Xinhua News Agency, Washington, January 29th-Memphis, Tennessee, USA recently released a video of an African-American man, Tyr Nichols, being beaten by the police, and Nichols finally died. The incident triggered demonstrations in many places in the United States to protest against the stubborn disease of violent law enforcement by American police.
In Memphis, where the incident occurred, protesters gathered in a park in the city center and then marched on the highway. Some people held slogans such as "Justice for Thiel" and "Police murder matters", and some people shouted slogans.
On January 27th, in Washington, DC, people protested in front of the White House that the African-American man Tyre Nichols was beaten to death by the police. Xinhua News Agency (photo by Aaron)
In Washington, D.C., and major cities such as new york, Philadelphia, Chicago, Detroit, Atlanta, Seattle, and Los Angeles, there have also been rallies or demonstrations. Demonstrators gathered in various locations in downtown Washington to protest, condemning police brutality and calling for police reform in the United States.
According to Memphis City Police, Nichols is 29 years old. At about 20: 30 on January 7, he was stopped by the police because he was suspected of dangerous driving. The two sides then clashed and Nichols tried to escape. The police tried to arrest him after catching up with him, and the two sides clashed again.
After being arrested, Nichols reported that he had difficulty breathing and was taken to hospital for treatment. On January 10th, Nichols died of his injuries.
Memphis city authorities released the video recording of the incident on the evening of January 27th. The picture shows that several policemen punched and kicked Nichols in the process of subduing him, and others beat him with batons. The recorded audio shows that Nichols once shouted "Mother" continuously, and his voice was hoarse.
On January 27th, in Washington, DC, people protested in front of the White House that the African-American man Tyre Nichols was beaten to death by the police. Xinhua News Agency (photo by Aaron)
The five policemen involved, all African-American, have been expelled from the Memphis Police Department and detained on charges of second-degree murder and intentional injury. They will be arraigned in the middle of February.
The Tennessee investigation department is investigating the case. In addition, the US Attorney’s Office, together with the Memphis Branch of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Civil Rights Division of the US Department of Justice, launched an investigation into the incident.
US President Biden issued a statement saying that he felt angry and painful when he saw the video of Nichols being beaten. He said that ethnic groups such as black Americans have to experience such fears and traumas every day. Vice President Harris said that it is now necessary to solve the ills of improper behavior and excessive use of force by American police.
Ben Crump, an American civil rights lawyer, said on social media that it was heartbreaking that Nichols was beaten to death. People don’t want to see another "Tyr Nichols" in the United States, and we need to reform now.
For a long time, American police have been criticized for violent law enforcement and racial discrimination. According to the data of the US Police Violence Map website, in 2022, American police killed 1,186 people, of which African Americans accounted for 26%, while African Americans only accounted for 13% of the total population in the United States.
On May 25th, 2020, George Floyd, a 46-year-old African-American man, was arrested in Minneapolis, Minnesota and died after being kneeled by a white policeman for 9 minutes and 29 seconds.
Freud’s death has triggered long-term and large-scale demonstrations against police violence and against racial discrimination throughout the United States. (Reporter: Sun Ding, Hu Yousong; Clip: Sun Shuo; Editor: Ma Xiao, Wang Fengfeng)
Produced by Xinhua News Agency International Department
Produced by Xinhua News Agency’s International Communication Integration Platform
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