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Protests In US Have Massively Increased Since Trump’s First Term 

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After the first year of Donald Trump retaking office, the number of protests in the United States have increased greatly when compared to the same point in his first administration. The Crowd Counting Consortium, an open-source project collaboration with Harvard University’s Kennedy School and the University of Connecticut, reported that there were more than 10,700 protests in 2025. 

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This marks a 133% increase from the 4,588 recorded back in 2017 during the first year of Trump’s first term. 

According to the data from Crown Counting Consortium, a large majority of US counties have had at least one protest since he was placed back in office last year; this includes the 42% of counties that voted for Trump in the 2024 election. 

“It is a very historic time, in the sense that people are mobilizing where they live in ways that I don’t think I have seen before in my lifetime,” said Erica Chenoweth, a political scientist and co-director of the Crowd Counting Consortium.

Some of the most prominent protests have had to do with the main headlines to come out for the Trump Administration from his first year in office. There has been multiple coverage of protests for trans youth healthcare, the US’s support of Israel in Gaza, Elon Musk’s involvement in government, and anti-ICE movements as federal agents raid a multitude of US cities.

Chenoweth stated that more protests have not just occurred, but have been highly coordinated, organized, and scheduled, especially the No Kings and Hands Off protests. 

The project stated normally flash points of protests have been “localized to big cities or a march on Washington, and we’re not seeing that, we’re seeing very diffused protest mobilization all around the country.” 

What’s also significant is where these protests are occurring. Many notable movements have been occurring in red and rural pockets of the US that voted for Trump.

“It definitely cuts against the narrative that protest is confined to major cities, to the coasts, and to predominantly liberal areas where it doesn’t change anybody’s mind.”

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Looking back at Trump’s first term, there were a few major spikes in protests such as the 2018 student walkouts after the Parkland high school shooting, the summer 2018 protests regarding immigrant family separations, and the 2020 Black Lives Matter movements and protests following the killing of George Floyd. 

Most recently, protesting has been occurring throughout nearly the entirety of 2025 and into 2026 over ICE deployments in multiple states and major cities throughout the country. In Minneapolis, many are protesting following the killing of Renee Good during and ICE interaction on January 7th. 

“What’s really notable now is how much grassroots, improvised and then organized response there is to ICE operations,” said Chenoweth. 

“The defining feature of [the Minneapolis ICE] protests is absolutely focused on that issue and sense of outrage, and just finding unbearable and intolerable, the way the administration is approaching this.”

Cheneweth stated that the US is at an “inflection point” when it comes to the growth in nonviolent protesting, and these movements help to give citizens a real sense of agency in wake of feeling powerless and hopeless. 

“This is a very important thing for people to feel and internalize when the more dominant narrative is otherwise.”

Olympics

Rights Activists Urge Boycotting of Beijing Winter Olympic Games As Protests Continue

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Human rights activists are calling for broadcasters, sponsors, participants, and governments worldwide to boycott the upcoming Beijing Winter Olympic Games due to China’s treatment of over two million Uyghur, Uzbek, and Kazakh Muslims, its crackdown on protests, and the “geopolitical bullying” towards Tibet and Taiwan.

Protests are already unfolding before the world’s eyes, with activists having waved a Tibet flag and banner stating “No Genocide Games” from inside the temple of Hera during the flame lighting ceremony in Olympia, Greece on Monday. The two activists, who are part of the group ‘Students for a Free Tibet,’ were arrested and have since been released.

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Groups such as ‘Students for a Free Tibet’ are a part of the ‘No Beijing 2022’ campaign that’s fighting to stop the allowance of Beijing’s games, which consists of Chinese, Hong Kong, Uyghur, Tibet, South Mongolian, and Taiwanese activists.

During his speech at the ceremony, International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach commented that the Olympics must remain “politically neutral ground.” Bach also stated that while the games cannot fix ongoing worldwide problems, they can “set an example for a world where everyone respects the same rules and one another.”

Bach’s sentiments have already been previously echoed by other members of the IOC. According to the South China Morning Post, IOC Vice President John Coates told reporters that the IOC’s remit only concerns the “Olympic movement.”

“We have no ability to go into a country and tell them what to do. All we can do is to award the Olympics to a country, under conditions set out in a host contract … and then ensure they are followed.”

Coates was also asked why the IOC would assist in helping Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover, but not interfere in this situation. Coates said that the 100 members the IOC helped to leave the country were part of the “Olympic community.”

In a statement, International Tibet Network’s executive director Mandie McKeown called out the hypocrisy of the IOC and stated how wrong it is for the Committee to be handing the torch to a country whose “ideals are so far removed” from that of the Olympics.

