The Social Posts You Need To Read In The Wake Of Jacob Blake’s Shooting

Protests have entered their second day in Wisconsin, US, today following the shooting of an unarmed black man by police on Sunday. Jacob Blake, 29, was shot in the back seven times by officers in the city of Kenosha.

Blake, who had walked to his car and opened the door to lean in when police officers opened fire on him, is said to be in stable condition in hospital however his father has confirmed he is now paralysed from the waist down. Three of Blakes’ four children were in the car as the shooting took place.

With protests against the death of George Floyd only recently placating in the US, the shooting of yet another unarmed black man in the US has reignited peoples passion to fight racism within the police. Demonstrations began in Wisconsin the day after the shooting and have continued today, with buildings and cars allegedly set alight.

But the reaction on social media is just as telling. As racists scramble to justify the police’s actions, Blake’s criminal record has been shared online as have rumours as to why the police were called in the first place. According to witnesses at the scene, Blake was trying to break up a fight between two women when police arrived and intervened, initially using a Taser on him.

Video footage from the shooting went viral initially on Sunday evening, showing Blake walking to his car while police pointed their weapons at him, with one officer following him closely enough to grab his shirt before firing seven times in his back as he leaned into the car. Other footage since shared online shows an alternative angle in the run-up to the shooting, where police can be seen attempting to use a Taser and restrain him against a car before he walks away calmly.

With the videos shared countless times, to the harrowing trauma of many Black people forced to witness yet another senseless shooting, many are jumping to explain to everyone why not only is it wrong to share the footage, but to attempt to justify shooting a man so many times in any way.

Here, we’ve outlined the responses on social media you need to read in the wake of the shooting...

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