comment: >
  
  Well that's a good point.
context: /u/YoloFomoTimeMachine (OP) has awarded 4 delta(s) in this post.
  All comments that earned deltas (from OP or other users) are listed here, in /r/DeltaLog.
  Please note that a change of view doesn't necessarily mean a reversal, or that the conversation has ended.
  ^Delta System Explained ^| ^Deltaboards >
  
  I haven't really kept up with this story, but as I understand it there are 2 big differences here.
  First is a matter of timing. Most COVID lockdowns are done, so while Floyd's death happened at a time where a lot of people had a lot of time on their hands, Nichol's death happened when people are mostly busy with work.
  Second, (if I am getting the facts correct here), the officers involved in Nichol's death were arrested before the story got large coverage, which means there is less to protest about. >
  
  Exactly. Much of the Floyd protests were due to the fact that the cops tired to sweep it under the rug, calling his death a “medical event” in official communication. It wasn’t until a teenager released her personal recording that we realized what happened and saw the attempt to cover it up. 
  Contrast this event, where there was no cover up and the police force acted swiftly to deal with the problematic cops. The video was released by the police themselves after disciplinary action was already taken. 
  This event is the system for punishing bad police working as it should. >
  
  How long until that video was released? >
  
  A couple of weeks. 
  Keep in mind though that in that time, the cops were fired, the DA started the process to charger them with murder and their unit was disbanded. 
  The protests were a desire for accountability. Accountability was already happening when the video was released. >
  
  It could be argued that it only happened this expeditiously because the cops are black this time. Which kind of aligns with the CMV. >
  
  Perhaps. 
  Or perhaps they saw what happened after Floyd and realized that they had to do something fast to prevent riots. 
  We have no way to know. >
  
  If the situation is exactly the same but the cops were white do you think there would be louder protests or be the same? >
  
  Personally I think it would be the same. People weren't protesting nationally because Floyd was murdered. >
  
  I personally think the magnitude of the protests would go beyond the George Floyd protests >
  
  Okay. I don't agree. The national, summer long George Floyd protests weren't actually caused by his murder of even the attempted cover up. They caused by police response to the smaller scale peaceful protests. >
  
  A few other reasons to consider.
  
  
  With Floyd, the video came out from civilian sources immediately and was viral on social media immediately. The police were constantly playing catchup on the narrative, letting the protests build, rather than in this case where the video came out from official sources a week after the event. The Police were much more in control of the narrative for Nichols' murder.
  
  
  It's winter rather than summer. That makes a big difference for people's willingness to rally outside, especially in the northern US.
  
  
  Covid lockdowns and job loss was right before Floyd. People were already feeling trapped and restless and desperate at that time, the protests combined a lot of feeling that was not necessarily related to exact situation they were protesting. 
  
  
  This seems obvious but we already had the George Floyd protests. We did the whole thing already and it seems like nothing changed. We had a couple cities talk about defunding the police, then not really do anything. A lot of the public got burned out on protest, thinking it's not that effective. That energy from 2020 isn't there anymore. Maybe it just needs more time to build back up, but I very much believe that even if these officers were white it would not have caused anything like the Floyd protests. >
  
  !Delta
  Good summaries. Do you also feel the race of Chauvin VS the black cops was a factor as well? >
  
  I think the race of the cops mattered for the police more than people who'd protest. The police stood by a white cop in 2020, but immediately the local police and national orgs condemned these black officers. You can't really protest anything when people are held accountable. The cops were arrested before the video was even released to the public.
  EDIT: Also there have been police murders besides these two and not all of them developed in a 2020 BLM scale protest. 2020 was a perfect storm of a lot of things happening for it to grow to the size it did >
  
  They police did not stand by Chauvin.  The national police union condemned his actions.  He was also arrested 4 days after killing Floyd while these 5 were free for 19 days. >
  
  The George Floyd videos came out instantly and we could all see the brutality that occurred in broad daylight with lots of witnesses.
  Tyre happened at night with almost no one else around. These cops filed false reports that supported their use of force and it took time for their stories to unravel. And only after their arrest the videos were released. >
  
  A couple things, my point was the police did not stand w a white cop in 2020. He was condemned by their national police union, which was unprecedented. This case, the locals pushed a narrative of a combative, uncooperative suspect who had drugs in his system. Also, the bystander video of this case was available in the same time frame, and much more brutal than Mr Floyd’s case, but because not everyone was forced to sit at home due to a pandemic we didn’t all see it at once. 
  This reaction also doesn’t take into account the national media attention. >
  
  
  The only reason I can see
  
  There are clearly at minimum two significant factors that may have influenced the lack of protests/rioting. 
  One - you mentioned.
  Two - The police fired the officers right away and charged them with murder prior to the video being released. 
  To not even mention the second one speaks volumes. 
  It's reasonable to suggest that the race of the officers had some influence on the community reaction. It's unreasonable to pretend that the officers actually being held accountable had nothing to do with it.
  One of the primary things we hear from protestors in these cases for decades is "No Justice. No Peace."
  I would say this case is a good example that with justice, there can be peace. >
  
  Chauvin was charged 4 days after he killed Floyd, whereas these 5 were free for 19 days after Mr Tyres murder. >
  
  The date of the murder doesn't matter. The date of the video release matters. >
  
  The day of both murders there were bystander videos online. >
  
  You're just kicking the rhetorical can. Why were potential protesters aware of the George Floyd video after 2 days and they weren't aware of the Tyre video for a much longer period? If you want to argue that the media plays a part in this then I'll happily concede that point. But the fact remains that George Floyd became national news after 2 days and Tyre Nichols didn't until a much longer period of time had passed. 
  Why do you think George Floyd was national news after 2 days? It's incredibly simple and it's the same reason those protests became so huge in general: the police shot teargas and rubber bullets at the small scale peaceful protesters on day 2. Did that happen with the Tyre Nichols case? I don't think it did, but if I'm wrong let me know. If it did and the media didn't cover it then maybe the media decided to cover for black cops, but again, I doubt it. >
  
  There was no violent reaction to large scale protests because there were no large scale protests. The two biggest reasons potential protesters didn’t notice the videos were, the media, which absolutely had a racial component. If it has been 5 white cops the coverage would’ve been wall to wall. It sells. The media isn’t covering for black cops, but black cops killing a black man doesn’t get clicks the way white cops would. The second reason is we’re not in a lockdown anymore. People were stuck at home w shitty summer tv and nothing else to watch. >
  
  
  There was no violent reaction to large scale protests because there were no large scale protests.
  
