In Europe, protests against racism and police violence. In some countries, like the United States, protests escalated into riots and clashes. Thus the Old world expresses its solidarity with the New.
the Protests in the United States in connection with the murder of an African-American George Floyd police showed that the problem of racism in the country to overcome and failed. Moreover, the American government and society, there is still no roadmap for total eradication of racism.
the Murder of Floyd set off a chain reaction, which, importantly, went far beyond the United States.
may 31 in London, Berlin and Copenhagen people came to the demonstration against racism and police brutality, despite the fact that Europe has just started to remove the restrictions imposed due pandemic COVID-19.
As noted in conversation with “Газетой.Ru” associate Professor of the Department of European law of MGIMO Nikolay Topornin, the main reason that prompted the Europeans to take to the streets of their cities, it became the events in the USA, not the problem of racism in Europe.
“of Course, the problem of racism is present, probably in any country — somewhere more somewhere less. It would be wrong to say that this phenomenon actually somewhere completely absent. But, obviously, in this case, the protests in the first place, due to the fact to demonstrate the attitude of European civil society and various human rights movements to what is happening in the United States,” — said the expert.
Gradually, the protests began to spread throughout Europe, and the demonstrations themselves — to get radical.
on 7 June, foreign Minister of Germany Heiko Maas chided US President Donald trump’s threats of violence towards the protesters.
“the Democrats have to always reconcile and not to divide society,” he said, adding that the U.S. is not the only country that has faced racism.
on the same day in Berlin, the protests escalated into clashes. The demands of law enforcement officers to stop the protesters threw rocks and bottles.
28 policemen were injured. 93 people were arrested. On the eve of the protests were held in Hamburg, when riots broke out, police used pepper spray. According to local media, the protests Black Lives Matter (black Lives matter) in support of the protesters in the United States left tens of thousands of people.
June 2, the official representative of the Prime Minister in the UK James slack, commenting on the protests in the United States, said that citizens should have the opportunity to hold peaceful protests.
the next day in London held protests accompanied by riots. On Saturday, June 6, residents of the British�� capital again occupied street. All weekend, London held demonstrations developed into riots and clashes between protesters and police.
on Monday, British police released a statement stating that Sunday was arrested 36 people.
thus in the message it is noted that the action generally took place peacefully, but “the morning of today, 35 of the officers reported injuries, two of them required hospitalization”.
Boris Johnson on 7 June said that all those responsible for the unrest would be punished.
“people have a right to protest peacefully, respecting social distance, but have no right to attack the police. These demonstrations have been undermined by banditry and they are a betrayal of the cause to which they are called to serve. Responsible will be brought to justice,” wrote the Prime Minister on Twitter.
Protests against police violence were held in France, there are, however, people have another reason to Express discontent.
At the end of may were published the results of independent medical experts, in which it was reported that Traore died from strangulation. At the same time, according to official data, the cause of death was heart attack.
the organizer of the protest was made by the sister of the deceased AssA Traore. On 3 June, despite a ban on holding mass events in Paris held a mass demonstration against police violence. According to local media, on the streets of Paris left more than 20 thousand people.
the Action quickly escalated into clashes with police. Protesters threw bottles at police and stones, set fire to trash cans and bicycles. The police in response fired tear gas and rubber bullets.
Mass protests were held in other French cities, 2,500 people gathered in Lille, 1800 in Marseille, 1,200 participants in Lyon.
as a result, today the interior Minister of the country Christoph Kastner said that the French police will no longer learn the techniques of detention, which applies to strangulation, this method will not be used by law enforcement officers in the country.
In clashes with police escalated and the protests in Belgium, which took place on 7 June in Brussels. Meanwhile, the country is collecting signatures for the demolition of the statues of king Leopold II. A petition signed by more than 34 thousand people.
the Belgian king Leopold II in the late nineteenth century campaigned to seize the Congo basin. The campaign was accompanied by the violent attitude of the local population. In Antwerp the statue of the king was set on fire by protesters, in Ghent bust of Leopold II were covered with paint.
Demonstrations against racism and police violence were also held in Austria, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland and the Netherlands.
In Stockholm in the ASC��and protest took part about 8 thousand people. Overall, the demonstration was peaceful, however, there have and a separate police clash with protesters. Three people were arrested.
In other countries, the protests were no arrests and collisions.
According to the Austrian police, the demonstration was attended by almost 50 thousand people. Police in solidarity broadcast on the information boards, office machines inscription Black Lives Matter.
thousands of people took to the streets of Amsterdam, many of them were wearing masks and tried to keep a distance, however, the more people came to the event, the more reduced the distance between people. However, the police did not issue fines.
it is Noteworthy that the protests in the US spread only on Western Europe, without affecting the Eastern part of the EU. This is due to the fact that the Eastern bloc countries are less familiar with racial issues.
And although racism is, indeed, the problem is acute not only in the United States, the United States somehow became the most sensitive to the problems of inequality on the grounds of race and prejudice. This trend has historical roots leading to the slavery and civil war in the United States, while blacks in Europe are not the indigenous population.
“In Europe there are no such enclaves of Africans, enclaves of Arabs, I suppose. It is, as a rule, people who arrived after world war II as labor migrants. Yes, eventually they settled down, got married, came back, but still they are not the titular people, although the legal difference they have — if you have received the passport of the citizen have the same civil rights as indigenous people”, — concludes the expert.
