Joint statement by Luca Jahier, President of the EESC and José Antonio Moreno Díaz, President of the EESC's Group on Fundamental Rights and the Rule of Law (FRRL)

On 25 May, Mr George Floyd, a 46-year-old US citizen, died of asphyxia during his arrest by an officer of the Minneapolis Police Department. As the shocking images of this brutal arrest of an African-American citizen spread across the world, a growing wave of protests in the USA and beyond shook people's consciences.

Faced with such a tragedy, it is impossible to remain silent. All the more as this killing of Mr Floyd is unfortunately not an isolated case. In addition to numerous other examples of discrimination against minorities, the newspapers regularly report racist crimes which particularly affect Black Americans.

Racism and discrimination are venoms which are slowly poisoning our societies from within – in the USA, in Europe and everywhere else. While our sympathy will always go to the victims of these abuses, it is clear that sympathy is not enough. Indeed, the victims of racism are not only those whose fundamental right to life is brutally taken away and whose names sadly appear on the headlines. All the members of discriminated groups are victims, feeling they must keep a low profile in order to ensure their safety and that of their families.

Central to the principle of the rule of law is the idea that everyone is equal before the law and should be treated in a fair and impartial way. There cannot be Justice if the institutions whose role it is to protect and render Justice cannot be trusted. The rule of law cannot exist if "law and order" is selective and fails to protect the entirety of the population in an even and fair way. Apportioning "blame" to specific public institutions in general terms would be simplistic and unfair.

We do not want to rush to judgment, but call for Justice. Indeed, we must face and change a deeply rooted structural problem. This requires greater vigilance. Institutional racism is engrained in our societies and has insidiously infiltrated our thoughts to such a degree that simply declaring solidarity and outrage is not enough. We must detect and act decisively against discriminatory thought patterns and actions in all walks of life.

And we must hear and understand the demands that the protesters of these last days have sought to put forward. These protests are calls for Justice for All, for the end of a discriminatory approach to "law and order".

It is regrettable that some instances of riot and looting, which clearly must be prevented and sanctioned, have blighted these otherwise largely peaceful protests. This does not change the fundamental message of the majority of protesters. The authorities have an obligation to ensure that the population's right to peaceful demonstration and assembly is ensured. This requires courage, empathy and exemplary policing.

Beyond the urgency of these days, popular anger will not be appeased if justice is not delivered. We call for an immediate, effective and independent investigation into the death of Mr Floyd. We also call for the authorities to take effective action to ensure that human rights are respected in all circumstances and that the police always accomplish their missions accordingly.

We are aware that many EU Member States face similar struggles – racism and discrimination are dangerously present in our societies as well. And so we also address our call to all relevant authorities on both continents: we must redouble our efforts to counter racism and discrimination. We must respect and protect human rights, and effective remedy must be ensured whenever abuse occurs. Persons who commit, allow or cover racist crimes, spread or promote hate speech, and in particular those who exert a legal authority, must be pursued by justice, with no room for complacency.

What is happening now must be a lesson for us all, on both sides of the Atlantic. When a large part of the population cannot fully trust those who are supposed to protect them, it is the very cement of our democratic societies – that holds individuals together − that risks falling apart.