--- title: President Obama Says Protests 'Necessary' in BET Interview description: In an interview with BET, President Obama said protests were "necessary" about the deaths of unarmed black men at the hands of police. canonical: https://time.com/3624627/president-obama-says-eric-garner-ferguson-protests-necessary/ author: Maya Rhodan article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-12-09T00:01:52.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:40:39.762Z article:section: Politics og:title: Obama Returns to his Roots as a Community Organizer og:description: In an interview with BET, President Obama said protests were "necessary" about the deaths of unarmed black men at the hands of police. og:url: https://time.com/3624627/president-obama-says-eric-garner-ferguson-protests-necessary/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2d04177eceff6ebf/69876cc4a988ca7d1e6ab2f9/obama-immigration-1.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: President Obama Departs White House For Chicago og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Obama Returns to his Roots as a Community Organizer twitter:description: In an interview with BET, President Obama said protests were "necessary" about the deaths of unarmed black men at the hands of police. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2d04177eceff6ebf/69876cc4a988ca7d1e6ab2f9/obama-immigration-1.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # President Obama Says Eric Garner, Ferguson Protests 'Necessary' ## Video: Mothers of Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, Michael Brown, Tamir Rice Speak Out On CNN [Watch (HLS stream): Mothers of Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, Michael Brown, Tamir Rice Speak Out On CNN](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/Xf73WGsq.m3u8) (1:27)  _Published 2014-12-13. Mothers of Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, Michael Brown, Tamir Rice Speak Out On CNN_ by [Maya Rhodan](https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Dec 9, 2014 12:01 AM UTC  President Barack Obama walks toward Marine One while departing the White House on Nov. 25, 2014 in Washington, DC. President Barack Obama walks toward Marine One while departing the White House on Nov. 25, 2014 in Washington, DC.Mark Wilson—Getty Images by [Maya Rhodan](https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Dec 9, 2014 12:01 AM UTC President Obama, who started his career in politics as a community organizer, said Monday that protests in the wake of grand jury decisions not to indict white police officers in the deaths of unarmed black men are a necessary step. “As long as they’re peaceful, I think they’re necessary,” Obama said during an interview that aired on BET Monday. “When they turn violent then they turn counterproductive.” “Power concedes nothing without a fight, that’s true , but it’s also true that a country’s conscious has to be triggered by some inconvenience,” Obama said. “The value of peaceful protests, activism … is it reminds the society this is not yet done.” Obama’s statements echo sentiments of Attorney General Eric Holder, who said in an interview with [TIME](http://time.com/3617425/ferguson-garner-eric-holder-attorney-general/) that this could be a seminal moment. Two recent grand jury decisions not to indict police officers Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Mo., and officer [Daniel Pantaleo](http://time.com/3616780/eric-garner-chokehold-new-york-staten-island/) in New York on top of several additional shootings of unarmed black men and boys over the past few months have led to widespread protest across the country. The majority of the protests have been peaceful, though unrest in Ferguson led to violence in late November. Throughout the interview, Obama touted initiatives his administration has launched to improve the nation’s approach to criminal justice as well as better relationships between communities of color and law enforcement agencies. In early December, Obama announced the launch of a [Task Force on 21st Century Policing](http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/12/01/fact-sheet-strengthening-community-policing), designed to build trust within communities. Obama said Monday he feels an “enormous amount” of responsibility for making an impact amid unrest in Ferguson, New York City and the disconnect some communities feel between themselves and police. Obama said his personal experiences largely shape that feeling of responsibility, which he was reminded of during a meeting with young leaders in the protests last week. “Part of the reason I got into politics was to figure out how can I bridge some of those gaps in understanding so that the country realizes this not just a black problem or a brown problem. This is an American problem,” Obama said. Obama said he’s been “explicit” about his concerns regarding minority community interactions with police, but says he can’t “put his thumb on the scale of justice.” The Department of Justice and his administration, he says takes the issue seriously, with federal investigations currently underway in both Ferguson and New York. He added that solving the systemic problems will not happen overnight, but Americans should understand that progress has been made. “As painful as these incidents are, We can’t equate what’s happening now to what happened 50 years ago,” Obama said. –_With reporting by Zeke Miller_ ### See Thousands Across The Nation Protest Police Brutality  Thousands of people gather at Washington Square to march through Manhattan to protest police violence on Dec. 13, 2014 in New York City. Cem Ozdel—Anadolu Agency/Getty Images  Demonstrators chant at Freedom Plaza in Washington on Dec. 13, 2014. Jose Luis Magana—AP  Thousands of protestors demonstrate against police brutality in New York City as part of the Millions March on Dec. 13, 2014. Andrew Hinderaker  Thousands of protestors demonstrate against police brutality in New York City as part of the Millions March on Dec. 13, 2014. Andrew Hinderaker  People march in the National March Against Police Violence on Dec. 13, 2014 in New York City. Andrew Burton—Getty Images  Thousands take part in the "Justice for All" march and rally down Pennsylvania Avenue to the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C. on Dec. 13, 2014. Saul Loeb—AFP/Getty Images  People shout slogans against police as they take part in a march against police violence in New York City on Dec. 13, 2014. Eduardo Munoz—Reuters  Young boys watch from a seat in a charter bus as demonstrators march along Michigan Avenue to protest police brutality on Dec. 13, 2014 in Chicago. Scott Olson—Getty Images  Thousands of protestors demonstrate against police brutality in new York City on Dec. 13, 2014. John Minchillo—AP  A police officer looks into the crowd, after he was hit on the leg with paint thrown by protesters during an evening demonstration against police violence in Oakland, Calif. on Dec. 13, 2014. Stephen Lam—Reuters  Film director Spike Lee, and others, march on Pennsylvania Avenue toward Capitol Hill in Washington, on Dec. 13, 2014. Jose Luis Magana—AP  Lesley McSpadden, mother of unarmed teenager Michael Brown, shot and killed in Ferguson, Mo., in August, helps lead the march on Dec. 13, 2014 in Washington D.C. Chip Somodevilla—Getty Images  A man holds up a ''Jail Killer Cops' sign during a 'Millions March' demonstration in Oakland, Calif. on Dec. 13, 2014. Elijah Nouvelage—Getty Images  People march in the National March Against Police Violence on Dec. 13, 2014 in New York City. Andrew Burton—Getty Images  Thousands of protestors demonstrate against police brutality in New York City as part of the Millions March on Dec. 13, 2014. 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