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In the wake of the mass protests triggered by the death of George Floyd, "rapid justice" is needed for African Americans and others who fall long-time victim to racism and police brutality in the United States, a leading British expert on international politics has said.
Professor Anthony Glees, former director of the University of Buckingham's Center for Security and Intelligence Studies, said he believed U.S. President Donald Trump's handling of the protests has without doubt provoked the fury.
"There can be no 'ifs' or 'buts' when it comes to equality for all races. Trump has been running the U.S. on 'hot' for the past four years; now it's boiled over and risks exploding altogether," Glees told Xinhua in an interview.
Glees stressed that a "total and complete change" in the culture of policing in the United States is required to address the burning issue.
"Beating the crap out of people is no way to police them. Policing must be based on consent, not on brutality," he told Xinhua.
"As we see repeatedly, this tactic simply does not work and makes matters worse," he said.
Glees condemned the numerous killings and incidents towards black people by law enforcement officers in the United States, saying the killings had reinforced the belief that cops regard black lives as cheap, and to be taken with impunity.
"This in turn was seen in the context of the deep and apparently intractable vein of racism that runs through U.S. political culture, but affects the various U.S. police forces in particular," said Glees.
Adding to the impact of coronavirus and its massive death toll, particularly on African Americans, the murder of Floyd was "one murder too many", he said.
"That Floyd said he couldn't breathe but had his neck compressed by the cop's knee for nine minutes made the killing even more immediate. To the millions of people who saw the video it looked like murder."
Floyd, the 46-year-old African American, died after a white U.S. police officer knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes until he stopped breathing. In a video footage, Floyd was heard saying "I can't breathe" while three other police officers stood by.
"The United States had been suffering from a pandemic of racism since the time of slavery, with the coronavirus pandemic exacerbating the situation, creating a lighted match to tinder," Glees said.
The British expert was not surprised the anger over Floyd's killing spread across the Atlantic to Britain. Thousands of people joined Black Lives Matter protests over the weekend across Britain despite British Health Secretary Matt Hancock's pleas to obey the coronavirus lockdown.
"My sense is black people in Britain share the anxieties and resentments felt by American black people, and associate with them very strongly, especially given the fact that they are also at greater risk from the killer virus, both as patients but also NHS (National Health Service) workers," he told Xinhua.
Glees said Trump's failure in handling the George Floyd case perhaps will weaken the resolve of British Conservatives who want Britain to draw ever closer to the United States.
"It may also strengthen those in Europe who see, increasingly, the need for there to be a third, European way in the world," he added.
A demonstrator wears a mask in Parliament Square during a Black Lives Matter protest in London, Britain on June 6, 2020. Thousands of people on Saturday joined Black Lives Matter protests across Britain despite British Health Secretary Matt Hancock's plea to obey the coronavirus lockdown. (Photo by Tim Ireland/Xinhua)
