George Floyd Protests: Latest Updates on Protests in the US

The protests following George Floyd’s death have continued into a new week, with demonstrations taking place in almost every major city. Floyd died in Minneapolis police custody on May 25 after a police officer pinned him to the ground with his knee on his neck, even after Floyd lost consciousness. Many of the protests turned violent, with city and state officials putting curfews in place and some governors activating National Guard troops. President Donald Trump threatened to mobilize the military in states where governors have not.

Minneapolis has seen nights filled with protests that turned violent every night since Floyd’s death, with buildings being burned or damaged and looting taking place. On May 29, Mayor Jacob Frey announced a curfew, with St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter III following suit a short time later, reports CBS Minnesota. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz also issued an executive order implementing the curfew and allowed other cities to set their curfew. The curfew requires residents to stay out of public places from 8 p.m. CT Friday to 6 a.m. Saturday. The Minneapolis National Guard was also called in to assist local authorities, and many states did the same.

On May 29, protesters marched through downtown Minneapolis in an event organized by Minneapolis-born former NBA player Royce White and former football player Darrell Thompson. More than 1,000 protesters began their march at U.S. Bank Stadium and blocked traffic as they reached Hennepin Bridge. They took a knee to remember Floyd. This was a reference to former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who protested police brutality and racial inequality during the 2016 NFL season by kneeling during the National Anthem.

Trump threatens to mobilize the military in Rose Garden speech

On Monday, there were more protests in Washington, D.C. They began peacefully, but just before the 7 p.m. curfew was set to start, tear-gas bombs were used to disperse the crowd while President Donald Trump gave a speech at the White House Rose Garden. In his remarks, Trump threatened to mobilize the military if states and cities did not “take the actions that are necessary to defend the life and property of their residents.” He also said he will take “swift and decisive action” to “protect” Washington.

“What happened in the city last night was a total disgrace,” he said. “As we speak, I am dispatching thousands and thousands of heavily armed soldiers, military personnel and law enforcement officers to stop the rioting, looting, vandalism, assaults and the wanton destruction of property.”

In order for Trump to mobilize the military within U.S. borders, Trump has to invoke the Insurrection Act, which he plans to do, according to NBC News sources. The federal law was signed in 1807. It has not been invoked since May 1992, when President George H.W. Bush used it during the 1992 Los Angeles riots.

David McAtee killed during Louisville protests

The police chief in Louisville, Kentucky was fired Monday after David McAtee, the owner of a barbecue restaurant, was shot and killed early Monday morning where he set up his stand. Louisville police and Kentucky National Guard troops were sent to the parking lot to disperse a crowd. Someone in the crowd fired at the police and troops, who then fired back, killing McAtee. Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer said the officers involved did not have their body cameras recording at the time. McAtee was described as a pillar of the community.

Police clash with protesters in Boston

Thousands of people gathered for a peaceful protest outside the Massachusetts State House in Boston, but the event soon turned violent. There were reports of clashes with police and the National Guard was called in to help. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh thanked peaceful protesters but was “angered” by the violence that “undermined” their message. “If we are to achieve change and if we are to lead the change, our efforts must be rooted in peace and regard for our community,” Walsh said.

Arizona sets statewide curfew

Arizona Gov. Doug Doucey signed an executive order setting a statewide curfew that began at 8 p.m. Sunday night and continues through 5 a.m. Monday morning. The curfew will stay in place through June 8. There have been four days of protests in Arizona following George Floyd’s death. Phoenix residents have also protested the death of Dion Johnson, a 28-year-old man who was killed on a highway during a struggle with a trooper. Residents have demanded police release a body camera video from the incident, but police said the officer involved in Johnson’s death did not have a camera.

Protesters teargassed in Raleigh

In Raleigh, North Carolina, protesters started gathering in downtown at around 5 p.m. Sunday for the second day of protests there. The gathering started off peacefully, but police used teargas at one point and took two people into custody, reports WRAL. Raleigh police said on social media they used the teargas to get protesters to move while an EMS vehicle responded to call and they refused to get out of its way. Teargas was used again when protesters gathered outside the governor’s mansion

Truck driver splits crowd on Minneapolis highway

On Sunday, police closed parts of the highway in Minneapolis and St. Paul for protesters. However, one shocking video shows a tanker truck driver plowing right through the peaceful crowd, splitting it down the middle. The truck did not slow down as people scrambled to get out of its way. Police called the incident “very disturbing.”

