Diamond Thoughts

The death of George Floyd, an African-American, sparked outrage in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.

Police in riot gear stormed a rally on Friday, removing hundreds of protesters by truck.

Protesters in Bristol on Sunday tore down a copper statue of Edward Colston, a 17th-century slave trader with ropes.

The city has been the subject of controversy for many years.  People have been protesting his memorial, but his imprint can still be seen in many parts of Bristol.

Who was Edward Colston?

The statue was torn down during a protest on Sunday, and one protester was later seen kneeling on the neck of Colston’s statue, in a viral video of George Floyd.

People dragged the idol out of the city streets and threw it into the Harbor River.  The statue of Winston Churchill was similarly tampered with.

Edward Colston was the man whose fleet brought 80,000 African men, women and children to the Americas between 1672 and 1689.

There is controversy over Colston’s monuments, some say it is part of history, it should not be changed, some people are campaigning to erase its name from the streets, schools and other places.

Protests in many countries, including the United States

Peaceful protests against racism and police repression continued across the United States for the 13th day after George Floyd’s death.

The largest of these demonstrations took place in Washington DC, where thousands of people marched.  Security forces blocked the road leading to the White House.

People also marched in New York, Chicago and San Francisco.

In fact, a video showed a man named George Floyd dying in police custody on May 25.

Meanwhile, police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on Floyd’s neck for about nine minutes.

Chauvin has been suspended and a case has been registered against him on murder charges.

In addition, three other police personnel present on the spot have been suspended and a case has been registered.

Violence in the United States: Protests outside the White House

Performance in other countries

Protests against racism took place in countries other than the United States.  In Britain, too, people rallied despite government directives for fear of the coronavirus spreading.

Large demonstrations took place in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, Australia, as well as in France, Germany and Spain.

George Floyd: What is the situation in the United States burning in the fire of violent protests?

Protesters on social media and on the streets have called on police officials to address the long-standing inequality against racism.  People are calling for an end to racial and ethnic discrimination in American society.

According to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Americans of African descent have a five-fold rate of imprisonment and a six-fold increase in drug-related convictions compared to Americans, although the rate of drug use is the same.

According to National Health Data, African-Americans have twice as many maternal mortality rates as Americans.