Five Years Later: What Did Kansas City Learn From BLM Riots?!?

Apropos for #TBT tonight . . . 

Let's start with a debate that only oldheads will remember: 

What more astute Kansas City new watchers might have learned is this:

A "skirmish line" betwixt police and protesters is a dumb idea. We're willing to debate with law enforcement efforts about "kettling" but that's not what happened in Kansas City during the riots after the murder of George Floyd . . . Instead, police were involved with a standoff with protesters and the rank & file took HORRIFIC injuries from bottles, rocks & all manner of debris thrown their way. What we witnessed during those two weeks was Kansas City police & Missouri State authorities caught by surprise in the midst of massive American civil unrest. To be fair, we know that local police have learned a lot from this moment in American history. 

Also . . .

The Kansas City police chief kneeling with Mayor Q only served to embarrass everyone even he claims he didn't mean it in hindsight.

And now . . . Here's a community based consideration of the events . . .

At Mill Creek Park on the Country Club Plaza, where demonstrations erupted in May 2020, community members gathered to reflect on the progress made and the work that remains.

Demonstrators recall scenes of chaos that unfolded during the protests. People recall shielding their eyes from tear gas, seeing water bottles thrown, and people getting trampled in the crowd.

“That situation that day, man, it changed the look of America,” said Pat Clarke, a longtime community outreach advocate who was on the ground trying to de-escalate tensions.

Personal aside if you've made it this far . . .

Mr. Clarke is pretty great and if you're lucky enough to catch him off-mic and off-record he might have even more things to say about local politics that will find common ground with nearly every plain spoken denizen of the discourse. 

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .

KCTV5: ‘A breaking point’ Kansas City Activists reflect on five years after George Floyd protests

You decide . . .