[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The racial discrimination protests in the United States, sparked by the death of Black man George Floyd during an excessive crackdown by white American police, are spreading worldwide.
Despite concerns over the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), many citizens participated in protests across Europe, including the UK, Germany, Denmark, and Italy. In China, the incident was heavily reported, with direct criticism of the United States. According to foreign media such as the AP on the 31st of last month (local time), protesters gathered at Trafalgar Square in the UK marched to the US Embassy that day. They held protests against the George Floyd incident, chanting slogans such as "No justice, no peace." The protesters disregarded government regulations banning group gatherings to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and the police reportedly did not stop their protests.
In Germany, hundreds gathered around the US Embassy despite COVID-19 restrictions, holding protest posters with slogans like "Don't kill us" and "Who is next?" Jadon Sancho of German professional football club Borussia Dortmund performed by lifting his jersey after scoring his first goal to reveal the phrase "Justice for George Floyd." In Denmark, protesters gathered around the US Embassy holding posters with phrases such as "Stop killing Black people," protesting the Floyd death incident. The German daily Bild published a Sunday edition headline titled "Murderous police set America on fire," alongside a photo of the dismissed offending officer pressing down on Floyd's neck.
Meanwhile, China's state-run Global Times tweeted, "We want to ask House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo whether China should support these protests as the US glorified Hong Kong protesters." Hua Chunying, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, indirectly criticized police overreach by posting Floyd's last words, "I can't breathe," on Twitter regarding the US unrest.
The Russian Foreign Ministry also stated, "This incident is often the result of illegal and unjustifiable violence committed by US public authorities," and claimed, "US police frequently commit serious crimes."
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