A Scottsdale City Council member caused a stir in public after he said "I can’t breathe" during an anti-mask rally. Guy Phillips was addressing a crowd of several hundred people that were demonstrating against a decision by authorities to make wearing masks in public mandatory in order to stop the spread of the coronavirus. The official first appeared wearing a black mask and said "I can’t breathe" several times before he took it off and sparked a round of applause and cheers from the demonstrators.
From an “Anti Mask” rally happening in Scottsdale right now pic.twitter.com/8fajLcfSy2
— Danny Dupree (@EZGoin_) June 24, 2020
Phillips' remark prompted harsh criticism from the public, as the same words were said by George Floyd, whose death in May sparked huge protests against racial discrimination and police brutality in the United States and across the world. Floyd died after a white police officer knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes, despite the fact that he told the officer that he was unable to breathe. Demonstrators in the United States and across the world protested against Floyd's death and racial discrimination by lying down on the ground and shouting "I can’t breathe".
Guy Phillips issued an apology after a video of him was posted online and he was condemned both by the city’s mayor and Arizona’s governor.
"It was a stupid and insensitive comment that I shouldn’t have made, and I had no intention of disrespecting anybody while making that comment”, he said in a phone interview with NBC affiliate KPNX of Phoenix.
His apology, however, did not stop the torrent of angry comments, with social media users saying Phillips fully knew what he was saying.
Apologized...please. He knew damn well what he was doing.
— Robert Donald (@RobertDonaldPA) June 25, 2020
He said it twice and did a bit. He’s not sorry. It wasn’t an accident.
— Ben (@Let_off_hook) June 25, 2020
Others said they did not accept the apology and urged the official to resign.
Apology not accepted
— Ugh..... (@Barnummomma) June 25, 2020
Not enough resign
— Linda Patz (@LindaPatz) June 25, 2020
Many netizens criticised Phillips for supporting anti-mask rallies, given the fact that the United States has the highest number of coronavirus cases (2.4 million) and the largest death toll (more than 124,000).
Did he apologize for being at “an anti mask rally” as well? People are dying.
— Marta Kroger (@MartaKroger) June 25, 2020
Still others contended that the official’s remark was not linked to George Floyd’s death and was merely a statement of fact.
Context is everything. Lots of folks are claiming breathing difficulties while wearing a mask. I don’t think he was making a statement about Floyd’s death at all.
— Dale Bailey (@DaleBai2723) June 25, 2020
I have asthma and I won’t lie, it’s hard AF for me to breathe in a mask.
— mynameis (@bloodykses) June 25, 2020