Los Angeles police officer seen driving into crowd

During protests in downtown Los Angeles Sunday, a police officer driving an SUV was seen driving into a crowd. Multiple angles of the scene show the officer briefly pinning a protester to the ground before backing up. The person who took one of the videos said the man suffered a scrape on his ankle and was in shock, but ok. 

John Cusack claims Chicago police came at him with batons

Actor John Cusack claimed police in Chicago approached him with batons after spotting him filming a car burning. “Would be very surprised if this is a one or two day event / this may well be the beginning of end of trump loathsome era – thank god -feels like many streams of outrage coming to a head- a wave peaking – [Chicago] scene was about getting to trump tower most of day,” Cusak wrote in another tweet.

17 people arrested in Washington, D.C. Saturday

Protests continued in Washington, D.C., where a small group gathered outside the White House. Seventeen people were arrested and 11 police officers were hurt, reports NBC Washington. “We certainly recognize and empathize with the outrage people feel following the killing in Minneapolis last week. The killing of George Floyd wasn’t the first. People are expressing outrage and demanding action,” Mayor Muriel Brown said. “We also recognize that we are proud of our city and do not want our city to be destroyed.”

On Sunday morning, President Donald Trump tweeted he is designating “antifa” as a terrorist organization. Trump and Attorney General William Barr have both blamed anti-fascist groups for the mayhem unfolding after protests. However, others have reported seeing right-wing extremists, notes NBC News.

41 people arrested in Salt Lake City

On Sunday morning, Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall and Police Chief Mike Brown said 41 people were arrested during Saturday protests there. The mayor put an 8 p.m. curfew in place, while police said they were investigating people responsible for theft and vandalism. Brown said 21 officers received medical attention, reports KSL. Photos of a man using a bow and arrow to fire at protests went viral, and police said he will be “screened” for charges.

Columbia, South Carolina officials establish a curfew after Saturday protests

Columbia, South Carolina also saw protests on Saturday outside the South Carolina State House. It started peacefully but turned violent, and officials put a curfew in place for downtown through 6 a.m. Monday, reports WIS-TV. Police said 12 officers were hurt and 12 people protesters were arrested. Black Lives Matter organized another protest for Sunday.

At least 50 arrested in Kansas City

Kansas City, Missouri police said at least 50 people were arrested after protests at the Country Club Plaza turned violent Saturday night into Sunday morning, reports KMBC. Like many other protests over the weekend, this one started out peaceful, but police said violent groups began breaking out around 10 p.m. CT. Missouri Gov. Mike Parson activated the Missouri National Guard and Highway Patrol to assist police there.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot expresses ‘total disgust’

Protests in Chicago also took a violent turn, and Mayor Lori Lightfoot set a 9 p.m. CT curfew. During a Saturday evening press conference, she expressed “disappointment and really my total disgust” at protesters who came “armed for an all-out battle.” She noted peaceful protesters to not come prepared to throw objects at officers. “The situation has clearly devolved, and we’ve stepped in to make the necessary arrests,” she said, reports the Chicago Sun-Times. “We’re going to be aggressive in arresting the people who want to engage in criminal acts.”

Michigan police join protesters

In Flint Township, Michigan, there was a very different scene compared to others across the country. Police officers were seen laying down their weapons and joined the protest. Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson took his helmet off and put a baton on the ground to show his support for the protesters. “This is the way it’s supposed to be — the police working with the community,” Swanson told Mlive.com. “When we see injustice, we call it out on the police side and on the community side. All we had to do was talk to them, and now we’re walking with them. … The cops in this community, we condemn what happened. That guy (Chauvin) is not one of us.”

NYPD SUVs plow into Brooklyn crowd

Two shocking videos from Brooklyn went viral on Twitter, as they showed two NYPD police SUVs plowing into a crowd of protesters. “We need rapid, real de-escalation and we need it right now. We cannot descend into the chaos of violence,” U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez wrote in a tweet. “Please everyone, stay safe.” New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson issued a similar response, calling the scene “outrageous.”

51 arrests in Atlanta

Late Saturday night, Atlanta police released a statement on protests, noting that people stayed on the streets after the 9 p.m. ET curfew began. People threw rocks and other items at officers and they received reports of armed protesters. One officer was apparently hit by someone driving an ATV and sustained “significant injuries.” The officer is now being treated at the hospital. As of 10:50 p.m. ET, 51 people have been arrested.

Man shot in Detroit

Detroit activists organized a peaceful protest during the day Friday, but it became violent that night. One man was killed in a shooting at around 11:30 p.m. ET in a parking lot, reports The Detroit News. A shooter fired at a group of people inside a silver Dodge Caliver, killing the 21-year-old diver. The shots could be heard as a News journalist did a Facebook Live video from the demonstrations.

