The Shakerite VOL 91 ISSUE I

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28yet none were beaten, shot or killed.Eventually, a 6 p.m. curfew was ordered by theWashington, D.C. mayor, and the rioters were askedto leave the premises. They were warned that if theydid not leave, they would be arrested, yet insurrectionistsrefused to leave and faced no consequences.Government officials, such as House SpeakerNancy Pelosi, criticized the reaction of the Capitolpolice. Pelosi directed a review of the CapitolPolice, which was released on March 5. The reportstated that the Capitol Police were “understaffed,insufficiently equipped, and inadequately trained tosecure the Capitol and Members when violently attackedby a large mob.”According to the Armed Conflict Location andData database, 93 percent of those who protestedpolice brutality last summer have not engaged inviolent activity during a protest. Yet the reactionsof law enforcement to Black Lives Matter protestshave been severe compared to groups of mostlywhite protesters. Peaceful protesters were arrestedand assaulted for marching in the streets to demandan end to police brutality and demanding justice.Unlike the insurrectionists of Jan. 6, protesterswere arrested despite not committing any crimes.The wide majority of Black Lives Matter protestersdid not trespass, beat police officers or destroy orsteal government property. However, they were stillarrested at a higher rate than white pro-Trump protestors.In Aurora Colorado on June 29, riot policestormed a peaceful vigil for Elijah McClain. McClainwas a 23-year-old Black massage therapist and violinist.Aurora Police officers Nathan Woodyard, JasonRosenblatt and Randy Roedema killed McClainin 20019 after placing him in a chokehold and sedatinghim with an improper dose of ketamine. Thevigil, which was peaceful, was interrupted when officersarrived and sprayed protesters with tear gas.Trump called Black Lives Matter protesters inMinneapolis “thugs,” despite the majority beingpeaceful. After pleas and demands that he ask theinsurrectionists to go home, he tweeted, “go homein peace” and that the insurrectionists were “veryspecial.”The Capitol riot was not the first instance of lawenforcement double standards for handling protests.When lockdown orders were enacted by localofficials to stop the spread of COVID-19 across thecountry, protests erupted. Armed militias protestedinside and outside the Michigan State Capitol April30. Most were white and were not wearing masks,which posed another safety threat. Despite thethreats to security, law enforcement did not intervene.Instead, police officers merely stood in frontof the protesters as they screamed in their faces andbrandished assault weapons. They did not use anyforce, let alone excessive force, as they did duringBlack Lives Matter protests.“On several occasions, BLM protests haveturned violent and Black people were beaten in thestreet, and even ran into by police in their cars. Onthe other hand, white people were able to raid a governmentbuilding, bring hate flags inside, steal federalmail, and more. There was little to no violenceduring the insurrection itself which already provesthe double standard argument”-Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) pointedout the double standard. “Black people get executedby police for just existing, while white peopledressed like militia members carrying assault weaponsare allowed to threaten State Legislators andstaff,” Tlaib tweeted April 30.Meanwhile, on May 30, 2020, thousands of protestersgathered in downtown Cleveland to protestthe murder of George Floyd and systemic racism.The protest began peacefully at the Free Stamp.When Cleveland police and Cuyahoga County sheriff’sdeputies arrived downtown, the protest escalated.Some protesters threw items at the Justice Centerbuilding. Police threw tear gas canisters into thecrowds of protesters and used pepper spray againstthem.The protesters were throwing objects such aswater bottles at the Justice Center building, comparedto the insurrectionists of Jan. 6, who threwobjects such as flag poles and crutches at police officers.Senior Victoria Helmick spoke to The Shakeritefollowing the protest. “It was chaotic,” she said.“We saw a girl who got shot by a rubber bullet in herhead and she was in shock.”According to a Pew Research Survey from June12, Black Lives Matter protests are uniquely diverse.VOL. 91 ISSUE I