  Nope, please go back and read what I wrote. The small scale George Floyd protests were met with violence first, which made them balloon into national and even international protests. 
  
  The two biggest reasons potential protesters didn’t notice the videos were, the media, which absolutely had a racial component. If it has been 5 white cops the coverage would’ve been wall to wall.
  
  Coverage of the George Floyd protests was wall to wall because the small scale protests were met with police violence. Were there no small scale protests for the Tyre Nichols murder? Were those protests met with police violence? If they were met with violence and the media still didn't cover it then you might have a point. 
  
  The second reason is we’re not in a lockdown anymore. People were stuck at home w shitty summer tv and nothing else to watch.
  
  The problem I have with this is you're pointing to a difference in environment when you're ignoring an actual different in circumstances. >
  
  I want to bring up something that I haven’t seen commented yet.
  Fatigue.
  Protests—about anything—go in waves. While there will always be a handful of people constantly doing activist work for their ideas, protests with large swarms of people like we saw in 2020 are not a regular occurrence. People have to go back to work. People have to take care of their kids. People get tired of going out on the streets every day and seeing nothing change. People get frustrated and disillusioned and discouraged. Now, like other people have commented, the sustained mobilization we saw in 2020 was in part due to the pandemic. People had a LOT more time and energy on their hands. But even sans pandemic, the repeated instances of police brutality that have been publicized since about 2014 or so have been…ceaseless. People are tired, and rightfully so, of different iterations of the same shit happening.
  I can assure you that Tyre Nichols murder is not going unnoticed. My professors and classmates are heartbroken discussing it. But I haven’t been able to bring myself to watch the video because I’m tired of seeing human beings murdered by gangs in blue. >
  
  !delta
  I think this is a factor I didn't consider. >
  
  Confirmed: 1 delta awarded to /u/theeincognegro (1∆).
  ^Delta System Explained ^| ^Deltaboards >
  
  When mass protests happen after an event, there is much more going on behind the scenes to trigger the response. George Floyd wasn't not the first black man to be killed by white officers, his was not the first death to have been covered up, and it was not the most recent one. 
  Protests happen because the time is right and activists are successful in sharing stories in a way that calls people to action. The George Floyd protest didn't just happen, they were the result of hard work by a lot of people.
  As a comparison, the moment when Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat was not the first time that had happened. Claudette Colvin had done it 15 months earlier but activist leaders chose not to publicize it because she was unmarried and pregnant and she didn't suit the narrative they wanted to tell. It was also not the only time Rosa Parks resisted police, none of which are remembered the same.
  Tyre's death is awful, the fact that the police officers are black doesn't take away from the fact that it was a result of a police system built on white supremacy. The differences people have pointed out that the officers were already punished, makes a difference because of how difficult it is to easily convey a story and inspire people to protest when there is no tangible demand for immediate justice. It's also much harder to maintain momentum for the same thing when the first time didn't end the murders.
  More than 1000 people have been killed by police since George Floyd, none of them sparked the same response on the same scale. The fact that this case is being singled out and compared to George Floyd is not because it doesn't serve the community protesting, it's because it serves white supremacists to pretend that the only death not protested, was the one where the police officers were black. >
  
  There have been protests. They aren't as big as the floyd protests but it's not we have multiple city wide protests on the regular. >
  
  
  So we've all seen the video.
  i bet a lot of people don't even know Tyres name.
  
  How does this make sense? >
  
  Floyd was killed months into an unprecedented lockdown, which had everyone running on extremely high emotions.  Couple that with the fact that many were unemployed and had nothing but time on their hands, and you've got a recipe for tensions to flare.
  It was also late spring / early summer, which meant people could go out and protest through the night without risking frostbite.
  
  So overall, I'd say as an act. It's worse.
  
  If you actually care about this topic, don't make it a contest about whose violent death at the hands of police was "worse".  They're all awful and need to be treated as equally problematic and vile. >
  
  !Delta
  I'll give you a delta for that. Good points
  Still feel like race was also a major factor. >
  
  If race matters so much to you why don't you think people are protesting the white officer who was involved in the traffic stop? Why do you ignore his involvement when he is facing consequences from the department, just as the murderers are? >
  
  Because the white officer didn't kill him?. He s likely the least culpable. >
  
  Why should that matter to someone looking to bring down white supremacy? Wouldn't they see him as most culpable?
  He doesn't need to get his hands dirty. He gets to walk away. Sounds like white supremacy to me, no? >
  
  I think they see Chauvin as responsible since he kneeled on his neck.
  I think the five cops who killed Nichols are also the most responsible. >
  
  But all seven officers involved will be facing consequences, so "most responsibility" doesn't really work out. >
  
  The protests themselves were never solely because a man was killed by the police, they were also largely fueled by the outrage that the offending officers were protected from any repercussions by the police as an institution. That’s a blatant turnover of our expectations of justice, and that gets people out on the streets. In this case, 5 officers were involved in the beating of a man to the point of dying in the hospital and, as a result, those 5 officers were immediately fired and are now being charged for their actions. A man was still murdered by police, but after that everything proceeded as it should have. Not a whole lot to incite protests when most people are in agreement that things are proceeding as they should. 
  In a roundabout way, your statement might be accurate in that the immediate firing and filing of criminal charges might have only happened because the officers weren’t white. Had they been some good ol’ boys, I might have expected them to get the usual paid administrative leave until things blow over. I haven’t seen the video myself yet, but it would have to be pretty damn brutal for it to be the worst police brutality I ever saw, and that’s what it would have to be for 5 officers to be immediately fired and charged. >
  
