SPOTLIGHT
Leilani says, “the protestors have every right to be angry, cars, buildings, and windows can all be replaced and covered by insurance, but black lives lost cannot be replaced,” Leilani said. In an Imperfect World In many recent photographs and videos, they show police officers covered in military-grade gear, and plastic face masks that protect them from any possible carriers of the virus, as well as tear gas. Many protesters are frustrated at how militarized police forces are and how much more “prepared” they are for the riots and protests. Recently, the Trump administration pledged to “force of the government” to “protect” federal property by sending out agents from the Special Response Team. Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler and Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan have refused help from the SRT. The SRT would “subdue” street protests but city officials have decided that they don’t want the federal agents to “target”, according to New York Times article “Feds Sending Tactical Team to Seattle, Expanding Presence Beyond Portland”. Protestors are fighting to defund police forces, which could mean that the local government could put the money towards other programs, such as mental health services and social service programs. Protestors are not trying to abolish police forces but want to limit the amount of funds police receive yearly that could be going towards more “important” services, such as public health and public schooling. Many are protesting that defunding the police could be a bad idea, since police forces are the ones who respond to a citizens call for help, or ci-
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vil unrest in neighborhoods and populated areas. Defunding the police could also put more money towards doctors and nurses who need proper gear to serve those who are sick with the coronavirus, as many have had to reuse their masks or not wear any at all. This situation could endanger healthcare workers since N95 masks are single use only, and could cause them to become infected with the virus if not reapplied carefully. One nurse in California has had to place her mask in a plastic tub and stick her face in to put it on. There have also been complaints of police not wearing masks at protests, which means they are not following important guidelines that the CDC put into place specifically for the protests. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo spoke on the subj-