Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) lashed out at President Trump on Monday, calling him “scum” and accusing him of “fueling” racism and hatred in America amid protests over the death of George Floyd.
The tweet is among some of the harshest criticism from lawmakers Trump has taken thus far regarding the protests surrounding the death of Floyd, an unarmed black man who died in police custody in Minneapolis while handcuffed. An officer, who was later fired and charged with murder, was seen on video of the arrest with his knee on Floyd's neck for several minutes as Floyd pleads for help, saying he can't breathe.
Trump has tweeted in support of Floyd's family but otherwise spent much of the last few days urging a tougher response from state leaders against the demonstrations.
I also liked this Tweet:
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Thank you Senator Markey for not mincing words. Markey has also been helping out causes in support of Black Lives Matter. I received this e-mail today from Senator Markey’s re-election campaign:
It is our duty to say clearly and loudly that Black Lives Matter.
George Floyd
Ahmaud Arbery
Breonna Taylor
We must say their names. We must dismantle the structures of systemic racism and racial oppression that exist at the foundation of our country.
There must be accountability.
It took four days for George Floyd’s killer to be arrested. That is a travesty but unfortunately is not a surprise. Ahmaud Arbery's killers were not prosecuted for months — only after the video evidence went viral.
True justice and accountability cannot exist in a system where it takes viral videos or massive public demonstrations for murderers to be brought to justice.
It is my duty as an elected official to dismantle the same systems of racial injustice and profiling that are a death sentence for Black Americans. The same systems that have allowed white Americans to get off scot-free for generations.
We need urgent change. We need vast criminal justice reform, and it cannot wait.
We cannot just vote. We need to be on the frontlines in demanding change. This is especially true for those of us in positions of power.
We must support the Black-led groups and Black people who are already leading this effort. So I’m asking you to do two things right now:
We will not have justice until we root out the insidious, systemic racism that pervades our society.
– Ed Markey
Click here to watch the conversation and donate to these causes.
Also, please do click here to donate and get involved with Markey’s re-election campaign.
