Amnesty to travelers: ‘a guarantee of not being shot is impossible’ in the US
Amnesty International took the unprecedented step of issuing its own government style travel advisory warning travelers in the US about the risk of gun violence.
It follows a weekend of mass shootings that left 31 dead.
It gave global travelers heading to the US a stark warning: ‘A guarantee of not being shot is impossible.’
In El Paso, Texas, 22 people were gunned down, and just a few hours later nine more people perished in Dayton, Ohio.
Days earlier three people were shot dead at a food festival.
The organization says gun violence is so rife it constitutes ‘a human rights crisis.’
"The country does not adequately protect people’s right to be safe, regardless of who they might be," said Ernest Coverson, campaign manager for Amnesty’s End Gun Violence Campaign.
It also says a traveler’s race, ethnic background, and gender identity may place them in a higher risk.
"The United States has an obligation… to protect the rights of people to live and move freely without the threat of gun violence," the advisory said.
After the El Paso shooting which targeted Latinos, Venezuela and Uruguay posted travel warnings of their own.
Numerous countries have also recently issued travel warnings including New Zealand, Germany, Japan and China.
While mass shootings are not new, the perceived targeting of ethnic groups is a worry for US tourism.
It has also got Americans on edge.
A motorcycle engine backfired near Times Square in New York City, causing widespread panic.
Fearing the noise was another mass shooting in progress, the rush to flee led to a ‘stampede’ which injured 22.
Four people were taken to hospital.
Some even stormed inside a Broadway theater to seek refuge during a production, which then led to theater-goers also freaking out.
The production of ‘To Kill a Mocking Bird’ had to be canceled.
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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