Seeing Contention in Black and White: Protest and Protest Policing

How does the police react to situations when protestors are of one ethnicity as opposed to another?

Illustration by Darick Ritter.

In a Washington Post/Monkey Cage blog entitled “Who Protests Determines How Police Respond,” this question is discussed referencing an earlier article of mine with Sarah Soule and David Armstrong entitled “Protesting While Black?” The blog post notes that American police are much more aggressive and violent when confronting black protestors – regardless of what tactics the protestors employ, how many people show up, as well as what the protests are about. In other words, when blacks protest, they are much more likely to get their asses kicked by a Darth Vader dressed police officer, be hit with a fire hose or some tear gas.

Read more at Political Violence @ a Glance. The original posting there was made 17 August 2014.

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