028 - 2ND JUNE 2020 - EU 'shocked and appalled' by George Floyd's killing: Live updates - ALJAZEERA,

EU 'shocked and appalled' by George Floyd's killing: Live updates

The bloc's top diplomat warns against further excessive use of force as Trump vows to end unrest.
by Laurin-Whitney Gottbrath & Hamza Mohamed
2 Jun 2020

MORE ABOUT GEORGE FLOYD DEATH
Pope says we 'cannot turn a blind eye to racism': Live updatestoday
In Pictures: Confederate symbols torn down amid US race proteststoday
George Floyd: US protesters risk COVID-19 'for health of nation'today
Through tears, mother of George Floyd's daughter demands justicetoday

The United States has been gripped by protests over the death of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man who died last week in police custody in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and police brutality nationwide.
Lawyers representing the Floyd family said independent medical examiners who conducted an autopsy on Floyd's determined that asphyxiation from sustained pressure was the cause of death.
Protesters are demanding all four officers involved be charged in Floyd's death. So far, only one - white officer Derek Chauvin, who knelt on Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes as the Black man pleaded, "I can't breathe" - has been arrested and charged on Friday with third-degree murder and manslaughter.
Those protesting against police brutality have been met with, at times, excessive force by authorities. Two officers were fired over the weekend in Atlanta, Georgia, for pulling two Black people out of a car and throwing them to the ground. Videos have shown police targeting angry but peaceful protesters with tear gas and mace. Journalists have also been targeted by police.
Protesters have remained undeterred by curfews and the presence of the US National Guard in some cities. Some largely peaceful protests turned violent, with looting and vandalism as the night raged on.

Latest updates:
Tuesday, June 2
12:00 GMT - Germany says US protests 'more than legitimate'

Peaceful demonstrations in the United States against the "shocking" killing of George Floyd during an arrest by police are "more than legitimate", Germany's foreign minister said.

"The peaceful protests that we see in the US... are understandable and more than legitimate. I hope that these peaceful protests won't slide further into violence, but even more than that I hope that they will make a difference in the United States," Heiko Maas told reporters.
11:30 GMT - International reaction to George Floyd killing

Demonstrators from Australia to Europe identified with the cause of US protests and urged their own governments to address racism and police violence.

People took to the streets of Sydney, Australia in solidarity with those in the US protesting police brutality and the killing of George Floyd [Loren Elliott [Reuters]

Opponents of the United States's foreign policy under President Donald Trump, meanwhile, took the opportunity to pour scorn on the violence that has engulfed the country after the killing of George Floyd.

China's foreign ministry spokesperson called out US racism as "a chronic disease of American society".

Read more here.
11:00 GMT Legal experts say Floyd family autopsy could help ex-policeman's defence

An independent autopsy that found George Floyd died solely from asphyxiation could actually bolster the defence of the former Minneapolis police officer charged with killing him, legal experts said.

The autopsy report released on Monday said Floyd's death was a homicide and that he had no underlying medical conditions.

Later on Monday, the Hennepin County Medical Examiner released details of its autopsy findings that also said Floyd's death was a homicide caused by asphyxiation but that he had possible underlying health conditions and intoxicants in his body that may have been contributing factors in his death.

"It will be part of the defence strategy to say they can't even get the cause of death right," Gerald Lefcourt, a criminal defence attorney, said.

Paul Callan, a former New York prosecutor, said the "report created a lot of ammunition for a defence team to use in a criminal case or a subsequent civil case."
10:20 GMT - EU 'shocked and appalled' by George Floyd's killing

The European Union is "shocked and appalled" by the death of George Floyd in police custody, the bloc's top diplomat said, calling it "an abuse of power" and warning against further excessive use of force.

"Like the people of the United States, we are shocked and appalled by the death of George Floyd ... all societies must remain vigilant against the excessive use of force," Josep Borrell, the EU's foreign policy chief, told reporters.

Borrell called Floyd's death a "very, very unhappy" one and said it showed "an abuse of power" by law enforcement. "We condemn racism of any kind ... we trust in the ability of the Americans to come together, to heal as a nation".
10:00 GMT - CPJ: Over 100 press freedom violations reported at US protests

A media watchdog has called on US authorities to stop targeting journalists covering protests over the death of an unarmed Black man in police custody and exempt them from curfew restrictions.

In a statement published on Tuesday, the US-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said that since May 29, at least 125 press freedom violations had been reported nationwide by journalists covering the demonstrations over the death of George Floyd, who died a week ago after a white police officer pinned his neck under his knee for nearly nine minutes.

Read more here.

Police have hit dozens of journalists with tear gas, pepper spray, or rubber bullets and arrested 20 even as they displayed their press credentials, CPJ said [Lucas Jackson [Reuters]
09:40 GMT - Iran calls on US to 'stop violence' against its own people

The Iranian foreign ministry has called on the United States to "stop violence" against its own people in the face of large protests sweeping the nation

"To the American people: the world has heard your outcry over the state of oppression. The world is standing with you," foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said at a news conference in Tehran on Monday.

"And to the American officials and police: stop violence against your people and let them breathe," he told reporters in English.

Read more here.
09:00 GMT - Australia says probing US police assault on its journalists

Australia is investigating a US police attack on two Australian journalists outside the White House with a view to launching a formal complaint, the foreign minister said.

"We have asked the Australian embassy in Washington DC to investigate this incident," Marise Payne said after the journalists were shoved, punched and hit with a baton live on television.

"I want to get further advice on how we would go about registering Australia's strong concerns with the responsible local authorities in Washington," she said.
08:45 GMT - Site of deadly incident becomes massive memorial to George Floyd

A woman and children put flowers at a makeshift memorial honouring George Floyd, at the spot where he was taken into custody, in Minneapolis, Minnesota [Carlos Barria/Reuters]
08:20 GMT - Mayweather offers to cover George Floyd's funeral costs

Boxing great Floyd Mayweather has offered to cover the funeral expenses for George Floyd.

The former five-division world champion's promotional company, Mayweather Productions, confirmed on Twitter that he had made the offer.

Meanwhile, several local media reports have said the family have accepted the boxer's offer.
08:00 GMT - Can Trump order the US military to quell violence at protests?

Donald Trump suggested he would use federal troops to end the unrest that has erupted following the police killing of George Floyd.

To deploy the armed forces, Trump would need to formally invoke a group of statutes known as the Insurrection Act.

What is the Insurrection Act? Read here.
07:35 GMT - Ghana president: "We stand with our kith and kin"

Ghana's President Nana Akufo-Addo said Black people across the world are "shocked and distraught" by the killing of George Floyd in police custody.

"Black people, the world over, are shocked and distraught by the killing of an unarmed black man, George Floyd, by a white police officer in the United States of America." Akufo-Addo said in a statement.

"We stand with our kith and kin in America in these difficult and trying times," the Ghanaian leader added.

[Nana Akufo-Addo/Twitter]
07:00 GMT - St. Louis police offices injured in gunfire

At least four police officers injured in gunfire in St. Louis, the city's police department said.

The officers are receiving treatment at hospital and their injuries are not life-threatening, the police department said.


St. Louis, MO Police
✔@SLMPD

We have had 4 officers struck by gunfire tonight. All have been transported to an area hospital. All are conscious and breathing. Their injuries are believed to be non-life threatening.

Officers are still taking gunfire downtown & we will share more info as it available.


2,083
3:44 PM - Jun 2, 2020 · St Louis, MO
Twitter Ads info and privacy
2,400 people are talking about this


05:42 GMT - Two killed in Chicago suburb

Two people were killed during unrest in the Chicago suburb of Cicero as protests continued over the death of George Floyd, according to a town official.

Spokesman Ray Hanania says 60 people were arrested in the town of about 84,000 located west of Chicago. Hanania didn't provide additional information about those killed or the circumstances of their deaths.

