The statue of Confederate General Albert Pike after being overthrown by protesters in Wahsington, DC.
Washington:
Protesters overthrew the only statue of a Confederate general in Washington DC and burned it down, according to American media reports, an act described as “shame” by US President Donald Trump.
The footage, which aired on ABC7 News on Friday evening, showed the character of Albert Pike being pulled by a rope before dozens of protesters began to sing “black lives matter” and set them on fire.
Trump tweeted shortly after, marking the city’s mayor, that “D.C. police were not doing their job watching a statue be destroyed and burned. These people should be arrested immediately. Shame on our country!”
The capital’s Democratic Mayor, Muriel Bowser and Trump, have jostled about the use of force in Washington DC, the president having previously called the National Guard to appease the unrest.
Marches and rallies were held across the United States on Friday to demand racial justice on the holiday of June 19, which commemorates the end of slavery in the country.
Protesters had previously gathered in Washington outside the Lincoln Memorial and near the White House.
Protests have rocked the United States in recent weeks, fueled by the deaths of African Americans at the hands of the police.
Several monuments representing Confederate personalities were overthrown by demonstrators protesting against systemic racism, police violence and injustice.
(With the exception of the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
