It’s been another bad week in America following the incidents involving police earlier in the week and the horror that shattered the peaceful protest in Dallas on Thursday night. It’s a situation that has been bubbling under the surface for years, flashing up in Ferguson, Baltimore, and other places recently.
Now, right on the heels of the Dallas tragedy, we have other nations and states taking notice and warning their citizens about traveling to the United States. The Bahamas released a travel warning that went out on most government channels and social media, citing the need for care in interactions with police within several American cities:
At the commencement of the Independence holiday weekend, many Bahamians will no doubt use the opportunity to travel, in particular to destinations in the United States.
We wish to advise all Bahamians traveling to the US but especially to the affected cities to exercise appropriate caution generally. In particular young males are asked to exercise extreme caution in affected cities in their interactions with the police. Do not be confrontational and cooperate.
If there is any issue please allow consular offices for The Bahamas to deal with the issues. Do not get involved in political or other demonstrations under any circumstances and avoid crowds.
It’s not uncommon for the United States and other nations to release travel warnings for other countries. Buzzfeed News points out that the US issues such warnings following the slaughter in Bangladesh and the Paris terrorist attacks. Having the warnings come in the other direction is not something people are used to, though. This warning from The Bahamas might act as a bit of a wake up call, especially since the population in The Bahamas is 90 percent black according to the Washington Post.
(Via Buzzfeed News / The Washington Post)