In response to the civil unrest that Minneapolis has suffered this week following the death of George Floyd, President Donald Trump posted an inflammatory comment on Twitter: “When the looting starts, the shooting starts.” It was so explosive and incendiary that Twitter, which had already triggered Trump’s ire this week, flagged and hid the post as violent content.
The phrase, however, didn’t originate with Trump, and its racist origins are explained in articles for HuffPost and NBC News.
Floyd, an African-American resident of Minneapolis, died on Monday while in police custody. In a disturbing video of his arrest, Floyd can be heard saying, “I can’t breathe” while handcuffed and pinned to the ground. Floyd’s death has inspired angry demonstrations not only in Minneapolis, but also, in other U.S. cities ranging from New York to Los Angeles to Chicago. Continue reading.