Canadians watching the US 'in horror', says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
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The demonstrations began in after a black man, George Floyd was knelt on and killed by a policeman in Minneapolis, a city in the US state of Minnesota
While alluding to the ongoing protests in the United States over the murder of George Floyd who was pinned down by a cop in Minneapolis, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asserted that Canadians were watching the mishaps in the US “in horror”.
The US president, Donald Trump had recently threatened to call in the military to quell the protests across American cities, and had previously referred to the protesters as “thugs”. Over 4,000 protesters have arrested in the country so far.
"We all watch in horror and consternation what's going on in the United States”, Trudeau said.
"It is a time to pull people together... it is a time to listen, to learn what injustices continue despite progress over years and decades”, the Canadian Prime Minister added.
He additionally called on Canadians to work hard to fight racism on Canadian soil as well.
However, when pressed for more comments over Trump’s actions, Trudeau responded to a reporter with, "My job as a Canadian prime minister is to stand up for Canadians”.
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Trudeau had been on the forefront for speaking out against racism since his election, however photos of him donning the “blackface” surfaced last September, almost jeopardising his re-election.
Protests are currently going on across the United States. The demonstrations began in after a black man, George Floyd was knelt on and killed by a policeman in Minneapolis, a city in the US state of Minnesota. The man died on May 25, raising concerns of race-oriented state brutality in the country.
George Floyd was 46 years old. He was accused of buying cigarettes with a fake 20 dollar bill. 17 minutes after he was arrested, he was lying dead on the ground.
President Donald Trump threatened to deploy the military if states and cities failed to quell the protests sparked by the death of George Floyd.
Calling himself the "law and order" president, Trump said that he was deploying thousands of "heavily armed" soldiers and police to prevent further protests in Washington, where buildings and monuments have been vandalised near the White House.
“My first and highest duty as president is to defend our great country and the American people,” Trump said. “I swore an oath to uphold the laws of our nation and that is exactly what I will do.”
(With inputs from Reuters)