EU Decries Violence At Protests In Colombia Following Death Of Javier Ordonez

EU Decries Violence at Protests in Colombia Following Death of Javier Ordonez

The European Union stands by the right of people to peacefully protest and calls on all parties to the deadly protests in Colombia following the death of Javier Ordonez in police custody to avoid further escalation, European Union External Acrion (EEAS) spokesperson said in a statement on Friday

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 11th September, 2020) The European Union stands by the right of people to peacefully protest and calls on all parties to the deadly protests in Colombia following the death of Javier Ordonez in police custody to avoid further escalation, European Union External Acrion (EEAS) spokesperson said in a statement on Friday.

Ordonez, 45, died on Wednesday after two police officers pinned him down and repeatedly stunned him with a shocker when arresting him over the breach of social distancing restrictions in the Colombian capital of Bogota. The incident ignited mass nationwide protests against police brutality, which almost immediately grew violent and have already left 10 people killed and more than 400 others injured, including many young people.

"Our thought are with their families. The right to peaceful protest is essential to any democracy and begins with an unambiguous rejection of any act of vandalism and violence intended to generate fear and disorder," the statement read.

The EEAS spokesperson called on the Colombian government to thoroughly and promptly investigate all excessive use of force by the law enforcement officers and hold the perpetrators liable, as well as to take "institutional measures" to prevent a repetition of the violence.

"We support the calls for all actors to maintain peace and calm and build trust to avoid any further escalation," the spokesperson said.

As protests continue in Bogota and other big cities, Colombian police have deployed additional servicemen and equipment to tackle the unrest.

The two police officers who arrested Ordonez were dismissed.