Photo: Getty Images
The images of violence and looting that we've seen the last few days are disturbing, and it's sad to see those moments taking attention away from the peaceful rallies designed to draw attention and enact change after the tragic death of George Floyd.
But among the chaos, there are moments of solidarity.
For example, on Monday afternoon in West Hollywood, LAPD Commander Cory Palka was talking to protesters using a megaphone when they called for him to kneel with them in support of the cause. He asked the crowd if they would promise to keep the protest peaceful if he did so. They agreed and he took a knee along with protesters to cheers of support. He then reminded all of the protesters to stay safe, keep it peaceful and observe the curfew.
Palka, 56, is not a stranger to helping others. Back in March, he tested positive for Covid-19. After a few rough weeks of extreme fatigue, a fever and shortness of breath, he recovered, and decided to donate his plasma to help others battle the disease in an experimental treatment. Palka was not a stranger to donating blood or plasma, telling ABC 7 that his father instilled it in him to help others.
"He had taught me the importance of giving back and his way of serving and helping others was to donate his own blood. And I've never forgot that message."
Another one that really stood out was a video from Louisiana's NBC affiliate KTAL. Reporter Jade Jackson caught a moving moment between a protester and a Shreveport police officer at a peaceful rally in Minneapolis.
Some protesters were on top of a courthouse statue, when an officer told them to get down. One young protester 'feared for his life' when the officer told him to get off the statue. But once he came down, the officer went over to the young man, who was crying, and offered some consoling words, and then a hug. You can see the officer consoling the young man about 1:45 into the below clip.
Here are a few more moments from the last few days that give us hope that we can enact change...together.