Thousands have been arrested amid nationwide protests spurred by the murder of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis Police Department.
Over days of protests, which have been marred in multiple instances by aggressive police who are eager to take down activists and journalists alike, the Associated Pressstates that at least 4,400 people have been arrested.
Protests spread over the weekend to include the addition of graffiti to multiple Washington D.C. sites, including the Lincoln Memorial, where the fitting message of "Y'all not tired yet?" was added:
And in the Alabama city of Birmingham, protesters successfully took down a piece of Confederate (i.e. pro-slavery) trash: the statue of Charles Linn in Linn Park. Protesters at the park also attempted to topple the Confederate Soldiers & Sailors Monument, which has been the subject of continued headaches for the area, with widespread calls for its removal against the state government’s refusal.
"I understand the frustration and the anger that you have," Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin said on Sunday, perAL.com's report. "Allow me to finish the job for you."
Amid the protests, a wide variety of fundraising initiatives have received attention, including those aiming to raise money for bail. The Minnesota Freedom Fund, for example, has received a massive traffic boost in recent days. When thanking donors for their recent assistance, a rep for the non-profit organization also urged those who are able to offer additional assistance to check out Reclaim the Block and Black Visions Collective.
Activist and artist Danny Cole has led the creation of a service called Creature Friend Finder, which aims “to offer a main line of communication for those arrested due to participation in protests throughout the nation.”
A flier advises, “If you friend gets arrested in the protests our volunteers will team up to locate them and report back with where they are being held + connect bail advocacy.” Hit creaturefriend.org for more.
