A video posted by a Twitter user where Trump supporters are roaming the streets with bats in their hands has received more than 5 million views. The caption for the 20 second video reads: Trump loyalists roaming U.S. streets with bats and clubs, alongside the police looking for protestors and others to beat. #ICantBreathe #GeorgeFloyd #BlackLivesMatter
In his speech on Monday, US President Donald Trump said that "his first and highest duty as the President is to defend the American people."
Addressing the country-wide protests following the murder of George Floyd, the President stated that if the protesters do not retreat and if the inaction of state and city authorities continues, in order to take necessary action to 'defend life and property', he would have to deploy the US military.
Protesters gathered outside the White House dispersed after the police used tear gas and rubber bullets on them. With widespread protests across the country, some of which have taken a violent turn, Trump loyalists are condemning this by describing it as a act of hate. The President himself said in his speech that he was an ally of peaceful protesters but added that to enforce the law he would deploy "thousands and thousands of heavily armed soldiers, military personnel and law enforcement officers."
Indian Twitter users were quick to point out the similarities between this video and the previous such instances which have occurred in our own country, particularly during the Delhi riots.
Here are some of the reactions of Indian Twitter users to this video:
When leading a rally in support of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in December, 2019, Kapil Mishra shared a video on Twitter where the supporters were heard shouting the slogan 'Goli maaro saalon ko", referring to anti-CAA protesters as traitors to the Indian state who deserve to be shot by the police. Netizens called him out for his hypocrisy when he preached non-violence to American citizens who were using violent means of protesting against the murder of George Floyd.
