The death of George Floyd which has triggered protests across the US was “inexcusable”, Boris Johnson has said.
The Prime Minister made his first public comments on the US race row as he came under pressure from the SNP’s Ian Blackford to halt exports of riot control gear to the US.
The PM spoke out as thousands gathered for an anti-racism demonstration in Hyde Park which spilled out into Parliament Square outside the House of Commons.
At Prime Minister’s Questions the SNP Westminster leader called on Johnson to urgently review the export of riot control equipment from the UK to the US.
Blackford said: “The UK exports millions of pounds of riot control equipment to the US, including tear gas and rubber bullets.”
“The Prime Minister must have seen how these weapons are used on American streets.”
Johnson said: “I think 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 told MPs: “Of course black lives matter and I totally understand the anger, the grief that is felt, not just in America but around the world and in our country as well.”
Johnson promised to look into any export complaints, but said “all exports are conducted in accordance with the consolidated guidance and the UK is possibly the most scrupulous country in that respect in the world".
Labour leader Keir Starmer also urged Johnson to speak to Donald Trump and “convey to him the UK’s abhorrence about his response to the events”.
Shadow international trade secretary Emily Thornberry has said it would be a “disgrace” if the UK supplied equipment to US authorities to crush protests.
In a letter to Liz Truss, her Government counterpart, the Labour MP called on the Government to suspend all licences that allow British companies to sell riot control kit to American police forces.
The Department for International Trade has issued a licence to an unnamed company to sell a range of crowd control items to US police and military buyers.
They include CS hand grenades, anti-riot guns and projectiles, and tear gas capsules.
Thornberry said: “If there is a risk that any of these riot control projectiles and equipment are being used in the United States against peaceful, unarmed civilians, then the Government must act immediately to stop their export,”.
The Campaign Against the Arms Trade (CAAT) said almost £6 billion worth of arms sales to the US were approved since 2010, although it is not clear whether they were destined for the military or police.
A Government spokesman said: “We take our export responsibilities seriously and assess export licence applications in accordance with strict licensing criteria.”