  There were protests. A lot of them, and all over. There were definitely protests in Memphis. 
  What was different was that the police department handled the issue correctly, for once. The department showed support for the family and for justice, instead of trying to protect the cops that did it. The response was quick and decisive. 
  So the people who protested peacefully felt heard by the system, and there were no riot police sent there to shut them down. It was a lesson in civic response, and there was nothing to set it over the edge into a riot. 
  Nobody-literally nobody- cares that the officers weren’t white. Their actions were part of the same systemic racism, and their own race played no part. The reason they were inclined to treat a traffic suspect this way was because they were in a place where policing is excessive. This wouldn’t have happened in a white neighborhood, because the police there are conditioned to treat citizens as  people and not just targets. 
  One can get into circular logic about whether excessive policing is the result of higher violent crime rates, or if higher crime rates are the result of systemic conditions imposed on those areas- one of which is oppressive policing. The fact is, chicken/egg makes no difference. Those cops did what they did because they were conditioned to treat their suspects that way, and the fact they were black and still did it suggests they might ignore the systemic issues that lead to that type of policing, and instead just perpetuate the standard because it is what it is. >
  
  The police were fired and arrested before the video was even released, what was there to protest? To re-arrest them? >
  
  
  The only reason I can see both the media, and the public haven't given this much attention, and there hasn't been a major blowback is becsuse the main criticism of the Floyd killing was based on the concept of whiteness.
  
  I disagree. I remember back during the George Floyd riots, a lot of the issues people had and were protesting specifically about, especially in the beginning, was about Derek Chaivin and bringing about justice that people felt wasn't being served. In this case the police were removed from duty and sentenced to some pretty harsh things before it really even went mainstream. Do you really think that didn't play a huge role in how things are playing out differently? >
  
  In Minnesota, with wind chill, it’s pretty much been below zero since the video came out.  Difficult weather to protest extensively in… >
  
  There's nothing to protest! The officers involved have already been fired and charged with murder. They've also disbanded (or are talking about dibanding) the police unit. I can't see what a protest would rally for?
  This isn't a time for protests. This isn't a classic "racism" issue. Right now is a time for vigils; for reflection on America, for us to have a collective howl about how police and all the guns in the US keep killing innocents. >
  
  There were still protests after Chauvin was arrested and charged. >
  
  Were they protesting to try and get Chauvin arrested and charged? Or did they have a different goal? >
  
  They had a different goal. Largely centered around ideas concerning whiteness and white supremacy. They don't have that now. So there's simply less outrage, since the cops were black that killed him >
  
  
  Largely centered around ideas concerning whiteness and white supremacy
  
  Was it? I remember it being anti police. Any sources showing anti white supremacy as central to their movement?
  
  They don't have that now.
  
  What DO they have now? Don't you think anti police sentiment enough to protest over? >
  
  "Dismantling white supremacy" was one of the central themes of blm. It was brought up constantly. There's tons of documentation for this. >
  
  So it wont be hard for you to provide some sources.
  Care to address the rest of my comment? >
  
  I thought this was about protests, not theory? Where is your protest footage demonstrating that this was part of their demands? >
  
  It is more likely that the relatively subdued police response haven't caused the protests to escalate. If you recall, police across the nation reacted aggresively to the floyd protests, which in turn led to larger and more aggressive protests. I mean, this literally happens across the globe... when the authorities overreact to small, peaceful protests, those protests become massive become nation-wide riots >
  
  Atlanta called out a thousand national guard. I wouldn't call that subdued. >
  
  Subdued as in disposition. The national guard isn't acting aggresively towards the protesters,  nor did it during the floyd protests. >
  
  The rule is that police killings don’t cause large protests, George Floyd is an exception. In the US around 1,000 people are killed by police per year. >
  
  I think a lot is also based on graphic video. >
  
  Sure and how many videos do we have police brutality? Many instances of police brutality are caught on peoples phones now. 
  The thing about large outpourings of public anger is that it’s hard to say which combination of factors can spark an uprising and which will barely cause a stir. A trigger event has to happen in the right set of circumstances. >
  
  It's because they immediately fired and charged the cops. >
  
  
  It's because they immediately fired and charged the cops.
  
  Immediately?
  It took almost three weeks for charges.  Chauvin was charged in what, four days?  
  I don't agree with OP's thesis, but this is objectively inaccurate. >
  
  
  It took almost three weeks for charges.
  
  That's pretty quick all things considered. And the attempted cover-up (which the Memphis PD did try) fell apart pretty quickly. Chauvin wasn't arrested until AFTER the video of the incident released.
  If video of what happened to Nichols came out prior to the arrest of those officers we would've seen similar protests. >
  
  The mayor of Minneapolis called for Chauvin to be prosecuted 2 days after the killing.... >
  
  Cool bro, care to address literally any part of my comment? >
  
  So let me see if I get this right. You think it's the speed of the charges that made the difference between the two incidents? >
  
  Yes. Chauvin also kneeled on Floyd's neck while Floyd mentioned he can't breathe.
  When releasing a statement, Chauvin (and his department) claimed a certain story - George Floyd was resisting. Only after witness/camera footage was released did the statement change.
  One of the autopsys tried to imply that it wasn't entirely Chauvin's fault but drug usage + COVID that really caused Floyd's death.
  For Tyre, the officers were fired, arrested, and body cams were released swiftly. Floyd's body camera footage, for example, took 10 months.
  One of the autopsies tried to imply that it wasn't entirely Chauvin's fault but drug usage + COVID that really caused Floyd's death. >
  
  How you start handling a problem makes a big difference. 
  In the recent case the police were already dealing with the issue. 
  In the other case they tried to bury it. 
  Think of a kid that breaks something:
  You’re a lot less angry with the kid that comes up and tells you they messed up and offers you money for the window they broke then the kid that breaks your window, tries to hide they did it and then only makes amends because you complain to their parents and even then they do the minimum amount to atone for it and they don’t act like they feel bad at all. 
  Which kid are you going to go talk nice about to your relatives and friends and which would you complain about? >
  
