Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson leaves 10 Downing Street in London, bound for PMQs in the House of Commons, Wednesday, June 3, 2020. (Jonathan Brady/PA via AP)
LONDON — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Wednesday the death of George Floyd was “inexcusable” and he understands why people are protesting.
In his first public comments on the turmoil roiling the United States, Johnson told lawmakers “what happened in the United States was appalling, it was inexcusable, we all saw it on our screens and I perfectly understand people’s right to protest what took place.”
He added that “protest should take place in a lawful and reasonable way.”
Johnson, who has sought to nurture close ties with President Donald Trump as he leads the United Kingdom out of the European Union, deflected calls from the opposition to suspend exports of tear gas and rubber bullets to the United States.
Johnson said all British arms exports complied with the country’s human rights obligations, “and the U.K. is possibly the most scrupulous country in that respect in the world.”
Most British police officers do not carry guns, though armed units have been involved in several fatal shootings in recent years.