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Protesters rally in front of the White House during a protest over the death of George Floyd in Washington D.C., the United States, on June 4, 2020. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)
In a country diverse in races and ethnic groups, an unarmed black man being suffocated to death by a white police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota late last month is not a rare occurrence--It is caused by systemic racism that has been acknowledged many times by the government throughout the nation's history.
JAKARTA, June 6 (Xinhua) -- The death of George Floyd reveals the double standards of Washington, Indonesian political analyst Irwansyah said in a recent interview with Xinhua.
Irwansyah, a lecturer in political science at the University of Indonesia, said that an unarmed black man being suffocated to death by a white police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota late last month was not a rare occurrence in the United States, a country diverse in races and ethnic groups.
"This brings people to view such incidents (as) caused by systemic racism which underpins the recurring police brutality incidents," said Irwansyah, adding that racism lies deep in the country's social, economic and political system and has been acknowledged many times by the government, civil society activists and academics throughout the nation's history, he said.
Protesters rally during a protest over the death of George Floyd in Washington D.C., the United States, on May 30, 2020. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)
The danger and power of white nationalism and supremacy in U.S. politics, he said, is seemingly concerning and obvious to people around the world.
Other kinds of racism and sectarianism also emerge continuously to shape the life of U.S. citizens, he noted.
"This indicates the racism problem is not only seriously threatening the daily life of regular people, but also seriously vital to support the power system in the U.S.," he said.
Floyd's death has caused a wave of protests across the country. Thousands of people took to the streets amid clashes with police and the National Guard.
A demonstrator is detained by the police during a protest over the death of George Floyd in Chicago, the United States, on May 30, 2020. (Photo by Christopher Dilts/Xinhua)
Irwansyah noted the protests in the United States are not only caused by racism, but also other factors such as economic inequality and the failed COVID-19 response.
"Especially since the economic financial crisis in 2008, the problem of economic inequality has become more severe. A sense of injustice among people from different social categories including races, inter-generations, and classes have been growing and widening," he said.
Furthermore, the failure of the U.S. government to properly tackle the COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a strong drive for people to mobilize and stage protests, he added. ■
