George Floyd, an unarmed Black man, died in Minneapolis last Monday while he was being restrained by the police. Video footage of the incident, which was broadcast by the media and went viral on social media platforms, showed an officer kneeling on Floyd’s neck as he gasped for breath.
His death has triggered violent unrest in Minneapolis, as well as in other parts of the US, including in California, Los Angeles, Ohio, and Colorado.
Protesters also rallied in Washington DC and New York City, with demonstrations scheduled in other major cities later on Friday and throughout the weekend.
Rallies have turned violent in Los Angeles and Minneapolis, where the police have fired tear gas and rubber bullets against the demonstrators.
US President Donald Trump threatened the use of force in dealing with protests against the death of George Floyd, referring to participants as “thugs” in a tweet that was later hidden by Twitter for "glorifying violence."
“Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts,” Trump said Friday.
Former President Barack Obama issued a statement on Floyd's killing via Twitter and pleaded for Americans to open their eyes to the ongoing racial injustice that plagues the country.
In this regard, some Iranian officials, along with the American people, condemned this incident in the United States and expressed solidarity with the American people.
Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has slammed the United States for its brutal behavior towards African Americans, calling on the world to ramp up war against racism.
Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf also slammed the US for its long history of evil doings amid nationwide protests in the country against racism.
Simultaneously with all the media in the world, the Iranian media also selected the current events in the United States as their first headline. The followings are the headlines of some Iranian dailies on Sunday, May 31.
ZZ