Former US President Barack Obama said in an op ed for Medium that most of those in the US who have been protesting the death of George Floyd were "peaceful" and "deserve our respect and support, not condemnation."
Obama claimed a "small minority" were using the protests to commit violence out of anger or opportunism and that this small group "should not overshadow" the "larger cause."
He said that while there was no excuse for violence, the American judicial system was also to blame.
Obama also stated that young voters lacked the understanding to try to affect change on a local or state level and were looking for other ways to get this done.
Following a sixth night of rioting and looting, Obama said civil disobedience was capable of forcing the authorities to take note of "marginalized communities."