Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has defended the social media giant after the platform refused to censor inflammatory comments made by US President Donald Trump.
Mr Trump said "when the looting starts, the shooting starts" as protests flared over the death of unarmed black man George Floyd in police custody in Minnesota.
In a series of tweets, Mr Trump described the demonstrators as "thugs".
"Just spoke to [Minnesota] Governor Tim Walz and told him that the Military is with him all the way. Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts," he wrote.
Shortly afterwards, Twitter,, said the post had violated rules about "glorifying violence".
In a long screed posted to Facebook, Mr Zuckerberg said he had been personally struggling with how to respond to the president.
“Personally, I have a visceral negative reaction to this kind of divisive and inflammatory rhetoric. This moment calls for unity and calmness, and we need empathy for the people and communities who are hurting. We need to come together as a country to pursue justice and break this cycle,” Mr Zuckerberg wrote.
“But I'm responsible for reacting not just in my personal capacity but as the leader of an institution committed to free expression."
Mr Zuckerberg went on to say that the post was a warning about potential state action, which people had a right to know about.
Violent protests over the death of George Floyd, the African-American man who died in police custody, broke out in Minneapolis for a third straight night. Source: AAP
“We read it as a warning about state action, and we think people need to know if the government is planning to deploy force. Our policy around incitement of violence allows discussion around state use of force, although I think today's situation raises important questions about what potential limits of that discussion should be,” he said.
“These are difficult decisions and, just like today, the content we leave up I often find deeply offensive. We try to think through all the consequences, and we keep our policies under constant review because the context is always evolving,” he added.
The Minneapolis police officer accused of killing Mr Floyd has been charged with murder as authorities try to restore peace after three nights of violent protests left parts of the city in flames.
Derek Chauvin is one of four officers fired after an explosive video emerged showing him kneeling on the neck of a handcuffed Mr Floyd for at least five minutes.
The announcement came hours after hundreds of troops were deployed to the streets of Minneapolis and St. Paul to stem what would be a fourth night of violent protests.
Scores of buildings have been burned and looted across the so-called Twin Cities, including a police station associated with the four officers.