The Illinois State Police and Cook County Sheriff's Office were called in to help local police Monday as people broke into a liquor store and other businesses and stole items.
04:44 GMT - Car rams into police in Buffalo, wounding two

A vehicle ploughed through a group of police officers at a demonstration on Monday night in Buffalo, New York, wounding at least two people.

Video from the scene shows the vehicle accelerating through an intersection shortly after officers apparently tackle a protester on the street and handcuff him. Officers are seen scattering to avoid the SUV as it drives off on Buffalo's east side. Apparent gunshots are heard.

The officers were taken to Erie County Medical Center. Authorities said they were in stable condition.


02:30 GMT - DC Episcopal bishop: 'I am outraged' by Trump church visit

The bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington sharply criticised President Donald Trump on Monday for staging a visit to the historic St John's Church across from the White House, where he held up a Bible after authorities had cleared the area of peaceful protesters by firing tear gas and flashbangs.

The Reverend Mariann Budde, whose diocese St John's belongs to, said she was "outraged" by Trump's visit and noted that he did not pray while stopping by the church, a landmark known for its regular visits from sitting presidents since the early 19th century.

The president also did not "acknowledge the agony and sacred worth of people of colour in our nation who rightfully demand an end to 400 years of systemic racism and white supremacy in our country", Budde said in a statement posted to the diocese's Twitter account after Trump's televised visit.

The Episcopal Church
✔@iamepiscopalian

Statement from The Rt. Rev. Mariann Budde (@mebudde), Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington (@washdio) via @thewashingtonpost (3 part thread) https://twitter.com/mboorstein/status/1267607428293636096 …
Michelle Boorstein
✔@mboorstein


The Episcopal bishop of DC – who oversees the DC church Trump just stopped at – tells the @washingtonpost she is "outraged" and that neither she nor the rector was asked or told… “that they would be clearing with tear gas so they could use one of our churches as a prop.." 1/3
306
10:23 AM - Jun 2, 2020
Twitter Ads info and privacy
238 people are talking about this
01:20 GMT - Atlanta police fire tear gas

Protesters were still in the streets of downtown Atlanta, Georgia, on Monday night as curfew neared, and police officers and the National Guard used tear gas.

Protesters largely dispersed after that, though some remained, and officers were making arrests, apparently for curfew violations. A similar scene played out the night before.
01:40 GMT - DC mayor: Police actions ahead of Trump speech 'shameful'

Late on Monday, Washington, DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser expressed that police fired on peaceful protesters to clear the way for a Trump photo-op.

"I imposed a curfew at 7pm," she tweeted. "A full 25 minutes before the curfew & w/o provocation, federal police used munitions on peaceful protestors in front of the White House, an act that will make the job of @DCPoliceDept officers more difficult. Shameful!"


Muriel Bowser #StayHomeDC at 7 pm
✔@MurielBowser

I imposed a curfew at 7pm. A full 25 minutes before the curfew & w/o provocation, federal police used munitions on peaceful protestors in front of the White House, an act that will make the job of @DCPoliceDept officers more difficult. Shameful!

DC residents — Go home. Be safe
60.1K
10:40 AM - Jun 2, 2020
Twitter Ads info and privacy
23.1K people are talking about this
01:15 GMT - Protesters in Louisville march after Sunday night police killing

The fatal police shooting of the popular owner of a Louisville barbecue spot has prompted a massive march to the site where the restaurateur was killed early on Monday.

David McAtee died while police officers and National Guard soldiers were enforcing a curfew amid waves of protests in the Kentucky city. Mayor Greg Fischer revealed earlier Monday that police officers lacked body camera video for the investigation.

The large group marched peacefully on Monday evening as some honked horns in solidarity and marchers raised clenched fists. Louisville's police chief was fired by the city's mayor on Monday after the mayor learned that officers failed to activate body cameras at the chaotic scene were McAtee was shot.

00:50 GMT - National Guard in Nashville put down riot shields

More than 60 National Guard troops put down their riot shields Monday evening at the request of peaceful protesters who had gathered in front of Tennessee's state Capitol in Nashville to honour George Floyd.

Guardsman had initially rushed to grab their shields and form a hard line to block the slowly moving crowd - which was singing and chanting - from advancing up the Capitol steps. As the National Guard began moving, Tennessee State Police grabbed batons and formed a line behind them. However, the crowd remained calm.

Democratic legislators leaving the Capitol asked to be able to move past the line of guards to join the crowd. As the crowd continued to sing and call for justice for Black Americans, slowly the shields began to drop. The state troopers declined to drop their batons, but backed farther away from the crowd.

Monday's peaceful vigil was a marked difference from several protests that turned violent in Tennessee over the weekend.
Monday, June 1

23:50 GMT - 5,000 people arrested across US: Report

At least 5,600 people have been arrested in cities around the country since demonstrations broke out protesting the death of George Floyd, according to a tally compiled by Associated Press journalists from police department press releases, police agency Twitter activity and media.

The arrests come as protests in some cities become more violent and as police and governors are urged by President Donald Trump to take a stronger hand in quelling the demonstrations.

In Minneapolis, where Floyd died, some 155 arrests have taken place. Some of the biggest cities in the US have made a significant number of arrests, including nearly 800 in New York City and more than 900 in Los Angeles.
23:30 GMT - DC protesters take a knee after being driven from the White House

Protesters took a knee in the middle of a downtown Washington street Monday night, chanting, "What do we want? Justice. When do we want it? Now."

They applauded as they rose to their feet and declared that the streets were theirs.

The march Monday night was peaceful as nightfall approached. There was no apparent effort to get protesters off the streets even though a 7pm curfew had passed.

Earlier, law enforcement officers on horseback and foot aggressively pushed the protesters away from Lafayette Park near the White House so that President Donald Trump could visit a church that was damaged by fire during the protests Sunday night. He took a photo while there.

23:05 GMT - Trump makes rare walk to damaged church outside the White House

US President Donald Trump walks out of the White House North Portico to walk through Lafayette Park to visit St John's Episcopal Church across from the White House during ongoing protests in Washington, DC [Tom Brenner/Reuters]

President Trump holds a Bible as he stands outside St John's Church across Lafayette Park from the White House [Patrick Semansky/AP Photo] 

22:50 GMT - Trump threatens to deploy US military if states don't halt violent protests

President Donald Trump has threatened to deploy the US military unless state governors halt violent protests.

Trump said he was recommending that governors deploy the National Guard in sufficient numbers to "dominate the streets".

If governors fail to take action, Trump said he would deploy the US military and "quickly solve the problem for them."

Trump, in his Rose Garden remarks, said he would mobilise the US military to end "lawlessness" as police fired tear gas at hundreds of peaceful protesters gathered outside the White House.

22:30 GMT - Police use flashbangs against peaceful protesters outside the White House

Police appeared to fire a series of flashbangs, as well as tear gas to disperse peaceful protesters outside the White House. The curfew in Washington, DC, has not yet gone into effect.

Trump is due to speak at any moment.

A demonstrator and others who had gathered to protest the death of George Floyd move away from police officers on horses near the White House in Washington [Evan Vucci/AP Photo]
22:00 GMT - Medical examiner declares George Floyd death homicide

The Hennepin County Medical Examiner declared the death of George Floyd a homicide, saying he died of "cardiopulmonary arrest complicating law enforcement subdual restraint, and neck compression," according to a Minneapolis television station.

The updated report from the examiner states that Floyd died from a loss of blood flow due to compression on his neck while being restrained by Minneapolis police, local Fox television affiliate Fox 9 reported.