In April, USA Today reported that the U.S. formally accused China of committing genocides and crimes against humanity against the Uyghur people. A State Department report found China engaged in “mass detention” of the Uyghurs in prison and camps, along with evidence of sterilized rape, torture, and forced labor.

In response, China claimed the genocide was fabrication of western researchers and biased media outlets while also condemning the U.S. for meddling in international affairs. China has also stated their actions toward Uyghurs is considered to be “re-educating” due to extremists in the group, and that the camps are “vocational centers.”

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Despite the U.S. having issued previous sanctions against Chinese officials while threatening to ban Chinese imports that were made from Uyghur forced labor, there have been no indications that the country, or any others, plan to exit or boycott the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Numerous geopolitical issues have worked their way into the Olympic games throughout history. In 1980, dozens of countries, led by the U.S., boycotted the Moscow Olympics due to Soviet Russia’s invasion of Afghanistan. Boycotts by various countries also occurred in 1976, 1972, and 1968.

This also isn’t the first time China specifically has been called out by activists during the world games. CNN noted that human rights protests also occurred during the lighting ceremony back in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

The Winter Olympics will be held from Feb. 4 to Feb. 20 in China’s capitol. It will be the first time a city has hosted both the summer and winter games. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, only Chinese residents will be allowed to spectate the events.

Washington DC, Capitol Building

Mayor Of Washington DC Calls On National Guard Ahead Of Pro-Trump Protests 

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The National Guard has officially been mobilized to Washington DC ahead of a multitude of pro-Trump demonstrations current scheduled for this week at Congress; where members will be convening to certify the 2020 election results as well as the runoff election results that will appear this week. 

According to DC’s police chief the Guard will be used to help control crowds and manage traffic jams. Mayor Muriel Bowser initially requested for the Guard to be activated and brought into the city after urging residents and others to stay home, stay safe, and be cautious when out today. 

“We’re asking DC residents and people who live in the region to avoid confrontations with anybody who’s looking to fight, and the best way to do that is to avoid the area.”

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Congress is scheduled to officially meet on Wednesday and formally count the Electoral college votes, declaring Joe Biden as the 46th President of the United States. Donald Trump’s election loss was confirmed last month, however, the current standing president has made constant baseless claims of voter fraud and a rigged election, and has even filed multiple lawsuits against states that he lost; all cases have been thrown away due to a lack of evidence. 

This Tuesday Georgia will be holding runoff elections that will determine which party controls the Senate, which also has prompted the mayor to call on the National Guard. Organizers are already planning on rallying this Tuesday evening at Freedom Plaza and all day on Wednesday. At 1 p.m. on Wednesday the organizers are planning on marching to the Capitol as well. 

Trump himself has been encouraging the rally on Twitter, where he also claimed that he would be at the rallies themselves to celebrate the “historic day.” More than 300 District of Columbia National Guard personnel will be deployed throughout the DC streets this Tuesday and Wednesday. 

The Guard will mainly be stationed around Metro stations and main roads to help individuals cope with any road closures or public transportation delays. Major General William Walker is the commanding general of the DC National Guard who said that they would be a major supporting role in keeping the city and its residents safe. 

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Man arrested on gun charges after officers spotted him carrying a concealed firearm during a pro-Trump rally at Freedom Plaza on January 5, 2021 

Acting Metropolitan Police Department Chief Robert Contee warned all demonstrators that guns, firearms, and weapons of any sort are not permitted at the rallies, and claimed that the police department already received some staggering information regarding the demonstrations.

“We have received some information that there are individuals intent on bringing firearms into our city, and that just will not be tolerated.”

Back in December several individuals were stabbed during altercations at a Pro-Trump rally, and who can forget 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse who shot and killed two individuals at a Kenosha rally months ago. 

A leader of the Proud Boys – an alt-right neo-fascist male-only organization – was arrested this week after entering into Washington after being accused of burning a Black Lives Matter sign that had been torn down at a historic Black Church during a rally in December. He also allegedly was holding two high-capacity magazines, his intent was unclear. 

Regardless, safety is always a concern when it comes to alt-right groups that the president is further encouraging online with dozens of tweets of a rigged election and failed democracy, anyone in the DC area stay vigilant this week, and remain indoors as much as possible, after all, we are still in a pandemic as well.

Football Player

Colin Kaepernick Calls Out NFL’s Black Lives Matter ‘Propaganda’ On Opening Weekend

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Athletes across the US have been protesting against racial inequality for the past month, but many are starting to wonder how genuine these organizations are in their message.

