Rouhani blasted the “rulers of the White House,” who he said have turned the current unrest into “one of the worst” moments in history, during a televised speech on Thursday.
He said Iranians feel “sympathy toward the American people who are on the streets,” adding that the world was witnessing “major” oppression against black Americans, Iran News reported.
Rouhani also blasted Trump for posing for photographs while holding a copy of the Bible as heavily armed police used tear gas to break up a peaceful demonstration outside the White House. Flanked by Secret Service officers and other heavy security, Trump took a stroll to the vandalized St. John’s Church for a photo-op after his address to the nation on Monday evening.
Iranian President blasts Trump posing with Bible
“It is a shame that the US president holds a Bible when he plans to act against American citizens,” he said, referring to the fact that Trump had moments earlier threatened to deploy the US military onto city streets.
We have the greatest country in the world—and we will keep America safe. pic.twitter.com/lqHaUZ4wxW
— The White House 45 Archived (@WhiteHouse45) June 1, 2020
US President Donald Trump praised Tuesday the “overwhelming force” deployed in the nation’s capital to halt looting and enforce a citywide curfew.
Read more: Military use against protestors in US: Trump tweets his support
“D.C. had no problems last night. Many arrests. Great job done by all,” Trump tweeted after Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser imposed a curfew on the city overnight. “Overwhelming force. Domination. Likewise, Minneapolis was great (thank you President Trump!).”
D.C. had no problems last night. Many arrests. Great job done by all. Overwhelming force. Domination. Likewise, Minneapolis was great (thank you President Trump!).
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 2, 2020
As military helicopters flew low over the nation’s capital and National Guard units moved into many cities, Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper and Gen. Mark A. Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, publicly aligned themselves behind a president who chose chemical spray and rubber bullets to clear peaceful protesters from a park so that he could stage a photo op at a nearby church. In this photo op, Trump is seen posing with a Bible.
This is not the first time Iran has taken a jab at the United States’ handling of the situation.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry seems to be urging Americans to “rise up” against their government.
The ministry tweeted out a photograph of a black demonstrator, fist in the air, standing defiantly in front of a group of riot police. The image is accompanied by a quote from civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr.
Read more: Iran’s foreign ministry tweets about Floyd protests; takes stab at US govt
This tweet comes after the string of protests in the US, to urge the government to take strict action against the police officer that killed George Floyd.
As nationwide anger grew over the police killing of Minneapolis resident George Floyd, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif called out the US for its human rights record, artfully editing a State Department press release about alleged injustices in Iran to make his point.
Protests over the murder of George Floyd
The police killing of Floyd, a 46-year-old unarmed black man in Minneapolis, has sparked massive nationwide protests against police brutality, particularly that committed against black Americans. Floyd was killed when officer Derek Chauvin held him down with a knee on his neck for almost nine minutes, while ignoring pleas for his life. Chauvin was later charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
Some of the protests have since turned violent, with rioters and looters taking advantage of the unrest.
A somber and defiant memorial for George Floyd in Minneapolis gave way to a 10th night of protests on Thursday as thousands of demonstrators again poured into the nation’s streets, crowding outside City Hall in Seattle and marching across the Brooklyn Bridge.
The tone at many protests on Thursday was largely mournful, after more than a week of crowds burning with grief and anger over the deaths of Mr. Floyd and other black Americans that have spurred calls for criminal justice reform.
Two Buffalo police officers were suspended without pay on Thursday night after a video showed them shoving a 75-year-old protester, who was hospitalized with a head injury, the authorities said.
Mayor Byron Brown said the man was in serious but stable condition. A video showed the man motionless on the ground and bleeding from his right ear.
Two police officers in Buffalo, New York, were suspended after shoving a protester in this incident that was caught on video. An official said the man was hospitalized with a head injury.
The video contains vulgarity and disturbing images. https://t.co/A2Q92yP65q pic.twitter.com/DXq54eDZN8
— The New York Times (@nytimes) June 5, 2020
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York condemned the actions of the officers in a statement late Thursday night.
RT with additional input by GVS News Desk