19:58 GMT - Obama: Turn the moment into a 'turning point for real change'

Former US President Barack Obama on Monday condemned the use of violence at the nationwide protests while praising the actions of peaceful protesters seeking change. While the vast majority of protesters have been peaceful, a "small minority" was putting people at risk and harming the very communities the protests are intended to help, Obama wrote in an online essay posted on Medium.

Obama, a Democrat who served two presidential terms prior to Republican Donald Trump, said the violence was "compounding the destruction of neighborhoods that are often already short on services and investment and detracting from the larger cause".

In his essay, Obama urged protesters not to be cynical about politics, arguing that electing new leaders on the national and local levels would bring about change.

"Eventually, aspirations have to be translated into specific laws and institutional practices - and in a democracy, that only happens when we elect government officials who are responsive to our demands," he said.

19:39 GMT - Floyd brother calls for calm in the storm

The brother of George Floyd appealed for peace Monday in the aftermath of riots and arson fires following the death of his brother in Minneapolis.

Terrence Floyd appeared at the intersection in south Minneapolis where his brother died. Wearing a face mask with the image of his brother's face on it, Terrence Floyd spent several minutes of silence at the flowers and other memorials that have sprung up to his brother.

"I understand you're upset," Terrence Floyd said to the crowd through a bullhorn. But he said civil unrest and destruction is "not going to bring my brother back at all. It may feel good for the moment, like when you drink, but when you are done, you're going to wonder what did you do."

Terrence Floyd said his family is "a peaceful family. My family is God-fearing". And he said, "in every case of police brutality, the same thing has been happening. You have protests; you destroy stuff ... so they want us to destroy ourselves. Let's do this another way."

He told the crowd to vote and to educate themselves. "Let's switch it up, y'all." He said his brother moved to Minneapolis from Houston and "loved it here. ... So I know he would not want you all to be doing this".

19:00 GMT - More curfews in New York City, Washington, DC

New York City is imposing a curfew as the nation's biggest city tries to head off another night of violence erupting amid protests over Floyd's death. The curfew will last from 11pm Monday (03:00 GMT) to 5am Tuesday (09:00 GMT), Governor Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Monday. The limitation on 8.6 million people's movements comes on top of coronavirus restrictions and as the mayor and governor deplored the outbreaks of violence, but also criticised some police actions.

Separately, Washington, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser said on Monday that the city also is imposing another curfew as it braces for several more days of protests. Bowser said at a news conference that the curfew would begin at 7pm Monday (23:00 GMT) and run through Tuesday morning, with similar restrictions beginning again on Tuesday night and continuing into Wednesday morning.

17:55 GMT - Independent medical examiner: Floyd died due to asphyxia

Lawyers representing Floyd's family said that independent medical examiners who conducted an autopsy of Floyd determined that asphyxiation from sustained pressure was the cause of death.

"World renowned medical examiner Dr. Michael Baden and Dr. Allecia Wilson found the manner of Mr Floyd's death was homicide caused by asphyxia due to neck and back compression that led to a lack of blood flow to the brain. Sustained pressure on the right side of Mr. Floyd's carotid artery impeded blood flow to the brain, and weight on his back impeded his ability to breathe," a statement from the lawyers read.

"The independent examiners found that weight on the back, handcuffs and positioning were contributory factors because they impaired the ability of Mr. Floyd's diaphragm to function. From all the evidence, the doctors said it now appears Mr Floyd died at the scene."

Baden said that what they found was "consistent with what people say. There was no other health issue that could cause or contribute to the death."

17:25 GMT - Trump wants governors to use more National Guard troops

White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany told reporters that US President Donald Trump wants governors to utilise more National Guard troops to respond to protests against police brutality.

Earlier on Monday, Trump told governors he wanted them to "dominate" protesters, urging the use of more aggressive tactics.

White House press secretary just confirmed Trump had a call with Putin today but did not address a question about whether he asked him for advice before his call with the governors, as asked by the reporter.

17:20 GMT - US to send federal assets to help quell protests

The White House on Monday said additional federal assets would soon be deployed to respond to protests across the country over the death of a Black man, George Floyd, while in police custody.

The protests had turned violent in some places, which prompted many governors to turn to the National Guard for support. But the protesters have remained undeterred.

President Donald Trump had two briefings on Monday, with Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Attorney General William Barr "and there will be additional federal assets deployed across the nation," Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said at a briefing.

16:00 GMT - Trump calls governor's weak, urges crackdown

President Donald Trump on Monday derided the nation's governors as "weak" and demanded tougher crackdowns on protesters in the aftermath of another night of violent protests in dozens of American cities.

Trump speaks at the White House [File: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters]

Trump spoke to governors on a video teleconference with law enforcement and national security officials, telling the local leaders they "have to get much tougher" amid nationwide protests and criticising their responses.

"Most of you are weak," Trump said. "You have to arrest people."

15:50 GMT - Biden to hold roundtable with mayors

Joe Biden will hold a roundtable with several mayors whose cities have been affected by unrest over the weekend.

The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee will hold a virtual event Monday with the leaders of Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles and St Paul, Minnesota.

Biden began his day meeting with community leaders at a predominantly African American church in Delaware.

15:45 GMT - DC imposes 7pm curfew

District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser is imposing a 7pm (23:00 GMT) curfew Monday and Tuesday after three days of protests, some of which have turned violent.

An 11pm (03:00 GMT) curfew had been in place Sunday night. But the violence still escalated, with protesters setting fires, breaking windows and looting businesses. There were clashes with police, who used pepper spray and other measures to try to break up the demonstrations.

15:10 GMT - Where have protests taken place?


14:09 GMT - Photos from Sunday's protests against police brutality

A weeping protester confronts police during nationwide unrest following the death in Minneapolis police custody of George Floyd, in Raleigh, North Carolina [Jonathan Drake/Reuters]


A man holds a flag as police disperse demonstrators during a protest amid nationwide unrest following the death in Minneapolis police custody of George Floyd, in Washington, DC [Jim Bourg/Reuters]


Protesters kneel in front of New York City Police during a march to honour George Floyd in New York City [John Moore/Getty Images/AFP]

Demonstrators in Seattle, Washington, chant during a gathering to protest the recent death of George Floyd [David Ryder/Getty Images/AFP]


Demonstrators put their hands behind their heads as they stand in front of San Diego Police in San Diego, California [Ariana Dreshler/AFP]


A Black man and a white woman hold their hands up in front of police officers in downtown Long Beach, California [Apu Gomes/AFP

14:00 GMT - Floyd's family to release findings from independent autopsy

The attorney for George Floyd's family was set to announce findings Monday of an independent autopsy into his death a week ago after a Minneapolis officer held his knee on Floyd's neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds.

An official autopsy last week said the combined effects of being restrained, potential intoxicants in Floyd's system and his underlying health issues, including heart disease, likely contributed to his death. There were no other details about intoxicants, and toxicology results can take weeks. In the 911 call that drew police, the caller described the man suspected of paying with counterfeit money as "awfully drunk and he's not in control of himself".

The criminal complaint noted that the medical examiner's report was preliminary, but said the autopsy "revealed no physical findings that support a diagnosis of traumatic asphyxia or strangulation."

Ben Crump, the attorney representing Floyd's family, soon announced plans to commission the family's own autopsy.
13:55 GMT - Truck driver arrested on suspicion of assault

Authorities say the driver of a semitrailer that rolled into the midst of thousands of people marching on a closed Minneapolis freeway in protest over the death of George Floyd has been arrested on suspicion of assault.

Authorities had said it appeared no one was hurt Sunday, but some witnesses said a handful of people who were on Interstate 35W near downtown Minneapolis sought medical attention on their own. Authorities said they could not confirm that.

A truck drove into a rally protesting the death of George Floyd on the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis, US [Go Nakamura/Reuters]

The freeway was among many shut down in the Minneapolis area for the second night in a row as officials imposed an 8pm (01:00 GMT) curfew and sought to make it more difficult for protesters to move around.

