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Potent minimalist art sends a strong message about police and vigilante brutality in America

Journalist and artist Shirin Barghi has created a gripping, thought-provoking series of graphics that not only examines racial prejudice in today’s America, but also captures the sense of humanity that often gets lost in news coverage. Titled “Last Words,” the graphics illustrate the last recorded words by Brown and other young black people — Trayvon Martin, Oscar Grant and others — who have been killed by police in recent years.

Hey folks, this is not your typical post about incorrect quotes.

I want to address a serious issue today, and most of you probably know what’s been going on in the US.

The killing of George Floyd started another serious and necessary debate on Police brutality in the states. (And I think not just there. Every country is affected in some way or another.)

My heart doesn’t ache, no. My heart is bleeding and crying out of pain about what has been going on for days now. What people have been going through for years and years. This is not the first case of police brutality against POC, nor the second, and it probably isn’t the last one.

It happened so many times already that I can’t count them all. Our world has lost so many beautiful souls to this never-ending issue. Additionally to this, we lost so many brothers and sisters of color who were part of the LGBTQ+ community too. Even though it is pride month, I can’t enjoy and celebrate it as much as I want to.

But now is the time to act. Now more than ever! We all have a voice, and I’m sure as hell using mine. And I want you to do the same.

40 Ways you can help right now shows you different techniques and approaches to support the #blacklivesmatter movement in various forms.

Everyone’s able to do something. Even if you don’t have the money to donate, or you’re not from the US, share articles, draw attention to it in some way. Being silent about this puts you on the side of the offenders.

It would be a shame if the protesters noted that plainclothes cops can be identified a number of ways, such as wearing steel-toed boots; an armband or wristband of a particular color; driving white, black, or dark blue cars with concealed lights; or having the outline of cuffs visible in the back pocket or the bumps of an armor vest’s shoulder straps under their shirt.

It would be a shame if the protesters began making their signs out of inch-thick plywood to stop rubber bullets, forming a tight shield wall to prevent police from singling out and mobbing individual protesters. It would be a shame if the people behind the shield wall held up umbrellas so that tear gas canisters fired over the heads of the front line will be bounced away. It would be a shame if protesters began constructing improvised armor vests out of duct tape, hardback books, and ceramic tiles.

It would be a shame if protesters started wearing safety glasses, hard hats, respirators, and gardening gloves, all of which can be found at the same hardware stores as the plywood. It would be a shame if they started using traffic cones (the kind without the hole in the top) upside-down buckets, or other improvised lids to contain tear gas by placing them over the canisters.

It would be a shame if protesters learned that police scanners are legal to own in the US, allowing them to learn where police are moving and what routes they intend to take. It would be a shame if they discovered that these scanners can be used to send as well as receive, allowing them to flood the scanner frequencies with noise.

On May 25, 2020, George Floyd was slowly and mercilessly killed by 4 Minneapolis police officers while being videotaped by concerned citizens begging them to stop. Floyd was surrounded and brutally dealt with by the police as Derek Chauvin’s knee pinned down his throat. Floyd kept screaming “I can’t breathe! I can’t breathe!” but they didn’t listen. He then became unresponsive but was continually choked until his nose began to bleed, and his lifeless body was shoved into a stretcher and into the back of an ambulance.

The officers involved have been fired and the FBI has been called to investigate. But we must do our part to ensure that George Floyd receives the justice he deserves. Please sign these petitions addressed to the FBI, The President, The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, The Minneapolis Police Department, & DA Mike Freeman. An email on your behalf will be sent to all of the above. The lawyer representing Floyd’s family, civil rights attorney Ben Crump, urges us to call DA Mike Freeman (612-348-5550) and tell him to arrest and charge these officers for the Murder of George Floyd, I encourage you to do so.

SIGN THESE PETITIONS:

https://www.change.org/p/mayor-jacob-frey-justice-for-george-floyd

https://www.change.org/p/change-org-the-minneapolis-police-officers-to-be-charged-for-murder-after-killing-innocent-black-man

https://www.change.org/p/department-of-justice-mandatory-life-sentence-for-police-brutality

https://www.change.org/p/mayor-jacob-frey-justice-for-george-floyd-2

https://sign.moveon.org/petitions/justiceforfloyd-demand-the-police-officers-who-killed-george-floyd-are-fired

https://go.theactionpac.com/sign/justice-for-george-floyd?akid=s126290..-x2Vhw

https://go.theactionpac.com/sign/stand-with-breonna?akid=s170063..jxQ_ei

FOR THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE INTERNATIONALLY: if you cannot sign without american postal codes, feel free to use these:

90015 - Los Angeles, California 10001 - New York City, New York 75001 - Dallas, Texas

DONATE TO GEORGE FLOYD’S FAMILY:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/georgefloyd

TEXT “FLOYD” TO 55156!

TEXT “JUSTICE” TO 668366!

If you want to be educated and informed more, refer to the official page for #BlackLivesMatter: