Hashtag which spread after audio of Bloomberg defending controversial Stop and Frisk policy as new york mayor which critics argue unfairly targeted African Americans.

#BloombergIsRacist

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Updated Feb 11, 2020 at 09:25PM EST by Adam.

Added Feb 11, 2020 at 04:07PM EST by Adam.

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Overview

#BloombergIsRacist is a hashtag which trended after audio leaked of Democratic Presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg advocating for New York City's controversial "stop and frisk" policy during his time as Mayor. The policy was controversial as critics believed it led to racial profiling and unfair targeting of black people in the city. In the audio, Bloomberg argues for sending police to minority neighborhoods because "that's where the crime is," and saying the way to get guns out of children's hands "is to throw them up against the walls and stop and frisk them.” This led Twitter users to spread the hashtag criticizing Bloomberg's record.

Background

On February 10th, 2020, Twitter user and podcast hose @BenjaminPDixon[1] posted audio of Mike Bloomberg speaking to the Aspen Institute in 2015 in which Bloomberg defends the controversial "stop and frisk" policy implemented by New York City cops during his time as mayor. Bloomberg argued stopping and frisking kids was the way to make sure they did not have guns and argued that sending cops to minority neighborhoods was justified because minority neighborhoods have more crime.



Developments

The clip began spreading on Twitter with the hashtags #BloombergIsRacist[1] and #BloombergIsARacist.[2] Throughout the next two days, Twitter users criticized Bloomberg for his defense of Stop and Frisk and his record and his viability as a candidate. Twitter user @ThiaBallerina[3] tweeted that Democrats were sick of candidates with flaws akin to Donald Trump, gaining over 570 retweets and 1,900 likes (shown below, left). Trump himself tweeted the video calling Bloomberg a "total racist," but deleted the tweet (shown below, right).


Thia is with Bernie @ThiaBallerina Dems purity test But Bloomberg isn't *as* racist as Trump But Biden isn't *as* narcissistic, sexist and racist as Trump But Hillary isn't *as* corrupt as Trump Ppl are sick and tired of having to pick between two assholes. Stop pushing s--- candidates. #BloomberglsRacist 9:55 AM · Feb 11, 2020 · Twitter for iPhone Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump WOW, BLOOMBERG IS A TOTAL RACIST! You can just take the description, Xerox it and pass it 0:54 out to all the cops. 3.3M views · From Benjamin Dixon 8:40 AM · 2/11/20 · Twitter for iPhone ellenjaminPDison

The Bloomberg campaign responded to the negative press with an apology. The Mike Bloomberg Twitter account tweeted, "I have apologized for taking too long to understand the impact of stop and frisk on Black and Latino communities. I inherited stop and frisk. In an effort to stop gun violence, it was overused. I cut it back by 95%. I should have cut it back sooner" (shown below, left). The apology was not enough for several Twitter users, who pointed out that Bloomberg's record contradicted the facts. Twitter user and Bernie Sanders staffer Brianha Joy tweeted that "Stop and Frisk" started after he was elected mayor, so he did not "inherit" it (shown below, right).


Mike Bloomberg @MikeBloomberg I have apologized for taking too long to understand the impact of stop and frisk on Black and Latino communities. Iinherited stop and frisk. In an effort to stop gun violence, it was overused. I cut it back by 95%. I should have cut it back sooner. mike Latest from the campaign BLOOMBERG2020 Statement from Mike Bloomberg | Mike Bloomberg for President The challenge of the moment is clear: we must confront this President and do everything we can to defeat him. The President's attack on me clearly reflects.. O mikebloomberg.com 3:05 PM · Feb 11, 2020 · Twitter Web App Briahna Solidarity Gray @briebriejoy Bloomberg did not "inherit" stop and frisk. And he didn't come to "understand" it was wrong as part of a political evolution. The fed ct. found his policy to be unconstitutional in 2013. Even in his "apology," he skirts responsibility for his actions. (He became mayor in 2002) Figure 3. Summonses, misdemeanor arrests, stop and frisks, and felony arrests since 1993 800K 600K Summonses 400K Stop and frisks Misdemeanor arrests 200K Felony arrests 1995 1993 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 Source: Ryley. S. Bult, L, & Gregorian, D. (2014). Exclusive: Daily News Analysis Finds Racial Summons for Minor Violations in "Broken Windows Policing. New York Daily News. Available at http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/summons-broken-windows-racial-disparity-garner- article-1.1890567. Note: Stop and frisks are shown beginning in 2002, the year in which these data became readily available.

Another clip of Bloomberg talking about the policy on WOR surfaced on February 11th, in which Bloomberg said he believed "we stop whites too much and minorities too little" (shown below).



CNN questioned where Dixon got the audio and attempted to smear Dixon for being a Bernie Sanders supporter (shown below).



Search Interest

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External References

[1] Twitter – #BloombergIsRacist

[2] Twitter – #BloombergIsARacist

[3] Twitter – ThiaBallerina

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Top Comments

Timey16
Timey16

Before anyone comes with "but shouldn't there be more police in more crime ridden areas?" and complains about "political correctness"…

…that's not why racial profiling is bad.

The reason it's bad is because with all known research and such racial profiling makes things WORSE as it paints an entire demographic in a negative light. Being searched in public when your only "crime" is to be black is extremely demeaning and humiliating. Long term it results in a more divided society and in more crime (or less of a decrease in crime) then what it would be without it.

Additionally, racial profiling is a two-fold self-fulfilling prophecy:
1.) Drug usage rates are the same across any ethnicity, but since due to racial profiling only minorities are targeted, primarily minorities are being arrested for possession… which further justifies racial profiling because their "statistics" are higher.

2.) It creates a field in which the police is both your enemy and oppressor, as well as you already being judged as a criminal for your ethnicity, even though you aren't one… which often results in reactions out of spite. Why respect authorities if authorities don't respect you? Why care about your reputation when it's already in tatters just because the color of your skin?

This selective use of policing is also illegal under the US constitution, as selective use of force and arrests is against the idea that everyone is equal in the eyes of the law.

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