Sadly, I think we are reaching a point where many people have had enough. I think they are tired of living this way and simply don't care about the risk anymore.  I'm not advocating that or saying it's right. It's just human nature. People want their old lives back and no amount of angry memes on social media will change their minds. 

It certainly didn't help matters when there was so little concern about Covid-19 transmission during all the protests*. If we are going to start cherry-picking what mass gatherings are okay and what ones aren't, people are going to be less likely to take the whole thing seriously unless/until it affects them personally.

Horrifying as it may be, there is a possibility we may just have to live with this thing and hope it somehow runs it's course as the other pandemics ultimately did (Swine Flu, Ebola, etc). 

Indefinite lock-down's aren't sustainable and I don't have a lot of faith in some miracle vaccine showing up anytime soon. I hope to hell I'm wrong about that but things so seem to be drifting in that direction.

** It's only a matter of time before we hear Republicans saying; "If it's safe to go out and protest, it's safe to go out and vote!"

That's a crock of bullshit, of course. 

 COVID-19 was always a concern throughout the protests. A lot of the protestors wore masks, and all the protests I saw in organized in my area emphasized the need for masks and social distancing.

Yes, there were still people not wearing masks, and it wasn't possible to keep 6 feet apart. But no one was dismissing COVID-19. The black population is hit especially hard by COVID-19. Protestors were aware of the risk, but the continued social injustice and inequality has become just as untenable.

Then it's not a crock of bullshit.

 

People out there were not unconcerned with COVID-19, as you state, they were trying to work through two shitty things. Protestors were not denying the threat of COVID-19, they were fighting injustice in spite of it. And during the protests, everyone was emphasizing that if they can, the protestors should get tested, so they will know if they should self-quarantine after.

Meanwhile, we're struggling between slowing the spread of the pandemic and reopening the economy. There's a solution that requires wearing masks and trying to stay apart, and people aren't doing it because they feel inconvenience or because they don't like being told what to do. 

That's not the same thing.

In Canada, everyone wants to keep the southern border closed. Americans get fined for crossing and not following the restrictions that are currently in place. Canadians are fearful that Americans will come north if all border restrictions are removed and undo the results from our quarantine.