BROOKLYN, New York—After the deaths of several hundred Black Americans at the hands of the police over the last few decades, the pot of water has finally come to a boil. In spite of the global COVID pandemic, thousands have taken to the streets to protest police brutality and systemic racism that plague this country and to support the #BlackLivesMatter movement. Police departments have of course attempted to control these protests but quickly realized that they are extremely ill-equipped to handle the situation.

       While officers are equipped with layers of physical protection including weapons such as tasers, handguns, shields, and batons as well as layers of personal protective equipment to protect against the coronavirus, they came to learn after only a few days of peaceful protests that they have nothing to protect their deepest inner feelings. Police officers have filed complaints that the signs the protesters have used  are “hurtful” and “mean.” The Times reached out to members of the NYPD present at protests in New York City. One officer, Lieutenant Daniel McBedwetter whined, “Several protesters were marching and holding up signs that said unpleasant things such as ‘Defund the Police’ and ‘ACAB,’  [short for All Cops Are Bastards] and seeing those really hurt my feelings. So me and a few other cops ran into the crowd and beat the living daylight out of those people, tased them, and arrested them for ‘not-nice behavior.’”

         With incidents like these flooding the nation, police departments quickly realized they had no chance of stopping the protests with officers’ emotional state in shambles. Departments across the United States requested help from the National Guard, which better trains its officers to handle psychologically taxing situations. Officers have also requested more resources from their departments, such as Zumba classes to relieve the stress of brutalizing disrespect from peaceful protesters during their daily routines. Furthermore, therapists have been overwhelmed by scores of cops who need to talk about their feelings, and the demand for therapists as well as therapy dogs has skyrocketed throughout the nation.

          Congress has also taken action in response to the BLM protests. After seeing hundreds of thousands of black squares posted on social media, congressmen decided enough is enough and passed a bill stating that “being racist is now illegal.” This unprecedented action from the U.S. Government has angered dedicated Ku Klux Klan members who have devoted their lives to racism and bigoted pursuits. One member of the esteemed organization who made a statement to the Times said, “What else am I supposed to do on Thursday evenings?” As the protests continue across the nation, we can only hope that those in charge will take note and do something more productive for once in their lives.