A letter to the Prime Minister says ‘Today is the 9th day of protests following the murder of George Floyd, yet you and your ministers remain silent’
Boris Johnson is facing criticism for ignoring demands to condemn President Donald Trump’s response to demonstrations against racial injustice and police brutality that are taking place all throughout the United States since the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, at the hands of police.
In a letter to the prime minister, 40 members of parliament for the Liberal Democrat party, as well as their peers have warned the Prime Minister that “to remain silent is to remain complicit”, as they continue to urge the Conservative leader to make a public statement addressing the “dangerous language” from Donald Trump and is supposed glorification of violence.
This comes after protesters all across the US have clashed with police at protests following the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who pleaded with a white officer who was kneeling on his neck during an arrest, saying that he could not breathe.
“As one of the United States’ closest allies, the UK has a moral duty to speak out when freedoms and rights of the US are under attack,” the MPs and peers wrote in the letter to Downing Street.
They went on: “The UK government’s refusal to condemn the behaviour of the president of the United States is shameful. Since the murder of George Floyd, president Donald Trump has used increasingly violent rhetoric in response to protests over racial injustice and police brutality.”
“We have seen peaceful protesters and journalists beaten and attacked by those whose duty is supposedly to serve and protect the public. The president’s dangerous language includes a tweet on 29th May stating that ‘when the looting starts, the shooting starts’. This tweet was hidden by Twitter due to its glorification of violence.”
“The UK must use our special relationship to condemn this language and the use of military action to quell protests. British foreign policy must promote human rights, democracy, and the rule of law all over the world. The USA is no exception.”
“We are therefore urging you to make a clear public statement condemning in the strongest possible terms the language and actions of the US President in relation to protestors and journalists. To remain silent is to remain complicit.”
This comes after UK protests of the death of George Floyd, and racial inequality began in Hyde Park this week as police in the UK have said that they hope justice will be done in the US.
During prime minister’s questions Boris Johnson told those MPs that authored the letter, that the death of George Floyd was “inexcusable”, these were the PMs first public remarks on the incident since protests and marches began through the streets of every state in the US last week.
He continued by saying:
“I think what happened in the United States was appalling,”
“It was inexcusable, we all saw it on our screens, and I perfectly understand people’s right to protest what took place. Though obviously I also believe that protest should take place in a lawful and reasonable way.”
During the No 10 coronavirus briefing on Wednesday, Mr Johnson added: “My message to President Trump, to everybody in the United States from the UK is that I don’t think racism – it’s an opinion I’m sure is shared by the overwhelming majority of people around the world — racism, racist violence has no place in our society.”
At the government’s daily coronavirus press conference that was held on Wednesday, The Prime Minister added: “My message to president Trump, to everybody in the United States from the UK is that I don’t think racism – it’s an opinion I’m sure is shared by the overwhelming majority of people around the world — racism, racist violence has no place in our society.”
