Outrage and calls for national unity after Dallas shooting

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A man holds a sign reading “We Stand With You Dallas” during a vigil at Thanks-Giving Square in Dallas, Texas, on July 8, 2016, following the shootings during a peaceful protest on July 7 which left 5 police officers dead. / AFP PHOTO / Laura Buckman

America is mourning yet again.

Desperate calls for unity echoed across the United States and on social media after the killing of five uniformed officers at a Black Lives Matter protest in Dallas, Texas. At least seven others were wounded.

Micah Xavier Johnson, a 25-year-old veteran, has been identified as the shooter. Johnson died after police detonated a robot bomb.

Initial reports claimed multiple shooters were involved but it remains unclear how many opened fire. Three suspects were held in custody.

The Black Lives Matter protest in Dallas was among a number of other demonstrations being held across the country following the latest string of black men killed by police.

The shooting of two black men, Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge and Philando Castile in Minnesota, at the hands of police triggered nationwide outrage after videos of their shooting surfaced widely online.

“I speak for every single American when I say that we are horrified over these events, and that we stand united with the people and the police department in Dallas,” said U.S. President Barack Obama in a speech addressing the slaying of Dallas officers. “Let’s be clear: There is no possible justification for these kinds of attacks or any violence against law enforcement.”

Outrage erupted on social media with many governors, celebrities, activists, and others expressing their anguish and pleading for unity.


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A number of Black Lives Matter leaders condemned attacks against police officers:

Others said the attacks in Dallas shouldn’t undermine the Black Lives Matter movement or deviate the attention away from putting an end to brutality against African Americans.

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But the killing of police officers is brewing a divisive conversation online with some accusing the Black Lives Matter movement of inciting violence. Before the attack against officers erupted in Dallas Thursday, the protest was peaceful and under control.

Others argued that violence against police and violence against African Americans should be equally condemned.

The shooting also resurrected the controversial debate about gun control.