Democratic Change Still Works
Amid the tumult following George Floyd’s killing by police, Urooj Rahman, a New York City housing lawyer, was arrested on charges that she lit a Molotov cocktail and tossed it into the back of an NYPD squad car. Shortly before the crime was committed, she told a journalist, “This shit won’t ever stop unless we fucking take it all down,” adding that “the only way they hear us is through violence, through the means that they use.” The journalist said, “We’ve seen police cars on fire and objects thrown at police, fireworks and that kind of stuff. How do you feel about that?” Rahman replied, “This is the way that people show their anger and frustration. Because nothing else works.”
The next day, former President Barack Obama published a short essay on Medium titled “How to Make This Moment the Turning Point for Real Change.” After noting that the “overwhelming majority” of protesters were “peaceful, courageous, responsible, and inspiring,” he lamented “the small minority of folks who’ve resorted to violence in various forms.” Then he took aim at those who believe that “only protests and direct action can bring about change” in
