The World Is Watching America In Horror
KARACHI, Pakistan ― Even thousands of miles away, protests in the U.S. against racism and police brutality ― and the harsh crackdowns and devastation surrounding them ― are front-page news.
Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper devoted one-third of its Monday front page to a story about the demonstrations, saying five nights of clashes between police and protesters left “streets scarred [and] outrage simmering.” Italy’s La Stampa featured a large photograph of three officers arresting a young activist. And half of the Toronto Star’s June 1 front page highlighted the situation stateside under an all-caps headline: “FROM CRISIS TO CHAOS.”
Since George Floyd, a Black man, died in Minnesota after a white police officer knelt on his neck, journalists worldwide have felt a responsibility to highlight the disturbing incident and its aftermath. So have public officials. On Friday, the African Union condemned “continuing discriminatory practices against Black citizens of the United States of America.”
Floyd’s death and the public anger it provoked are a fresh reminder that the world’s richest and most influential country is not the ideal its representatives often proclaim it to be. Racism still defines many U.S. institutions, even after the world watched Americans fight for civil rights and elect their first Black president. The brutal use of U.S. power familiar to many outside the country is often deployed within its borders, too.
Many activists abroad expressed outrage and boosted calls for change. Some tied the protests in the U.S. to their own struggles with historic prejudice and repressive governments. The news also presented an opportunity for more cynical voices, including critics of the U.S., to say Washington has no authority to talk about human rights internationally. If the world’s leading democracy won’t stand true to its values, theyargue, it proves there is no point in such lofty goals anyway.
Floyd’s death and the...
