Pep Guardiola’s powerful address on ICE shootings and deaths in Palestine
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola continued to speak out on global political issues at his latest press conference, addressing Palestine, the US ICE shootings and the Sudan conflict
Pep Guardiola has voiced his concerns about fatalities in Palestine and the United States – as well as the crisis in Sudan – during his most recent Manchester City press briefing. Following his remarks at a charity event supporting Palestinian civilians last week, the City manager also addressed incidents which are currently dividing the USA.
He spoke about his reaction to the fatal shootings of two American citizens during a protest by ICE officers, which has sparked widespread criticism of president Donald Trump and his government. Renee Good was shot three times – in her left forearm, her breast and her head while in her car on January 7, before intensive care nurse Alex Pretti was shot multiple times and killed by ICE officials.
Speaking at a press conference ahead of City’s game against Newcastle on Wednesday, Guardiola referenced the deaths in Minneapolis and asked the British population to imagine if this had happened to an NHS staff member. He also opened up on other conflicts, including Israel and Palestine, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the ongoing conflict in Sudan.
READ MORE: Pep Guardiola gives speech as Man City boss addresses crowd at pro-Palestine concertREAD MORE: Pep Guardiola gives emotional speech about Gaza casualties: “It’s so painful”
He said: “When I see the images, I am sorry – it hurts. It hurts me, that is why in every position I can help speaking up to be a better society, I will try and will be there. All the time.
“It is for my kids, my families, for you. For all of you and your families as well and the kids. For my players, my staff and everyone do whatever he can in his job, in his life for the best. From my point of view, the justice?
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“You have to talk. Otherwise it will just move on. Look what happened in the United States of America. Renee Good and Alex Pretti have been killed – one of them a nurse. Imagine [someone from] the NHS, five six people around him, go on the grass and 10 shots. Tell me how you can defend that?”
Guardiola’s comments on the US could well irk Trump, who was given the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize by the body’s president Gianni Infantino ahead of the World Cup in the country this summer. They may well cause other awkward conversations closer to home.
City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak was sat next to Trump two weeks ago as he signed up to the president’s Board of Peace on behalf of the United Arab Emirates. The country’s vice-president is City owner Sheikh Mansour.
Protests have been held outside the Etihad this season by groups accusing the UAE of ‘providing extensive financial and military support’ to one side of the Sudanese conflict. That claim is denied. The UAE this week agreed with the UN World Food Programme to supply $20m in aid.
There is also a strong a Jewish presence among City’s fanbase. Many will have taken note of the manager’s references to Palestine. The Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester wrote to chairman Al Mubarak in December to complain that Guardiola had not condemned the synagogue attack in Prestwich.
Guardiola spoke about issues he said he was happy to disagree on with friends on, adding: “Make something wrong, go to the jail. That is what happens in the modern [day]. There is not a perfect society, nowhere is perfect, I am not perfect, we have to work to be better. A person who can go there, defend a woman, hundreds have been killed for that. Who can defend that? I don’t know. I will always be in front of that.
“Never, ever in the history of humanity – never ever have we had the info in front of our eyes watching more clearly than now: genocide in Palestine, what happened in Ukraine, what happened in Russia, what happened all around the world – in Sudan, everywhere. What happened in front of us? Do you want to see it?
“It’s our problems as human beings. It’s our problems. There is somebody who sees the images from all around the world who is not affected? Here it’s not a question about right or wrong.
“Maybe a politician, left wing, right wing, of course, everyone with ideas can do with that, but there is someone here that is not affected every single day? Today we can see it. Before we could not see it. Today we see.
“It hurts me. For me, it hurts me. If it was the opposite side, it would hurt me. Wanting harm for another country? It hurts me. It’s not about the position.
“Every argument, I’m sorry, this is my feeling. You can discuss when. Completely kill thousands of innocent people, it hurts me. It’s no more complicated than that.
“No more. I have a lot of friends from many, many countries, a lot of friends, but when you have an idea and you need to defend it and you have to kill thousands of people [to do that], I’m sorry, I will stand up, always I will be there.
“I cannot imagine how anybody cannot feel that, when you see the images every single day, the fathers, mothers, kids, having happened what happened, their lives being destroyed and the people cannot feel a little bit of being attached? I’m sorry, I cannot feel it.”
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