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Opinion | George Floyd verdict: how the police came to oppress those they have sworn to protect and serve
- The racism that some citizens face at the hands of the police is not limited to just the US. Police in India don’t have a stellar record, either
- In Hong Kong, there is a larger issue: the consequences of the morphing of the force on police-citizen interactions and on how citizens relate to each other
Reading Time:4 minutes
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Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin’s trial, in which he was convicted of the murder of George Floyd, raises many issues. Survivor’s guilt and children’s exposure to brutality, but also how a fear of severe legal consequences prevents members of society – including trained personnel – from coming to another’s aid, and the grip that police have over society.
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Whether police can be held accountable by the same law and order that society entrusts them with, seems irrelevant.
The missed point is that members of the black community are either being killed or having their rights trampled on during interactions with the police. Being ignored is the impunity with which such events recur, such as the recent killing of Daunte Wright and mistreatment of Lieutenant Caron Nazario.
But the racism that some citizens face at the hands of the police sworn to protect and serve is not limited to just the US. Police in India don’t have a stellar record, either.
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‘We’re able to breathe again’, say George Floyd supporters as Derek Chauvin found guilty of murder
‘We’re able to breathe again’, say George Floyd supporters as Derek Chauvin found guilty of murder
In the case of the Hong Kong Police Force, concerns have been raised about racism in policing – a reflection of low minority representation and attitudes of ethnic Chinese Hongkongers towards minorities.
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