Since that tragic loss, law enforcement in the United States have killed 181 Black people – a disproportionate rate compared with other groups. Floyd’s murder served as a catalyst for unprecedented national and international protests against police violence. These protests responded to a global rise of white supremacy and anti-Black racism in policing, which has resulted in egregious violations of Black people’s human and civil rights. Beyond police accountability-related movements, anti-protester violence is also pervasive amid other human rights crises – during which peaceful and law-abiding advocates have been similarly attacked and stifled. The stifling of protest – in the United States and around the world – paves the road for authoritarian rule, unchecked abuses of power and democratic backsliding, setting us on a collision course with the democratic ideals and ethical principles embraced by the international community.

Source: The Guardian May 24, 2021 10:18 UTC