SonnyBilWilliams

Hi Kailee, thanks for doing this.

I'm a strong supporter of the BLM movement but I do have concerns with the current protests in the times of COVID.

Clearly the huge number of black deaths in custody and police brutality are major issues that must be addressed. At the same time, it's highly likely that the current protests could lead to a spike in COVID infections which may in itself result in 1000s or tens of 1000s of deaths. These deaths would likely be disproportionately black due to both the composition of protests and overall poorer access to healthcare for people of colour (at least in Australia, I'm making the assumption that it's similar in the US).

In your opinion, how should someone like myself who is concerned about both these issues, go about deciding whether to join protests or indeed support the decision of others to protest (and potentially put the safety of others at risk)?

Thanks

Thanks for the reply Kailee. I think this partly answers my question in terms of deciding for myself whether to protest. I am still conflicted though about my support of others who are protesting. I support what they are protesting for, but I am concerned that the manner (or timing really) of these protests poses a significant health risk to the entire population.

The reason I am conflicted is that protestors are making a decision that may directly effect the health of others who are not involved in the protests (through increasing the number of COVID cases present in communities as a whole). Their decision, whichever way you look at it, puts others at risk.

How do you weigh up this risk with the benefits of the protests?