Three years after the death of George Floyd at the hands of the American police, the images of the lynching of Tire Nichols, a young African-American of 29 years, by the police have shocked millions of Americans. It’s not ” neither a phenomenon that is waking up, nor that attracts more attention than before », Estimates Charlotte Recoquillon, geographer, doctor in geopolitics and specialist of the United States. On January 7, five black police officers killed him with punches, kicks and truncheons during a routine traffic check in Memphis, Tenessee. The police officers multiply the slaps and spray the young American with pepper spray.
Between this severe beating and the voices of the police who shout: Hit it ! “Tire Nichols barely has the strength to thunder” Maman ! “. Three days later, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation announced the death of this man as a result of injuries sustained during “use of force incident with officers”.
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This violence is reminiscent of that which the police – white this time – had subjected to George Floyd three years earlier, but then how to explain the less significant mobilization that has followed since that which had set the whole country on fire three years ago?
The mobilization does not weaken
On the streets of Memphis, the near-silent protests are a far cry from saying the Tire Nichols case hasn’t distressed or ” that there is no political mobilization around this subject, since it is quite the opposite “, explains Charlotte Recoquillon.
« The police violence does not stop, and the Americans do not stop mobilizing and demanding justice for their dead, only the media tension resumes. »
Except that in this case, it seemed that the movement of anger, preempted by the Memphis police broadcast of the beating, was stemmed. The same will no doubt about the almost immediate suspension of the five police officers. The demonstration allows to challenge public opinion and political decision-makers and to demand that the police be charged. But in this case, they have already been charged.
The researcher believes that ” there was undoubtedly an attempt to defuse mobilization and social anger by taking very quick decisions. For now, even low-key protests will not put more pressure. “And while one would be tempted to think that things have improved since the George Floyd affair, Charlotte Recoquillon wants to draw attention:
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« 2022 is a record year for police deaths in the United States, things have gotten seriously worse. »
Between 2013 and 2020, police officers have “ benefited from almost total impunity in 98.3% of cases where someone was killed by the police ».
Systemic racism
Despite everything, measures have been taken, such as the more widespread deployment of pedestrian cameras, but they remain “ ineffective because they do not prevent violence from occurring and do not systematically lead to condemnation “. These measures intervene after the violence and only in order to obtain justice: “We are talking about setting up a file which lists the police officers who have committed violence, of providing proof of the violence with images, but all that does not prevent anything. American citizens, black in this case, and activists demand that there be no more deaths “recalls the geographer.
On the issue of the skin color of the police officers who beat her son to death, Tyre Nichols’ mother was clear: “I hate that five black men did this. » A fact which according to the specialist from the United States would have nothing unprecedented, nor exceptional “although more” rare ». « We know that black police officers use force less often, but when they do, their victims are mostly dead. “says Charlotte Recoquillon. A phenomenon that raises the question of systemic racism, based on prejudices and stereotypes against black men ” considered criminals and dangerous people ».
A difference that is not easy to grasp for Americans who are not always familiar with the mechanism of systemic racism. ” In the mobilizations after the death of George Floyd, there were many white people and people who were new to anti-racism issues. Many no longer mobilized thinking that justice had been done after the conviction of Derek Chauvin. For the Tire Nichosl case, some do not understand how it revolves around racism and the social and racial order of this nation. This would partly explain a lesser mobilization in the street of the Americans.
The geographer concludes: “TheBlack police officers internalize prejudices and practice in an institution to which they must prove their loyalty more than others. They can be perceived as a guarantee of trust and complicity with black citizens or, on the contrary, be a factor aggravating hostility towards black people. »
Source : Nouvelobs
I have been working as a journalist for over 10 years. In that time, I have covered the news from all corners of the world, and written about everything from politics to business.I’m now a full-time author, and my work can be found at Global happenings. My aim is to bring you up-to-date news and views on global affairs, in a format that is easy to read and understand.
