Peaceful demonstrations in the United States against the "shocking" death of George Floyd during an arrest by police are "more than legitimate", Germany's foreign minister said Tuesday.
"The peaceful protests that we see in the US... are understandable and more than legitimate. I hope that these peaceful protests won't slide further into violence, but even more than that I hope that they will make a difference in the United States," Heiko Maas told reporters.
With journalists coming under attack by law enforcers at the protests, Maas also stressed that reporters "must be able to carry out their task- that is reporting -- without fearing for their security".
"Democratic countries must apply the highest standards in protecting press freedom. In this context, all violence must not only be criticised by also prosecuted and clarified so that journalists can be effectively protected while carrying out their work."
Among members of the press who have come under attack is a correspondent of German public broadcaster Deutsche Welle.
DW said for two nights in a row, Stefan Simons was "shot at by US police while reporting on #BlackLivesMatter protests in Minneapolis".
"Relating to the cases such as that involving DW, we will get in touch with US authorities to find out the exact circumstances," Maas said.
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