Opinion

The fury in US cities is rooted in a long history of racist policing, violence and inequality

By Clare Corbould
Updated June 3 2020 - 4:24pm, first published June 2 2020 - 12:00pm
Philadelphians takes a knee during a nine-minute long vigil for George Floyd as thousands around the nation protest police brutality. Picture: Getty Images
Philadelphians takes a knee during a nine-minute long vigil for George Floyd as thousands around the nation protest police brutality. Picture: Getty Images

The protests that have engulfed American cities in the past week are rooted in decades of frustrations. Racist policing, legal and extra-legal discrimination, exclusion from the major avenues of wealth creation and vicious stereotyping have long histories and endure today.