Almost 400 cities in every US state join wave of protest over George Floyd death

RT
Tue, 02 Jun 2020 16:27 UTC

© Reuters / Jeenah Moon

Protests against the death of George Floyd, in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, US, on May 30, 2020.

Hundreds of cities and towns across the US have seen people hitting the streets to join anti-police-brutality protests sparked by the death of George Floyd. Yet, as tensions ran high, many rallies turned into nightmarish riots.

America has once again been gripped by massive protests as the Black Lives Matter movement seemingly regained momentum following the death of another African American at the hands of the US police. The man was choked to death by a police officer during detention in Minneapolis last week. An independent autopsy confirmed that the man's death was a result of asphyxiation.

A total of some 400 cities in all 50 US states - as well as in the territories of Guam and North Mariana Islands - witnessed protest actions over the weekend. And even though most of the rallies were peaceful, some American cities turned into real riot hotspots as angry crowds attacked police officers, who responded by firing tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters.

Chicago in particular turned into a battleground over the weekend, with the demonstrations beginning on Friday and eventually transforming into violent riots by Saturday. Rioters were smashing windows and vandalizing buildings as well as looting shops. More than 130 police officers were injured as a result of clashes and almost 700 looting arrests were made on Sunday alone. Illinois Governor Jay Robert Pritzker also summoned the National Guard to put the situation in downtown Chicago under control.

New York has become another epicenter of riots that saw demonstrators throwing bottles at police as well as attempting to torch police cars, including with Molotov cocktails. On several occasions police cars were also filmed ramming crowds, incidents that resulted in some injuries. Hundreds of demonstrators were arrested, including mayor Bill de Blasio's own daughter, Chiara.

© Reuters / Eduardo Munoz

Protests against the death in Minneapolis police custody of George Floyd, in the Manhattan borough of New York City, US, on June 1, 2020.

Across the US, on the west coast, protesters were blocking interstate highways and clashing with police as well. In Oakland, Federal Protective Service officers were injured in a shooting; one of them later succumbed to his wounds. Louisville, Kentucky, saw another shooting incident during the protests on May 28, when seven people were injured, one of them critically, by an unknown assailant. A man was also killed in a shoot-out with law enforcement there on Monday night.

Fatal incidents were recorded during violent clashes in Indianapolis, Indiana, and Davenport, Iowa. The National Guard has been called in to tackle the unrest in multiple states.

President Donald Trump deployed "heavily armed" US troops to Washington DC to "stop the rioting, looting, vandalism, assaults and wanton destruction of property" after the White House was put on lockdown last Friday as the demonstrators reached the gates.

The protesters even clashed with the secret service, although that incident resulted only in minor injuries. Trump then threatened to dispatch active service troops to stop the unrest. A similar move was last taken by George H.W. Bush back in 1992 to stop the infamous Los Angeles riots. To do so, Bush used the Insurrection Act passed in 1807, over 200 years ago. Now, Trump might have to use it as well if he intends to follow through on his threat.

Comment: More updates from around the country:

State of Minnesota files racial discrimination charges against police department over George Floyd death

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has announced the state's Department of Human Rights will be investigating Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) for signs of racial discrimination, following the death of George Floyd.

According to state officials, the investigation will go far beyond the death of Floyd - who was choked to death by a police officer during his detention in Minneapolis on May 25 - and look into the policies and practices of the police department for the past 10 years to "determine if the MPD has engaged in systemic discriminatory practices towards people of color and ensure any such practices are stopped."

Walz said the investigation is the first step in taking on "systemic racism" in his state.

"Silence is complicity. Minnesotans can expect our administration to use every tool at our disposal to deconstruct generations of systemic racism in our state," he added.

'We're not leaving!' Hundreds take to streets in DC in defiance of curfew order as protests rage on

Large crowds of demonstrators have gathered around various locations in Washington DC, disregarding a curfew now in effect in the capital, as nationwide unrest over police brutality continues across dozens of cities.

Facing off with armor-clad riot police and National Guardsmen outside of the White House on Tuesday, the protest has by all indications remained peaceful, following days of riots, looting and arson around the city.

With the 7pm curfew now in effect, however, protesters that remain on the streets risk arrest.

Chanting "We're not leaving!" and "F**k your curfew," many demonstrators have defied the 7pm deadline to continue protesting over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody last week, mirroring actions staged in countless other cities.

WATCH looters use FORKLIFT to break into California store in broad daylight

A particularly brazen attempt by looters to storm a store in Fairfield, California, has been caught on video, showing them commandeering what appears to be a telescopic forklift to force their way in.

A video has emerged showing vandals using heavy equipment on the doors of the Best Buy store in Fairfield, a city in Solano County, located between San Francisco and Sacramento.

Portland mayor lifts curfew for good behavior but '2nd-chance' protest swiftly descends into violence

Police have fired flash bangs and tear gas at rioters in Portland, Oregon, after a Black Lives Matter demonstration descended into violence. Clashes erupted just hours after a curfew had been lifted.

Mayor Ted Wheeler canceled a curfew early on Tuesday, citing "a significant shift in the tenor" of the protests that took place the previous day and were largely peaceful. The demonstration this time around also began without incidents. Thousands lay face down on Portland's Burnside Bridge in honor of George Floyd, an unarmed black man killed by a white police officer, Derek Chauvin, last week.

However, later in the day "multiple groups" of people became aggressive, forcing the officers to declare the downtown gathering illegal and to demand that everyone leave, the Portland Police Bureau said.

The rioters launched fireworks and threw projectiles at the officers, blocked traffic and vandalized property. Police responded by firing flash bangs and launching volleys of teargas. Multiple arrests were made throughout the night.

A KGW-TV news crew filmed a patrol car ramming through makeshift barricades and nearly hitting a protester.