from PATRICIA MILLER in New York, United States
Special Correspondent
NEW YORK, (CAJ News) – THE death of George Floyd at the hands of police has not only drawn protests against the alleged racism by law enforcers but reignited accusations of hypocrisy against the United States (US).
It claims to be champions for human rights, rule of law and democracy but critics dismiss it as the biggest violator.
Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets to disapprove of the killing of the unarmed black man (aged 46) by police outside a shop in Minneapolis, Minnesota, coincidentally on Africa Day (May 25).
Property has gone up in smoke and looted as matters come to a head following the string of killings of the minority African-American group by the police.
Protesters have alleged state-sponsored racism by successive US governments while trust on the justice system is at an all-time low among the minorities.
This comes as most of the perpetrators of these seemingly racially-motivated murder incidents go unpunished.
Several African-Americans, who spoke to CAJ News vented their anger at Donald Trump’s government.
“For far too long, blacks have been dying in silence. This time we have decided to say enough is enough,” New York resident, Robert Williams, said.
He called on the United Nations (UN) to intervene and call the global superpower to order.
“The world mother body (UN) must step in to stop state-sponsored racism, human rights abuses and democratic violations,” Williams said.
Jones Johnson, another protester, said, “We will not stop protesting until the four police officers, who murdered Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota have been brought to justice.”
Officers face charges of third-degree murder and manslaughter.
“We do not trust the US justice system, especially when it involves blacks, which in the past has set free culprits who would commit murder,” Johnson said.
Speaking in a telephonic interview, Patricia Brown from Atlanta in Georgia, accused the US of hypocrisy.
She doubts the sincerity of the apology offered by the police.
“I would like to call upon the global community to outrightly reject the US double standards on human rights abuses, gross violation of rule of law and democratic space for the minority blacks,” Brown said.
The arrest of journalists covering the protests has added to allegations of violations against the government.
Police had earlier on arrested a Cable News Network (CNN) correspondent, Omar Jimenez, on air.
Another journalist’s crew from WAVE-TV in the Kentucky city was arrested on Friday night while covering the demonstrations over the death of Breonna Taylor, a black woman killed by police in her home sometime in March.
In Georgia, Atlanta, the local governor, Brian Kemp, declared a state of emergency in Fulton County following the deadly protests.
The state government responded by deploying 500 National Guard troops as protests turned violent across Atlanta.
America has previously slapped sanctions on countries it accuses of violating human rights.
– CAJ News