First, shame on Twitter:
Twitter Rewards Black Lives Matter With Official Emoji Less Than A Day After Dallas
Despite the outbreak of deadly anti-police violence in Dallas yesterday evening, Twitter has chosen today to reward the Black Lives Matter movement with their own custom emoji.
When users go to type in the hashtag, Twitter automatically inserts the icon, consisting of white, brown, and black fists alongside it. The emoji was introduced today and users started reporting its visibility at around 10AM PST. Twitter did not respond to a request for comment regarding the precise time it installed the emoji.
Given the fists’ resemblance to the “black power” symbol, the emoji lends the hashtag a positive connotation. The hashtag can also not be tweeted without the emoji, which makes expressing negative opinions regarding the #BlackLivesMatter movement more awkward and difficult for users.
Twitter has still yet to take action regarding the users threatening and inciting violence against cops, who have been allowed to broadcast their incitement unopposed by Twitter both in the days preceding the Dallas shootings and afterwards. More here from Breitbart including tweets from those that are wanting and threatening to kill police.
Some protesters rip out shrubbery at Trump Tower #chicagopic.twitter.com/Zv50b2yy7z
The movement is almost global:
Brixton protest: Black Lives Matter rally bring London streets to standstill
Hundreds marched on the local police station before a sit-in protest on Brixton High Street
Black Lives Matter protesters assemble in the middle of a normally busy street in Brixton, south London, bringing the crossroads to an hours-long standstill Adam Withnall
Dozens of protesters who staged a march over recent police killings in the US have blockaded a crossroads in south London, bringing a number of major streets to a standstill.
Demonstrators chanted “black lives matter” and “racist police, our streets” as they drew large crowds to Windrush Square in Brixton.
Traffic was halted for at least four hours as local buses were re-routed, and there were reports of scuffles between protesters and disgruntled drivers. More here from the IndependentUK.
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Police say Antonio Taylor, 31, shot a Ballwin police officer in the neck Friday morning.
Then there is Baton Rouge:
The Advocate: Live updates: Crowds return to site of Friday’s protests after tense scene at Baton Rouge police headquarters
Chanting “No justice, no peace” and “black lives matter,” the ralliers were told they should stay as long as they wanted but were urged to remain peaceful. “This is our city and we will not destroy our city,” one speaker told the crowd.
Baton Rouge state Reps. Ted James and Pat Smith were among the marchers, as was Metro Councilwoman Tara Wicker. Wicker, reading a statement on behalf of black elected leaders, called for the protests that have stretched for five days to pause on the day of Sterling’s funeral. “We remain diligent in the pursuit of justice,” she said, reading the statement. By 8 p.m. much of the crowd had dispersed, with many ralliers saying they planned to go to other demonstrations at the Triple S Food Mart where Sterling was fatally shot by Baton Rouge police officers or the Baton Rouge Police Department headquarters on Airline Highway.
Demonstrators had earlier blocked the southbound right lane of Airline Highway but police got them to move back. After police returned to an area behind the fences surrounding the headquarters, a column of about 20-30 New Black Panther Party members started marching in the lane that had just been cleared.
For the video below. Click here.
UPDATE: 4:40 p.m.
Protests continued throughout the Baton Rouge area Saturday, with demonstrators calling for the resignation of East Baton Rouge mayor-president Kip Holden.
At Triple S, where Alton Sterling was fatally shot, community activist Arthur “Silky Slim” Reed said if the mayor does not resign within 72 hours, protests will not remain peaceful.
Several protesters promised to picket Holden’s home in Scotlandville, but none were there as a 4:30 p.m.
Holden is at his home and will not leave, but said he would not address the protesters.