  The simple rebuttal is this:
  The public wasn't aware they weren't white for 13 days (wasn't public info until January 20th).  What they didn't know couldn't have prevented them for rioting. Ipso facto. 
  If for some reason you need a second argument, I could point out the there have been no riots for the last year and a half to two years despite the fact that there have been several other incidents where the cops were in fact white. In fact a couple of weeks ago a white police officer punched a 12-year-old black girl in the face on camera. Were they're riots? Nope.
  The riots we experienced in 2020 and a little bit in 2021 were about a lot more than just one specific case.  Having no riots in response to an incident like this, at this point, is the status quo. It's the normal thing. If a normal, standard, expected thing occurs, you don't need to come up with a special reason to explain why it must have occurred. >
  
  It's a minor thing but I believe the police chief above these people admitted this is bad quiet quickly and didn't do any of the deflecting shit they usually do sure fox news are on that but given the actual people in power didn't need to be pressured by the public to admit fault is an interesting devolpment that I think worth considering.
  Also unlike Floyd these people were part of a task force known as Scorpion(yes that what it's called really) that has more power to enforce without conquences then your average cop I'm imagine there will be more crimes exposed in addition to the ones they are arrested for. >
  
  Well maybe I just remember this differently but the protests around George Floyd largely were about police brutality not white supremacy. That's a bit revisionist to say and if I were you I'd be more careful where I'm getting my news from. Actually it came out that one of the men who helped ignite the Floyd riots and protests was in fact..a white supremacist. >
  
  I do think there would be a lot more outage if it was five white cops.  
  But they also were immediately charged with murder which nullifies a lot of the outrage of lack of accountability.
  Plus, Winter + lack of Covid + news cycle didn’t equal this being a big one.  It was certainly close though. >
  
  There are other factors as well:
  
  the officers were fired and charged. Beyond it happening at all, there's not much to protest for.
  it isn't an election year, so it isn't politically advantageous to foment outrage
  it isn't several months into a pandemic which has left many people unemployed, stressed and cooped up at home
  
  The rioting of 2020 was a perfect storm of intersecting conditions leading to widespread outrage, protesting and rioting. Much of what happened was tangential to the actual BLM cause. >
  
  It's -20 today. I feel like that puts a damper on protests, lol. >
  
  Well, I think that it has been clearly laid out that the treatment in both Tyre's incident and Floyd's incident were dramatically different. Whereas the police institution asked the justice system for inquiries into the murderer of Tyre, they hide away what white officers committed against the integrity of Floyd. 
  Isn't that gesture of preferential treatment for certain officers proof of white supremacy?
  As if that weren't bad enough, more incidents of police brutality are still happening. Doesn't the traditional model of police need a serious rethinking into a more assertive treatment of people? >
  
  What would u be protesting about? Evil ppl did an evil act. They were immediately fired, are facing multiple felony charges and the police force where it happened has been disbanded. None of that happened with Floyd and ppl were protesting because they wanted to see justice.
  A complete overhaul of how police are trained is not going to happen overnight. Usually ppl protest when there is a fast solution and justice needs to be served. It would be similar to ppl doing mass protests because of the rising homeless issue. There is just no easy answer. >
  
  Systemic injustice >
  
  Oooook. Systemic injustice. Yes. Very, very much a thing. However, you hit it there...not racism, right? While race plays a factor, because we know that black areas are policed more heavily than white areas. And we also know that implicit bias is a real thing. We also know community policing has become a targeted objective. Having to consider all of these? Race is not the true problem...individuals are. Broken down to simplest form? The person responsible is the biggest problem. 
  Now. You can start at the top, with the courts, the jails, all the systems as a whole. But if we do not change as individual people? Then the system as a whole will never change. Agreed? Including you. You said to "change your mind." I can not. You have to change it yourself. 
  Even though protests occurred. If you believe the protests would have been different had the officers been white; even though upon seeing the footage for the first time the police chief had a disturbingly visceral reaction. If you believe that the protests would have been different even though everyone who saw the footage warned the public of the contents and begged for peace and reflection. And IF you believe that the people would not have heeded those warnings because of race, even though the officers were fired and charged before that footage was released (even if it was a longer time frame than George Floyd?) Then I doubt you will change your mind. >
  
  Now, having said this. Yes, racism is an issue. I was close to a BIA (Bureau of Indian Affairs) officer once. He joined at first because it was a good way to get "Induns" (read: white trash of Native) off the streets. So there is racism even in own own races. 
  A Mexican-American Border Patrol once told a joke that they "called the border jumpers "tonks." Why? That's the sound the flashlight made when it hit their head." This was 30 years ago. But still. People are the problem. People. >
  
  Because the police were black they were terminated immediately. And from their union, only the sound of crickets. 
  Surely there are others involved, let's see..... >
  
  I know this is CMV, but I just have to say I think you are absolutely right. Furthermore, the fact they disbanded the whole unit… why? Because that’s what “the public” expects. Except it isn’t. It’s what the media and special interest groups will pounce on. 
  So they wait for a horrific incident, THEN disband the unit. They don’t wait for a full investigation and find out what the root cause is. I mean what if it’s not the unit, but the police culture. What if it’s a lack of training for extreme situations. What if it’s how a few particular highly influential, high status members of the force put pressure on these officers to “take control”. What if it’s a heightened sense of fear, depression and hopelessness by police in general as they go out everyday and yet are constantly told they are the problem, and they should be defunded. 
  Nothing excuses the behaviour. Those officers need the book thrown at them. But nothing will change if you just disband units, or defund. We have to understand the causes, and treat them. >
  
  I don’t know why anybody is arguing this, everyone that’s arguing is just trying to stay woke. >
  
  You aren't alone. There are countless black people outraged on TikTok blasting their own race for the same reason, specifically referencing the murder of George Floyd. Questions like "Where's your anger now?" "Why don't I see social media blowing up about Tyre Nichols being murdered? White or black cops....murder is murder." >
  
  That's what's so odd to me. I actually did protest after Floyd's death too. Multiple times. Now.. There's nothing. It's really  odd. >
  
  Were you only protesting Floyd's death because the murderer was white? >
  
  There's literally no protests in my area. I suppose I could stand on the corner by myself though. >
  
  Was I protesting because Chauvin was white? No.
  Did you protest after Floyd's death? If so. Why? >
  
  
  Was I protesting because Chauvin was white? No.
  
