Portside

With the mass outcry over the cop murders of George Floyd and so many other African Americans, it's worth reprising the review of a key 2017 book that sees even beyond defunding police to challenging the actual role of law enforcement in society.

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Workers asked to work in situations that present a danger to their health and safety have rights, and they should not be afraid to assert them.

When demonstrations erupted across the country after George Floyd's death at the hands of police officers, Donald Trump portrayed the protesters as America's enemies. But the protesters posed no threat. They're the nation's true patriots.

We don't need any more novels or TV shows about cops who do the wrong thing for the "right" reason. Early crime fiction, to its credit, often viewed law enforcement with skepticism. This started to change in the 1950s.

Many have attempted to claim that `things are better here' for black people than in the US. This ignores both Europe's colonial past and its own racist present.

Photos from the international upsurge, in Europe and Asia - and more

In the wake of our current upsurge against racism in policing and in our society generally, this book, published late last year, has emerged as a top Amazon bestseller.

"It is not good enough just to elect Joe Biden. We've got to continue the movement in this country for transformative change."

Examples abound of reforms that are seen as “radical” in the United States.