Peaceful vigil to honor George Floyd on June 6, 2020 inGridley Park. Photo by David Vahey.According to a June survey, 17 percent of BlackAmericans, 22 percent of Hispanic Americans, 8percent of Asian Americans and 46 percent of whiteAmericans reported attending a Black Lives Matterprotest in the month of May.The majority of the protestors at the Capitol insurrectionand the lockdown protest in Michiganwere white. The same people who expressed ferventsupport for police during the height of Black LivesMatter protests abandoned that support during theCapitol riot.The double standards are alarmingly clear. Lawenforcement responds differently based on the skincolors of the protesters, as well as their messages.Last summer, there were violent protests, whichwere exceptions to the widely peaceful protests byBlack Lives Matter protesters. In Minneapolis propertywas destroyed, burned, and objects were stolen.Because of these instances, the city of Minneapolisprepared for protests as the Derek Chauvin trialcame to an end. Barriers were put up surroundingthe courthouse and around businesses where thetrial took place.Chauvin was found guilty of second-degree unintentionalmurder, third- degree murder and second-degreemanslaughter for having knelt on theneck of George Floyd and killing him. Protestersgathered outside of the boarded-up courthouse, listeningthrough cell phones to hear the verdict foreach charge. The crowd erupted in cheering, cryingand praying when Chauvin was found guilty on allof them. Despite their intense emotional reactions,those gathered outside the courthouse remainedpeaceful.Shaker schools held an assembly Jan. 12 to addressthe insurrection. Eight Black students voicedtheir opinions on the event and pointed out thehypocrisy in law enforcement reactions to insurrectionistscompared to that of Black Lives Matterprotesters.“To go to the Capitol and riot, for the reasonsthat they did, is revolting. Given that one [protest]is losing an election and the other one is standingup for your life, it’s pretty absurd,” seventh graderBahji Jenkins said.Junior Ayande Joseph also spoke at the districtevent. He said, “On one side, you have the terroriststaking selfies with the police officer inside the building,and then on the other hand, you have peacefulprotesters being shown plenty of violence for peacefullyprotesting. It’s just Black and white of the doublestandards.”Spring 2021 THE SHAKERITE 29
Page 1 and 2: THESHAKERITEVOL. 91 ISSUE I MAY 28,
Page 3 and 4: A NOTE FROM THE EDITORMy time at Th
Page 5 and 6: Redifining Terrorism // Page 42The
Page 7 and 8: According to Richter’s work, the
Page 9 and 10: financing because of the changing r
Page 11 and 12: been complete racial turnover, if y
Page 13 and 14: Opal Tometi. They formed the organi
Page 15 and 16: Black Lives Matter organized protes
Page 17 and 18: E BLM MOVEMENTsystem rarely holds p
Page 19 and 20: Alona Miller“Kill All Muslims”
Page 21 and 22: world outside,” he said.Polster p
Page 23 and 24: Alona Millerty more than it benefit
Page 25 and 26: but we’re bringing in the learnin
Page 27: Agroup peacefullyprotestingpolice b
Page 31 and 32: Chyna (“ANT Farm”) and Rocky (
Page 33 and 34: protagonists experiencing a racial
Page 35 and 36: Only four of those 13 have seen a
Page 37 and 38: the FBI would be joining the invest
Page 39 and 40: of ISIS beheading a white Americanm
Page 41 and 42: Eliminate vocabulary that may be mi
Page 44 and 45: What is the first thing that comest
Page 46 and 47: ‘RITE IDEA’RITE IDEA:LEARNING A
Page 48 and 49: ing continues, it’s important tha
Page 50 and 51: World gives students a more global
Page 52 and 53: SPOTLIGHTTAKINGShaker Heights City
Page 54 and 55: RAIDER ZONEBACK TO THE LAKE ERIE LE
Page 56 and 57: Junior basketball player Danny Youn
Page 58 and 59: GUEST RITESSH4BL URGES ALTERNATIVES
Page 60: PHOTO GALLERYBLACKLIVESMATTERFollow
Page 63: 49 of Cleveland’s LocalBlack-Owne

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