The run-up to the US presidential election took a turn when the protest movement Black lives matter took off at the beginning of the summer. Since then, the issue of police brutality and racism has risen to prominence among American voters.
The Americans Jonathan Rollins and Lisa George Svahn, who both live in Sweden, both felt sad that they were not in the country when the protests started.
– When this happened, I felt guilty that I lived here. Like I could not help my people. I also wanted to be out demonstrating. But it was uplifting that so many took the tone.
– It was very hard not to be able to be in the US during all the protests and not to be able to actively participate in the demonstrations, says Lisa.
At the same time as many votes raised against police brutality, other votes raised against the protest movement. Voter Jesse Suave sees more problems than benefits with Black lives matter.
– We have law and order, except in cities ruled by Democrats. They are destroyed because of Black lives matter, says Jesse.
The split when it comes to the protest movement is also clearly noticeable when it comes to the two parties, says Erik Åsard, professor emeritus of North American Studies at Uppsala University.
– Democrats think to a much greater degree that it is a big problem. They talk about systematic racism, while Republicans do not want to admit that it is. This has been the case for a very long time. The relationship between blacks and the majority population has always been the great dilemma of the United States, says Erik Åsard.
Source: ICELAND NEWS
