US Ambassador to India Ken Auster apologised on Twitter after Mahatma Gandhi's statue outside the Indian Embassy in Washington D.C. was desecrated by unruly elements involved in the ongoing George Floyd protests. According to a report by ANI, Park Police have launched an investigation into the matter.
Auster wrote, “So sorry to see the desecration of the Gandhi statue in Wash, DC. Please accept our sincere apologies. Appalled as well by the horrific death of George Floyd and the awful violence and vandalism. We stand against prejudice and discrimination of any type. We will recover & be better.”
The locals in the area stated that some unruly elements of the ‘Black Lives Matters’ protesters graffitied Gandhi's statue with profanities using spray paint. The statue was later covered up and an investigation was launched by the local Park Police in charge of protection of monuments in the area. However, further details into the matter are awaited.
Almost every city in the United States has been marred by violent protests following the death of black American man, George Floyd, in police custody in the city of Minneapolis in Minnesota. The initial protests against police brutality and racism in various cities in the United States were soon replaced by incidents of violence across the country.
Meanwhile US prosecutors have announced new charges against all the four sacked Minneapolis police officers who were present.
Addressing a news conference, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said that Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis Police Department officer, who court documents said knelt on Floyd's neck for almost nine minutes, was charged with second-degree murder, reports Xinhua news agency.
The announcement was an upgrade to the previous charge against him for third-degree murder and manslaughter.
"I believe the evidence available to us now supports the stronger charge of second-degree murder," Ellison said.
