“Do Not Resist” opens with peaceful protest: Men and women of all colors and ages rail against an oppressive police force that is actively killing them, but as the clock strikes midnight, the mood changes. “If you’re found after 12:00, we cannot ensure your safety,” a young woman says, portending what’s to come. “The police have not told us how they will respond to anyone they find after 12:00.”
A curfew has been set. Hundreds of heavily armed officers — equipped with shields, rifles, and tanks — are approaching large swaths of impassioned protesters. Then the police release the tear gas at citizens who are only demanding to be heard, not through violence but words.