Nobel Hobos 2 wrote:The proximate cause of protesting now is just what it seems to be, what it claims to be, which is defunding/abolishing the police as a bid to get some police reform. That it spread to so many cities (even small ones) shows that the police problem is widespread. Despite that, it's partially still about one man's death. Floyd's torture and murder was the straw that broke the camel's back, it will be remembered in history.
I don't doubt that those protesting are indeed sincere about the cause they're protesting. I'm just saying it didn't have to be this cause. If George Floyd had never been subject to that kind of treatment, it would've been something else. Some kind of major lurch towards a mass movement involving direct action like this was inevitable, give the underlying factors we've both mentioned - ie resentment against the lockdown, folks being pent up and needing an outlet, etc.