# The Black Lives Matter protests were overwhelmingly peaceful **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 12, 2021, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-black-lives-matter-protests-were-overwhelmingly-peaceful/952380 "2021-10-12T23:09:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2021, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-black-lives-matter-protests-were-overwhelmingly-peaceful/952380/1 "2021-10-12T23:09:19Z")
…according to this: [https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/10/16/this-summers-black-lives-matter-protesters-were-overwhelming-peaceful-our-research-finds/#click=https://t.co/wR4pApRrWm](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/10/16/this-summers-black-lives-matter-protesters-were-overwhelming-peaceful-our-research-finds/#click=https://t.co/wR4pApRrWm) In fact, they were even more peaceful than the 60s Civil Rights protests were. Assertions to the contrary are baseless bullshit. This has been clear, IMO, for the last year, but it’s very nice to have such solid data to back it up. ---
**Author:** ![ralfy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ralfy/32/600_2.png) [@ralfy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralfy)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2021, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-black-lives-matter-protests-were-overwhelmingly-peaceful/952380/2 "2021-10-13T06:38:28Z")
More data here: > **[George Floyd protests](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Floyd_protests)** > > Pages for logged out editors learn more > > > > > The George Floyd protests were a series of both peaceful protests and riots against police brutality and racism that began in Minneapolis on May 26, 2020, and largely took place during 2020. The civil unrest and protests began as part of international reactions to the murder of George Floyd, a 46-year-old African American man who was murdered during an arrest after Derek Chauvin, a Minneapolis Police Department officer, knelt on Floyd's neck ... 25 deaths around 14,000 arrests $550 million in property damage in Minneapolis-Saint Paul as of June, 2020 $1-2 billion in insured damages in the U.S. as of June, 2020 ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2021, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-black-lives-matter-protests-were-overwhelmingly-peaceful/952380/3 "2021-10-13T07:37:01Z")
The issue is not a matter of statistics…it’s a matter of bias in the media. The phrase “mostly peaceful” has become a slogan and symbol for the Right. But not because of any statistics of how much violence there was., Instead, the phrase has become the rallying cry for proving the bias of the “mainstream media” and those woke liberals. And the reason for that is the famous news clip from CNN in which the reporter in the field is ignoring the violent facts on the ground where he is standing, while CNN displays the announcement that the protests are “mostly peaceful”. (It is , of course, ironic that Fox News–the most biased of all the major media sites–, is pointing out bias in news reporting.)… > **[CNN panned for on-air graphic reading 'fiery but mostly peaceful protest' in...](https://www.foxnews.com/media/cnn-panned-for-on-air-graphic-reading-fiery-but-mostly-peaceful-protest-in-front-of-kenosha-fire)** > > CNN was widely mocked late Wednesday after an on-air graphic that was broadcasted the day prior went viral. (scroll down a half a page) But there is a somewhat legitimate point here. Liberals do feel a deep need to show BLM in a positive light. And they are willing to totally ignore any and all facts that get in the way of their narrative. You know, like Fox News does every day. 🙂 The difference is that in this case the visuals were so shockingly clear. Often, news agencies can get away with reporting just one side of the story’, and then a day or two later somebody objects. But here–the violence is clear. This is not a “mostly peaceful” event. The entire horizon is in flames, while the reporter ignores the facts, to tell us what he wants to believe… ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2021, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-black-lives-matter-protests-were-overwhelmingly-peaceful/952380/4 "2021-10-13T08:18:35Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > And the reason for that is the famous news clip from CNN in which the reporter in the field is ignoring the violent facts on the ground where he is standing, while CNN displays the announcement that the protests are “mostly peaceful”. Literally the very first word on that chyron is “fiery”. But do go on about how liberals are the ones who ignore facts to fit a narrative. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2021, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-black-lives-matter-protests-were-overwhelmingly-peaceful/952380/5 "2021-10-13T08:35:51Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > But do go on about how liberals are the ones who ignore facts to fit a narrative. _All_ sides ignore or hand-wave away inconvenient facts, that’s because they are humans. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2021, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-black-lives-matter-protests-were-overwhelmingly-peaceful/952380/6 "2021-10-13T08:45:12Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > _All_ sides ignore or hand-wave away inconvenient facts, that’s because they are humans. All people kill, it is just that some step on ants while others shoot people. But it is all the same, right? ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2021, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-black-lives-matter-protests-were-overwhelmingly-peaceful/952380/7 "2021-10-13T08:47:00Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > All people kill, it is just that some step on ants while others shoot people. > But it is all the same, right? No, stepping on ants is not the same as shooting people. What makes you think it is? ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2021, 9:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-black-lives-matter-protests-were-overwhelmingly-peaceful/952380/8 "2021-10-13T09:27:11Z")