Anna Uranic
riots in Chicago (July 27 to August 3, 1919)
riots in Chicago (July 27 to August 3, 1919)
was caused by the murder of a black teenager Eugene Williams, while swimming at the beach violated the regime of racial segregation. The police did not arrest the perpetrators, which caused outrage among black residents. As a result of riots killed 38 people, injured 537. Thousands of African Americans lost their homes due to fires. The riots stopped after entering the city of the national guard (6 thousand people). 17 instigators among blacks were hanged
the Massacre in Tulsa (30 may-1 June 1921)
the Occasion was the arrest of 19-year-old black man, dick Rowland, accused of assaulting a white girl. Fearing that the young man is lynched, jail, took custody of the black residents. A firefight between armed militias and white, among whom were members of the Ku Klux Klan, led �� pogroms African-American neighborhoods of the city, completely destroyed the Greenwood district. Killed 350 people, more than 800 were in the hospital, about 6 thousand African Americans were arrested. During the riots was completely burnt more than 1.2 thousand houses
riots in Mississippi (30 September 1962)
were associated with the attempts of a black citizen of James Meredith to enter the University of Mississippi. Despite the fact that U.S. President John F. Kennedy permit has been issued, the authorities of the state of Mississippi refused to comply with the President’s decision. Attempt Meredith to enter the University provoked the outrage of white citizens, resulting in mass beatings of blacks. The decision of the President in the state was under martial law and sent 30 thousand soldiers. The unrest, which lasted about 14 hours, two people were killed and over 300 injured
the Uprising in watts, about (11 to 17 August 1965)
Riots in suburbs of Los Angeles was caused by the detention of 21-year-old black Markt fry with the family of patrol officer. The arrest sparked outrage among formed around the crowd, which led to riots, clashes of black people with police, and attacking white drivers, arson and looting shops. Killing 34 people, more than a thousand were injured, more than 3 thousand were arrested.
the Riot in Detroit (from 23 to 27 July 1967)
the Beginning was a police RAID, the closure of the illegal bar and arrested several black visitors. Clashes with police turned into looting and riots throughout the city. For the suppression of the rebellion was a curfew imposed by the national guard units and army units. In the riots according to various estimates, was attended by 10 thousand people, 43 people died and 460 were injured, 7200 arrested. More than 2 thousand buildings were destroyed
the Unrest after the assassination of Martin Luther king, Jr. (from 4 to 8 April 1968)
the Death of American human rights defender resulted in a mass riots across the country. More than a hundred cities across the crowd of blacks attacked and looted shops, arranged burning, overturned cars. The police were unable to cope with the protesters, the government had to bring in Federal troops. Simultaneously in dozens of cities state of emergency was declared. In Washington was burned over a thousand buildings, a crowd of protesters consisted of 20 thousand people.
Incident at wounded knee (from 27 February to 8 may 1973)
on 27 February 1973 the village of wounded knee (South Dakota) was captured by activists of the movement of fighters for the rights of Indians and declared an independent Indian government. Taking hostages of the inhabitants, the rebels have put up OCd requirements, including review of all contracts between the U.S. government and Indians. During the uprising during the shootings two people died, 13 of the Indians were wounded. The resistance ended with the signing of the agreement and the surrender of the rebels with the mediation of the National Council of churches
the Los Angeles riot (from April 29 to may 4, 1992)
the occasion was the acquittal by a jury of four white policemen who beat black Rodney king because he resisted arrest. A demonstration about the justification for the police quickly escalated into riots and attacks, which killed more than 50 people, was burned about 1100 houses. In addition to the state police in the crackdown involved the armed forces of the U.S.
riots in Cincinnati (from 7 to 12 April 2001)
the Riots began after the murder of a white policeman 19-year-old African American Timothy Thomas, who was trying to escape from persecution. In the historical centre of the city was set on fire a market, a group of protesters staged riots in shops and offices. April 12, the city had declared a state of emergency and imposed a curfew, after which the riots went down. The unrest was injured more than 60 people
the Riots in Ferguson (from August 9 until December 2, 2014)
the Reason was the incident in which 18-year-old unarmed black male Michael brown was shot by police officer Darrell Wilson during the attempted arrest. Most participants in the riots, which started because of the unrest on social networks, were members of the African-American community. The situation escalated on November 24 after the failure of the jury to indict Wilson. After the riots, December 20 the same year, African American Ismail Brinsley revenge were shot at two police officers in Brooklyn. During the riots, 10 people suffered, more than 300 were arrested.
the Riots in Baltimore (from 25 April to 3 may 2015)
the reason for the demonstrations, later transformed into riots and clashes with police, was the death of 26-year-old African American Freddy gray, who died from injuries sustained when arrested by the police. To restore order in Baltimore were sent to units of the national guard and imposed a curfew, but the demonstrations spread to other cities. May 1, six police involved in the arrest of Freddie gray, was charged. During the riots were injured about 100 police officers, arrested about 200 protesters.
riots in the city of Charlotte (September 2016)
the Protests erupted after the police murder of 43-year-old black Keith Lamont Scott, who was allegedly armed. According to ro��relatives of the dead man in his hands was a book. As a result of the protests, injuring 12 policemen. September 21, arrived in the city of the national guard units. About 40 rioters were arrested.
March of the “United right” (11 and 12 August 2017)
a Political rally of the extreme right forces of the United States was held in Charlottesville, Virginia. The occasion was the decision of the city authorities to dismantle the monument to General Robert E. Lee. The marchers chanted racist and anti-Semitic slogans were carrying a firearm, Confederate flags, swastikas. The action was accompanied by a torchlight procession and ended with clashes with the police. During the riots killed one person, injured approximately 40, and two others died in the crash of a police helicopter.
the Unrest after the death of George Floyd (may 2020)
on may 25 in Minneapolis black American George Floyd died during detention by the police. Footage from the last moments of the life of Floyd caused a wide public resonance. The next day the incident were held under the slogans of the social movement of Black Lives Matter (black Lives matter). Later, the demonstrations turned into riots, clashes with police and spread to other cities. Police use tear gas and stun grenades.
