MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 14th June, 2020) When addressing the ongoing George Floyd protests across the United States, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Moscow is always against demonstrations turning violent with widespread rioting, but Russia, now and historically, has always supported the black community in their struggle for equal rights.�
According to the president, the US had racial tensions for a long time, while Russia now, and the Soviet Union in the past, had always backed "the fight of African Americans" for their rights.
"If the struggle for natural rights, for legal rights, turns violent and brutal, then I see nothing good for the country here. We have never supported that," Putin said, as broadcast by Rossiya 1 tv channel on Sunday.
According to the Russian president, the "fundamental foundations" of the American democracy would help Washington to overcome the current issues.
On May 25, the 46-year old George Floyd, an African American, died in Minneapolis police custody after a white officer, Derek Chauvin, knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes. Video evidence surfaced the following day which has sparked a nationwide movement against racism and police brutality. However, many protests turned into riots complete with violence against police and civilians as well as acts of vandalism, arson and looting.
