Rachel Ward, National Director of Research at Amnesty International USA (AIUSA), issued the following statement about the police response in cities nationwide to this weekend’s protests:
“U.S. police across the country are failing their obligations under international law to respect and facilitate the right to peaceful protest, exacerbating a tense situation and endangering the lives of protesters. In city after city, we are witnessing actions that could be considered unnecessary or excessive force. We call for an immediate end to any such use of force and for law enforcement to ensure and protect the legal right to protest.
Background
Additional research and statements from Amnesty International USA on policing, the right to protest, and developments in Minneapolis can be found below:
- Briefing: Good Practice for Law Enforcement Officials Policing Demonstrations
- Report: Deadly Force: Police Use of Lethal Force in the United States
- Press Release: Minneapolis Police Officer Must be Held Accountable for Use of Deadly Force
- Report: On the Streets of America: Human Rights Abuses in Ferguson