As anti-police protests spearheaded by black activist groups continue in several American cities, President Barack Obama and his predecessor, George W Bush, will visit Dallas on Tuesday and address an inter-faith memorial service aimed at healing a nation on the edge.
Cutting short his European visit in the wake of the Dallas ambush by a black sniper that killed five white police officers and injured seven others, President Obama has returned to Washington to prepare for his visit to Dallas to “convey our condolences and show our solidarity”.
Ahead of the visit, Obama issued a renewed appeal to protesters to eschew violence. “Whenever those of us who are concerned about fairness in the criminal justice system attack police officers, you are doing a disservice to the cause,” he told reporters before leaving Madrid on Sunday, adding: “Any violence directed at police officers is a reprehensible crime and needs to be prosecuted.”
“I would just say to everybody who’s concerned about the issue of police shootings or racial bias in the criminal justice system that maintaining a truthful and serious and respectful tone is going to help mobilize American society to bring about real change. And that is our ultimate objective,” Obama said.
His message came even as groups like Black lives Matter and New Black Panthers kept up their protests in several cities, notably Baton Rouge in louisiana and St Paul in Minnesota that saw two black men die at the hands of white police officers early last week ahead of the Dallas ambush. The big cities of New York, Washington, Chicago and Atlanta also witnessed weekend protests that remained mostly peaceful.