Boris Johnson urged to end ‘silence’ and condemn Trump’s response to George Floyd protests

Boris Johnson is facing demands to condemn Donald Trump’s incendiary response to demonstrations against racial injustice and police brutality that have spread across the United States over the last nine days.

In a letter to the prime minister, 40 Liberal Democrat MPs and peers warn that “to remain silent is to remain complicit”, as they urge Mr Johnson to make a public statement addressing the US president’s “dangerous language” and glorification of violence.

It follows several days of major unrest across American states amid anger of the death of George Floyd — a black man who suffered cardiac arrest after he had his neck knelt on by a white police officer in Minneapolis, despite pleading for air.

Download the new Independent Premium app Sharing the full story, not just the headlines

“As one of the United States’ closest allies, the UK has a moral duty to speak out when freedoms and rights of the US are under attack,” the MPs and peers said in a letter to Number 10.

Shape Created with Sketch. Police clash with people protesting over racism and police brutality Show all 30 left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch. Shape Created with Sketch. Police clash with people protesting over racism and police brutality 1/30 Philadelphia Police have clashed with protesters throughout the ongoing demonstrations across the US against police brutality and racism in the country, sparked by the recent deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor AP 2/30 San Jose, California AP 3/30 Boston, Massachusetts AFP via Getty 4/30 White House, Washington AP 5/30 New York EPA 6/30 Boston, Massachusetts EPA 7/30 Washington, DC Getty 8/30 Minneapolis, Minnesota Reuters 9/30 Chicago Chicago Sun-Times via AP 10/30 Des Moines, Iowa The Des Moines Register via AP 11/30 Washington DC AFP via Getty 12/30 Chicago Chicago Sun-Times via AP 13/30 New York Reuters 14/30 Washington, DC AFP via Getty 15/30 New York Getty 16/30 New York AFP via Getty 17/30 Columbia, South Carolina AP 18/30 New York EPA 19/30 Philadelphia AP 20/30 Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP 21/30 Hollywood, California EPA 22/30 St Paul, Minnesota Getty 23/30 Washington DC Reuters 24/30 Santa Monica, California AP 25/30 Los Angeles, California EPA 26/30 Washington, DC Getty 27/30 New York Reuters 28/30 Atlanta AP 29/30 White House, Washington AFP via Getty 30/30 White House, Washington AFP via Getty 1/30 Philadelphia Police have clashed with protesters throughout the ongoing demonstrations across the US against police brutality and racism in the country, sparked by the recent deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor AP 2/30 San Jose, California AP 3/30 Boston, Massachusetts AFP via Getty 4/30 White House, Washington AP 5/30 New York EPA 6/30 Boston, Massachusetts EPA 7/30 Washington, DC Getty 8/30 Minneapolis, Minnesota Reuters 9/30 Chicago Chicago Sun-Times via AP 10/30 Des Moines, Iowa The Des Moines Register via AP 11/30 Washington DC AFP via Getty 12/30 Chicago Chicago Sun-Times via AP 13/30 New York Reuters 14/30 Washington, DC AFP via Getty 15/30 New York Getty 16/30 New York AFP via Getty 17/30 Columbia, South Carolina AP 18/30 New York EPA 19/30 Philadelphia AP 20/30 Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP 21/30 Hollywood, California EPA 22/30 St Paul, Minnesota Getty 23/30 Washington DC Reuters 24/30 Santa Monica, California AP 25/30 Los Angeles, California EPA 26/30 Washington, DC Getty 27/30 New York Reuters 28/30 Atlanta AP 29/30 White House, Washington AFP via Getty 30/30 White House, Washington AFP via Getty

Citing the recent refusal of Dominic Raab, the foreign secretary, to comment on the recent language used by the Trump administration, the letter added: “Today is the 9th day of protests following the murder of George Floyd, yet you and your ministers remain silent.”

They went on: “The UK government’s refusal to condemn the behaviour of the president of the United States is shameful. Since the murder of George Floyd, president Donald Trump has used increasingly violent rhetoric in response to protests over racial injustice and police brutality.

“We have seen peaceful protestors and journalists beaten and attacked by those whose duty is supposedly to serve and protect the public. The president’s dangerous language includes a tweet on 29th May stating that ‘when the looting starts, the shooting starts’. This tweet was hidden by Twitter due to its glorification of violence.”

“The UK must use our special relationship to condemn this language and the use of military action to quell protests. British foreign policy must promote human rights, democracy, and the rule of law all over the world. The USA is no exception.

“We are therefore urging you to make a clear public statement condemning in the strongest possible terms the language and actions of the US President in relation to protestors and journalists. To remain silent is to remain complicit.”

Mr Johnson told MPs during prime minister’s questions that the death of Mr Floyd was “inexcusable” in his first public comments since demonstrations broke out in the US last week.

“I think what happened in the United States was appalling,” he said. “It was inexcusable, we all saw it on our screens and I perfectly understand people’s right to protest what took place. Though obviously I also believe that protest should take place in a lawful and reasonable way.”

During the No 10 coronavirus briefing on Wednesday, Mr Johnson added: “My message to president Trump, to everybody in the United States from the UK is that I don’t think racism – it’s an opinion I’m sure is shared by the overwhelming majority of people around the world — racism, racist violence has no place in our society.”