  If race did not determine why you protested then, why would it be a reason for anyone to protest/not protest today?
  
  Did you protest after Floyd's death? If so. Why?
  
  I don't live in America, so what would I do, go to the American embassy? >
  
  Because much of the passion of the Floyd protests was centered around larger racial issues. >
  
  Cool, but once again would you be interested in responding to what my comment actually says please? >
  
  Where should you go protest? No idea. There isn't really any this time around. >
  
  1) people have jobs now. They can't just spend all day protesting anymore.
  2) the officers were very quickly charged, so protesting wouldn't accomplish much.
  3) it's the middle of winter: people want to be inside. >
  
  In this case the mother of the victim pleaded for people to not riot, and to be peaceful in their protests.  I don't know how Floyd's parents reacted to his murder, but maybe that is a difference?
  The mother is the biggest victim still alive, so I think people want to listen to what she wishes. >
  
  Ah, well that shoots that theory down the drain. >
  
  The media aren't giving this as much attention as George Floyd because it isn't close to an election. Every time an election draws near, both sides stir up some big controversy to get people to vote. >
  
  Unfortunately you're correct, but I do not believe this is the only reason, and I personally believe it has more to do with the following combination of factors:
  
  What you mentioned
  The officers involved were fired and charged before the video was released. There was no video that came immediately after the incident before the proper investigation could proceed.
  It's cold. People don't want to be outside at 1AM in the negative degree wind chill weather.
  The American public does not have the appetite for anti-police rhetoric anymore. Rise in crime has people more concerned about lack of police resources and the defund argument is dead for the forseeable future.
  Recession, people do not have the time or expendable income to worry about things like protesting as much as they did in 2020.
  Althrough this is just a theory for me at the moment, I think average people who would have been interested in engaging in protests are offput by groups such as the "Party of Socialism & Liberation" that keep showing up with their mass produced signs. Makes the protests look very manufactured and people don't want to stand next to fakes pushing an ulterior agenda. >
  
  I think the pandemic was a huge one too. I'm not even from the U.S. and my city had George Floyd protests with thousands of people. At the time, you could be fined by public health for gathering in a group larger than FIVE. And people would actually snitch on you if you broke these limits.
  On the other hand, our chief medical officer basically took a "who are we to stop you" approach with the George Floyd protests, and actually encouraged them.
  So I think a lot of people took advantage of the first "socially accceptable" reason to be in a large group, people who would probably never go to a protest over the death of a man in a completely different country. >
  
  Speaking for myself, I wasn't upset because the officers in question were quickly held accountable. No one tried blaming the victim, and the police union did not automatically back the officers. In other words, some level of justice has been served already. That was not the case with Floyd at all, and race never once entered my mind because I didn't realize the five officers were black. >
  
  Do you feel like they should all be convicted of murder? What is justice in your mind? Chauvin got 43 years. >
  
  Your OP claims the response to the Memphis police brutality was based on race. 
  Like several others in this thread, we all pointed out why the difference is not racial but due to the Memphis officers facing justice instead of an immediate cover-up. 
  Sorry, but that is all I'm talking about and I refuse to let you change the goalposts. Take care. >
  
  The protests continued after Chauvin was charged. I've stated this multiple times. >
  
  That is not the only factor that u/wjmacguffin brought up. Lets look at what they actually said:
  
  the officers in question were quickly held accountable.
  
  Emphasis on quickly. An officer being held accountable after a massive protest in the middle of a massive controversy is totally different from officers being charged before any protests start.
  
  No one tried blaming the victim
  
  Tons of media figures and the official medical report after the fact all claimed that Floyd died due to overdose and the police were not doing anything wrong. This inflamed the division and protest.
  
  the police union did not automatically back the officers
  
  In Floyd's case, the police union immediately was defending Chauvin and making statements condemning the unrest and protests. This inflamed tensions as well. Both the police unions and right wing outrage media have treated this case totally differently, which is another factor in the case that I can add.
  The situations have tons of differences that you should acknowledge. If you think these differences are not relevant, you should explain why rather than only commenting on Chauvin being charged in the middle of the protests. >
  
  I wouldn't bother. He cannot talk about those and save face. He even said his delta didn't change his mind and he was not wrong at all. >
  
  Yeah idk. I think your points are pretty clear but we will see if OP ever gets around to a serious response. >
  
  A lot of this was previously about police brutality rooted in systemic racism. 
  You had a clearly white cop, killing a clearly black person, in a time and place where racial politics were already front and center. 
  The issues were clear, even to people who don’t necessarily watch the news. 
  Now, imagine you’re going about your day, and you hear another black American was killed by cops. First you’d think it might be racially motivated, but then you hear the cops were black, now maybe it’s a brutality issue. 
  Summing this up, I believe there are many factors happening here. The racial issue, sure, but that’s muddied, it’s all systemic, but you’d have to keep someone’s attention long enough to explain it so people just shorten it to “racism” when what this particular case is, is a brutality case, that we can probably find roots in, stemming from systemic racism. Finally, there are still details unfolding, and I think that fatigue is keeping a lot of people from physically taking action until they know more. >
  
  The killing was bad, but critically, the cops involved were fired and criminally charged. And almost no one is defending the cops in this one.
  Compare it to, say, George Floyd, when lots of people were on the cops' side, going on and on about "oh he was on drugs and that's why he died" or "oh shouldn't have resisted" or whatever. A lot of the country thought George Floyd, a man murdered in broad daylight on video, deserved what happened to him. But this time it's so blatant, so egregious, and so completely indefensible (and, perhaps, affected by the fact that the killers were black as well) that conservatives have no excuses, and while they're still twiddling their thumbs, no one is actually trying to defend the cops here.
  Everyone's pretty onboard with this being fucked up, so there's a lot less anger. >
  
  That’s an interesting point.  You don’t see any arguments on the Internet since 99.99% universally agree this was murder. >
  
  The real takeaway here is why does it take months or years to arrest white officers who are caught on camera murdering people? The Memphis PD just showed that there was never any reason for any of that. >
  
