Thus the Republic falls to applause: Black Lives Matter

[Armonica_Templar]

2016 presidential election

Main article: United States presidential election, 2016
In the summer of 2015, Black Lives Matter began to publicly challenge politicians—including 2016 United States presidential candidates—to state their positions on BLM issues.[135]
Influence

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Bernie Sanders and Black Lives Matter activists in Westlake Park, Seattle

In August 2015, the Democratic National Committee passed a resolution supporting Black Lives Matter.[136]
In the first Democratic debate, the presidential candidates were asked whether black lives matter or all lives matter.[137] In reply, Bernie Sanders stated "black lives matter."[137] Martin O'Malley said, "Black lives matter," and that the "movement is making is a very, very legitimate and serious point, and that is that as a nation we have undervalued the lives of black lives, people of color."[138] Jim Webb, on the other hand, replied: "as the president of the United States, every life in this country matters."[137] Hillary Clinton was not directly asked the same question, but was instead asked: "What would you do for African Americans in this country that President Obama couldn't?"[139]

In response to what she would do differently from President Obama for African-Americans, Hillary Clinton pushed for criminal justice reform, and said, "We need a new New Deal for communities of color."[140] Clinton had already met with Black Lives Matter representatives in August 2015, and expressed skepticism in the movement's practical application.[clarification needed][141] In June 2015, Clinton was reported to have said "All lives matter."[142]

Republican candidates have been mostly critical of BLM. In August 2015, Ben Carson, the only African American vying for the presidency, called the movement "silly".[143] Carson also said that BLM should care for all black lives, not just a few.[144] In the first Republican presidential debate, which took place in Cleveland, only one question referenced Black Lives Matter.[145] In response to the question, Scott Walker did not acknowledge Black Lives Matter and advocated for the proper training of law enforcement.[145]

Republican presidential candidate Scott Walker blamed the movement for rising anti-police sentiment,[146] while Marco Rubio was the first candidate to publicly sympathize with the movement's point of view.[147]

Several conservative pundits have labeled the movement a "hate group".[148] Candidate Chris Christie, the New Jersey Governor, criticized President Obama for supporting BLM, claiming the movement calls for the murder of police officers,[149] which was condemned by New Jersey chapters of the NAACP and ACLU.[150]

BLM activists called on the Democratic National Committee and the Republican National Committee to have a presidential debate focused on issues of racial justice.[151] Both parties, however, declined to alter their debate schedule, and instead the parties support a townhall or forum.[152]
Protests

Black Lives Matter on [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Friday_(shopping)]Black Friday2014 at Times Square

At the Netroots Nation Conference in July 2015, dozens of Black Lives Matter activists took over the stage at an event featuring Martin O'Malley and Bernie Sanders. Activists, including Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors, asked both candidates for specific policy proposals to address deaths in police custody.[153] The protesters chanted several slogans, including "if I die in police custody, burn everything down". After conference organizers pleaded with the protesters for several minutes, O'Malley responded by pledging to release a wide-ranging plan for criminal justice reform. Protesters later booed O'Malley when he stated "Black lives matter. White lives matter. All lives matter."[154] O'Malley later apologized for his remarks, saying that he didn't mean to disrespect the black community.[154]

On August 8, 2015, a speech by Democratic presidential candidate and civil rights activist Bernie Sanders was disrupted by a group from the Seattle Chapter of Black Lives Matter including chapter co-founder Marissa Johnson[155] who walked onstage, seized the microphone from him and called his supporters racists and white supremacists.[156][157][158] Sanders issued a platform in response.[159]

Nikki Stephens, the operator of a Facebook page called "Black Lives Matter: Seattle" issued an apology to Sanders' supporters, claiming these actions did not represent her understanding of BLM. She was then sent messages by members of the Seattle Chapter which she described as threatening, and was forced to change the name of her group to "Black in Seattle". The founders of Black Lives Matter stated that they had not issued an apology.[160]

In August, activists chanting "Black Lives Matter" interrupted the Las Vegas rally of Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush.[161] As Bush exited early, some of his supporters started responding to the protesters by chanting "white lives matter" or "all lives matter".[162]

In October, a speech by Hillary Clinton on criminal justice reform and race at Atlanta University Center was interrupted by BLM activists.[163]
In November, a BLM protester was physically assaulted at a Donald Trump rally in Birmingham, Alabama. In response, Trump said, "maybe he should have been roughed up because it was absolutely disgusting what he was doing."[164] Trump had previously threatened to fight any Black Lives Matter protesters if they attempted to speak at one of his events.[165]

In March 2016, Black Lives Matter helped organize the 2016 Donald Trump Chicago rally protest that forced Trump to cancel the event.[166][167] Four individuals were arrested and charged in the incident. Two were "charged with felony aggravated battery to a police officer and resisting arrest", one was "charged with two misdemeanor counts of resisting and obstructing a peace officer", and the fourth "was charged with one misdemeanor count of resisting and obstructing a peace officer".[168] A CBS reporter was one of those arrested outside the rally. He was charged with resisting arrest.[169]

"All Lives Matter"

This section requires expansionwith: the origins of the term, as well as the arguments and identity of its proponents. (July 2016)
In the discussion surrounding "Black Lives Matter", the slogan "All Lives Matter" is sometimes used[by whom?] as an alternative. Its supporters include Senator Tim Scott.[170]According to an August 2015 poll, 78% of likely American voters said the statement All Lives Matters was "close[r] to [their] own" than Black Lives Matter. Only 11% said the statement Black Lives Matter was closer. Nine percent said neither statement reflected their point of view.[171]

