Seeing America tear itself apart again is a depressing sight; watching police wade into protesters along streets where I’ve walked my dog or eaten ice cream gives it a particular poignancy. I’ve already received some media requests for comment on Russia’s “role” in the current US conflagration. (What to call it? “Riots” puts the blame squarely on the protesters, which is hardly accurate. That Russian word bunt, or explosion of violence works perhaps. Even better, smutnoe vremya, “time of troubles.”) The common themes from U.S. journalists seem to be (1) what is the Russian role in instigating the violence and (2) how are the Russians spinning and enjoying the sight of America in flames. What a sad insight into the knee-jerk assumptions in play.
OP-ED
Mark Galeotti: Russian newspaper coverage of the US time of troubles
Protesters march during a demonstration over the death of George Floyd, a black man who died after a white policeman kneeled on his neck for several minutes in Houston, Texas on May 29, 2020. - Demonstrations are being held across the US after George Floyd died in police custody on May 25. (Photo by Mark Felix / AFP)
