Pope says racism ‘intolerable’, in reaction to Floyd killing

VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis said on Wednesday “we cannot tolerate or turn a blind eye to racism”, in reaction to the killing of a black man by US police that has sparked nationwide protests.

But the pontiff also condemned the violence that followed George Floyd´s death in the city of Minneapolis last week as “self-destructive and self-defeating”. “Nothing is gained by violence and so much is lost,” Francis said.

Floyd, 46, an unarmed African-American man, suffocated as a white police officer kneeled on his neck, sparking once-in-a-generation demonstrations against systemic racism and police brutality. The pope said he was praying for Floyd and “all those others who have lost their lives as a result of the sin of racism”.

Protests have been held in cities across the country, mostly peaceful but many descending into mayhem. Both activists and officials have blamed rabble-rousers for the trouble and thousands of people have been arrested.