Criticism
According to professor David Theo Goldberg, "All Lives Matter" reflects a view of "racial dismissal, ignoring, and denial".[172] On Real Time with Bill Maher Bill Maher expressed support of the "Black Lives Matter" phrase, stating that "'All Lives Matter' implies that all lives are equally at risk, and they're not".[173] Founders have responded to criticism of the movement's exclusivity, saying, "#BlackLivesMatter doesn't mean your life isn't important – it means that Black lives, which are seen without value within White supremacy, are important to your liberation."[174]
In a video interview with Laura Flanders, Garza discussed how "changing Black Lives Matter to All Lives Matter is a demonstration of how we don't actually understand structural racism in this country". She went on to discuss how other lives are valued more than black lives, which she strongly feels is wrong, and that to take blackness out of this equation is inappropriate.[175]

President Barack Obama spoke to the debate between Black Lives Matter and All Lives Matter.[176] Obama said, "I think that the reason that the organizers used the phrase Black Lives Matter was not because they were suggesting that no one else's lives matter ... rather what they were suggesting was there is a specific problem that is happening in the African American community that's not happening in other communities." He also said "that is a legitimate issue that we've got to address."[28]

On February 24, 2016, Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, sent out a company-wide internal memo to employees formally rebuking employees who had crossed out handwritten "Black Lives Matter" phrases on the company walls and had written "All Lives Matter" in their place. Facebook allows employees to free-write thoughts and phrases on company walls. The memo was then leaked by several employees. As Zuckerberg had previously condemned this practice at previous company meetings, and other similar requests had been issued by other leaders at Facebook, Zuckerberg wrote in the memo that he would now consider this overwriting practice not only disrespectful, but "malicious as well".[177]According to Zuckerberg's memo, "Black Lives Matter doesn't mean other lives don't – it's simply asking that the black community also achieves the justice they deserve." The memo noted that the act of crossing something out in itself, "means silencing speech, or that one person's speech is more important than another's".[178][179][180]

External images "All Houses Matter", Chainsawsuit, Kris Straub, July 7, 2016. Cartoonist uses a house fire to illustrate why critics see "All Lives Matter" as problematic.[181]
In July 2016, USA Today wrote that using the phrase "All Lives Matter" can be interpreted as racist. It cited three professors, including Joe Feagin, who said that white people use the phrase "All Lives Matter" to ignore the Black Lives Matter movement, which he described as "already about liberty and justice for all". USA Today reported that some celebrities who had tweeted using the hashtag #AllLivesMatter, including Jennifer Lopez and Fetty Wap, had deleted the tweets and apologized. It also mentioned cartoonist Kris Straub, who tweeted a cartoon titled "All Houses Matter", showing a house fire, to illustrate the problem with the term.[181]

Criticism
Issues protested
African-American critics of the movement include neurosurgeon and former Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson, minister Johnathan Gentry of the West Angeles Church of God in Christ, and author and minister Barbara Ann Reynolds.[182][183]
Deroy Murdock questioned the number of black people killed by police that is reported by BLM. He wrote, "But the notion that America's cops simply are gunning down innocent black people is one of today's biggest and deadliest lies."[184] The hashtag #BlueLivesMatter was created by supporters who stood up for police officers' lives.[185] Some critics also accuse Black Lives Matter of "anti-white and anti-police radicalism".[186]

Many individuals in law enforcement have been critical of BLM. Sheriff David A. Clarke, Jr of Milwaukee County has been critical of Black Lives Matter, stating that there is no police brutality problem in America and that "there is no racism in the hearts of police officers".[187] John McWhorter said that the Black Lives Matter movement should take on black-on-black crime.[188]

Seattle Seahawks Richard Sherman said about the "Black Lives Matter" movement, "I dealt with a best friend getting killed, and it was [by] two 35-year-old black men. There was no police officer involved, there wasn't anybody else involved, and I didn't hear anybody shouting 'black lives matter' then."[189]

Tactics
See also: Ferguson effect
Some black civil rights leaders, such as Rev. Cecil "Chip" Murray, Najee Ali, Earl Ofari Hutchinson, have criticized the tactics of BLM.[190] Marchers using a BLM banner were recorded in a video chanting, "Pigs in a blanket, fry 'em like bacon" at the Minnesota State Fair. Law enforcement groups said that the chant promotes death to police. The protest organizer disputed that interpretation.[191]

A North Carolina police chief retired after calling BLM a terrorist group.[192] A police officer in Oregon was removed from street duty following a social media post in which he said he would have to "babysit these fools", in reference to a planned BLM event.[193]

Some commentators and law enforcement have said that BLM has made it hard for police to do their job, leading to a rise in crime rates.[184] Commentators have referred to this as the "Ferguson effect."[184] FBI Director James Comey, for example, suggested that the movement is partly leading to a national rise in crime rates because police officers have pulled back from doing their jobs.[194] However, there had been even larger crime spikes prior to the events in Ferguson.[195]

White groups
In response to BLM, Facebook pages purporting to represent "White Student Unions" with the slogan "White Lives Matter" have been linked to college campuses in the United States.[196] The pages often promise a "safe space" for white students and condemn alleged anti-white racism on campus.[197] However, many of the groups were not verified as legitimate student organizations registered with their respective universities.[196]