  The difference is that They were fired pretty quickly… (even charged with murder!)which is usually the point of contention for protesters: the lack of justice. If they were free and still on the force or at home on paid leave there would be more outcry for sure.
  I think a more accurate view would be that these officers were fired immediately because they were black… >
  
  Which makes it still tough to defend them because they are murderers. >
  
  I think you get a part correct I think you are missing the point that the race of the murders was COP. You know Blue Lives! >
  
  Not even close. 
  There isn't widespread protest for this kind of injustice until there is actual footage of what happened. That was released last week, and there were widespread protests across the country in major cities going into Friday and the weekend. 
  I think that those who like to cause problems and detract from protests (those who show up and riot) had this belief, and didn't show up to cause problems. 
  The officers involved were charged before any police footage or other footage was released to the public as well, and that's legitimately the first and quickest form of action taken by a police force in this kind of situation that we've seen thus far. Another reason for the general outrage level to be somewhat mitigated, but still there enough that there were protests. 
  The concept of institutionalized racism and white supremacy as a policy is still a widespread issue in PDs across the country. This incident absolutely exhibited that. It's a policy of institutionalized racism in those ranks. The cops being black doesn't change that. 
  If anything, this incident proves that there are bad actors who get involved in protests like this just to detract from and take away from black voices in this country, since they decided to skip out on causing problems for the protests that actually occurred. >
  
  Do you think these cops killed Nichols because he was black? How do you see it factoring in? >
  
  The fact that he was a minority killed during a routine traffic accident shows the low value that officers are taught to have for minorities in general. >
  
  Would you say the police were racists? >
  
  Depends on what you mean by racist. They probably did not have explicit hatred for minorities. But they probably did have implicit bias towards people of darker skins tones, like basically everyone in society. These biases are worse with police because they are used to over policing minority neighborhoods and due to longstanding distrust of police by black people. >
  
  As I understand it the racial makeup of the Memphis PD reflects that of the community.  I believe some 60% black.  With black leadership.
  A core complaint of protests is systemic bias.   Crumb stuck with that claim in this case as well.
  I'm thinking the protests are muted because the systemic bias argument didn't sell with the activists in this case.  Either because they don't believe it or they think the usual strength of protest would backfire. >
  
  Yep. That's what I'm saying as well. Agree >
  
  Not really. My point holds even if there were white cops more directly involved.  In many ways the Memphis PD is a model of what the protests are calling for.       Its an opportunity for the activists to hold the MPD up as an example. >
  
  I honestly don't think it had anything to do with the officers not being white.  I think it had everything to do with how swiftly action was taken against the officers themselves.  People didn't feel the need to protest and riot, because it was being handled by the legal system as it should be. >
  
  There is nothing to protest.  The officers were swiftly fired and charged with murder. >
  
  Major riots about the police seem to be periodic - Watts, Rodney King, and George Floyd come 30 years apart.  Maybe the George Floyd riots got some frustration out of people's systems for a while. Others here have already pointed out that there were more idle people for the George Floyd riots due to the pandemic, and that there was a strong response from the authorities here.   (It's worth remembering that the Rodney King riots didn't happen until the cops were let off at trial.)
  Now, I don't really have that much insight into the psyche of the rioters, or of the mob as a whole, but there are several obvious factors here which could also explain the difference in response, or which could all be contributing to the difference in response.   That makes it hard for me to believe it's as simple as the skin color of the cops. >
  
  I think it’s because the police department took immediate action, didn’t hide the video, didn’t pretend it was nbd until people started protesting etc. >
  
  Well the officers were quickly arrested and we didn't have  access to the video at the time of arrest so unless you are suggesting that we should protest without knowing what happened in the video, it makes sense that there weren't massive protests. >
  
  I'm not sure what you're concluding here. Are you surprised that people who pushed the talking points of whiteness and white supremacy being related to the Floyd killing are not pushing those talking points when the killers weren't white? >
  
  Some of what you say is true. The George Floyd protests were about more than just George Floyd. I don't think there's any weird inconsistency or media conspiracy here.
  Maybe another helpful analogy would be akin to popping a balloon or igniting a powder keg. The needle could be just as sharp, or the spark just as hot, but the preexisting conditions are what makes the difference between a pop / explosion and a fizzle.
  Ditch the notion of "pushing talking points" and recognize that the people involved are individual human beings who are always responding emotionally to more than just the last thing that happened and set expectations appropriately. >
  
  You will see the same response over and over :
  The protests over police brutality is the element of covering it up as well as act itself and the fact that the officers have already been charged in this case helps move the narrative to police reform and not focusing on “riots” >
  
  I saw several protests on the news. >
  
  The main difference is that these cops were dealt with quickly, no need to protest if they are being punished >
  
  There was a pretty sizable protest in NYC, complete with a smashed cop car and arrests and all that fun stuff. >
  
  riot fatigue >
  
  To cold outside... >
  
  There wasnt mass protests because there havent been for a while. We've had a few incidents, but people are tired of protesting.
  Plus, the cops responsible were immediately fired at the very least, and it seems they're being prosecuted. Even if they weren't, the incident just came to light. At this stage, people weren't protesting yet for the other victims. 
  It's only when calls for justice are ignored that people start protesting. That can't happen when we're still awaiting a response. If the response is inadequate, we protest. >
  
  They’re* >
  
  I would agree with that >
  
  Major difference, this police department was able to control the video, and what they were going to do with the officers before public outrage could take place. There was no external video released before they had the opportunity to react. The officers being black is 1000% a contributing factor to the smaller protest. The Black Lives Matter movement started because of George Floyd, or at least gained its most traction. It was completely centered on how white supremacy was keeping POC down. It was labeled as a hate crime by everyone, every major news media outlet. If this was a group of white officers, the incident would’ve called it a lynching, and there would be I suspect even worse riots than Floyd’s. (This video is worse and is more along the lines of the Rodney king video) Another interesting fact that people are not talking about. All of these police departments claimed to be under represented by people of color after the riots of 2020 so they virtue signaled and lowered their standards in order to get more minorities to apply and through the door. All of these officers involved were relatively brand new 2-4years and a product of diversity hires. hired strictly because on the race and were pushed through the application process to meet quotas. (Look into their hiring process you’ll see).  Listen to their voices as they are beating the shit out of this guy, they don’t sound like cops. They sound like gangbangers. Nothing professional about them. 
  So, in conclusion, I don’t think you should change your mind as I think you are right on target with the largest contributing factor being the main stream is unable to cry racism for clicks and profit. But to add a different perspective, George Floyd’s video was released by the public as a bystander recorded it. Had the department been able to control the video and fire him before releasing the video it would’ve lessen the effects greatly.  And honorable mention would be that it’s not an election year. >
  