Bystander video showed the crowd parting seconds before the semi rolled through, then the tanker truck gradually slowed and demonstrators swarmed the truck.

Public Safety Commissioner John Harrington said Sunday that it initially appeared from traffic camera footage that the semitrailer was already on the freeway before barricades were set up at 5pm (22:00 GMT). State Corrections Commissioner Paul Schnell said at a later briefing, however, that the truck went around a traffic barrier to stay on the road.

Read witness accounts here.

13:50 GMT - UK PM office: Attacks on journalist 'very concerning'

United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson's spokesman says arrests and assaults on journalists covering protests in the United States are "very concerning."

James Slack said Monday that "journalists all around the world must be free to do their job and to hold authorities to account without fear of arrest or violence."

He said the violence of the past few nights was "very alarming", and noted, "people must be allowed to protest peacefully".

Slack said, "The footage of George Floyd's death was deeply distressing, and our thoughts are with all those who have been affected."

Noting that a police officer has been charged with murder, he said: "We would hope and expect justice to be done."
13:45 GMT - Louisville police kill one

The Louisville, Kentucky, police chief says police officers and US National Guard soldiers enforcing a curfew in Louisville killed a man early Monday when they returned fire after someone in a large group fired at them.

Louisville Metro Police Chief Steve Conrad confirmed the shooting happened around 12:15am (04:15 GMT) outside a business on West Broadway, where police and the National Guard had been called to break up a large group of people gathering in defiance of the city's curfew.

Someone fired a shot at them, and the officers returned fire, the chief said. It was unclear whether the person killed is the one who fired at the law enforcers, he said.

Protests have erupted in Louisville over the shooting death of Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old emergency medical technician who was shot eight times by narcotics detectives who knocked down her front door, as well as the death of George Floyd.
____________________________________________________________________

Hello and welcome to Al Jazeera's continuing coverage of the protests in the US over the deadly arrest of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota. This is Laurin-Whitney Gottbrath in Louisville, Kentucky.

Here are a few things to catch up on:
George Floyd, an unarmed 46-year-old Black man, died on May 25 after a white officer used his knee to pin Floyd's neck to the ground for nearly nine minutes. Floyd can be heard on a bystander video repeatedly pleading with officers, saying "I can't breathe." He eventually lies motionless with the officer's knee still on his neck. You can read about the deadly incident here.
The four officers involved in the incident were fired. Derek Chauvin, the white officer who pinned Floyd down, has been arrested and charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter. Protesters demand the three other officers be charged as well.
Protests - some violent - have since erupted nationwide as demonstrators rally for justice for Floyd and all unarmed Black people killed by police.

See the updates from Sunday's protests here.

SOURCE: AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES
George Floyd death
United States
Racism
Black Lives Matter
US & Canada

UNITED STATES

Over 9,000 arrested as Floyd protests continue: Live Updates

Thousands arrested across US cities including, Los Angeles and New York in the wake of anti-racism protests

by Laurin-Whitney Gottbrath, Jihan Abdalla & Usaid Siddiqui

03 Jun 2020 12:54 GMT

.At least 9,300 people have been arrested across the United States amid the ongoing protests over the death of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man who died last week in police custody in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and police brutality nationwide.
US President Donald Trump has outraged faith leaders and protesters for walking to a historic church near the White House and creating a photo opportunity, just minutes after police used chemical smoke canisters and flashbangs on peaceful protesters to clear the way for the rare walk.
Protesters are demanding all four officers involved be charged in Floyd's death. So far, only one - white officer Derek Chauvin, who knelt on Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes as he pleaded, "I can't breathe" - has been arrested and charged on Friday with third-degree murder and manslaughter. Medical examiners have ruled the death a homicide.
Those protesting against police brutality have been met with, at times, excessive force by authorities. Journalists have also been targeted by police. Officers have also been injured in the protests.
Protesters have remained undeterred by curfews and the presence of the US National Guard in some cities. Largely peaceful protests have turned violent, with looting and vandalism as the night raged on.

Latest updates:
Wednesday, June 3
12:43 GMT - Statue of divisive former Philadelphia Mayor Rizzo removed

Workers removed the statue of controversial former Philadelphia Mayor Frank Rizzo, which was recently defaced during a protest following George Floyd's death.

As National Guard troops deployed in the wake of recent protests watched, a crane lifted the 10-foot-tall (3 metre) bronze statue and workers moved it from its stand outside the Municipal Services Building, across from City Hall. It was loaded onto the back of a truck.

Global protests in solidarity with #BlackLivesMatter

12:25 GMT - Iran's supreme leader condemns 'duplicitous' US human rights policies

Iran’s supreme leader has assailed Washington in the wake of George Floyd’s killing for its allegedly duplicitous policies when it comes to upholding human rights.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei claimed that in America, "they kill people in an open crime, and they do not offer an apology while claiming (to support) human rights".

Khamenei, who has final say on all state matters, added: "Apparently, the African American man who was killed there was not a human being."
12:05 GMT - Germany, shocked by George Floyd death, vows to counter racism

The German government is shocked by the death of George Floyd, an unarmed American black man, at the hands of police and must work to counter racism at home like other countries, a government spokesman said on Wednesday.

"The death of George Floyd ... shocked people in Germany and all over the world, it shocked the federal government [of Germany] too," spokesman Steffen Seibert said. "It is an appalling and avoidable death."

11:45 GMT - 'Of course black lives matter', says British PM Johnson

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Wednesday black lives mattered and he supported the right to protest, in a lawful and socially-distanced way, after the killing by police of George Floyd in the United States stirred widespread anger.

"Of course, black lives matter and I totally understand the anger, the grief that is felt not just in America but around the world and in our country as well," he told parliament.

"I also support, as I've said, the right to protest. The only point I would make ... is that any protest should be carried out lawfully and in this country protests should be carried out in accordance with our rules on social distancing."
11:25 GMT - Britain to hold rally, nationwide kneeling

Anti-racism and Black Lives Matter groups planned a rally in central London and a nationwide kneeling to protest the death of African-American man George Floyd in US police custody.

Black Lives Matter in London encouraged protesters to wear red at an afternoon rally in Hyde Park to "protest against the rights of black people being abused globally."

Stand Up to Racism urged people across Britain to "take the knee on [their] doorstep and/or hold signs ... to say JusticeForGeorgeFloyd BlackLivesMatter" at 6 pm (1700 GMT).


Jeremy Corbyn
✔@jeremycorbyn

Across the country at 6pm people will #TakeTheKnee +/ hold a sign on their doorstep to say #BlackLivesMatter

The millions who stand against racism will be heard.#JusticeForGeorgeFloyd#ICantBreathe
6,040
10:35 PM - Jun 3, 2020
Twitter Ads info and privacy
2,788 people are talking about this
10:45 GMT - Turkey FM calls for justice, 'clear-headedness'

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu called for clear-headedness amid protests over the killing of George Floyd.

"It is unacceptable for police to kill any person in such a way, regardless of race or religion," he added.

"Justice must be done in a way that will relieve everyone's conscience regarding the police who committed this murder," he added.

However, Cavusoglu stressed that protests turning into vandalism would be both inappropriate and dangerous.

"No matter who it is, we do not support such vandalism, not just in the US but also in other countries," he noted.
09:55 GMT - George Floyd: US protesters risk COVID-19 'for health of nation'

Nationwide protests against police brutality in the US have seen thousands of people demonstrating in close quarters, chanting, shouting, and coughing when hit by tear gas, something that has raised concerns over the spread of the coronavirus.

Experts say racialised police violence is a grave and neglected public health crisis for African Americans, threatening not just their lives but increasing their risk of developing stress-related diseases, from heart failure to cancer.

Read more here.

