Pope prays for Floyd, decries ‘sin of racism’
Scattered reports of looting; 9,000 arrests all over the country since George Floyd’s death on May 25
Vatican City, June 3: On the eighth day of protests across the United States,
Pope Francis o n Wednesday addressed George Floyd’s death at the hands of US police officers, calling it “tragic”.
Addressing the anger and protests against racism during his weekly Angelus prayer at the Vatican, Pope Francis said that he is praying for Floyd and all those “who have lost their lives as a result of the sin of racism.”
“Dear brothers and sisters in the United States, I have witnessed with great concern the disturbing social unrest in your nation in these past days, following the tragic death of Mr George Floyd,” he said. “My friends, we cannot tolerate or turn a blind eye to racism and exclusion in any form and yet claim to defend the sacredness of every human life. At the same time, we have to recognize that the violence of recent nights is self-destructive and selfdefeating. Nothing is gained by violence and so much is lost,” he urged. Floyd, 46, an unarmed African-American man, suffocated as a white police officer kneeled on his neck.
Washington, June 3: Protests were largely peaceful and the nation’s streets were calmer than they have been in days since the killing of George Floyd set off demonstrations that at times brought violence and destruction along with pleas to stop police brutality and injustice against African Americans.
There were scattered reports of looting in New York City overnight, and as of Wednesday morning there had been over 9,000 arrests nationwide since the unrest began following Floyd’s death May 25 in Minneapolis. But there was a marked quiet compared with the unrest of the past few nights, which included fires and shootings in some cities.
The calmer night came as many cities intensified their curfews, with authorities in New York and Washington ordering people off streets while it was still daylight. A block away from the White House, thousands of demonstrators massed following a crackdown a day earlier when officers on foot and horseback aggressively drove peaceful protesters away from Lafayette Park, clearing the way for President Donald Trump to do a photo op at nearby St. John’s Church. Tuesday’s protesters faced law enforcement personnel who stood behind a black chain-link fence that was put up overnight to block access to the park.
“Last night pushed me way over the edge,” said Jessica DeMaio, 40, of Washington, who attended a Floyd protest Tuesday for the first time. “Being here is better than being at home feeling helpless.”
Pastors at the church prayed with demonstrators and handed out water bottles. The crowd remained in place after the city’s 7 pm curfew passed, defying warnings that the response from law enforcement could be even more forceful. But the crowd Tuesday was peaceful, even polite.
I THINK what happened in the United States was appalling, inexcusable. We all saw it on our screens and I perfectly understand people’s right to protest what took place. Obviously I also believe that protests should take place in a lawful and reasonable way.
BORIS JOHNSON, British Prime Minister