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US commemorates Fourth of July amid pandemic crisis, racial divisions

Washington, July 4 (efe-epa).- The United States celebrated its Independence Day on Saturday with President Donald Trump’s speech that encouraged divisions and polarization in a country that is in the middle of an unprecedented health crisis triggered by the coronavirus pandemic.

“We are now in the process of defeating the radical left, the Marxists, the anarchists, the agitators, the looters, and people who, in many instances, have absolutely no clue what they are doing,” Trump said in a speech from the White House to mark the Fourth of July celebrations.

The event was attended by hundreds of people, including minors, many of whom were without masks and without keeping a safe distance and avoid the spread of a possible infection.

Just like any of Trump’s events, the Independence Day celebrations also turned into another electoral campaign occasion for him to address the nation.

Trump praised the efforts of the “American heroes” who defeated Nazis, destroyed fascism and emerged victorious over the communists.

“All Americans living today are the heirs of this magnificent legacy (…) That is why we pay tribute to generations of American heroes whose names are etched on our monuments and memorials and in the pages of history and the hearts of a very grateful people,” the president added.

“We will never allow an angry mob to tear down our statues, erase our history, indoctrinate our children, or trample on our freedoms,” he thundered.

Trump referred to the recently carried out attacks on the monuments of the Confederation leaders, founding fathers, and figures related to the Spanish conquest such as Christopher Columbus, who are seen as symbols of racism by the protesters.

The attacks took place following the protests sparked by the police killing of African-American George in Minneapolis.

“Together we will fight for the American dream, and we will defend, protect, and preserve the American way of life, which began in 1492 when Columbus discovered America,” Trump said.

On the occasion of the Independence Day, peaceful protests against police brutality were carried out in several parts of the country, including in Washington DC.

Trump’s Saturday speech was similar to that he delivered a day before at Mount Rushmore, South Dakota, home to sculpted faces of former presidents George Washington (1789-1797), Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809), Abraham Lincoln (1861-1865) and Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909).

On Friday, he criticized the “left-wing cultural revolution,” and announced the creation of a “National Garden of American Heroes” with monuments of historical personalities whom he mentioned in his Fourth of July speech.

Trump’s tone was in contrast with that of Joe Biden, his possible opponent in the Nov.3 presidential elections. Biden urged the Americans to fight against racism.

“We have a chance to rip the roots of systemic racism out of this country. We have a chance to live up to the words that founded this nation,” Biden said in a video posted on Twitter.

Along with the monuments, the other focus of Trump’s speech was coronavirus, or rather, China, as he again alleged that the Asian country was responsible for the global pandemic.

“We got hit by the virus that came from China. We’ve made a lot of progress,” the president said.

He accused China of “secrecy, deceptions, and cover-up” of the crisis that to its global spread.

“China must be held fully accountable,” he said.

Trump also lashed out against the media who “falsely and consistently label their opponents as racists, who condemn patriotic citizens, who offer a clear and truthful defense of American unity.”

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