09:25 GMT - Jay-Z buys full-page newspaper ads dedicated to George Floyd

US musician Jay-Z, along with lawyers, activists and victims of police violence, has taken out full-page advertisements in newspapers across the United States in memory of George Floyd, an African-American man who died in police custody.

The ad, which was posted on the Instagram account of Jay-Z's philanthropic project Roc Nation, is captioned "In dedication to George Floyd." It features an excerpt from a speech by the Black civil rights activist Martin Luther King in 1965.

View this post on Instagram

In dedication to George Floyd. #BlackLivesMatter #JusticeforGeorgeFloyd

A post shared by Team Roc (@teamroc) onJun 2, 2020 at 9:56am PDT
09:00 GMT - Celtics coach expresses support for protests

Boston Celtics headcoach Brad Stevens wrote a letter to his players over the weekend in which he expressed his support for them and for the ongoing protests in the United States over racial inequality.

Boston players including Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, Enes Kanter and Vincent Poirier have been among several NBA players to participate in recent protests following the death of George Floyd.

Stevens said in a conference call with reporters on Tuesday that "Every decent person feels the pain of the African American community" anf that he wanted his players to know he stood with them.
08:15 GMT - Pope condemns racism and violence in US, calls for national reconciliation

Pope Francis broke his silence on the unrest in the United States, saying no one can "turn a blind eye to racism and exclusion" but condemning violence as "self-destructive and self-defeating".

Francis, who dedicated the entire English-language section of his weekly audience to the US situation, implored God for national reconciliation and peace.

The pope called the death of George Floyd tragic, and said he was praying for him and all those who had been killed as a result of the 'sin of racism' [Remo Casilli/Pool/EPA]

07:53 GMT - UN chief calls for restraint amid George Floyd protests

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on authorities in the US to exercise restraint in responding to protests over the killing of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died last week after being pinned down by a white police officer.

"I am heartbroken to see violence on the streets in our host country and our host city of New York," Guterres said Tuesday on Twitter.


António Guterres
✔@antonioguterres

I am heartbroken to see violence on the streets in our host country and our host city of New York.

Grievances must be heard, but should be expressed peacefully - and authorities must show restraint in responding to demonstrations.


4,507
8:01 AM - Jun 3, 2020
Twitter Ads info and privacy
1,671 people are talking about this
07:15 GMT - Police confront several hundred in Portland

Several hundred people broke away from a massive peaceful protest in Portland, Oregon, late Tuesday and engaged in a confrontation with police officers guarding a public building.

Police Chief Jami Resch said in a video message posted on Twitter that members of the smaller group tried to tear down fencing set up to protect a facility that holds the police headquarters and a county jail and threw bottles, bats and mortars at officers.

Police declared an unlawful assembly and set off flash-bang grenades and tear gas.

It was not clear how many arrests, if any, had been made.

06:41 GMT - Police shove, make AP journalists stop covering protest

New York City police officers surrounded, shoved and yelled expletives at two Associated Press journalists covering protests Tuesday in the latest aggression against members of the media during a week of unrest around the country.

Portions of the incident were captured on video by videojournalist Robert Bumsted, who was working with photographer Maye-E Wong to document the protests in lower Manhattan over the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

The video shows more than a half-dozen officers confronting the journalists as they filmed and took photographs of police ordering protesters to leave the area near Fulton and Broadway shortly after an 8 p.m. curfew took effect.
06:14 GMT - Atlanta protests disperse after police use tear gas

Most protesters in Atlanta left the city's downtown area, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, after police deployed tear gas to disperse crowds and enforce a 9pm curfew.


Shaddi Abusaid@ShaddiAbusaid

Tempers starting to flare as protesters throw water bottles, shoot fireworks at police.#AtlantaProtest @ajc


24
10:51 AM - Jun 3, 2020
Twitter Ads info and privacy
26 people are talking about this
06:04 GMT - Arrests in New York City amid some looting

Police in New York City arrested scores of protesters after crowds defied an 8pm curfew and reports came in of looting in some parts of the city.

CNN, citing a law enforcement official, said about 200 protesters were arrested and the New York Times said there were break-ins at some shops in Union Square and Astor Place in downtown Manhattan. US media reported that there were fewer acts of looting and violent confrontations than previous nights.

In a Twitter post, Mayor Bill de Blasio said the curfew "is certainly helping".


Mayor Bill de Blasio
✔@NYCMayor

At Barclays Center now. Very calm situation. So far, the curfew is certainly helping, based on everything I’ve seen in Brooklyn and Manhattan over the last three hours.
2,387
1:13 PM - Jun 3, 2020
Twitter Ads info and privacy
5,252 people are talking about this
05:51 GMT - Police use pepper spray, flash bangs to disperse Portland protest

Police in Portland, Oregon, deployed pepper spray, tear gas flash bangs to disperse crowds, according to local media, after a group of protesters in the city's downtown area were throwing "projectiles at officers, including bottles, mortars, bats, fireworks".


Portland Police
✔@PortlandPolice

Due to the criminal activity and unlawful assembly, everyone should leave the downtown core area immediately. Please do not come downtown.
1,383
3:23 PM - Jun 3, 2020
Twitter Ads info and privacy
869 people are talking about this


KATU News
✔@KATUNews

You can see flash bangs and smoke.

Latest protest details: https://katu.com/news/local/police-unleash-pepper-spray-flash-bangs-in-portland-protest … https://twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1RDGlQApzZlJL …


Thousands of demonstrators have again gathered in Portland to protest the killing of George Floyd and police brutality.

KATU News @KATUNews
8
3:07 PM - Jun 3, 2020
Twitter Ads info and privacy
See KATU News's other Tweets
05:39 GMT - Trump defends church photo-op

The US president defended a widely criticised move in which police cleared protesters outside the White House so that he could pose for photographs outside a church damaged in the unrest gripping Washington DC.

"If the protesters were so peaceful, why did they light the Church on fire the night before?" he asked on Twitter. "People liked my walk to this historic place of worship!"


Donald J. Trump
✔@realDonaldTrump

You got it wrong! If the protesters were so peaceful, why did they light the Church on fire the night before? People liked my walk to this historic place of worship! Sen. Susan Collins, Sen. James Lankford, Sen. Ben Sasse. Please read @MZHemingway below. 

https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/1267973369351360517 …
Donald J. Trump
✔@realDonaldTrump

“Media Falsely Claimed Violent Riots Were Peaceful And That Tear Gas Was Used Against Rioters” https://thefederalist.com/2020/06/02/media-falsely-claimed-violent-riots-were-peaceful-and-that-tear-gas-was-used-against-rioters/ …
78.7K
12:28 PM - Jun 3, 2020
Twitter Ads info and privacy
47.6K people are talking about this
05:13 GMT - UN chief 'heartbroken' by New York violence

Antonio Guterres, the secretary-general of the United Nations, called on authorities in the US to "show restraint in responding to demonstrations".

In a Twitter post, he said: "I am heartbroken to see violence on the streets in our host country and host city of New York."


António Guterres
✔@antonioguterres
· 15h

I am heartbroken to see violence on the streets in our host country and our host city of New York.

Grievances must be heard, but should be expressed peacefully - and authorities must show restraint in responding to demonstrations.




António Guterres
✔@antonioguterres

In every society, diversity is a richness - never a threat.

Racism is an abhorrence that we must all reject.
717
8:01 AM - Jun 3, 2020
Twitter Ads info and privacy
240 people are talking about this
03:25 GMT - Church leader: I was helping wipe people's tears away

Reverend Gini Gerbasi, the rector at St John's Episcopal Church of Georgetown, was at the scene when police began to clear protesters outside the historic Episcopal church near the White House for a Trump photo-op.

"I was completely stunned," she told CNN.

