US President Joe Biden said he was angry and “it hurts to watch the horrible video of the beating.”
Peaceful protests erupted in cities across the United States today, media reported, after videos were released of the fatal beating of young African-American woman Sur Nichols by Memphis agents.
Last night, protesters marched on an interstate highway in the city where the tragedy occurred, stopping traffic.
Meanwhile, protests in New York City have been largely peaceful, despite three arrests and some minor clashes with police, CNN reported.
According to the newspaper “The Hill”, the violence that appeared in the pictures sparked a wave of anger and calls for justice by citizens and politicians.
The newspaper pointed out that US President Joe Biden said he felt angry and “hurt when he saw the horrific video of the beating.”
Several lawmakers also condemned the killing of the African-American youth and demanded justice and responsibility for the death of the 29-year-old.
Pictures of Nichols, at the time of his January 7 arrest at a traffic stop, had been beaten at least nine times in just four minutes by Memphis police officers.
The young man was taken to hospital after the attack and died three days later of his injuries.
The day before, authorities had released four videos showing the violence the African-American was subjected to at the hands of five police officers.
A remote-controlled surveillance camera mounted on Nichols’ capture pole captured the moment he was repeatedly beaten by police officers without apparent provocation.
The officers were charged with second-degree murder, aggravated assault, kidnapping, misconduct and official oppression in Nichols’ death.
The tragedy occurred in the context of increased police scrutiny, particularly due to the perpetuation of the collective memory of the killing of George Floyd, also an African American, in Minneapolis (Minnesota) on May 25, 2020.
That day, law enforcement arrested Floyd, 46, after a store clerk accused him of buying cigarettes with fake $20 bills.
One of the officers pressed the victim’s neck with one knee for more than eight fatal minutes and shouted “I can’t breathe” (I can’t breathe) encouraged a wave of protests in the United States and around the world against racism and police brutality.
(With info from Prensa Latina)
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