AFTER
GEORGE FLOYD'S DEATH:
Washington shares responsibility for protests by
foreign actors
UPDATED ON
04.06.2020-20:34
Foreign
actors are also responsible for the violent outbursts during the protests, says
US Attorney General William Barr.
For the escalation of the protests after George
Floyd's death, the United States Secretary of Justice sees evidence of foreign
influence. Chancellor Merkel meanwhile calls the death of the African American
a murder.
Merkel said: "My demands on politics are always
to try to bring people together and to reconcile them." Trump's political
style is "already a very controversial one".
The
American government is exerting influence from abroad in protests against
racism and police violence that have been going on for days and have sometimes
turned into violence. Foreign actors got involved on all sides, Justice
Minister William Barr said at a press conference Thursday. In addition,
“extremist agitators” attempted to widen the division in American society after
the black George Floyd was killed in a police operation. There is evidence that
"Antifa and other similar extremist groups" and "actors of
different political beliefs" were involved in inciting violence.
Floyd died
after a white policeman knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes. The
policeman did not let Floyd off even when he moaned several times that he could
not breathe. The incident was captured with a cell phone camera. It sparked
protests against racism and police violence in numerous cities in the United
States and other countries , some of which led to riots.
Merkel describes Floyd's death as murder
Chancellor
Angela Merkel (CDU) sharply condemned the deadly police operation against
African American George Floyd and described it as murder. "First of all,
this murder of George Floyd is something very, very terrible," said Merkel
on Thursday evening on the ZDF program "What now?" “Racism is a
terrible thing. Society in the United States is very polarized. "
Commenting
on President Donald Trump's handling of the ongoing protests against racism and
police violence in the United States, Merkel said: "My demands on politics
are always to try to bring people together and to reconcile them." Trump's
political style is "already a very controversial one".
Racism has
existed "at all times," said the Chancellor. “But unfortunately we
also have it here. And now we’re going to be on our own doorstep and hope that
there will be enough people in the United States too who can simply promote
peaceful demonstrations. ”
EUROPE
Merkel condemns George Floyd killing, dodges on
Trump criticism
German chancellor says politicians should work to
bring people together, but declines to say whether the president is doing so.
By EMMA
ANDERSON
06/04/2020
05:22 PM EDT
German
Chancellor Angela Merkel condemned racism and the killing of George Floyd, but
declined to comment on whether Donald Trump had played a role in any escalation
of the resulting unrest in the U.S.
“The
killing of George Floyd is very, very terrible,” Merkel said in an interview
Thursday on broadcaster ZDF. “Racism is awful and the society in the United
States is very polarized.”
But when
asked by journalists whether U.S. President Trump has contributed to the
escalation of the unrest, in particular through his tweets, Merkel declined to
directly criticize him.
“My
aspiration in politics is to always to try to bring everyone together, to make
peace with one another,” she said.
Floyd, a
black man, died under the knee of a white police officer last week, prompting a
wave of protests across the United States that has spread to Europe, including
Germany. Trump’s response to the demonstrations and unrest at home, including a
tweet that seemed to urge the shooting of looters amid the protests, have
further fueled anger at home.
When asked
whether the U.S. president was indeed bringing people together, Merkel said:
“What I discuss with the president, I don’t discuss in public, but what I do
say is that this country is very polarized and I hope that people can come
together.”
And when
further pressed on Trump’s role in such polarization, she said: “I believe that
the political style is already controversial, that is clear, but I don’t want
to make a one-to-one thing here. Racism has always been around, also for us.”
The German
leader, who hasn’t been shy about taking apparent digs at Trump in the past,
also declined to say whether she still had confidence in the American leader,
responding: “I work with the world's elected presidents, and of course with the
American one too. And I hope that the country can be pacified.”
U.K. Prime
Minister Boris Johnson also spoke out this week on the death of Floyd, calling
it “appalling” and saying he understood protesters' anger, but declined to be
drawn on whether he had raised his concerns with Trump.
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