"I never would imagine that I would look up and see an entire line of police officers all in this heavy military gear, all black and these shields, literally, pushing and shoving and driving people off of the church patio. I looked up and there they were," she added.

"I was helping wipe away tears in people's eyes ... and suddenly the police were pushing us back.

02:30 GMT - Thousands of protesters on New York City streets after curfew

Thousands of demonstrators protesting the death of Floyd remained on New York City streets after an 8pm (00:00 GMT) curfew.

Mayor Bill de Blasio had doubled down on a citywide curfew, moving it up from 11pm (03:00 GMT) a night earlier, but rejected urging from Trump and an offer from Governor Andrew Cuomo to bring in the National Guard.


Donald J. Trump
✔@realDonaldTrump

NYC, CALL UP THE NATIONAL GUARD. The lowlifes and losers are ripping you apart. Act fast! Don’t make the same horrible and deadly mistake you made with the Nursing Homes!!!
253K
1:10 AM - Jun 3, 2020
Twitter Ads info and privacy
92.5K people are talking about this
People marched in groups of thousands in parts of Manhattan and Brooklyn, as merchants boarded up their businesses. As the curfew time arrived, many were still in the streets and continued marching, with officers initially standing by and allowing them.

But officers started ordering people to move along, and began taking people into custody. Demonstrators who had been on the West Side Highway in lower Manhattan were herded off, with parts of the roadway blocked off behind them.

02:15 GMT - Most Americans sympathise with protests, disapprove of Trump's response: Poll

The majority of Americans sympathise with nationwide protests over Floyd's, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll.

The survey conducted on Monday and Tuesday found that 64 percent of American adults were "sympathetic to people who are out protesting right now," while 27 percent said they were not and 9 percent were unsure.

The poll also underscored the political risks for Trump, who has adopted a hardline approach to the protests and threatened to deploy the US military to quell violent dissent - he faces reelection in November.

More than 55 percent of respondents said they disapproved of Trump's handling of the protests, including 40 percent who "strongly" disapproved, while just one-third said they approved - lower than his overall job approval of 39 percent the poll showed.

01:30 GMT - Protest in DC mostly quiet

The protest in Washington, DC, lacked the tension of the previous nights' demonstrations. The crowd in Lafayette Park near the White House was quiet.

Instead of the spray-painted tags, the protesters went for colourful children's street chalk, writing Black Lives Matter slogans on the asphalt in front of St John's Church.

A demonstrator addresses the crowd gathered in front of a fence surrounding Lafayette Park outside the White House, in Washington, DC, US [Jonathan Ernst/Reuters]

Protesters chanted and talked among themselves, most wearing masks, but not social distancing. The crowd started thinning out after a curfew went into place, although a core group of several hundred remained at the fence, chanting at the line of police and soldiers in riot gear on the other side.

00:45 GMT - George W Bush blasts crackdown on protests

Former President George W Bush said in a statement that he and wife Laura Bush "are anguished by the brutal suffocation of George Floyd and disturbed by the injustice and fear that suffocate our country."

Bush did not specifically mention Trump, but he called the harassment and threats toward African American protesters "a shocking failure".

"It is a strength when protesters, protected by responsible law enforcement, march for a better future... Those who set out to silence those voices do not understand the meaning of America - or how it becomes a better place," he said.

00:00 GMT - Floyd's hometown holds memorial march in his honour

Floyd's hometown of Houston, Texas, held a memorial march to honour him, attended by some 60,000 people, the mayor's office said.

Floyd lived most of his 46 years in Houston's historically Black Third Ward neighbourhood, located about a mile (1.6km) south of the park where the march began.
Tuesday, June 2

22:45 GMT - US Park Police denies use of tear gas to clear protesters

Acting Chief of the United States Park Police (USPP) Gregory Monahan said security forces did not use tear gas against protesters near the White House on Monday, as has been widely reported by US and international media.

He also challenged the reported claim that the protest had been peaceful.

Moments before Trump was set to speak on Monday, law enforcement suddenly marched forward, directly confronting hundreds of protesters who had gathered to protest against the death of George Floyd. Many held up their hands, saying, "Don't shoot."


Donald J. Trump
✔@realDonaldTrump

Washington, D.C., was the safest place on earth last night!
263K
9:22 AM - Jun 3, 2020
Twitter Ads info and privacy
101K people are talking about this
Soon, in images seen on live television, law enforcement officers were seen forcing the protesters back, deploying flashbangs and other riot dispersal weapons into the crowd.

After addressing reporters, Trump then made an unexpected walk from his residence, across Lafayette Park and to the historic St John's Episcopal Church, that was damaged during unrest the night before.

He paused for an apparent photo-op, posing with members of his administration, and holding up a Bible.

In the statement Monahan denied that the protest was peaceful saying, saying "violent protesters" began "throwing projectiles including bricks, frozen water bottles and caustic liquids".

"Intelligence had revealed calls for violence against the police, and officers found caches of glass bottles, baseball bats and metal poles hidden along the street," Monahan said.


Tim Murtaugh - Download the Trump 2020 app today!
✔@TimMurtaugh

U.S. Park Police confirms that “no tear gas was used by USPP officers or other assisting law enforcement partners” in Lafayette Park.

On what did the media base its sensationalized reporting that tear gas was used?

How were media reporting it as fact?

https://www.nps.gov/subjects/uspp/6_2_20_statement_from_acting_chief_monahan.htm …


Statement from United States Park Police acting Chief Gregory T. Monahan about the actions taken...nps.gov
369
7:09 AM - Jun 3, 2020
Twitter Ads info and privacy
286 people are talking about this
He said smoke canisters and pepper balls were used, but denied the use of tear gas.

Pepper balls and tear gas have largely the same effect. They both are aimed at irritating an individual's eyes.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), various riot control agents, including pepper spray, are often referred to as "tear gas".

Monahan made no mention of Trump's walk to the church. Earlier on Monday, US media reported that Attorney General William Barr ordered the area be cleared just before the Trump spoke in the White House Rose Garden

Read more here.

21:45 GMT - I want justice: Mother of Floyd's daughter makes heartbreaking plea

In an emotional plea, the mother of Floyd's daughter demanded justice for him, saying he was a good father who did not deserve to die face down on the pavement, pinned under the weight of three police officers.

With her six-year-old daughter Gianna clinging to her, Roxie Washington told reporters she wants all four officers involved in Floyd's death to be held accountable for his death.

"At the end of the day, they get to go home and be with their families," Washington said. "Gianna doesn't have a father. He will never see her grow up, graduate. He will never walk her down the aisle."

George Floyd's daughter, Gianna Floyd, age 6 holding her mother's arm during a press conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota, US [Nicholas Pfosi/Reuters]

Gianna clung to her mother, at times with a frown on her face.

"He loved her, he loved her so much," Washington said of Floyd's feelings for their daughter. "I'm here for my baby. I'm here for George because I want justice for him, and I want justice for him because he was good. No matter what anybody thinks, he was good."

Read more here.

21:30 GMT - US Senate Republicans block bill condemning Trump on protesters

US Senate Republicans blocked a Democratic resolution that would have condemned Trump for the use of gas and rubber bullets against peaceful protesters near the White House.

On Monday, federal officials cleared protesters near the White House just before Trump marched through to pose holding a Bible outside a boarded-up church. That, and Trump's threat to deploy federal troops to quell unrest, has deepened outrage among protesters.

Police clearing demonstrators gathered during a protest over the death of George Floyd, near the White House in Washington. [Alex Brandon/AP Photo]

20:30 GMT - Indianapolis mayor extends curfew for 3rd night

Indianapolis' mayor extended an overnight curfew into a third night.

Mayor Joe Hogsett's office said officers would continue to use an "education first" approach before arresting people who violate the curfew, which will run from 9 pm Tuesday until 6 am Wednesday.

