Trump’s actions can set a bad role model for others

Donald Trump showed his willingness and determination to act by force to suppress the protests in the United States.

On May 25, an African American, George Floyd, was killed by a police officer in Minneapolis. White policeman Derek Chauvin pressed his knee to his neck and held him like this for more than 7 minutes while George was lying face down on the road.

Suspected of paying for a pack of cigarettes purchased in a store, fake notes, Floyd repeatedly said: “I can’t breathe”, but the policeman didn’t stop it. As a result, Floyd died in an ambulance.

Starting in Minneapolis, riots swept almost the entire country. Under the slogans “Black live matters” and “I can’t breath” are mass protests. Riots are accompanied by clashes with the police, damage to state property and robberies.

Donald Trump gave the order to “dominate” the rebellious subjects to restore law and order. Armed police and security forces are deployed and ready to brutally crush demonstrators and arrest journalists.

Such actions by the American president give rise to the opposition to call the American leader an autocrat. And also they are setting not the most successful example for the US allies.

Currently, Donald Trump uses methods often denounced by the Department of State in other governments. In fact, Trump describes some far-right activists as good people who are worth understanding. He rejects the wrath of millions of protesters against injustice, calling them extreme leftists, terrorists and looters, as if these words are synonymous. He even threatens to deploy the military in order to suppress the protests and use the long prison terms against protesters. In these actions, the American leader is very reminiscent of the Egyptian “dictator” Abdul-Fattah Al-Sisi.

There are many deaths in the world as a result of systemic racism. The United States declares high moral ideals. And instead of striving for these ideals, they use force measures that condemn their political opponents. At the same time, the American presidency is becoming a propaganda prototype for oppressors around the world.

There are many activists in the world who have believed Washington’s promises of supporting democratic values. An example is the Syrians who rebelled against Bashar Assad, the Egyptians, who overthrew one dictator in order to get another (controlled by the United States). You can recall the women activists in Saudi Arabia imprisoned by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for asking for permission to drive a car. By the way, Mohammed bin Salman was repeatedly touted as one of Trump’s most powerful allies

The torture in the Iraqi prison Abu Ghraib, the detention of “terrorists” in Guantanomo … Despite these facts, America’s condemnation of human rights violations has always been of weight. Now everything can change.

Currently, the footage of the ruthless murder of Floyd has been repeatedly shown in the media around the world. Footage from American cities engulfed in fire and violent confrontations with the police are shown on TV over and over again. And now, for sure, these images will be used by many leaders to justify their own violence after the United States has expressed concern about human rights violations.

The brutality of the police, which accelerates peaceful protests and ignores reconciliation, gives autocrats and their horns the basis for their own violence. It also strikes at the image of a democratic American state.