Extent of BLM Support

[Thoughtful Monk]

Over the weekend, we had a BLM event here. They marched and blocked a freeway for a couple hours. It went off very peacefully.

What struck me after watching several news clip was how small the attendance was. Being generous, there were maybe 200 people attending. I have noticed at this and other BLM events, the media has avoiding crowd size estimates. Also, I noticed the majority of the participants were white. I also noticed none of the usual civil rights activist were present.

Racism is a very important issue. But I see this low turnout and I start wondering how much support does BLM really have. The answer I'm sure depends on city or region you're in. Around here it seems BLM is more show than substance.

[Whateverman]

Over the weekend, we had a BLM event here. They marched and blocked a freeway for a couple hours. It went off very peacefully.

What struck me after watching several news clip was how small the attendance was. Being generous, there were maybe 200 people attending. I have noticed at this and other BLM events, the media has avoiding crowd size estimates. Also, I noticed the majority of the participants were white. I also noticed none of the usual civil rights activist were present.

Racism is a very important issue. But I see this low turnout and I start wondering how much support does BLM really have. The answer I'm sure depends on city or region you're in. Around here it seems BLM is more show than substance.

Keep in mind that the pandemic probably had some impact on the turnout - though I'm not implying anything about how much support the movement actually has.

[Bill the Cat]

Over the weekend, we had a BLM event here. They marched and blocked a freeway for a couple hours. It went off very peacefully.

What struck me after watching several news clip was how small the attendance was. Being generous, there were maybe 200 people attending. I have noticed at this and other BLM events, the media has avoiding crowd size estimates. Also, I noticed the majority of the participants were white. I also noticed none of the usual civil rights activist were present.

Racism is a very important issue. But I see this low turnout and I start wondering how much support does BLM really have. The answer I'm sure depends on city or region you're in. Around here it seems BLM is more show than substance.

The dozen or so, typically overweight young white females, who congregate weekly at the Hardees on the main road past my street are a far cry from the crowd that still meets on Monument Ave in Richmond.

[rogue06]

Keep in mind that the pandemic probably had some impact on the turnout - though I'm not implying anything about how much support the movement actually has.

It sure didn't slow down any of the rioting and looting in June and early July. I guess this means that if the participants can't personally profit by it they aren't really all that interested.

[Maranatha]

Over the weekend, we had a BLM event here. They marched and blocked a freeway for a couple hours. It went off very peacefully.

What struck me after watching several news clip was how small the attendance was. Being generous, there were maybe 200 people attending. I have noticed at this and other BLM events, the media has avoiding crowd size estimates. Also, I noticed the majority of the participants were white. I also noticed none of the usual civil rights activist were present.

Racism is a very important issue. But I see this low turnout and I start wondering how much support does BLM really have. The answer I'm sure depends on city or region you're in. Around here it seems BLM is more show than substance.

I wonder how many pale liberals think BLM speaks for black people?

Since people can't tell where BLM ends and where antifa begins, they seem to be the same to me.

According to media reporting I've seen, I do believe that the liberal media supports them, and they also tell me of course black people support them, and surely the Democrats support them. So to answer your question, the media tells us it is half the country or more that supports BLM. Whatever violence happens is meh.

[Whateverman]

It sure didn't slow down any of the rioting and looting in June and early July. I guess this means that if the participants can't personally profit by it they aren't really all that interested.

You must be feeling dizzy with all that spin...

[Bill the Cat]

You must be feeling dizzy with all that spin...

Because we just IMAGINED all that burning and looting. Hey, maybe the Mayor of Minneapolis was trying to get emergency funds for the Vikings!

[Whateverman]

Because we just IMAGINED all that burning and looting

... which has nothing to do with a relatively small-scale mostly-white protest described in the OP.

I'll bet the dizziness is infectious...

[Bill the Cat]

... which has nothing to do with a relatively small-scale mostly-white protest described in the OP.

I'll bet the dizziness is infectious...

Rogue said "It sure didn't slow down any of the rioting and looting in June and early July." That was the focus of your response, Peter LaFleur.

[Ronson]

But I see this low turnout and I start wondering how much support does BLM really have.

None from me. Part of it is the organization itself, being anti-libertarian.

But another part of it is simply pushback. I recall in the 1980s that United Way would come by my company every year and do some sort of pitch, and at the end they'd say "Now, how much of your paycheck do you want to contribute?" I hate that high-pressure tactic and I happily said "Nothing" (I gave to Salvation Army back then anyway). Then my company started pressuring me to donate and that angered me even more; there was some sort of competition going on - a kickback or something - for as many contributions they could muster. This is on top of the wastefulness of United Way.

BLM is the same thing. I sense the same pressure coming at me from every angle, when I don't approve of them in the first place. Double negative.

[mossrose]

Because we just IMAGINED all that burning and looting. Hey, maybe the Mayor of Minneapolis was trying to get emergency funds for the Vikings!

They're going to have to change that name. I'm sure it's offensive to somebody.

In other news, why is a protest called "peaceful" when it shuts down a highway for several hours?

[Cow Poke]

Over the weekend, we had a BLM event here. They marched and blocked a freeway for a couple hours. It went off very peacefully.

What struck me after watching several news clip was how small the attendance was. Being generous, there were maybe 200 people attending. I have noticed at this and other BLM events, the media has avoiding crowd size estimates. Also, I noticed the majority of the participants were white. I also noticed none of the usual civil rights activist were present.

Racism is a very important issue. But I see this low turnout and I start wondering how much support does BLM really have. The answer I'm sure depends on city or region you're in. Around here it seems BLM is more show than substance.

The white folk get suckered into this being about Blacks being abused, when BLM is all about Marxism.

[Cow Poke]

... which has nothing to do with a relatively small-scale mostly-white protest described in the OP.

I'll bet the dizziness is infectious...

We had one of those little soirees in town, mostly white women, "crowd" of about 30, and one of our black police officers approached and very politely asked if he could talk to them.
They appeared absolutely giddy about a BLACK police officer talking to them, so they said "sure!"

He asked them what the beliefs of "BLM" were, and they looked stunned. They muttered some thing about 'police brutality', and 'George Floyd', but looked (according to this police officer) rather awkward talking about police brutality when this very polite "clean and articulate" (jab at Sleepy Joe) BLACK police officer was standing there.

He explained some of the Marxist beliefs of BLM and these people, including a few blacks, looked absolutely depressed. He said, "yeah, I was a real downer to those people".

[Starlight]

BLM is all about Marxism.

As someone who's Marxist-adjacent, I find it really bizarre that you think BLM is Marxist.

And super bizarre that you think that if it were, that that would be so terrible that you'd have to repeat the claim multiple time in multiple threads and arrange multiple meetings with other people in your town on the subject.

At first I was just laughing at your posts on the subject, but now I'm getting a bit concerned for you. Did you forget to take your medicine or something?

[Cow Poke]

As someone who's Marxist-adjacent, I find it really bizarre that you think BLM is Marxist.

Not just me -- a number of my black police officer friends, and my black "boss" at the county help center, and quite a number of my liberal friends.
BLM was founded by people who were proudly claiming to be "Marxist trained".

And super bizarre that you think that if it were, that that would be so terrible that you'd have to repeat the claim multiple time in multiple threads and arrange multiple meetings with other people in your town on the subject.

At first I was just laughing at your posts on the subject, but now I'm getting a bit concerned for you. Did you forget to take your medicine or something?

Thanks, star. When you, one of the nuttiest lefties ever to post on Tweb, say stuff like that, it helps me know I'm on the right path.