S.Africa’s radical left takes part in Black Lives protest

Pretoria, South Africa | AFP | Supporters of South Africa’s radical leftwing party, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), protested against racism and police brutality on Monday in solidarity with the global Black Lives Matter campaign.

Nearly 200 people carrying placards reading “all lives can’t matter until black lives matter,” picketed the US embassy in Pretoria, chanting “down with racism”, “down with Donald Trump” and “down with imperialism”.

The party organised simultaneous demonstrations in Pretoria, Johannesburg and Cape Town in support of global protests sparked by the death of George Floyd, a black man killed in US police custody.

Led by firebrand EFF leader Julius Malema, the protesters knelt for eight minutes and 46 seconds, symbolising the length of time a white US police officer knelt on Floyd’s neck.

“Enough with police brutality on our black bodies,” Malema told the crowd.

He was flanked by the widow of Collins Khosa, a South African who was allegedly beaten to death by security forces in April after he was reportedly caught drinking at a time when alcohol sales were banned under a coronavirus lockdown.

Dozens of people have in recent days attended a small handful of anti-racism protests called across South Africa following Floyd’s death.

Malema also slammed US President Donald Trump saying he represented “white supremacy”