Santa Cruz police chief Andrew Mills, kneeling with protesters. Photo by Shmuel Thaler.
Police across the nation are kneeling in solidarity with protesters, and even joining the protests.
SCPD is fully supportive of peaceful protests @CityofSantaCruz and we always keep them safe.
Hundreds gathered on Pacific Ave in #SantaCruz, taking a knee together in memory of George Floyd & bringing attention to police violence against Black people. PhotoCredit @Shmuel_Thaler pic.twitter.com/EmfAfcIZaM
— Santa Cruz Police (@SantaCruzPolice) May 30, 2020
Miami Police Department is doing right with kneeling with protestors pic.twitter.com/4tBYVglxuI
— © (@TheJeffC) May 31, 2020
In Flint, Michican, Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson joined the protest. WEYI reports:
When protesters arrived at the Flint Twp. police station they were met by police in riot gear.
Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson talked with the protesters and ended up joining them in the march.
Swanson walked with protesters talking to them about the George Floyd situation and how law enforcement and the community can better work together.
While the Sheriff and the protesters were marching down the street many other American cities were on fire from riots.
Swanson gave a speech to everyone at the end of the evening
In several cities, images emerged of police officers joining demonstrators during their protests over the death of George Floyd, marching with them and kneeling in solidarity. One police chief told @ABC "it's a partnership with the community." https://t.co/rRhAcwRmU6 pic.twitter.com/dVBBSO2H4Z
— ABC News (@ABC) May 31, 2020
ABC News reports:
As images of police officers in riot gear clashing with protesters in response to the death of George Floyd proliferated from across the country, a very different theme emerged from several cities.
Instead of lining up in opposition to the protesters, some police officers joined them.
“I never thought of anything else, to be honest,” Camden County Police Chief Joseph Wysocki told ABC News.
When officials in Camden learned plans for a demonstration were coming together, the police were able to get involved and join in because of the community ties they had made.
“I know that all cops aren’t bad, so once I heard that they wanted to get involved, I was like, ‘Sure, let’s go for it, we can stand in solidarity,'” Yolanda Deaver, a local hair salon owner who organized the demonstration, told ABC News, adding that it was “really moving” to have officers as well as lawmakers standing behind her with shared beliefs about injustice.
Police also joined the protesters in Schenectady:
Protestors and SPD now marching together pic.twitter.com/5GTbA5WeRX
— Pete DeMola (@pmdemola) May 31, 2020
This could likely just be a tactic to better surveil the protesters without a huge show of force, and simply to have a presence and act as a deterrent to rioting and violence.
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