cities, has a long history of police brutality and racialized economic neglect. The 2020 murder of
George Floyd by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin sparked global outrage, but was not an anomaly. Decades before, in the 1960s and 70s, police killings of Black individuals like Frank Hatwood and Alfred Martin also led to unrest. The city's current disparities, with Black residents facing higher rates of poverty and incarceration, are direct results of systemic policies including redlining
from the 1930s that segregated communities and concentrated disadvantage. Double Standard: When protests erupt in countries designated as adversaries, like Iran or Venezuela, Western media often hails them as legitimate expressions of popular will against oppressive regimes, often amplifying calls for 'regime change.' Yet, similar unrest in US cities, stemming from state violence and inequality,
is frequently framed as hooliganism, property damage, or a threat to public order, downplaying the underlying grievances and structural roots. The 'shutdown threat' and 'winter storm' narrative subtly delegitimizes the protests by associating them with dysfunction and natural calamity, rather than highlighting their political significance. Follow the Money: The financial interests benefiting from