Some Black Lives Matter activists are taking issue with images and videos of police officers kneeling in solidarity with the movement during demonstrations in major cities across the country.
Last week, a high-ranking police commander in Los Angeles was seen taking a knee during a demonstration outside Mayor Eric Garcetti’s house.
As ABC News was interviewing the officer, Cory Palka, he was interrupted by Black Lives Matter organizer Kendrick Sampson.
“We don’t want anybody to take a knee, a knee doesn’t help me heal the wounds. They shot me seven times on Saturday,” Sampson said, according to the outlet. “It does not help my boy who has two broken bones in his skull right now because they aimed a cannon at his head with rubber bullets.”
Sampson called police kneeling during protests “a PR stunt” and a “farce.”
In a Twitter post on Friday, Sampson shared photos of bloody and bruised legs he says were injured by police during demonstrations in the city.
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Hey @MayorOfLA , you’ve been invited to our @BLMLA town hall! We know you received our invitation. We have some questions about the brutality & abuse you’ve encouraged from the LAPD & your plans to #DefundthePolice. We will be there. Will you? #BlackLivesMatter ✊? pic.twitter.com/oJsrg8wz8i
— Kendrick Sampson (@kendrick38) June 6, 2020
Activists have been motivated by the death of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minneapolis to demand major police reforms. Large swaths of police units and the national guard have been dispatched in several cities across the nation as law enforcement attempted to keep the peace.
Some departments have come under heavy criticism for using excessive force to quell the demonstrations. At the same time, dozens of images and videos have emerged over the last week, showing police officers kneeling with protesters or voicing support for the movement.
