Black Lives Matter - Who are they?

[Four Litre]

Following the recent rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, I thought I would take a look at who is behind them and what they stand for. Do people really understand them and are they really a dangerous hard left wing movement.

Taking a look at the wiki its run by 3 women and they have funding of over $100m, with a significant part from the Soros and Ford foundations. They also seem to associate with a significant number of hard left groups, with the open goal of de-funding the police!

My concerns are that the recent protests are also being used as a cover to try to bring down Trump in a very undemocratic way. (Regardless if you like him or not, its not the way to do things). Now in the UK it seems to be an aim to cause as much trouble as they can. Could this be an attempt to derail Brexit and also bring down the conservative government?

Anyone else genuinely concerned about this group as its seems to of gained incredible momentum with incidents of intense violence and vandalism which I think will only get worse. I'm all for equality and I think the UK is one of the most equal places in the world and I don't see what else we can do to be more equal, so what will riots and demonstrations really achieve?

My gut tells me its the hard left in action, leveraging a nasty incident in the USA and gaining a momentum that really doesn't have good intentions at heart.

[Four Litre]

Brave Fart said:

Jinx said:

You are assuming the palatable argument is their primary focus. Quite possible that the unpalatable goals are the primary drivers with the palatable goals just a useful cover. There may not be any infiltration going on.

This is my concern- and incidentally the same applies to Extinction Rebellion; Trojan Horses, both organisations. They use the cover of a popular concept (racial equality, save the planet) to hide ludicrous policies designed to achieve system change.

Don't be fooled; these are dangerous organisations exploiting the concerns of ordinary citizens.

These are my thoughts entirely. My worry is that with the other organisations not working, they are using racism as the ultimate tool to block any challenge to their cause. People are literally terrified of being labelled a racist for speaking out or challenging any view. I think BLM have an ultimate goal in mind and its not what a lot of people think it is.

[Four Litre]

Wrathalanche said:

BLM don't have a monopoly on anti-racism protesting. And over here in the UK, they just don't have the reach to draw out crowds as massive as they did at the weekend solely based on their own charter.

The protests for the last two weeks have been against institutionalised racism and police violence. The vast, VAST majority of people on these marches are there because they all agree that those two things are bad and worth some disruption to the status quo over. They will also broadly agree with the literal term "black lives matter". This doesn't mean anyone is necessarily exclusively trying to further the aims of BLM by being there.

BLM may be the figureheads or mouth piece of the crowd, but only because the crowd allows them to be so. In fact, its probably fair to say that BLM benefits hugely that so many people are naturally angry with the state of policing in minority communities that they are able to take a place at the front. The crowds aren't out because they feel sorry for the BLM campaigners and want to support them - they are out because the feel sorry for black people. The sentiment that has brought people out will be there regardless of any political hijacking of the BLM message, if that's something that occurs.

I assume your talking about the USA not UK?

[Four Litre]

Wrathalanche said:

Four Litre said:

I assume your talking about the USA not UK?

Don't think there was anything in my comment that was region specific. Could apply to both. Of course, people in the UK could also be turning out in numbers due the revulsion of the actions of our American cousin's use of neck restraints. It certainly has troubled me greatly.

There are a million things that trouble me greatly in the world but where would I stop.

Im just not convinced by BLM and how genuine their ideals are. Smells fishy to me and I'm good at smelling out fishy things.

Do I think that USA cops are heavy handed, very much so. But I also would hate to work in their environment as we all know it can be very violent, with a good chance of not coming home after your shift. (just checked and according to the FBI 106 didn't come home last year, dead not injured)
Do I think that the UK is racist, no. Do I think that UK cops are racist, not at all.

As a good police friend of mine said, you get aholes in any profession, why would the police be any different.

[Four Litre]

bhstewie said:

Gadgetmac said:

So BLM is really the "get whitey campaign"?

You've taken a protest against Black people dying at the hands of the police and suffering from institutional racism and turned it the full 180 degrees so that now it's a full on attack on White people instead?

How very Trumpian of you.

I think it's part of the weird victim complex some people have.

Often whilst moaning that people who may have been victims of actual racism should just shut up and get on with it.

I'm assuming you missed the white people being dragged from cars and beaten up by a crowd of blacks or maybe white shop keepers beaten up so badly they are unconscious? If you did its worth taking a look at some of the footage to get a real understanding of whats been going on with BLM.