  There were protests all the way from LA, to Memphis, to NYC. The main reason not as many protests happened, or got as much media attention compared to George Floyd, was because all 5 officers were fired and charged within days of the incident. At that point... what exactly would protesting accomplish? Forcing their trial to be scheduled sooner? Even two medical responders from the fire department were relieved of their duty for not rendering aid in a timely manner. Plus the body/pole cam footage was only released to the public 5 days ago, after all 5 officers had received their charges. >
  
  No, genius: There hasn't been "mass rioting" because the perpetrators were fired and arrested/ charged in a timely manner. (Perhaps because... they were black? Hahaha) >
  
  I think another minor factor was the fact that it is the Middle of Winter instead of the Summer. A lot less people are out and about in the summer. >
  
  That’s because the reaction from authorities was swift, and so far, just. What is there to protest? >
  
  A central theme of the original blm protests was against systemic injustice. That's also what blm is calling out now too. That there's no action. >
  
  There haven't been riots yet about that not because the cops were black, but because they were actually promptly fired, and will surely stand trial for what they did, even if that part seems to be moving at the speed of government. 
  Cops killing people isn't really worth rioting about, cops killing people and getting away with it is the part that means the system is broken. Perhaps the more interesting question is if they're not being protected as much because they're not white. >
  
  a key difference is: these police officers were immediately punished (by being fired). gee golly, I wonder why... >
  
  In the case of Rodney King, riots only happened after the cops were acquitted. It's often less of a response to the event itself and more to the injustice. >
  
  I think it is because we are all agree on the circumstances this time.  The body cam footage was released in a timely manner, and the actions of the cops have been overwhelmingly condemned.  
  Now we wait to see how the police in question will be Punished, depending on that I would expect there to be a protest. >
  
  I think if anything it proves that this is not a race issue. It’s a police issue, as in the quality of individuals allowed to be police officers is not vetted properly or something. People this unhinged shouldn’t be allowed in any position of power let alone a police officer. Something seriously needs done in our country about these police. We have a right to due process that is being continually violated by officers being executioners. We need reform, and we need it now. >
  
  The protests are about victims not getting justice.  The cops were fired and charged the same month it happened!
  It's the same reason there aren't protests when a white dude is wrongly killed by police; because those cops usually get in trouble for it.
  Why would there be protests when justice is being served?? >
  
  I think it’s because when we say ACAB we expect everyone to understand we mean ALL :) >
  
  ... yes there were. There was plenty of protests. From NY to Atlanta. 
  What I think is different is, these cops were fired a lot faster than a white cop who uses a gun to kill an unarmed person. 
  They beat this guy up with no deadly weapons. Just beat him to death and we're immediately fired. A white cops mag dumps an unarmed person and only gets a suspension without pay, not even fired or jailed. >
  
  The reason there weren't protests is because the police didn't try and cover it up. The officers involved were fired and brought up on charges. Also, the emts involved as well as the initial white officer involved have all been fired. >
  
  I'm not sure if you are aware, but the most famous BLM leaders got their pay day and it is really really cold outside. So yes protests are not likely. Also I support BLM just not what those founders have turned into. >
  
  ….because there were immediate consequences for the cops. >
  
  Eddie Izzard: (paraphrasing)  We're fine if you kill your own people.  We won't stand for you killing others after a few years. >
  
  Water is wet. >
  
  You don’t think it has anything to do with the fact the the police weren’t trying to push it under the rug? That by the time the greater public were made aware, the officers involved had already been fired with criminal charges pending? If the police are already doing what they were SUPPOSED to do, why would you expect riots? Also, there were still several protests, Fox News just didn’t cover it because they couldn’t point to it and say BLM and ANTIFA terrorists are attacking again…. EVERYBODY Who is arguing about how people don’t care because the COPS were also black, or the people who are trying to claim that everybody is calling this White Supremacy are outing themselves >
  
  Atl is in state of emergency due to protest…national guard was called.. >
  
  I think you are onto something. I understand the situation has been handled but you would think these groups will still protest and want some police reform? There are some protests but it’s definitely been a lot quieter. What do you think would happen if the situation was handled exactly the same and the cops were white? I think there would be riots and protests louder than ever. >
  
  The cops were charged right away.  And fired.  That's a big difference.  Authorities got ahead of this one for sure.
  I think its more the exhaustion of this sort of stuff.  It's becoming "normalized".  I think that has more to do with it than anything.  The mother also calling for PEACEFUL protest helps, too.
  Also I think some people are tired of just tearing up their own neighborhoods.  They can't get to the rich folks' areas as easily so going after your own neck of the woods is easier.  But that's just useless in the long run.  Also half that shit ends up being looting.  People weren't as ready to loot this time.
  Then there was the National Guard getting called up.  And the attention in general.  This didn't fly below the radar at all.  Everyone was pissed.
  Also its the winter.  You can get folks angrier than a killer honey bee nest but just like killer bees you put them in the cold and it puts a whole damper on the damn thing.  People aren't as "badass" as you'd think.  And if you wan't to start a revolution well bad news: people throw in the towel SOONER than you think.
  However I'd have to say that yes, the cops were black and that changes it.  Not as much as you think but it does keep the powder keg on a longer fuse and from gasoline being dumped on it. >
  
  There's been calls for police reforms for over a decade, the protests didn't make much of a difference it seems
  It could be fatigue people don't believe it can change. Why get violent and risk yourself if you don't think anything will change? >
  
