On Wednesday afternoon, shortly after a Staten Island grand jury announced that there would be no charges brought against Daniel Pantaleo, the officer who killed Eric Garner with an illegal chokehold, the Internet reacted. Jason Ross, a television writer, suggested protesting the news by spreading stories of white people's interactions with police:
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Within minutes, the hashtag began trending on Twitter. The responses are sobering and depict a country where misdemeanor offenses (and often felonies) are viewed as instances of white kids being kids, deserving of no more than a chuckle and a slap on the wrist.
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Some took issue with the hashtag, arguing that those posting stories seemed to be bragging about what they could get away with, or that a simple confession was not nearly enough action in this time of dire need. Regardless, the sheer size of the response is proof that our policing system is seriously biased, and acted as a virtual companion to protests that were held at various locations around New York City.
Here are a few of the tweets:
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