A couple of things: Firstly, the BLM protests _were_ largely peaceful. There were hundreds of them across the country that occurred without incident - something like 93-96% of them according to the Wiki article linked to above. Secondly, for those in which violence, looting and property damage occurred, it does not follow that all (or even the majority) of the perpetrators were BLM protesters. We’ve all seen the videos of [Umbrella Man](https://www.startribune.com/police-umbrella-man-was-a-white-supremacist-trying-to-incite-floyd-rioting/571932272/) smashing windows, of the [police physically assaulting protesters](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/oct/29/us-police-brutality-protest), some of whom were merely standing there, and of [right-wing vigilante groups looking to instigate violence](https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/boogaloo-boys-george-floyd-protests-black-lives-matter-1010117/) (with the encouragement of the President and other senior Republicans). In Minneapolis the police were literally [firing paint rounds at people merely standing on their own porches](https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/06/02/george-floyd-protest-minneapolis-cops-shoot-paint-people-porch/3123781001/). > [@chappachula](#): > > Liberals do feel a deep need to show BLM in a positive light. Largely true. > [@](#): > > And they are willing to totally ignore any and all facts that get in the way of their narrative. Considerably less true. > [@](#): > > You know, like Fox News does every day. 🙂 “Liberals” have certainly been keen to minimize the violence and lawlessness by protesters on their side. But nothing the left or the mainstream media have done compares to the massive smear campaign by the right, with FoxNews in the lead. There’s a reason that so many on the right - including a number of people on this very messageboard - believe that _all_ the protests were all about mindless violence and looting by black protesters rather than about, you know, police flagrantly murdering black people. Some even continue to repeat the “cities burning down” and “violent anarchy everywhere” narrative that FoxNews and friends promoted ([sometimes with a little “help”](https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/fox-news-runs-digitally-altered-images-in-coverage-of-seattles-protests-capitol-hill-autonomous-zone/)). So while one side may attempt to spin the facts to make their side look better, the other is simply manufacturing a whole new reality. Not really comparable. ---
**Author:** ![MissTake](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misstake/32/3189_2.png) [@MissTake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissTake)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2021, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-black-lives-matter-protests-were-overwhelmingly-peaceful/952380/9 "2021-10-13T18:17:51Z")
I’m just going to add this in here: > **[Texas man, 24, admits shooting at Minneapolis police station during riot](https://www.mprnews.org/story/2021/09/30/texas-man-24-admits-shooting-at-minneapolis-police-station-during-riot)** > > A Texas man who had been part of a far-right group that wants to foment a civil war admitted in federal court Thursday he traveled to Minneapolis to sow chaos after the police murder of George Floyd. Ivan Harrison Hunter, 24, of Boerne, Tex. pleaded... ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2021, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-black-lives-matter-protests-were-overwhelmingly-peaceful/952380/10 "2021-10-13T18:21:58Z")
Lets see, white guy, that means he can’t be a “thug,” but has “mental health issues” and “needs care.” ---
**Author:** ![SpacemanSpiff\_II](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e19adc/32.png) [@SpacemanSpiff\_II](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpacemanSpiff_II)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2021, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-black-lives-matter-protests-were-overwhelmingly-peaceful/952380/11 "2021-10-13T19:57:10Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Assertions to the contrary are baseless bullshit. This has been clear, IMO, for the last year, but it’s very nice to have such solid data to back it up. At first glance, the methodology that writer used seems seriously skewed in not weighting by protest size. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2021, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-black-lives-matter-protests-were-overwhelmingly-peaceful/952380/12 "2021-10-13T20:14:25Z")
I’m in agreement with **chappachula** - even if BLM protests were mostly peaceful, the media shot itself in the foot by portraying things with fire in the background and “mostly peaceful” as a caption. That was absolutely meme-able material and it took off as mockery. That was the media scoring an own-goal. If you want to sell something as “peaceful,” then show something that’s…peaceful. Not a blazing fire. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2021, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-black-lives-matter-protests-were-overwhelmingly-peaceful/952380/13 "2021-10-13T20:26:56Z")
