LiveUpdated
Tuesday 2 June 2020 18:36
Donald Trump has threatened to deploy the military if state governors do not bring an end to ongoing violent protests across the United States following the death of George Floyd while in police custody.
There have been six straight days of unrest after unarmed black man Mr Floyd died in Minneapolis, with curfews now imposed in New York City and Los Angeles due to a coast-to-coast outpouring of rage over police killings of black people.
A private unofficial post-mortem commissioned by Mr Floyd’s family classified his death as a homicide after concluding his heart stopped as police restrained him and suppressed his neck, in a widely seen video.
Breaking news here:
Lil Was spoke out against the viral movement overtaking Instagram where people post a black square with a caption that includes #blackouttuesday.
The movement has been a way for people to show their solidarity with Black Lives Matter following the death of George Floyd at the hands of four former Minneapolis Police Department. But activists have expressed concerns it actually helps silence the movement because the black squares overtake Instagram’s algorithm previously used to promote vital information.
Our story here:
Illinois governor JB Pritzker has criticised President Donald Trump’s response to the George Floyd protests, calling it “a miserable failure”.
Mr Pritzker, a Democrat, called in to CNN’s OutFront, hosted by Erin Burnett, to criticise the president for saying that he is “your president of law and order” on Monday.
Mr Trump made the remarks after he ordered police to disperse a group of protesters with tear gas and rubber bullets, when he left the White House yesterday to visit a nearby church for a photo opportunity.
James Crump reports:
The Kennedy Centre in Washington DC announced on Tuesday it would be dimming the lights for nine nights in honour of George Floyd.
Andrew Feinberg with his take:
Video footage went viral of six Atlanta police officers using excessive force during an arrest of two college students on Saturday night.
The college students were in their vehicle driving through downtown Atlanta when officers approached the car and broke its windows. The woman, who was sitting in the passenger seat, was then yanked out of the car and the driver, a male, was tasered by police.
Police claimed at the time they thought the two people had weapons.
Arrest warrants have been issued for Lonnie Hood, Willie Sauls, Ivory Streeter, Mark Gardner, Armond Jones and Roland Claud, two of whom were fired from the police force by Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.
Charges against some of the officers include aggravated assault against the two students, battery, and criminal damage to property.
Manhattan’s flagship Macy’s store was among dozens of businesses hit by looters on Monday evening, as a nighttime curfew in New York failed to prevent widespread looting in the city.
While peaceful protests and marches over the police killing of George Floyd were taking place across the city, roving groups caused chaos in Midtown, smashing their way into shops and stealing merchandise.
The looting began around 8pm, lasting into the night and beyond the 11pm curfew. One video showed what appeared to be dozens of people streaming into the stories Macy’s store in Herald Square.
Other videos showed mostly young men taking part in the looting, ignoring the objections of protesters and unbothered by police stationed nearby. The New York Police Department said 700 people were arrested throughout the night in the city.
Richard Hall reports:
Carli Pierson with her take:
Why is Derek Chauvin being charged with third-degree murder rather than first?
‘Prosecutors have different schools of thoughts: some think it’s best to only pursue charges that are going stick. Others say throw the book at the defendant and see what holds. I have to say emphatically that, in the criminal justice system, we’re constantly throwing charges against people of color that might not stick, but with law enforcement officers we’re more careful about that’
The National Guard has deployed more than 20,000 members to states across the US to manage protests, a Defence Department official told CNN.
At least 28 states have used the National Guard to help control protests.
New York Andrew Cuomo announced on Tuesday the state’s National Guard was now on standby if needed.
Biden hits out at Trump threat to crush protesters and mocks him ‘brandishing a bible’
Joe Biden has condemned Donald Trump’s threat to use the US military to crush nationwide protests over police brutality and mocked him for his photo opportunity outside a historic church, saying: “The president held up the Bible at St John’s church yesterday. I just wish he opened it once in a while instead of brandishing it. If he opened it, he could have learned something.”
Speaking in Philadelphia a day after the president demanded “domination” of the streets, his presumptive Democratic challenger in November’s election said the killing fo George Floyd was a “wake-up call” for the United States.
He said the United States was “crying out for leadership that can recognise the pain of communities that have had a knee on their neck for a long time”.
