"The police can't even get through protests about police brutality without committing more police brutality," said Seth Meyers during Monday's episode of Late Night. "It's like if your wife accused you of having an affair in divorce court and you tried to smooth it over by seducing the judge."
Protests against racism and police brutality have erupted throughout the U.S. over the past week, sparked by the death of George Floyd after police handcuffed him and knelt on his neck for several minutes. Floyd's death was just the latest in a long history of black people being victimised and killed at the hands of law enforcement.
However, rather than try to deescalate the situation, police have responded to these protests with increasing violence. Numerous videos recorded at the protests have captured police assaulting peaceful protestors, reporters, and even bystanders with no provocation.
"Ask yourself: Why do local police departments have tanks when doctors and nurses can't even get masks and gowns?" said Meyers. "We spend billions on military equipment for police and health care workers have to wear snorkel masks like retirees in the Caribbean."
President Donald Trump has also actively spurred on the police's attacks on peaceful, unarmed civilians, telling governors to "dominate" and "put [protestors] in jail for 10 years."
"He sounded like a cross between a brutal military dictator and a racist grandpa shuffling around the nursing home with his robe on backwards," said Meyers.
"They insist that communities of color politely and obediently request change from a system that systematically ignores, dehumanises, and disenfranchises them. We saw that on display yet again this week with the rampant acts of police escalation," said Meyers. "And we know it's not necessary because just a few weeks ago police were physically confronted by angry right-wing protesters calling for an end to lockdowns, and oddly they seem to have left their tanks and tear gas at home."
