How the World Views the Protests in America
The killing of a black man in Minneapolis at the hands of police has sparked both peaceful demonstrations and chaos unseen since the days of the Vietnam War.
Members of the D.C. National Guard stand on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial monitoring demonstrators.
Photographer: Win McNamee/Getty Images
Across the U.S., demonstrators have taken to the streets to protest the death of George Floyd, a black man who died after a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for more than eight minutes. The incident has underscored concerns about the use of force among the police against minorities as well as racial injustices. It also has sparked violence and looting, with President Donald Trump on Wednesday urging police to “get tough” and warning that the National Guard “is ready,” suggesting his support for the use of greater force to quell violence stemming from the protests. Many cities have instituted curfews, including New York. As the Bloomberg Opinion editorial board noted, not since the Vietnam War has the country been gripped with such unrest, or faced with so many serious crises at once.
We asked Bloomberg Opinion columnists and contributors who are based outside the U.S. for their take on how the rest of the world is viewing these developments and the implications.