UN rights chief Michelle Bachelete on Wednesday decried “structural racism” in the US, and voiced alarm at the “unprecedented assault” on journalists covering protests across the country.
Michelle Bachelet insisted that the grievances at the heart of the protests that have erupted in hundreds of US cities needed to be heard and addressed if the country was to move forward.
“The voices calling for an end to the killings of unarmed African Americans need to be heard,” Bachelet, the former president of Chile, said in a statement.
Bachelet stressed the need for clear and constructive leadership to bring the country through the crisis.
“Especially during a crisis, a country needs its leaders to condemn racism unequivocally; for them to reflect on what has driven people to boiling point; to listen and learn; and to take actions that truly tackle inequalities,” she said.