Biden lauds 2020 BLM riots as 'historic movement for justice' during Monday speech

CHARLESTON, S.C. (TND) — President Joe Biden praised the efforts of Black Lives Matter demonstrators during the summer of 2020 as a “historic movement for justice"while speaking at a campaign event Monday.

The remark came while President Biden was speaking at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, S.C.. The church is the site of a 2015 killing spree by a 21-year-old white man who entered the building and killed nine Black parishioners and wounded another.

After the historic movement for justice in the summer of 2020,” Biden said. “I signed the most significant police reform executive order in history.”

The riots, taking place in the aftermath of the murderof George Floyd, led to demands to "defund" and "abolish" police departments in cities across the country. Researchers contend these calls have had a negative impact on public safety due to their effect on police morale and recruitment. This consequence is especially overlooked in mid-size cities,the research advocacy group Our America reported in October.

“Oftentimes when we talk about crime, we hear the conversation about New York, Washington D.C., San Francisco, Los Angeles. The reason the media often ignores many of these cities is because it's not good for their narrative. They want to make sure that everything is going fine. When you look at cities across the country, things are not fine,"Gabriel Nadales of Our America told The National Desk (TND).

READ MORE |BLM gave $200k to org run by anti-police activist who calls cops 'pigs,' celebrates riots

The summer of 2020 featured several violent protests and riots, including the siege of the Portland, Ore. federal courthouse and shootings that killed law enforcement officers in St. Louis and Oakland.

Later in Biden’s address, ceasefire protesters crashed the event to demand the president call for an end to Israel's retaliatory attacks against Hamas targets.

“If you really care about the lives lost here, you should honor the lives lost and call for a ceasefire in Palestine,” an audience member called. This led to chants of “ceasefire now” from the audience.

The president appeared to attempt to placate protesters, repeatedly telling them “that’s alright.” Protesters continued chanting despite his urgings and were eventually escorted out of the room. Chants of “four more years” then broke out throughout the room as audience members rose to their feet and clapped.