David Milliband calls for UK to respond to "very aggressive" US unrest

2 June 2020, 15:58

David Milliband calls for UK to respond to "very aggressive" US unrest

By Fiona Jones

Former Foreign Secretary David Miliband called for Western countries to respond to US unrest after Donald Trump used "very aggressive" tactics to disperse peaceful protestors in order to "stage a political photo opportunity."

Yesterday, US police used tear gas to clear Black Lives Matter protesters from outside the White House so that the President could leave to go to a local church, where he stood holding a bible while his picture was taken.

The Right Rev Mariann Budde, the Episcopal bishop of Washington, branded the President's visit as an opportunity to use the church as a "backdrop" and a Bible "as a prop."

Former Foreign Secretary David Miliband observed that the prior scene, which saw the peaceful protest being dispersed by "very aggressive military-style tactics" left him with his heart in his mouth because "these were peaceful protests and I know there are people from our offices around America going on peaceful protests about police violence."

"Three times as many black people are killed by the police per head of population as white people in America. Then to see that this was being done in order to stage or mount a political photo opportunity..."

Mr Miliband, who lives in New York, commented on the social climate: "What struck me is there's not much us in the US at the moment, there's a lot of us and them and there's not much us. That is dangerous for a country...because it strains the fabric that holds a country together.

David Milliband calls for UK to respond to "very aggressive" US unrest
David Milliband calls for UK to respond to "very aggressive" US unrest. Picture: PA

"This country is different from the UK in all sorts of ways, one is that it's huge, it has three time zones, it's a continent really as much as it is a country. That sense of strain on the us and the exacerbation on the us and them is very striking, very dangerous."

Shelagh agreed, pointing to the attacks on the media: "Physical very violent attacks, pointless arrests of journalists who are making it known peacefully that they are journalists."

"Liberal democracy is built on the independence of judiciary, freedom of the press, the legitimacy of elections, the constraint on the use of violence," Mr Miliband said, "and what we're seeing in America is those things being strained in a very serious way."

Shelagh asked the former Foreign Secretary what he expected to see from the UK government as a response.

The Former Foreign Secretary said, "It is incumbent on us to recognise that the fate of America is important to us and that means the ideals of America are worth pointing to, that the gap between ideals and reality is something that can't be shielded and shouldn't be ignored, and that the fate of America...are important for all Western, demographic countries.

"This is an important time to emphasise America's role in the global system, its alliances that are based on values and not just on history, and the fact that the world wants America to live up to its ideals."

More Shelagh Fogarty News

See more More Shelagh Fogarty News

The Princess of Wales says she edited the photograph that was released to mark Mother's Day.

The insistence that we see Kate is tantamount to stalking, writes Shelagh Fogarty

Caller tells Shelagh his solution to illegal immigration.

LBC caller tells Shelagh Fogarty that the Channel islands are the answer to 'illegal immigration'

'Rishi Sunak chooses to do the self interested party politics': Shelagh Fogarty reflects on Tories' immigration policies

'Rishi Sunak chooses to do the self-interested party politics': Shelagh Fogarty reflects on Tories' migration policies

Shelagh Fogarty

Former Treasury official outlines 'three immediate priorities' likely to be reflected in Autumn Statement

Shelagh Fogarty

Suella Braverman's hardline crime bill seems like she's ‘interviewing' for career at ‘pathetic’ news channels, says caller

Shelagh and caller Sam

Anti-Semitic chants and actions 'delegitimize' pro-Palestinian cause asserts this Shelagh Fogarty caller

Shelagh and Ricardo Dos Santos

'It's sickening': Ricardo Dos Santos speaks to Shelagh Fogarty as two officers sacked over stop and search

Shelagh

Rishi Sunak has 'failed monumentally' to 'humanise' both sides of the Israel-Hamas conflict says Israel expert

Shelagh and Callum

Twitter is a 'particularly dangerous' place to get information now says the Centre for Countering Digital Hate

Shelagh and caller Simon

LBC caller details 'disgusting anti-Semitic' act he witnessed, as hate crimes rise in fall out of Israel-Hamas war

Sister of missing Israeli woman

'We hope she's hiding somewhere': Sister of missing Israeli festival goer fears she is being held hostage by Hamas

Distraught caller on Israel-Gaza conflict.

'This is a war against Hamas!': Distraught caller wants Israel and Palestine to take down the 'enemy' together

Shelagh and Alicia Kearns

Head of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee expresses concern over Israeli 'siege of Gaza'

Shelagh Fogarty caller on facial recognition.

This caller lacks 'trust' in the government's handling of the AI facial recognition debate

Shelagh condemns PM's comments on 'dignity' of the elderly.

'He painted a picture of a Britain that the Conservatives meant to build...': Shelagh Fogarty condemns PM's suggestion that elderly have 'dignity'

Shelagh Fogarty on Jenrick

'We're full aren't we?': Shelagh questions Robert Jenrick's motive behind encouraging Brits to increase birth rate