Global Reactions To US Protests: Alarm mixed with glee as world is glued to U.S. protest coverage

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was first out of the block as protests began in Minneapolis, tweeting, “the racist and fascist approach that led to the death of George Floyd in the US city of Minneapolis as a result of torture has not only deeply saddened all of us, but it has also become one of the most painful manifestations of the unjust order we stand against across the world.” He went on to extend condolences to the family of George Floyd, promising to monitor the issue.

The Russian foreign ministry, meanwhile, took the chance Sunday to lecture the U.S. on media freedom after news outlets reported being targeted by police in the course of their work covering the protests in various cities. RIA Novosti correspondent Mikhail Turgiev was pepper sprayed in Minneapolis, prompting the ministry to express concern “about the increased number of police violence cases and unjustified detentions of journalists during their coverage of protests.” The ministry added: “we consider it unacceptable for US law enforcement officials to use special equipment — rubber bullets and tear gas — against media representatives after they present their press cards.”

Russia and China are also flooding social media with online propaganda targeting the ongoing unrest and violence in the United States, according to an analysis of recent Twitter posts by POLITICO.

Since May 30, government officials, state-backed media outlets and other Twitter users linked to either Beijing or Moscow have increasingly piggybacked on hashtags linked to Floyd, the Minnesota man whose death in police custody set off days of nationwide protests, to push divisive messages and criticize Washington's handling of the unfolding crisis.

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