Detroit Protest Organizer Tristan Taylor on the Future of the Movement

Detroit’s protests against police brutality and structural racism are part of a movement, engaging established organizers and incorporating new voices.

“What I have seen in these protests is determination for justice in a way we haven’t seen for a very long time.” — Tristan Taylor, organizer

Activists recently met with Mayor Duggan and Police Chief James Craig in the mayor’s office to discuss protest demands. 

Listen: What actions are Detroit protestors demanding from city officials?

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Tristan Taylor, a Detroit protest organizer, says the local demonstrations and protests across the country, were sparked in part because George Floyd’s death was the last straw.

“What I have seen in these protests is determination for justice in a way we haven’t seen for a very long time,” says Taylor. He says that the movement has unearthed the need to rethink policing and America’s “law and order” society.

“Police don’t have the goal of resolving conflict. They just have the goal of responding with brute force. That’s how bullies act. That’s how tyrants act,” says Taylor.

On his recent meeting with city officials, Taylor said there seemed to be a disconnect. “There’s a real barrier between where city officials are at and what they think goes on in the city and what the reality is for residents in the city,” says Taylor. He adds that it is now up to the protest movement to necessitate change in the city.