UN denounces arbitrary arrests and use of force against protesters and journalists in the US.
Victims of police brutality in the U.S. should have the right to "immediate, independent, impartial and transparent investigations," says the spokesperson for the UN Human Rights Office.
247 - The United Nations (UN) denounced the tactics of US police forces in anti-racist protests in Portland and other US cities, which affect protesters and journalists on duty, noting in particular the "discriminatory" use of force, arbitrary detentions and "other violations of their rights".
"The peaceful protests that have taken place in American cities, such as Portland, really must be able to continue without protesters running the risk of being arbitrarily arrested, or subjected to unnecessary, disproportionate or discriminatory use of force or other violations of their rights," said the spokesperson for the UN Human Rights Office, Elizabeth Throssell, this Friday (24), reports RT.
In a statement published on the UN website, the spokesperson also expressed concern about reports of police officers in unmarked cars detaining protesters without explanation, noting that this practice "can place people outside the protection of the law and lead to arbitrary arrests and other human rights violations."
Protesters subjected to "unnecessary or excessive use of force" by police officers should have the right to conduct "independent, impartial and transparent investigations into any allegation of human rights violations," it emphasizes.
As protests in Portland and other cities across the country gain momentum, Throssell announced that the UN Human Rights Committee will issue a guide next Wednesday, addressing topics such as "physical and online protests, public order, and the work of the media."
Among the dozens of American cities that have been the scene of protests against racial injustice and police brutality in recent weeks, Portland has been attracting a lot of attention lately, including that of the country's president, Donald Trump, who sent officers there to help the local police, supposedly to contain intensified riots and vandalism.
His arrival, however, further aggravated the situation in the city, whose center has already been the scene of more than 50 consecutive days of riots and subsequent clashes with the police. The protesters oppose the presence of government forces and demand their withdrawal.
On the other hand, federal authorities blame the activists, whom they call "anarchists" and "terrorists," for igniting the protests.