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Police

Rochester Police Chief And Command Staff Resign Following Death Of Daniel Prude

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Chief La’Ron Singletary and the entire Rochester Police command staff resigned this past Tuesday after public outrage over the death of Daniel Prude; a Black man who suffered from mental health issues who was killed after police put him in a “spit hood” and restrained him in March of this year. 

After 20 years on the force the chief announced his resignation with a news release from the department, which described his decision to depart as a retirement, which would allow him access to retirement packages. The other officers who resigned will also be able to draw from their pension and health benefits in the coming months. 

“The members of the Greater Rochester Community know my reputation and know what I stand for. The mischaracterization and the politicization of the actions that I took after being informed of Mr. Prude’s death is not based on facts, and is not what I stand for.”

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Deputy Chief Joseph Morabito and Commander Fabian Rivera also announced their retirements while Deputy Chief Mark Simmons and Commander Henry Favor, announced they would be moving to a lower ranking lieutenant status. The mayor of Rochester, Lovely Warren, suggested that there “may be a number of others that will decide to leave as well” in the coming weeks. 

Tameshay Prude is the sister of Daniel Prude who sued the city of Rochester along with some members of the police department who were present the evening Daniel was killed. Singletary is included in that list of officers being sued, and in the official legal complaint it claims that Prude died as a result of “unlawful force and the deliberate disregard for his medical needs.”

Other members of Prude’s family recently released police footage of the incident that occurred on March 23rd that took Prude’s life. The family claims that the footage clearly depicts officers using excessive and unnecessary force, and the autopsy that the family commissioned revealed the cause of death to be “complications of asphyxia in the setting of physical restraint.” The drug PCP was also listed as a contributing factor. 

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Joe Prude, Daniel’s brother, stated to the media that his brother had mental health and drug problems that were getting especially bad in March. On March 22nd, Joe called the police and Daniel was hospitalized for three hours while he received a mental health check. Around 3 in the morning on March 23rd, videos show officers finding Prude naked in the middle of a residential street. 

Prude is then seen complying with officers demands to get on the ground face down with his hands behind his back. While he was handcuffed, Prude is seen speaking to the officers in a “nonsensical manner,” according to reports. It’s at this point that officers put the spit hood on Prude after he supposedly claimed he had Covid-19. He then stopped breathing, prompting paramedics to try to revive him; he was put on life support and died a week later. 

Mayor Warren also announced on Tuesday that seven officers have been suspended in relation to the incident and Attorney General Letitia James has been empowered by a state grand jury to investigate Prude’s death. The protests that have been occuring in Rochester as of late have made headlines due to the public’s outrage after it was discovered that the department delayed releasing information about Prude’s detainment and death for months. The city council will also be reviewing the timeline of incidents that occurred that night, and will be analyzing the chiefs response as well.

Basketball going into Net

NBA Players Discuss Boycotting Playoffs Following Jacob Blake Shooting

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Many players in the NBA are pausing their celebrations for making it into the next round of playoffs and are instead thinking of boycotting the games following the shooting of Jacob Blake and countless other black individuals in America at the hands of the police. 

Blake underwent surgery this past Tuesday, and his family updated the world by stating that he is alive, but now paralyzed from the waist down; doctors think it’s unlikely he’ll be able to regain motion. His shooting further fueled the hundreds of ‘Black Lives Matter’ protests that have been occuring every day in America since April following the murder of George Floyd. 

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Toronto Raptors point-guard Fred VanVleet recently confirmed ahead of his teams first game against the Boston Celtics that he and his fellow players had a private meeting where a boycott was brought up several times, sparking the interests of many players. 

“We’re the ones who always have to take a stand. Is it cool to wear Black Lives Matter on the backdrop or wear a T-shirt. Like what does that really mean? Is it really doing anything? I’m in a different place today just emotionally-speaking.”

The Raptors are still set to face-off against the Celtics this Thursday in Orlando. Marcus Smart, who is playing in his sixth season with the Celtics agrees with VanVleet, and recently told reporters that boycotting may be the only actual way they can make a difference. He claimed that they tried all the peaceful methods and “it’s not working, so obviously something has to be done.” Jaylen Brown who also plays on the Celtics said that everytime he looks at his Number 7 jersey all he sees “is a Black man being shot seven times.” 

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“The reality is the majority of African Americans have a history with the police. It comes with the plagues of systemic oppression, lack of education, economic opportunity, housing, et cetera. And most people of color, most minority communities, have history with the police.”

