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Floyd's death unveils US racial lines, says columnist

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Washington, June 3 Policing in the United States is defined along racial lines, Nigerian columnist Morak Babajide-Alabi said Sunday.

Babajide-Alabi made the remarks in an article titled "'I can't breathe' is a plea for life," published by Nigerian newspaper Vanguard.

African American George Floyd, 46, died after a white police officer knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes until he stopped breathing.



In a video posted online, the victim is heard saying "I can't breathe," while three other police officers stand close by.



The article said the landscape of policing in the United States is littered with pieces of evidence of how white police officers treat black people with iron fist, Xinhua news agency reported.

As the incident has triggered massive protests against racial discrimination across the United States, the article asked "For how much longer can a black man walk the streets without fear of a police bullet in his back? Or when will the heartfelt cry of 'I can't breathe' be a thing of the past?"

"Things are not looking good in race relations right now in the US," the article concluded. "Racism seems to have become a familiar issue in a country where nationalism has taken a wrong turn."