Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has criticized US President Donald Trump’s handling of the protests against police violence raging across the country, also condemning the “brutal” killing of George Floyd.
Rouhani blasted the “rulers of the White House,” who he said have turned the current unrest into “one of the worst” moments in history, during a televised speech on Thursday.
He said Iranians feel “sympathy toward the American people who are on the streets,” adding that the world was witnessing “major” oppression against black Americans, Iran News reported.
Rouhani also blasted Trump for posing for photographs while holding a copy of the Bible as heavily armed police used tear gas to break up a peaceful demonstration outside the White House. Flanked by Secret Service officers and other heavy security, Trump took a stroll to the vandalized St. John’s Church for a photo-op after his address to the nation on Monday evening.
“It is a shame that the US president holds a Bible when he plans to act against American citizens,” he said, referring to the fact that Trump had moments earlier threatened to deploy the US military onto city streets.
The police killing of Floyd, a 46-year-old unarmed black man in Minneapolis, has sparked massive nationwide protests against police brutality, particularly that committed against black Americans. Floyd was killed when officer Derek Chauvin held him down with a knee on his neck for almost nine minutes, while ignoring pleas for his life. Chauvin was later charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
Some of the protests have since turned violent, with rioters and looters taking advantage of the unrest.
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