The Republican National Convention also kicked off this week, and Los Angeles Clippers head coach Doc Rivers agreed with the many NBA players on their boycott stance based on how the convention was going. Rivers recently spoke with the media and claimed that what really stood out to him was the “spewing of fear.” 

Rivers personally doesn’t believe the police force needs to be completely defunded, but dramatically reformed in the ways in which officers are trained and hired. The fact that the National Guard and individual milita’s appear whenever protestors peacefully demand that justice be served for the countless black lives lost to police brutality is a major issue, says Rivers. He claims that he believes in good cops and just wants all cops to protect black people like they do everyone else. 

“That video [Jacob Blakes shooting], if you watch that video, you don’t need to be Black to be outraged. You don’t need to be American and outraged. And how dare the Republicans talk about fear?! We’re the ones that need to be scared.” The NBA has not commented in regard to what actions they would take if players did decide to boycott the remaining playoff games.

Police Car

Two Killed And One Injured By Gunman At Jacob Blake Protest

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Kenosha police are continuing to search for a suspect seen on video armed with a large AK-47-type firearm, after he killed two people and wounded a third late Tuesday evening. The violence broke out during the third night of protests in Kenosha in response to the shooting of 29-year-old Jacob Blake, a black man who was shot seven times at close range by city police officers. 

As of right now, Blake is alive, but partially paralyzed after the shooting. Directly after the incident videos of Blake getting shot began circulating on social media, sparking even more civil unrest within the Black Lives Matter protests that have been occurring every day nationwide since April. 

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At around 11:45 p.m. Tuesday night, officers responded to reports of shots fired and multiple gunshot victims near 63rd Street and Sheridan Road in Kenosha. When officers arrived they found that two people had been fatally shot and another had been seriously injured. The third victim luckily suffered no life-threatening injuries and is expected to make a relatively quick recovery, according to the Kenosha police department. 

Investigators are still looking into the exact events that transpired Tuesday evening, and are trying to piece together if the shooting was a result of a conflict that broke out between demonstrators and “self-styled militias guarding a gas station.” 

In videos circulating online, a chaotic scene at said gas station is seen unfolding, as a crowd seems to chase away a masked man carrying a large rifle, before another individual knocked him over and took his weapon to avoid any further injuries or potential fatalities. Another video showed a man with a serious arm wound thought to be the third victim who survived the shooting and another video showed a man with severe head injuries being crowded by a group of individuals trying to help him. Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers made a call for the protests to remain peaceful on Tuesday.

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“We cannot allow the cycle of systemic racism and injustice to continue. We also cannot continue to go down this path of damage and destruction.”

Many were quick to point out Evers hypocrisy after he declared a state of emergency and doubled the National Guard presence at the gatherings after making the above statement. Initially, there were 125 guards deployed in Kenosha and on Tuesday there were around 250. The civil unrest has led to 34 fires, and 30 businesses being completely destroyed as a result. 

Police still have said little about what actually happened with Jacob Blake, despite the circulating cell phone video that shows the officer shooting him multiple times while his kids watched from the backseat of his car. Blake’s family and the protesters in Kenosha are calling for the officer who shot Blake to be fired and arrested, and want all other officers present at the scene who did nothing to deescalate the situation to be fired. 

As of right now two Kenosha officers have been placed on administrative leave and are not being identified by the department. The shooting is currently being investigated by the Kenosha County District Attorney, Michael Graveley, and the Wisconsin Justice Department’s division of criminal investigation which will present a formal report of what transpired to Graveley’s office within the next 30 days. 

**UPDATE** 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse has been arrested and charged with the fatal Kenosha shooting

Basketball going through Net

Etan Thomas Wants Sport Team CEOs To Do More To Fight Against Racial Inequality

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Etan Thomas played in the NBA from 2001 to 2011. Now, he’s a published poet, motivational speaker, but most importantly, an activist.

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Military Silhouettes

Oregon Attorney General Calls Out Federal Agents ‘Blatant Abuse’ Towards Protesters

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Protests against police brutality/in solidarity with Black Lives Matter have been occurring throughout the world ever since George Floyd’s untimely death at the hands of Minneapolis Police in May. While these protests have all remained relatively peaceful, there are countless examples of police/military forces coming in and acting extremely violent towards these protesters who are expressing their first amendment right. 

Portland, Oregon has now become a spot of experimentation for how violent these forces can get, as Trump and his administration have deployed militarized federal agents into the city to put a stop to the protests. The breaking point for Portland specifically occurred after police claimed that protesters broke into the Portland Police Association building and set it on fire. 

