Mob Rule !

That " Black lives Matter " slogan means different things to different people.  In America it clearly refers to the injustice suffered by people of colour in every aspect of their lives.  In particular, it is aggravated by the senseless deaths where the police are quick to use their guns in minor confrontations and such deaths are swept under the carpet.

In Australia it is a manifestation of shame for the way our " First Nation " indigenous people have suffered in the hands of their " white invaders ".  They represent a majority of prison inmates out of proportion to their numbers and the rate they experience " death in custody " has become a national disgrace.

What is disturbing is the way street demonstrations to support the " Black lives Matter " movement are descending into mob rule.  Early isolation in response to the coronavirus has started the recovery process but we legally need to avoid crowds to prevent a second wave of this disease.  Despite the dasmage this isolation has done to our economy, vast crowds are marching through the streets and ignoring the need to keep a safe distance to avoid contamination.

Now a change in the way policing is to be valued is likely to increase the rate of confrontation between the law and the indigenous population.   That old " quota " system of arrests and convictions will be changed to a new guise which will result in a sharp increase in the number of search warrants conducted annually.

Police will be targetted to achieve success in varying areas of crime with the highest numbers allocatted to areas where many indigenous people live.  It appears to be an invitation to the police to concentrate on" the usual suspects " and go for the low hanging fruit.

This " Black lives matter " has become an emotive issue and many law abiding people are taking to the streets in the belief that solidarity with the movement takes precedence over any form of restriction imposed by the government.  It is a clash of wills that may see this coronaravirus sweep across the country in the numbers that have been tragic overseas.   It is inevitable that these will clash with the police trying to impose the law set by the government.

What seems to be forgotten is that we have a very effective way of imposing our will on the law.  It's called the " democratic process " and we regularly go to the polls and vote in a government.  If sufficient numbers make their demands clear to those who represent them in parliament we will get the necessary law change - or we will get a change in who sits on the treasury benches.

It is a lot more effective than marching through the streets and it completetly avoids spreading the coronavirus.