Arrests made in Nashville

On Saturday, protesters took part in an organized “I Will Breathe” march through downtown Nashville, with Mayor John Cooper even taking part. After the protest wrapped, things turned violent and multiple people were arrested, reports The Tennessean. People threw rocks through windows at the Metro Nashville courthouse, which also serves as the city hall.

Los Angeles police fire rubber bullets

Los Angeles police said Saturday more than 500 people were arrested following protests Friday night. The protests continued into the day on Saturday. One protester told CNN police were firing rubber bullets into the crowd, unprovoked.

Minneapolis

Floyd died Monday in police custody. He was arrested after a grocery store employee called police because Floyd allegedly used a counterfeit $20 bill. Video shows officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on Floyd’s neck for more than eight minutes, including over two minutes after Floyd was unresponsive. Floyd could be heard complaining that he could not breathe in social media videos. Chauvin and three other police officers were fired. It was not until Friday that prosecutors took Chauvin into custody and charged him with third-degree murder and manslaughter.

Despite the curfew, USA Today journalist Trevor Hughes reported he did not see it being enforced. He tweeted videos of clashes with police. He reported seeing young people breaking windows and looting from a Target store.

New York

In New York, people gathered at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn for a massive protest Friday evening. Social media videos showed demonstrators clashing with New York Police Department officers. Some carried signs with “Black Lives Matter,” “I can’t breathe” and other messages calling for the end of police violence.

Atlanta

Protests in Atlanta got tense Friday night as protesters gathered around the CNN Center. The cable network’s sign was covered with graffiti and windows on the front of the building were broken. Police said three protesters were arrested and one police officer suffered minor injuries.

“This is not a protest. This is not in the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr. This is chaos. A protest has purpose. When Dr. King was assassinated, we didn’t do this to our city,” Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said. “So if you love this city, this city that has had a legacy of black mayors and black police chiefs and people who care about this city, where more than 50 percent of the business owners in metro Atlanta are minority business owners. If you care about this city then go home.”

Washington, D.C.

In Washington, D.C., the White House was briefly put on lockdown due to nearby protests. The protests there came just after President Donald Trump gave a short speech at the Rose Garden, which turned out to be about China and his decision to withdraw support for the World Health Organization during the coronavirus pandemic. Trump has also defended his controversial Thursday night tweets, in which he wrote “when the looting starts, the shooting starts.” The president later wrote Friday, “Looting leads to shooting, and that’s why a man was shot and killed in Minneapolis on Wednesday night — or look at what just happened in Louisville with 7 people shot.”

Indianapolis

In Indianapolis, more than 100 people packed into downtown for a six-hour protest. The event was mostly peaceful, although IMPD Officer Genae Cook told the Indianapolis Star at least one protester was hit with a chemical spray after making a threatening move towards an officer. The local Black Lives Matter group also broadcast the protests on Facebook. In addition to Floyd’s death, protesters also held signs with the name of Draesjon Reed, who died after being shot by an Indianapolis police officer earlier this month.

Memphis

In Memphis, protesters gathered for the third consecutive day, reports the Commercial Appeal. About 300 people joined the protest and several roads were closed by Memphis police. The event was mostly peaceful, with Memphis pastor and activist DeVante Hill passing a microphone around the crowd to people who wanted to speak. The crows reached City Hall peacefully and began chanting, “The people united will never be divided.”

Los Angeles

In Los Angeles, there were marches through downtown to the Staples Center, as well as demonstrations in Hollywood, reports the Los Angeles Times. Police first said the protests were peaceful and no one was arrested. However, there were some clashes between police and protesters later Friday. Two police officers were reportedly trying to take some suspects into custody, but other protesters tried to pull them from the suspects.

San Jose

In San Jose, a police officer was injured and several people were arrested during protests there. Hundreds of protesters marched to City Hall and blocked part of the 101 Freeway.

“Anger and peaceful protest will always be appropriate responses to injustice; violence will never be,” San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo tweeted Friday. “San Jose is united in outrage over the atrocious crime committed in Minneapolis and in sadness over George Floyd’s horrible death.” Liccardo later added, “SJPD will take a measured approach in facilitating peaceful protest, but there will be no tolerance of violence to our people or damage to our city.”

St. Louis

On Friday evening, protesters in St. Louis gathered outside the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department headquarters near downtown, reports KSDK. Many protesters followed social distancing guidelines and were wearing face masks. They chanted “Black Lives Matter,” “We are George Floyd” and “No Justice No Peace.” Some carried signs reading, “I can’t breathe.”