  I personally don't believe that everything revolves around race as the media would make it seem. What makes me mad is that police killed a citizen. Full stop. Its is not the job of the police to be judge, jury, and executioner. They are meant to apprehend people and bring them in to have due process, not murder them in the streets. 
  What I find weird is that the police union isn't standing with them like they would in most other cases like this. Is that because the (former) cops are black? >
  
  Duuuhhhhhhhh. >
  
  There have been protest and riots for victims of black cops too. 
  Do people not understand that the cops being black doesn’t negate police brutality or the lack of empathy for the victims when they are of color?
  I genuinely think that white people think the issue is simply that the cops were white and not the actions they took or the systems that protected them when they did it. 
  I don’t think white people actually understand what all this is about and it’s scary but explains a lot. >
  
  Either way, both are fucking horrifying, though Nichols' is much more. 
  It's less an issue of race and more an issue of cops with god complexes and no moral compasses. >
  
  Consider also the fatigue all these stories create on our mind. In 2020 I dedicated myself to watching the news and staying informed, today I barely even acknowledge anything outside of my immediate control. I’m happier now and less burnt out, and I assume a lot of people made the same choice. 
  You can only make so many t-shirts before people stop buying them. 
  However it is tragic what happened and I don’t want to downplay its significance, we are tired. So collectively tired. >
  
  I've seen footage of violent protests in Atlanta LA and NYC... Maybe it's just consolidated to a few larger cities this time but it certainly did happen in some places >
  
  I'm tired of people trying to compare/contrast/conflate George Floyd's murder to Tyre Nichols' murder. The only comparison is that both men were murdered by Police.
  Perhaps if the cops involved in George Floyd's murder had been fired immediately, rather than "pending an investigation" or "placed on PAID administrative leave"
  (as is the rote reaction when White officers are the accused) you wouldn't have seen as many protests. 
  Also, as someone else pointed out - COVID. People were home, many people witnessed for the 1st time on their lives the brutality & inhumane treatment Black & Brown communities have been dealing with since Policing began in this country: you know, Policing that basically deputized every white man regardless of status to control a newly freed Black population & protect the PROPERTY of White people from Black PEOPLE? violence/brutality/intimidation? Those were the 🍒🍒
  on top. Maybe some of the energy you've put into noticing a lack of protests re: the Black Police who murdered Tyre Nichols would benefit an important cause
  like supporting the elimination of qualified immunity for Law enforcement or support for a policy or measure that mandates termination & loss of Pension if a detainee is gravely injured (requiring hospitalization) following an encounter with any Police involved, whether it's 1 cop or 12 at the scene,  hands on or failure to intervene? You're done too. Period. Just a suggestion - energy, all about energy. >
  
  Protests about George Floyd were 70% due to the cops not being arrested or prosecuted. If they simply arrested the cops in a timely fashion it’s likely protests would not have erupted even in George Floyd’s case. >
  
  Well that, and the officers were immediately charged with crimes and fired once the footage released. It's also hard to argue that it's solely because they are the same race when you see the videos and just how brutally these officers treated this guy. I haven't seen an officer holding a guy while another one beating him to a pulp yet in those past incidents. Whatever side you're on politically or racially, any reasonable person is disgusted by what they see and enough is shown that there can be quite a bit less of the "we don't know what happened before the footage starts..."
  ​
  One side is screaming systemic police brutality, and the other side has plenty enough to go off on the "these are just really bad people that were cops" argument. >
  
  Thats because these cops are actually going to face charges without having to riot.
  Guess they were for something. >
  
  You don’t think the firing, charges, then releasing videos within 3 weeks had anything to do with lower temperature? Or the fact that they disbanded Scorpion without missing a beat and they’re transparent about the fact the murder suspects lied on police reports? That’s a massive improvement over the usual demonizing of the victim and glorifying and excusing the murderers. >
  
  It's almost like there's no reason to protest if the system did its job of bringing abusers of power to justice without having to be told to do so. >
  
  More like the only reason they are going straight to jail is because they are black. >
  
  OP I think you’ve missed the plot on the BLM movement. The main issue for civil unrest and protest when a cop kills an unarmed black civilian, is because there were 0 repercussions. Remember in the George Floyd matter, there wasn’t any pending investigation until people started protesting. These main difference here is that these officers were fired, arrested and there’s an investigation going on without the need to demand one. In fact I can say this is happening the way it is is because the cops were black. >
  
  Floyd was killed on the 25th. Chauvin was apprehended on the 29th. That's actually faster than in this case. >
  
  I definitely think we should be hearing about it more and find it weird that the first article (that I could find) was from ten days later. But to be fair, his mom asked for peaceful protests if any at all. >
  
  correlation =/= causation 
  people aren't as angry because the police received consequences. the police received consequences because they were black. >
  
  Chauvin was arrested within four days of Floyd's death. >
  
  There were protests but most importantly the powers that be have actually responded in a positive way. The officers were fired and were arrested and charged. >
  
  Chauvin was arrested 4 days after killing Floyd.
  These copa were arrested 16 days after the killing. >
  
  They got in front of it while with Floyd they were behind. The Floyd video was out on the Internet before the police department dealt with it. In fact it was the video that lead to Chauvin arrest. The consensus was that without the video the police department would have buried the event. >
  
  How about there weren’t any riots because the first thing that happened after they notified the public of the murder was that all 5 cops were already fired and arrested, we didn’t have to wait months while they were on paid administrative leave before an was done 
  Investigation that would take weeks was done before the arrest was made . >
  
  The police were arrested 16 days after the murder.
  Chauvin was arrested four days after. >
  
  Or maybe it's because the police officers involved seem to be likely to get punished for what happened which was not the case last time >
  
  Wrong. There weren’t mass protests because the cops were immediately charged with murder. >
  
  Chauvin was arrested 4 days after the killing. They were arrested after 16 days >
  
  Haven't the cops been arrested already? Clearly different than being convicted which might be another story if it doesn't occur. But that is a huge difference between this one the police who killed George Floyd. >
  
  Chauvin was arrested after four days. These cops were arrested after 16