Venice: Pope Francis broke his silence on the unrest in the United States, saying no one can “turn a blind eye to racism and exclusion” but condemning violence as “self-destructive and self-defeating”.
Francis, who dedicated the entire English-language section of his weekly audience to the US situation, implored God for national reconciliation and peace.
Jay-Z buys full-page newspaper ads dedicated to George Floyd
US musician Jay-Z, along with lawyers, activists and victims of police violence, has taken out full-page advertisements in newspapers across the United States in memory of George Floyd, an African-American man who died in police custody.
The ad, which was posted on the Instagram account of Jay-Z’s philanthropic project Roc Nation, is captioned “In dedication to George Floyd.” It features an excerpt from a speech by the Black civil rights activist Martin Luther King in 1965.
‘Of course black lives matter’, says British PM Johnson
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Wednesday black lives mattered and he supported the right to protest, in a lawful and socially-distanced way, after the killing by police of George Floyd in the United States stirred widespread anger.
“Of course, black lives matter and I totally understand the anger, the grief that is felt not just in America but around the world and in our country as well,” he told parliament.
“I also support, as I’ve said, the right to protest. The only point I would make … is that any protest should be carried out lawfully and in this country protests should be carried out in accordance with our rules on social distancing.”
