GOLDEN GATE XPRESS -- Ron Hayduk, a Political Science professor at SF State, said that these demonstrations will be a “focal point” in the upcoming elections and will definitely add pressure on political candidates.
“There’s a lot at stake. Kamala Harris could elevate or amplify some of the movements,” Hayduk said. “She helped craft recently, something called the Justice and Policing Act, which … sort of is an attempt to, on her part, help her look like a police reformer by democrats in the House [and] in the Senate. But you know, her record as a prosecutor, kind of … cuts either way, especially in African- American communities, and especially among Black Lives Matter folks.”
Luke Heslip, Political Science major at SF State and former aide to the national program director for Beyond Differences, commented on how “crucial” this time is for social justice groups within the U.S. and the burgeoning sense that injustices are being discussed at a mainstream level.