Graig Graziosi has the latest on Mr Biden’s address to the nation:
A memorial service to honour the life of George Floyd will be held in Minneapolis on Thursday, according to the National Action Network.
The service will be held at North Central University at 2pm with a eulogy delivered by Reverend Al Sharpton. Mr Floyd and his family’s attorney Ben Crump will also deliver remarks.
Other services for Mr Floyd will be held in Houston on Monday and Tuesday.
Activists have urged caution about the “Blackout Tuesday” event on Instagram, which is intended to show solidarity with people fighting against racism and police violence.
The event has seen huge numbers of Instagram users post a black square to their feed as a message of support for the protests. Those posting are then encouraged not to post in their feed, and instead use the time to reflect or read other content.
But numerous people have warned that the messages threaten to cover up other important information, as well as failing to offer the support that the posts aim to convey.
Andrew Griffin reports:
Protests sparked by the police killing of George Floyd have swept across the United States in recent days. And as the demonstrations have spread, so too have allegations of police violence.
Mounting video evidence from across the country reveals the use of violence by law enforcement agencies against protesters.
Videos show police have used pepper spray, rubber bullets, batons and tear gas against peaceful protesters. The response of US law enforcement to the demonstrations has been criticised by rights group Amnesty International, which accused police of endangering lives.
George Floyd’s family announced a memorial and celebration of life service will be held in Houston, Texas, on Monday and Tuesday of next week, according to a release from the Fort Bend Memorial Planning Center.
“Floyd, a 46-year-old man who was raised in Houston’s Third Ward, was killed during an encounter with Minneapolis police officers,” the statement says.
The memorial service on Monday will be held at The Fountain of Praise Church in Houston. The private service will be held at an undisclosed location on Tuesday.
Notable guests are expected to attend the private service, but it was not detailed who that would be. Former professional boxer Floyd Mayweather would be paying for both services, according to the statement.
Donald Trump has tweeted victory over protests in Washington DC by bragging about ‘many arrests’ yesterday by the police. This tweet came after police deployed tear gas on people who looked to be peaceful so the president could walk to St John’s Church from the White House.
The city has experienced problems with rioters and looters amid the number of peaceful protests.
Our story about the president’s recent tweets:
George Clooney has written an essay calling for people to vote Donald Trump out of office in the forthcoming US presidential election, to help combat the racism he describes as a “pandemic”.
The actor and activist called for “systematic” changes in law enforcement, criminal justice and political leadership as protests continue around the
US over the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers.
He also praised the “defiant” reaction of the millions of people around the world who are taking part in demonstrations.
Roisin O’Connor reports:
A police officer is on life support after being shot while dealing with protesters on the Las Vegas Strip last night.
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Joe Lombardo said officers were “taking rocks and bottles” from a crowd they were attempting to disperse in front of the Circus Circus hotel and casino when “a shot rang out and our officer went down”.
He said the man is “in an extremely critical condition on life support currently” during a press conference shortly after 3.30am today.
The suspect has been identified and was taken in to custody about an hour before the briefing, he added.
Mr Lombardo said another officer was involved in a separate incident in a different location in front of the Federal Courthouse on Las Vegas Boulevard last night.
During that incident, officers “encountered a subject who was armed with multiple firearms and appeared to be wearing body armour”, the sheriff said.
“During the interaction, the subject reached for his firearm and officers engaged him.”
The suspect was hit by gunfire and taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead.
My colleague Andrew Buncombe in Minneapolis has been speaking to comedian Ashli Henderson who is leading a group of volunteers organising food and medical supplies as protests have led to store closures.
Police in Paris have banned a demonstration planned in memory of Adama Traore, a 24-year old black Frenchman who died in a 2016 police operation which some have likened to the death of George Floyd in the United States.
The Paris police department said there were risks of social disorder and health dangers from large gatherings due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The demonstration had drawn attention on social media in France from those supporting the “Black Lives Matter” movement and backing protests in the United States.
Violent demonstrations broke out in France in 2016 after Traore died while being driven to a police station following his arrest over an altercation in the Val-d’Oise area, north of the French capital.
My colleague Andrew Naughtie has put together this piece explaining who George Floyd was, how he died, why his death sparked protests, and how Donald Trump and the world has reacted.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
