Nelson Mandela Foundation calls for end to "structural violence" against black people in U.S.

USA protest against police brutality

CAPE TOWN, June 5 (Xinhua) -- Nelson Mandela Foundation on Thursday condemned police brutality against the black people in the United States, where the death of African American George Floyd has set off turbulent mass protests.

"More than 1,000 Black people die at the hands of police in the U.S. every year," the foundation said, adding "mass incarceration, predictive policing, targeted surveillance and a host of other tools render Black lives more vulnerable than all others."

Floyd, 46, died after Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on his neck for almost nine minutes. Two separate autopsies released Monday found Floyd's death to be a homicide.

The protests across the United States have forced dozens of cities to impose curfews.

The foundation, a non-profit organization established by Nelson Mandela in 1999 to promote freedom and equality, called for sober assessment of a resilient White supremacy in the United States.

"Black lives matter enough to warrant getting out in the streets and demanding an end to a system which creates the conditions for (and legitimizes) violence against Black bodies," it said.