There were riots in the streets after the murder of George Floyd. There were also peaceful BLM marches. Republicans would really really like everyone to believe that these were the same thing, particularly Republicans defending the insurrection at the Capitol. ---
**Author:** ![DMC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dmc/32/18049_2.png) [@DMC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMC)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2021, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-black-lives-matter-protests-were-overwhelmingly-peaceful/952380/14 "2021-10-13T20:40:18Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > So while one side may attempt to spin the facts to make their side look better, the other is simply manufacturing a whole new reality. Not really comparable. See, both sides do it, just like Novelty\_Bubble said. Ha! 🙄 ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2021, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-black-lives-matter-protests-were-overwhelmingly-peaceful/952380/15 "2021-10-13T20:54:15Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > Secondly, for those in which violence, looting and property damage occurred, it does not follow that all (or even the majority) of the perpetrators were BLM protesters. We’ve all seen the videos of [Umbrella Man](https://www.startribune.com/police-umbrella-man-was-a-white-supremacist-trying-to-incite-floyd-rioting/571932272/) smashing windows, of the [police physically assaulting protesters](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/oct/29/us-police-brutality-protest), some of whom were merely standing there, and of [right-wing vigilante groups looking to instigate violence](https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/boogaloo-boys-george-floyd-protests-black-lives-matter-1010117/) (with the encouragement of the President and other senior Republicans). In Minneapolis the police were literally [firing paint rounds at people merely standing on their own porches](https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/06/02/george-floyd-protest-minneapolis-cops-shoot-paint-people-porch/3123781001/). This bears repeating. The rioters over the summer were, by and large, the same folks as the ones in the insurrection in January. We know who they were, and they were angry white Republicans. Just because they happened to be doing their rioting in the vicinity of peaceful BLM protestors doesn’t mean that BLM is violent. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2021, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-black-lives-matter-protests-were-overwhelmingly-peaceful/952380/16 "2021-10-13T20:58:05Z")
Just for the sake of facts and statistics, I randomly picked one reporting period from the reported source of data and filtered for all the anti-BLM, anti-antifa, pro-Trump… basically everything that looked like a right wing protest or demonstration. These were certainly smaller events than most BLM protests but few if any were recorded as having arrests, property damage and assaults. So one has to ask the question, what does that actually say about the “extraordinarily non-destructive” nature of the protests the article is trying to portray? Can one reasonably conclude that right-wing protests were “overwhelmingly peaceful” as well? Perhaps we should be looking at better data,OR, looking at good data very differently - at the very least, much better critical eye towards data analysis and conclusions in reporting. If anybody wants to take a crack at filtering the 20 or so sets of data looking only at right-wing protests for a more thorough analysis then I’m sure that might be interesting. I may well be wrong in my initial conclusions that the data about BLM protests specifically is not particularly revelatory or unique in the way that is being presented. i.e. Most protests are overwhelmingly peaceful, regardless of the cause they claim to represent. (Notable exceptions are not being ignored so no need to remind of Jan 6 and Charlottesville). ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2021, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-black-lives-matter-protests-were-overwhelmingly-peaceful/952380/17 "2021-10-13T20:59:17Z")
The rioters in Chicago and the suburbs were totally NOT the same people as those involved in the insurrection. But they were also not involved in a BLM march downtown or at the State Capitol. Certainly, there were agitators involved in the riots, but there were also just pissed off (rightly so) local rioters. ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2021, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-black-lives-matter-protests-were-overwhelmingly-peaceful/952380/18 "2021-10-14T01:05:43Z")
No they weren’t. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2021, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-black-lives-matter-protests-were-overwhelmingly-peaceful/952380/19 "2021-10-14T01:09:45Z")
Yes they were. ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2021, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-black-lives-matter-protests-were-overwhelmingly-peaceful/952380/20 "2021-10-14T01:59:30Z")
If they were they would’ve been arrested instead of celebrated and labeled mostly peaceful. No one watching the videos of the burning, the assaults, and the looting really thinks they are the same group, [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-black-lives-matter-protests-were-overwhelmingly-peaceful/952380.md?page=2)