Data shows police in the U.S. are three times more likely to use force against left-wing protesters than they are against right-wing protesters. Even if the protests remained peaceful.
According to Truthout, the data is based on over 13,000 protests since April of last year and was gathered by researchers for the U.S. Crisis Monitor project. “Force” in the data includes use of tactics like tear gas and rubber bullets.
The statistics, based on law enforcement responses to more than 13,000 protests across the United States since April 2020, show a clear disparity in how agencies have responded to the historic wave of Black Lives Matter protests against police violence, compared with demonstrations organized by Trump supporters, reports The Guardian.
“Police are not just engaging more because [leftwing protesters] are more violent. They’re engaging more even with peaceful protesters. That’s the clear trend,” says Dr. Roudabeh Kishi, ACLED’s director of research and innovation.
For those who are wondering why so much attention has been focused on the response of the Capitol Police to the Trump-inspired riots, here’s a data-driven article that provides some useful frame of reference. https://t.co/MAdlWGRd23
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) January 8, 2021
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