During the curfew, residents cannot travel on public streets or be out in public unless they are traveling directly to or from work, their jobs involve travel, are seeking medical care or are fleeing danger.

20:25 GMT - New Jersey to overhaul police use-of-force guidelines

Citing Floyd's death, New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal said the state will update its guidelines governing the use of force by police for the first time in two decades and will move to require a statewide licensing program for all officers.

"To the thousands of New Jerseyans that assembled peacefully this week let me be clear: we hear you, we see you, we respect you, we share your anger and we share your commitment to change," Grewal said during a news conference.

Protesters rally against of George Floyd, at Foley Square in the Manhattan borough of New York City, US [Mike Segar/Reuters]

20:20 GMT - Governor says Texas won't seek military support for protests

Texas Governor Greg Abbott said his state would not request military support after President Donald Trump threatened to deploy troops across the US to confront protesters.

Abbott also said he was not asked to send Texas National Guard members to the District of Columbia after days of violent demonstrations there led to fires, destroyed businesses and the use tear gas and flash bangs, including on peaceful protesters. 

20:15 GMT - US attorney general asked for protesters to be pushed back

US Attorney General William Barr personally asked for protesters to be pushed back from Washington's Lafayette Square the Washington Post reported, just before Trump spoke from the White House Rose Garden.

Demonstrators walking in downtown Washington near the White House as protests continue over the death in police custody of George Floyd, in Washington, US [Jonathan Ernst/Reuters]

Following a brief speech on Monday, Trump walked out of the White House, with a heavy security detail, across Lafayette Square to St. John's Episcopal Church, where he stopped in front of boarded-up windows and held up a Bible for cameras before walking back to the White House.

The Washington Post reported that Barr made the request about pushing back protesters from the square after finding a previous decision to widen the security perimeter around the White House had not been acted upon.

20:10 GMT - Facebook staff walkout, Zuckerberg defends no action on Trump posts

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg told employees that he stood by his decision not to challenge inflammatory posts by Trump, refusing to give ground.

A group of Facebook employees - nearly all of them working at home due to the coronavirus pandemic - walked off the job on Monday.

They complained the company should have acted against Trump's posts about protests containing the phrase "when the looting starts, the shooting starts."

Zuckerberg told employees Facebook had conducted a thorough review and was right to leave the posts unchallenged, a company spokeswoman said. She said Zuckerberg also acknowledged the decision had upset many people working at the company.

Read more here.

19:25 GMT - Minnesota files rights complaint against police in Floyd's death

The state of Minnesota filed a human rights complaint against the Minneapolis Police Department in the death of George Floyd.

Governor Tim Walz and the Minnesota Department of Human Rights announced the filing at a news conference.

The department enforces the state's human rights act, particularly as it applies to discrimination in employment, housing, education, public accommodations and public services. Mediation is one of its first-choice tools, but the cases it files can lead to fuller investigations and sometimes end up in litigation.

The investigation will examine the" department's policies, procedures, and practices over the past 10 years to determine if they engaged in systemic discriminatory practices," Walz says.

The Minneapolis Police Department has faced decades of allegations brutality and other discrimination against African Americans and other minorities, even within the department itself. Critics say its culture resists change, despite the elevation of Medaria Arradondo as its first black police chief in 2017.

Arradondo himself was among five black officers who sued the police department in 2007 over alleged discrimination in promotions, pay, and discipline. They said in their lawsuit that the department had a history of tolerating racism and discrimination. The city eventually settled the lawsuit for $740,000.

18:41 GMT - Ohio's GOP senator says military shouldn't be sent into his state

Ohio's Republican senator said Tuesday the US military shouldn't be sent into his home state.

"That should be a local decision," said Rob Portman, who lives in the Cincinnati area. "It should be what the mayors and governors want ... I don't see that happening right now. ... The National Guard certainly in Ohio is capable of handling the situation."

Trump is vowing to send the military into states to quell protests over the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody if state authorities don't restore order.

Questioned sharply by Ohio reporters about the president's recent actions and rhetoric, Portman said he agrees with Trump on such positions as expediting the federal probe of the latest death of a black person in police custody and on the need to stop violence.

"But I do believe he can and should do more ... you know, words matter. And we need to be sure we're not inflaming this situation," Portman said. "This is a time for healing, it's a time to calm things down so we can have a dialogue. And I think that's what's needed right now."

17:25 GMT - Democrats plan to introduce legislation in response to George Floyd killing

US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday promised legislation on racial profiling and other issues raised by the police killing of George Floyd, while other lawmakers warned against using troops to quell protests sweeping across the United States.

House Democrats are mulling proposals on a number of topics. But Pelosi described the racial profiling of suspects as a "universal" issue "that we must be rid of."

"In a matter of just a short time ... decisions will be made and I think the American people will be well served," she said.

Pelosi and other Democrats attacked President Donald Trump's handling of protests after tear gas and rubber bullets were used to clear peaceful protesters from outside the White House, just before he marched through the area and posed at a church with a Bible.

17:02 GMT - Biden levels blistering attack on Trump for church photo-op

In his first major address in weeks, former Vice President Joe Biden on Tuesday promised not to "fan the flames of hate" if elected president and instead seek "to heal the racial wounds that have long plagued" the United States.

Biden, a Democrat who will most likely face the Republican Trump in the November 3 election, was particularly critical of the president's decision on Monday to stand for a photo beside an historic church across from the White House after law enforcement authorities tear-gassed protesters to clear the area.

"When peaceful protesters are dispersed by the order of the president from the doorstep of the people's house, the White House - using tear gas and flash grenades - in order to stage a photo op at a noble church, we can be forgiven for believing that the president is more interested in power than in principle," Biden said.

Read more here. 

16:50 GMT - Floyd public memorials, viewings announced

The lawyers for Floyd's family have released the details for the public memorials and funeral for Floyd

Minneapolis, Minnesota, Memorial:
Date: Thursday, June 4
Time: 1pm (18:00 GMT)

Raeford, North Carolina, Public Viewing and Memorial:
Date: Saturday, June 6
Time: Public viewing 11am-1pm (15:00-17:00 GMT)
Memorial 3pm (19:00 GMT)

Protestors gather near the makeshift memorial in honour of George Floyd marking one week anniversary of his death in Minneapolis, Minnesota [Chandan Khanna/AFP]

Houston, Texas, Public Viewing:
Date: Monday, June 8
Time: 12 - 6pm CT (17:00 GMT-23:00 GMT)

Houston, Texas, Memorial:
Date: Tuesday, June 9
Time: 11am (16:00 GMT)


Benjamin Crump, Esq.
✔@AttorneyCrump

Please pray for the family as they prepare for #GeorgeFloyd's homegoing services. They will host public viewings and memorials in Minnesota, North Carolina, and Texas. #JusticeForGeorgeFloyd #SayHisName #JusticeForGeorge #JusticeForFloyd


277
2:19 AM - Jun 3, 2020
Twitter Ads info and privacy
156 people are talking about this
16:15 GMT - NYC will be under evening curfew all week

New York's mayor extended an 8pm curfew all week in hopes of stopping destruction that continued overnight despite the city's efforts to stop protests over George Floyd's death from devolving into lawless mayhem.

"We're going to have a tough few days. We're going to beat it back," Mayor Bill de Blasio said at a news conference Tuesday as he announced that an 8pm-to-5am curfew would hold through Sunday.

The plan came after a night when chaos broke out in midtown Manhattan and the Bronx.

On Monday, an 11pm curfew - the city's first in decades - failed to prevent destruction as groups of people smashed their way into shops, including Macy's flagship Manhattan store.