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In one video posted on Twitter this week, a reporter records as a man who is repeatedly beaten by multiple federal officers for simply standing still in the middle of the road. Tear gas and the sounds of explosions echo in the background, a setting that has become all too familiar at these protests that all remain peaceful until outside forces get involved.

“We have dozens, if not hundreds of federal troops descending upon our city. And … they are sharply escalating the situation. Their presence is actually leading to more violence and more vandalism,” one protester claimed. 

Even more disturbing in Portland, and other parts of the US as well, there have been multiple reports of federal agents driving through the city in unmarked vehicles, picking up protesters from the streets without any explanation or reading of Miranda rights. Many of these agents don’t even have professional credentials, and are reportedly just men dressed in camouflage with “police” patches on. 

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One protester recounted the gruesome scenes in Portland as she discussed the goals of these protests, and how much more passionate the crowds are becoming as a response to the government’s violent actions towards its own citizens.

“We can talk about defunding the police, but it’s more than that. We need to defund Ice [Immigration and Customs Enforcement], we need to demilitarize our border. There’s so much that’s wrapped up in this.”

On Sunday Trump responded by tweeting how he wants to help Portland and protecting “Federal property and our people” is his number one priority. However, the mayor of Portland even called out these federal officers and Trump, claiming that the “president has a complete misunderstanding of cause and effect.”

Governor Kate Brown also recently spoke out against the president’s actions within her state, claiming that Trump is guilty of a “blatant abuse of power by the federal government.” Oregon attorney general Ellen Rosenblum went as far as filing a lawsuit in federal court against the Department of Homeland Security, Marshals Service, Customs and Border Protection, and the Federal Protection Service. Within the lawsuit Rosenblum is making a similar claim to Brown’s, and is suing on the grounds of federal agents violating state citizen’s right to peacefully protest as well as their due process rights; as many citizens are continuously ripped off the streets and “arrested.” 

Edward Colston Statue

Edward Colston Statue Replaced With Sculpture Of Black Lives Matter Protester

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Black Lives Matter protests have been occurring all across the world for the past couple of months in wake of the untimely death of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Elijah McClain, and countless other black individuals at the hands of the police. One of the newest aspects of these demonstrations calls for a removal of countless statues and monuments that honor historical figures who were either slave owners, political figures who made racist policies targeted at black people, etc. 

In Bristol, UK, protestors made headlines last month when they tore down a statue of Edward Colston, a slave trader from the 17th century. Once they tore down the statue they dumped it into the River Avon, a body of water Colston often used to bring black people into the UK to be traded as slaves. 

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Now, the city has decided to reckon their past mistake of honoring Colston and instead have mounted a new statue that honors the Black Lives Matter movement. Marc Quinn is the British artist who was hired to create the new statue, which now depicts a young woman standing with her fist raised in a Black Power salute in the same exact spot that Colston’s statue stood for decades. 

The statue is inspired specifically by Jen Reid, a Bristol resident whose photo has circulated social media within the past month after she climbed up onto the empty podium where Colston’s statue once stood and raised her fist. After Quinn contacted Reid he made a life-sized sculpture of her based off the photograph using black resign.

“It is such a powerful image, of a moment I felt had to be materialized, forever. I contacted Jen via social media to discuss the idea of the sculpture and she told me she wanted to collaborate.”

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Quinn stated that his friend was the one who initially showed him the photograph of Reid and right away he thought to himself “how incredible it would be to make a sculpture of her.” The sculpture is officially titled “A Surge of Power (Jen Reid) 2020,” and unfortunately will only be temporarily erected where it currently stands. 

Quinn didn’t receive permission to erect the statue there, however, if it sells before it’s forcibly removed, Quinn claims the money made will be donated among two charities that will be chosen by Reid and work to promote the inclusion of Black history in school curriculums. The goal of the statue is to “highlight the unacceptable problem of institutionalized and systemic racism” and force individuals with privilege to confront the ways in which they’ve fueled that fire. 

Reid also spoke with media outlets, claiming that her climbing onto the statue’s platform during the June demonstration was a complete impulse decision. The protest itself was on June 7th in Bristol and brought in an estimated 10,000 participants. She claimed she initially agreed to collaborate with Quinn in order to “keep the journey towards racial justice and equality moving.” 

“It’s about Black children seeing it up there. It’s something to feel proud of, to have a sense of belonging, because we actually do belong here and we’re not going anywhere.”

The trend of tearing down statues and petitioning for their removal based on the individuals depicted having extremely racist pasts is growing large all around the world. As protests continue throughout America and the rest of the world every single day, one of the goals will now be to replace them all with individuals who made real lasting impacts on the history of this country.