Sign up for our daily briefing
Make your busy days simpler with Axios AM/PM. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.
Stay on top of the latest market trends
Subscribe to Axios Markets for the latest market trends and economic insights. Sign up for free.
Sports news worthy of your time
Binge on the stats and stories that drive the sports world with Axios Sports. Sign up for free.
Tech news worthy of your time
Get our smart take on technology from the Valley and D.C. with Axios Login. Sign up for free.
Get the inside stories
Get an insider's guide to the new White House with Axios Sneak Peek. Sign up for free.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Want a daily digest of the top Denver news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Want a daily digest of the top Des Moines news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Want a daily digest of the top Twin Cities news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Want a daily digest of the top Tampa Bay news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay
Want a daily digest of the top Charlotte news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Washington, D.C, on June 11. Photo: Yui Gripas/Pool/AFP via Getty Images
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Saturday denounced a debate on racism and police brutality in the U.S. held by the United Nations Human Rights Council, pointing out that China's authoritarian state is a member of the body.
Why it matters: A widespread push for police reform has swept multiple cities and states across the U.S. in response to massive Black Lives Matter protests against police brutality after George Floyd's killing.
What they're saying: "The @UN_HRC debate on policing and race in the U.S. marks a new low for that body," Pompeo tweeted on Saturday. "Our vigorous, ongoing civic discourse is a sign of our democracy’s strength and maturity. We were right to leave this joke of a 'human rights' forum comprised of Venezuela & recently, Cuba & China."
- "Americans work through difficult societal problems openly, knowing their freedoms are protected by the Constitution and a strong rule of law," the secretary of state added.
- “The tragic events of 25 May in Minneapolis in the US which led to the death of George Floyd led to protests throughout the world against injustice and police brutality that persons of African descent face on a daily basis in many regions of the world," Dieudonné W. Désiré Sougouri, Burkina Faso's coordinator of the UN African Group, said while proposing the debate on Monday.
- “This is why the African Group calls upon the Human Rights Council to organize an Urgent Debate on current violations of human rights that are based on racism, systemic racism, police brutality against persons of African descent and violence against peaceful demonstrations to call for an end to be put to these injustices," Faso said.
The bottom line: Through video footage of some U.S. protests and Floyd's killing, a reality for black people has become increasingly apparent — that law enforcement sometimes doesn't tell the whole truth when they injure civilians.
Go deeper: Top State Department official resigns over Trump's response to racial injustice