Mahatma Gandhi Statue Outside Indian Embassy In US Disbanded By Protesters
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Mahatma Gandhi Statue Outside Indian Embassy In US Disbanded By Protesters
A statue of Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi has been defaced in the US capital, with vandals spray-painting obscenities on the monument as heated protests carry on in the city. Police have yet to identify the culprits.
While the motives for the vandalism remain unclear, critics of Gandhi have accused the Indian icon of being ignorant at best on the issues of racial and gender discrimination early in his life. Those who label Gandhi a “racist” often refer to an infamous quote in which he described black South Africans as “troublesome, very dirty and live like animals” back in 1903.
Using the background of the ongoing #BLkLivesMatter protests in the US, some unruly elements have vandalized the statue of Mahatma Gandhi outside the Indian Embassy in Washington DC. United States Park Police are investigating the incident that took place on 3rd June.
The status was later covered up and an investigation launched by the local Park Police in charge of protection of monuments in the area. The statue was graffitied with spray paint.
George Floyd’s death
For over a week now there have been widespread protests around the United States. Tensions and violence continue to escalate in many areas including outside the White House, with protesters demanding justice for George Floyd and his family under the banner of #BlackLivesMatter.
The 46-year-old George Floyd had died while being restrained by Minneapolis police. A video went viral in which a white police officer is seen kneeling on Floyd’s neck despite Floyd’s continuous plea stating that he could not breathe. The officer, Derek Chauvin, has been charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter and is scheduled to appear in court this week. Three other police officers have been fired and deliberations are ongoing as to what punishment should be meted out to them.
Protests turned violent in the US
As per the reports, the protests against racial discrimination in the US have turned violent and protesters are damaging properties worth millions every day. In several American cities, violent rioters and looters have been running rampage, destroying public and private properties. Several public monuments have been damaged, and vandalised too.
Despite concerns over the spike in cases, efforts to monitor the outbreak could be blunted by the testing facilities that have closed or modified their hours amid widespread protests over the death of George Floyd, who was killed in the custody of police in Minneapolis.
On June 1, United States President Donald Trump declared himself “the president of law and order” and announced deployment of the United States military to American cities to quell a rise of violent protests. Narrating a series of incidents where people have been attacked and buildings have been vandalized during the on-going protest while also ensuring justice to George Floyd and his family, Trump said that violent acts are not of ‘peaceful protesters but are examples of domestic terror’.
As of early Wednesday, the virus had killed more than 106,696 in the U.S. and more than 382,400 worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University data. There are more than 6.4 million confirmed cases across the globe and 1.8 million in the U.S.
