Was you or someone you love a victim of police brutality? Will you report it, fight it, or continue as if nothing happened? Despite studies proving that the use of police brutality is part of law enforcement's self-defense, other opponents disagree with this research and believe that they are abusing their authority and using force. excessive. Police brutality has existed for decades. In the 1960s, African Americans sought to declare their rights to vote, march, or enter desegregated schools, which caused conflicts with white Americans and attempts to prevent any black citizens from joining anything. which included white citizens, but because African Americans knew that violence was not the answer to their problems, they took to the streets peacefully until law enforcement began corrupting their protests legal. When civil rights leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcom X led nonviolent marches to protect equal rights, law enforcement did not receive these marches kindly. In the South, police departments have been violent toward these protesters, such as in 1963 in Birmingham, Alabama, they beat protesters, sprayed high-pressure fire hoses, and attacked them using police dogs. In Selma, Alabama, local and state police attacked peacefully marching civil rights protesters, using the same nefarious techniques as police in Birmingham. More than 100 people were injured in what is known as “Bloody Sunday.” (“Police Brutality,” February.) The police force was predominantly white in the mid-20th century and was responsible for patrolling black neighborhoods mistreated by the city government. " Americans' Views of the Police (box). Recorded Issues and Controversies: n. page. Issues and Controversies. Facts On File News Services, May 17, 1996. Web. March 26, 2014. "Judge restricts protesters' claim to Occupy Wall Street vs. New York Police.” Facts On File News Services. Internet. “Police Brutality.” , February 24, 2014. Web. March 26, 2014. “Police Brutality.” Facts On File News Services, June 24, 2014. “Police Use of Force.” . January 20, 2012. Web. April 14, 2014. “Stand up against abuse.” UWIRE text from March 14, 2014: 1. Academic OneFile.. 2014.