translated from Spanish: “Harvest what he sowed”: criticism from China, Iran, Russia and Turkey of the Trump administration for the death of George Floyd and the reaction to the protests

Police throwing tear gas at demonstrators, protests that multiply despite curfews and a president threatening to deploy the army on the streets.
The riots following the death of George Floyd displaced the coronavirus of the headlines in many countries.
And in those who are often criticized by Washington for their democratic credentials, the media doesn’t miss an opportunity to highlight that protests in the United States “reversed the roles.”
China
The state newspaper Global Times Contrasts President Donald Trump’s response to protests in the United States with Washington’s support for protesters in Hong Kong.
The newspaper reminds its readers that the American representative described the protests in Hong Kong as a “beautiful image” of democracy.
The U.S. is often critical of China’s treatment of protesters in Hong Kong.
The newspaper’s editor, Hu Xijin, wrote: “Chaos in Hong Kong has been going on for more than a year, but it was not sent to the army. However, after just three days of chaos in Minnesota, Trump publicly threatened the use of firearms, implying that military forces could be deployed.”
The newspaper’s website displays alleged Twitter posts from anonymous Hong Kong “agitators” offering American protesters online tutorials on how to block streets and evade police. Twitter is blocked in China.
“It would seem that after encouraging protests in Hong Kong and other parts of the world, the United States is reaping what it sowed,” the newspaper said.
The United States has harshly criticized Beijing’s actions since the start of pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong in 2014.
The may 27 protests in Minneapolis spread rapidly across the U.S.
The unrest intensified as China’s plans to impose a new security law in Hong Kong were known, which protesters say will deprive them of democratic freedoms.
The United States fully supported the protesters and urged Beijing to respect the right of Hong Kong residents to be heard.
Protests in the United States are also widely debated on Weibo, a Twitter-like platform that is controlled by the Chinese government.
President Trump took refuge in a bunker during the protests, causing taunts on Chinese social media.
Some Weibo users mock Trump’s decision to take refuge in a White House bunker on May 29.
“You’re a president-elect by popular vote. Are you afraid of your own people?” says a comment that received 85,000 “Likes”.
“Hong Kong scenes are finally seen in your own country,” writes another user.
Iran
Few countries have had as conflicting relations with the United States as Iran, a nation at war with Washington since the 1979 Islamic Revolution and now the target of harsh U.S. sanctions.
Shortly after the start of the protests by George Floyd, The Iranian news agency Fars released a comment urging Trump to fulfill his obligations under international law and protect black communities.
“The United States fustigates other countries for alleged abuses, but consistently and deliberately refuses to recognize and correct its nefarious violations of human rights and those of its allies in the Middle East,” the commentary notes.
After the U.S. killed Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, considered the second most powerful man in the country, in January, there were strong protests against the U.S. in Iran.
Radio and TV also reported extensively on the tweet of Iranian Chancellor Mohamed Javad Zarif, who compared police brutality against African-Americans to the severity of sanctions on Iran.
However, a vigil in honor of George Floyd in the city of Mashad sparked a debate on Twitter, which is blocked in Iran.
Some users accused the Iranian authorities of double standards.
“We vigil for George Floyd, but the Iranian government arrested those who lit candles for the dead in Ukraine,” a comment said.
A protester in Iran holds the image of one of the victims of the shooting down of the Ukrainian plane.
The user refers to flight 752 of the Ukrainian International Airline, which was shot down by the Iranian air defense on January 8, 2020 due to what authorities Iranians called it a “mistake.” The 176 people on board lost their lives.
Other users contrast Iran’s reaction to events in the United States with protests on Iranian territory in November, where, according to Amnesty International, more than 300 people were arrested following a police crackdown.
Russia
The United States was also accused of hypocrisy by the Russian press.
Journalist Dimitri Kiseliov said on television that if something similar had happened in Russia, the United States and other countries would be calling for new sanctions against Moscow.
Russian opposition is calling for an end to investigations into mutiny against protesters.
After Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula in 2014, Washington imposed sanctions against Russian officials and companies.
Kiseliov asked why the United States wants to “teach the planet how to live” when it not only “has in its own territory scenes of violence and brutality, but also the highest number of killed by coronavirus.”
On a television show called Itogi Nedeli, Trump’s response was compared to “the stage in China.”
Itogi Nedeli commentators point out that the US representative “took tough action against protesters and restricted social media,” a reference to Trump’s executive order, which does not restrict networks, but increases the internet platforms’ responsibility for their content.
Vremya, an evening news program on Russia’s Channel 1, claimed that the United States reacted to protests with tactics similar to those used by the governments of Turkey and Egypt. But Washington called those actions in the past “criminals.”
Turkey
The cover of the pro-government newspaper Yeni Safak describes the protests as an “African-American spring.”
The Sabah newspaper, also in favor of the government, states that “the rebellion ‘I can’t breathe’ spreads,” a reference to George Floyd’s last words before he died when a white cop pressed the victim’s neck with his knee.
Many people were killed and thousands injured during the Gezi Park protests in Turkey in 2013.
Turkish newspapers also echo the tweet of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan after Floyd’s death.
The representative said he felt “deeply distressed” by what he described as “a racist and fascist action.”
In pro-government comments on social media, some users recall that the United States criticized the Erdogan government for the police crackdown on protesters, noting that Washington is “now paying the price for its own sins.”
In 2013, Turkey was the scene of mass protests triggered by police action against demonstrators opposed to official plans to transform The Gezi Park in Istanbul into a shopping mall.
U.S. officials expressed concern at reports of police crackdown during the 2013 protests and called on President Erdogan to respect the right to freedom of assembly.
But the Turkish government’s criticism of Trump also generated anti-government comments on social media.
Some users accuse President Erdogan and his supporters of hypocrisy.
In a popular online discussion forum, a user named Eksi Sozluk reminds Erdogan that “he is the president of a country in which a child died from the impact of a cylinder of tear gas on his head.”
The commentary refers to Berkin Elvan, 13, who died during the 2013 protests.
Other users point to the government’s double standard, which criticizes racism in the United States but “remains silent” about violence against Kurds on Turkish territory.
“To the racists in my country who criticize racism in America, I ask: What do you do? When you’re done with your condemnation of the United States, let me tell you about Mardin,” said journalist Nurcan Baysal.
The commentary refers to a mass grave recently discovered in the town of Mardin in eastern Turkey, where the remains of nearly 40 people were reportedly found.

Original source in Spanish

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