Trump labels toppling of Confederate general statue in Washington a 'disgrace', Muhammad Ali’s son says dad would have hated ‘ra

Demonstrators pull down only statue of a Confederate general in Washington and set fire to it

Protesters have toppled Washington DC's only statue of a Confederate general and set it on fire, according to US media, an act labeled a "disgrace" by President Donald Trump.

The images, broadcast on ABC7 News late on Friday, showed the figure of Albert Pike being pulled down by rope before dozens of demonstrators started chanting "black lives matter" and set fire to it.

Mr Trump tweeted shortly afterwards, tagging the city's mayor, that the "D.C. police are not doing their job as they watch a statue be ripped down & burn. These people should be immediately arrested. A disgrace to our Country!"

The capital's Democratic mayor Muriel Bowser and Mr Trump have jousted over the use of force in Washington DC, with the president previously calling in the National Guard to quell unrest.

The D.C. Police are not doing their job as they watch a statue be ripped down & burn. These people should be immediately arrested. A disgrace to our Country! @MayorBowser

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 20, 2020

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On the fourth anniversary of his death, Muhammad Ali’s only biological son says that his father would be against Black Lives Matter, calling the movement “racist” and the protesters “devils.”

The legendary boxer and activist stood up against racism throughout his life, but Muhammad Ali Jr. says his dad would have been sickened by how the protests have turned to violence and looting after the death of George Floyd.

“Don’t bust up s–t, don’t trash the place,” he told The Post. “You can peacefully protest.

‘‘My father would have said, ‘They ain’t nothing but devils.’ My father said, ‘all lives matter.’ I don’t think he’d agree.

Of the BLM movement, Ali Jr., a Muslim like his father, said: “I think it’s racist.”

“It’s not just black lives matter, white lives matter, Chinese lives matter, all lives matter, everybody’s life matters. God loves everyone — he never singled anyone out. Killing is wrong no matter who it is,” Ali said during an hour-long interview with The Post.

On police brutality, Ali defended law enforcement in general.

“Police don’t wake up and think, ‘I’m going to kill a n—-r today or kill a white man,'” he said. “They’re just trying to make it back home to their family in one piece.

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