MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION

B9‑0195/2020

European Parliament resolution on the anti-racism protests following the death of George Floyd

(2020/2685(RSP))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights of 1976, in particular Article 21 thereof,

– having regard to Article 6(a) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU),

– having regard to Article 1 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU,

– having regard to the Council Common Position of 27 December 2001 on the application of specific measures to combat terrorism (2001/931/CFSP),

– having regard to Council Decision (CFSP) 2020/20 of 13 January 2020 updating the list of persons, groups and entities subject to Articles 2, 3 and 4 of Common Position 2001/931/CFSP on the application of specific measures to combat terrorism, and repealing Decision (CFSP) 2019/1341,

– having regard to the statement by the Council and the Commission of 17 June 2020 on the anti-racism protests following the death of George Floyd,

– having regard to its resolution of 15 March 2001 on the situation in Afghanistan including the destruction of its cultural heritage[1],

– having regard to its resolution of 30 April 2015 on the destruction of cultural sites perpetrated by ISIS/Da’esh[2],

– having regard to Rule 132(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas on 25 May 2020 George Floyd died after a police intervention in Minneapolis in the United States of America; whereas there is video footage of the incident, which has been shared widely on social media channels, sending shock waves throughout the world;

B. whereas the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights recognises the right of peaceful protest in Article 21;

C. whereas the death of George Floyd has been hijacked by extreme left-wing groups for their own sinister purposes; whereas these groups have promoted violent protests in the US and in Europe; whereas the Antifa movement, in particular, has organised and carried out violent attacks in the United States, and elsewhere, under the guise of protesting against the death of George Floyd;

D. whereas the Antifa movement is known to have incited and perpetrated acts of violence in Europe; whereas serious events have taken place in France in relation to the death of George Floyd, led by the extreme left and the groups known as Antifa; whereas these actions have been encouraged particularly by the La France Insoumise party, part of the GUE/NGL political group;

E. whereas, following the death of George Floyd, Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests arose all over the United States and Europe, despite being in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic; whereas the protests degenerated into violence by mobs, rioting and looting, irreparably damaging public and private property;

F. whereas the BLM movement uses discriminatory rhetoric; whereas people from all backgrounds suffer from the exceptional cases of police brutality; whereas the ‘Black Lives Matter’ motto seems to forget that all lives matter;

1. Expresses its deepest condolences to the family and friends of George Floyd, and strongly condemns the fact that George Floyd was killed as a result of the excessive action of the police;

2. Condemns the few known cases of police brutality, from which people of all backgrounds suffer equally; supports the police forces as an essential instrument for the enforcement of the rule of law;

3. Recalls that criminal prosecution falls within the purview of a state’s judicial sovereignty; considers that there is no reason to believe that the legal systems in the US would not be sufficiently well-equipped to bring perpetrators to justice; considers, further, that any form of mob justice is unacceptable;

4. Condemns the violent and destructive protests that have erupted across the world following George Floyd’s death, using it as a pretext for violence, and causing incalculable economic, and in some instances physical, harm; is shocked by the destruction and looting supported by, among others, left-wing and radical left-wing groups; condemns any act of violence and destruction in the strongest terms; calls on those who wish to protest to do so in a peaceful manner;

5. Observes with horror the iconoclastic and sectarian drift of progressivism, which is reminiscent of the Taliban; condemns vandalism and damage to statues and other objects that are part of the world’s artistic and cultural heritage, which have been instrumentalised by being made into the targets of violent attacks aimed at erasing or exploiting their meaning and historical value;

6. Recalls the principle of individual criminal responsibility for serious offences and, in this regard, expresses solidarity with the majority of law-abiding police officers who carry out the fundamental task of maintaining public safety, most of the time in a very hostile environment;

7. Considers that most of the mainstream media’s reporting of George Floyd’s death and the subsequent protests has been biased and has fuelled polarisation in society;

8. Expresses its concern about the mass protests that have taken place across the world in the wake of George Floyd’s death without regard for social distancing measures, which could have a serious impact on the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic; calls on authorities to uphold the principle of applying the law equally, as numerous earlier protests had to fully comply with social distancing rules, which limit the freedom of assembly;

9. Considers racism to be a multi-faceted issue, with perpetrators and victims of all backgrounds; denounces concepts such as white privilege and collective historical guilt as racist theories; states that no person should apologise or kneel before another because of the colour of their skin; recalls that Article 1 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights proclaims that human dignity is inviolable, so that not only black, but all lives matter equally;

10. Points out that thousands of black Christians have been killed in Nigeria at the hands of radical Islamists such as the ‘Boko Haram’ cult, though nobody from the so-called ‘BLM’ movement raised their voice for these victims; points out, further, that more than 2 000 white farmers have been murdered in South Africa since the end of apartheid while the international community has turned a blind eye to this in its pursuit of political correctness;

11. Calls on the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the Council to explicitly condemn all forms of racism and state that all lives matter;

12. Expresses its support for the United States in guaranteeing public order during the demonstrations, and supports the inclusion of violent organisations that threaten public security on the list of terrorist associations; invites the VP/HR to propose to the Council a review of the list of terrorist organisations recognised by the EU in order to take the necessary countermeasures;