Condemning of Killings
Date of Meeting: May 27, 2020
Meeting Organizer: High Commissioner for Human Rights
ISJC Staff Present: Major Victoria Edmonds
Reporter: Major Victoria Edmonds
Which SDG does this topic cover? #1,#3
Type of meeting: Statement from the High Commission on Human Rights Michelle Bachelet#3
Brief summary of presentation of information made
UN condemns US police killing of George Floyd
UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet said the US must grapple with racial discrimination and police brutality against African Americans. Her comments were a reaction to the death of George Floyd.
UN Human Rights chief Michelle Bachelet on Thursday condemned the death of a man at the hands of police, urging US authorities to take "serious action" to stop the killings of unarmed African Americans.
On Monday, 46-year-old restaurant worker George Floyd was handcuffed and placed on the ground by police officers outside of a store, when one of them pressed his knee on Floyd's neck for more than five uninterrupted minutes.
The moment was caught on video by a bystander, as a crowd gathered on the scene. In the video, Floyd is seen gasping for air and saying, "I can't breathe," until he loses consciousness. He was then taken to a hospital and later declared dead.
All four police officers involved in the incident have been fired; an investigation is pending.
"This is the latest in a long line of killings of unarmed African Americans by US police officers and members of the public," Bachelet said, listing of several other high-profile cases of African American deaths at the hands of police and vigilantes.
"The US authorities must take serious action to stop such killings, and to ensure justice is done when they do occur. Procedures must change, prevention systems must be put in place, and above all police officers who resort to excessive use of force should be charged and convicted for the crimes committed," she said. "The role that entrenched and pervasive racial discrimination plays in such deaths must also be fully examined, properly recognized and dealt with."
What was of particular significance to share with The Salvation Army globally?
The Salvation Army must speak out condemning the behaviour. We can’t be silent in the face of injustices.