The White House. (Photo courtesy of the US Embassy in Indonesia)
JUNE 02, 2020
Jakarta. The Indonesian Embassy in Washington, D.C., and Consulate Generals across the United States have warned Indonesian citizens to stay home and avoid street protests against the killing of George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man who died in police custody after being kneed on the neck for several minutes by a white officer in Minneapolis on May 25.
The protests have spread nationwide and are now on their eighth day, with protesters turning out in force on Tuesday despite sweeping curfews and forceful police response.
“All Indonesian citizens in the US are safe and sound. We have not received any report of Indonesians being affected by the protests,” Deputy Ambassador Iwan Susanto said in a statement on Tuesday.
A total of 142,441 Indonesian citizens are now living in the US.
“The safety of our citizens is our first priority. We’ve issued a warning for them to remain calm and stay at home unless there’s an emergency,” Iwan said.
“We’ve also told them to avoid locations where protests are ongoing and obey the instructions of local authorities,” he said.
Sporadic rioting has forced some areas to impose a night curfew, including in Chicago, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Louisville, San Francisco and Denver.
Several states have also declared a state of emergency as they struggled to contain the protests.
Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter on May 29 after a video showing him kneeling on Floyd’s neck for several minutes despite his pleas that he could not breathe went viral.
Chauvin was fired following the incident, along with three other officers.
Floyd’s plea of “I can’t breathe” has been chanted by the protesters as they railed against police brutality.
Outraged protesters have also attacked a police precinct in Minneapolis.
The National Guard was called in to face the protesters, who made their way to Pennsylvania Avenue on Friday, leading to a lockdown at the White House and President Donald Trump being taken to a secure bunker.
Distressed Indonesians in the US may contact the Indonesian Embassy or the Consulate Generals on their hotlines.
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