An unarmed African American, George Floyd, died at the hands of a police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The officer was seen with his knees on Floyd’s neck, even though he repeated “I can’t breathe!”
Floyd‘s death sparked protests across the US. People ignored the curfews imposed in many cities. Experts say the US is witnessing the most widespread racial turbulence since Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in 1968. In addition, the demonstration has not only reignited the anger over racial discrimination but also reflected the years of frustration over socio-economic inequality.
友善讓你懂｜解說：
種族歧視，一直都是美國社會禁忌議題。之前明尼蘇達州一名手無寸鐵的非裔美國人 George Floyd，被警方用膝蓋強硬抵住脖子，儘管他不斷呼救「我不能呼吸了」，但仍被無視，最後不幸窒息死亡。
警方被控執法過當，再加上美國執法機關長期以來對非裔族群不友善，因此點燃怒火。雖然當時許多城市宣布宵禁，但民眾無視禁令上街抗議，甚至引發暴動。許多警察的車子著火，當地商店也被洗劫一空。
專家分析，這場示威活動是自 1968 年非裔人權運動領袖金恩博士被暗殺以來，美國近年最廣泛的種族動盪。它不只再次激化美國內部種族歧視的怒火，也反映長期以來美國人民對社會經濟地位不平等的無力感。
輕鬆帶著走｜學習：
spark 和 reignite 雖然中文常常翻譯成「點燃」，但 spark 比較像是導火線，而 reignite 看到字首有「re」，就知道意思接近「再次引燃」。
例句：
The accident has reignited the anger over the issue.
這個事件再次點燃了對這議題的怒火。
其他與抗議活動相關的單字介紹如下：
- unarmed (adj.) 手無寸鐵，是「un」再加上「armed」（攜帶武器）的結合
- protest (n.) 抗議活動
- demonstration (n.) 示威活動
- racial turbulence (n.) 種族動盪
- racial discrimination (n.) 種族歧視
- curfew (n.) 宵禁
- assassinate (v.) 暗殺
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