EWC_2015 t1_j696a77 wrote on January 28, 2023 at 5:24 PM

Reply to comment by Pbpopcorn in NYC protests of Tyre Nichols death draw more than 100; three arrested as Times Square protester smashes police car windshield by [deleted]

>I bet if there hadn’t been a pandemic the George Floyd protests wouldn’t have been as big -it gave people an excuse to gather when gatherings were essentially banned.

I found myself wondering if this was true in the aftermath when things had "quieted down" so to speak. I was expecting similar events last night given just how BAD this case is, but it was surprisingly quiet. NBC reported it as "protests erupt" across the country and the shots they showed of Memphis, Boston, and NYC had remarkably small crowds.

Westiemom666 t1_j6bh61g wrote on January 29, 2023 at 3:28 AM

I think the opposite. A lot of people who would've protested didn't, because of the virus. Releasing the video after criminal charges were already announced made a big difference.

Pbpopcorn t1_j6blecd wrote on January 29, 2023 at 4:03 AM

I don’t think so. Anecdotally but I knew people who were afraid to go outside/gather because of covid but made an exception just for George Floyd protests, including one of my immunocompromised friends. It was as if it was dangerous to go to central park because of covid unless it was for BLM (before people knew outdoor spread was minimal)