Police said nearly 700 people were arrested and several officers were injured during the chaos Monday night and early Tuesday.
16:00 GMT - Virginia governor rejects national guard request

Virginia Governor Ralph Northam rejected a request from Secretary of Defense Mark Esper to send between 3,000 to 5,000 of the state's national guard to Washington, DC, as part of a massive show of force organised by the Trump administration in response to violent protests, according to Northam's chief of staff, Clark Mercer.

Mercer said Trump's comments to governors in a phone call Monday, in which the president said most governors were "weak" and needed to "dominate" the streets, played a role in the decision.

"The president's remarks to the governors heightened our concerns about how the guard would be used," he said.
15:34 GMT - Faith leaders decry Trump photo op, police actions

Faith leaders in Washington, DC, have continued to express outrage over Trump's photo-op at the historic St John's Episcopal Church.

"I am outraged. The president did not pray when he came to St John's, nor as you just articulated, did he acknowledge the agony of our country right now," Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde told CNN.

Wilton Gregory, the Archbishop of Washington, meanwhile decried Trump's planned visit to Saint John Paul II National Shrine on Tuesday.

"I find it baffling and reprehensible that any Catholic facility would allow itself to be so egregiously misused and manipulated in a fashion that violates our religious principles, which call us to defend the rights of all people even those with whom we might disagree," Gregory, the first African American Catholic Archbishop of Washington, said in a statement.


DC Archdiocese@WashArchdiocese

.@WashArchbishop Gregory has released a statement on the president's visit to the Saint John Paul II National Shrine.https://adw.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/06/060220-ADW-Press-Release.pdf …


27.2K
1:15 AM - Jun 3, 2020
Twitter Ads info and privacy
17K people are talking about this
"Saint Pope John Paul II was an ardent defender of the rights and dignity of human beings," he added "His legacy bears vivid witness to that truth. He certainly would not condone the use of tear gas and other deterrents to silence."
15:30 GMT - Music industry heavyweights vow to observe 'Black Out Tuesday'

The music industry is turning off the music on Tuesday and suspending business as usual to reflect and implement change in response to the death of George Floyd and the killings of other Black people.

Several top record labels organised Black Out Tuesday as violent protests erupted around the world, sparked by Floyd's death as well as the killings of Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor. MTV and BET went dark for eight minutes and 46 seconds (the amount of time a white police officer knelt on Floyd's neck before he died) in support of Black Lives Matter and racial injustice. Music-based companies Live Nation, as well as the Recording Academy, posted to social media that they planned to support and stand with the Black community.

Read more here.

15:28 GMT - Minnesota attorney general working as fast as possible on decision on additional charges

Minnesota's attorney general says prosecutors are working as fast as they can to determine whether more charges will be filed against officers involved in the death of George Floyd, but they also have to work carefully and methodically.

Attorney General Keith Ellison was appointed lead prosecutor in the case Sunday. He told the television news programme Good Morning America on Tuesday that those who have culpability will be held accountable.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison answers questions during a news conference in St Paul, Minnesota [File: John Autey/Pioneer Press/AP Photo]

Ellison says despite the widely viewed bystander video of Floyd's final moments, cases against police are hard. He pointed to the deaths of Freddie Gray and Philando Castile, and the beating of Rodney King, as examples of cases where striking video of an incident did not lead to convictions of officers.

Ellison did not give a timeline for any new charges. All four officers have been fired.
15:18 GMT - Democratic leaders push back on Trump threat to deploy military

Kansas Governor Laura Kelly says that bringing the military "into this contentious moment" would do more harm than good.

Kelly on Monday expressed sympathy for George Floyd's family, families of other people killed by police and people outraged by Floyd's "tragic murder". She promised to work to address systemic racism.

"We need our leaders - myself included - to listen to those who felt their only means of being heard was to take to the street in protest," Kelly said after President Donald Trump threatened to deploy the military to states if they did not stamp out violent protests.

"We need action to change the systemic inequalities we have ignored for far too long. We need to stop with the divisive language and instead, come together and do what's right for our state," Kelly added.

She noted that Kansas protests have been peaceful and promised to work closely with local officials to ensure public safety.

Mayor Muriel Bowser, the Democratic mayor of Washington, DC, meanwhile, said on CNN on Tuesday that it is inappropriate for the military to be used for police work on DC streets.

"We don't think that the active-duty military should be used on American streets against Americans," she said.

"It's an inappropriate use of our military. And we have police in Washington, DC. We have federal police in Washington, DC, to focus on the federal properties, and that is an appropriate use. Police have policing power, and bringing in the military to do police work is inappropriate in any state in the United States of America without the consent of the governor, and it would be inappropriate in Washington, DC."

Trump has threatened to deploy the military if states don't take harsher measures to quell unrest.

15:00 GMT - Area around White House sealed off

The streets around the White House complex were shut Tuesday morning, guarded by a mix of Secret Service officers and FBI agents.

Overnight, a fence was constructed around Lafayette Park and along 17th Street at Pennsylvania Avenue, two areas that have been focal points for protests.

The White House is visible behind a large security fence as uniformed Secret Service and FBI agents stand on the street in front of Lafayette Park in the morning hours in Washington, Tuesday, June 2, 2020, as protests continue over the death of George Floyd. Floyd died after being restrained by Minneapolis police officers. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) [The Associated Press]


A picture of George Floyd is posted on a boarded-up window, following national protests against his death in Minneapolis police custody, near the White House in Washington, DC [Jonathan Ernst/Reuters]

Demonstrators gather to protest the death of George Floyd near the White House in Washington, DC. Floyd died after being restrained by Minneapolis police officers [Evan Vucci/AP Photo] 

Trump holds up a Bible during a photo opportunity in front of St John's Episcopal Church in the midst of ongoing protests over racial inequality in the wake of the death of George Floyd while in Minneapolis police custody [Tom Brenner/Reuters]

14:50 GMT - Man gives shelter to 70 protesters

A man in Washington, DC said he sheltered about 70 protesters in his home all night after they got caught between police lines after curfew.

Rahul Dubey told WJLA-TV he was sitting on his porch around 8:30pm last night when law enforcement officers began corralling protesters on his street. He let some sit with him, and helped others out through his back alley, but the situation then escalated when officers started pushing protesters to the ground and releasing pepper spray, creating a "human tsunami" that flooded into his home.

"I was hanging on my railing yelling, 'Get in the house! Get in the house!'" he told The Washington Post.

Officers also released pepper spray through the window after he closed the door, Dubey told WJLA-TV. The protesters inside the home screamed, and started pouring water and milk into their eyes, which were reddened by tear gas, in a scene he described as "pure mayhem".

The protesters left the home after 6am Tuesday when the district's curfew ended.

14:45 GMT - St Louis police fired on

Police in St Louis say officers in a marked police car were fired on early Tuesday from a car occupied by suspected looters.

The incident led to a chase that ended in the suburb of Jennings, where one of the suspects was shot. Police said the incident was separate from a shooting around midnight Monday in which four St Louis officers were shot and injured.

The Jennings shooting began when officers in a marked police car on the north side of St Louis - who were searching for looting suspects - were fired on from men inside a car, police said. That led to a chase that ended in Jennings, just north of St. Louis, when the three suspects bailed out of the car, and one was shot by a St Louis County officer, police said.

One man, identified only as 21 years old, was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries. Police said another man who had been in the car was arrested, and a third escaped.

No officers were injured in the Jennings shooting.

____________________________________________________________________

Hello and welcome to Al Jazeera's continuing coverage of the protests in the US over the deadly arrest of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota. This is Laurin-Whitney Gottbrath in Louisville, Kentucky.

Here are a few things to catch up on:
George Floyd, an unarmed 46-year-old Black man, died on May 25 after a white officer used his knee to pin Floyd's neck to the ground for nearly nine minutes. Floyd can be heard on a bystander video repeatedly pleading with officers, saying "I can't breathe." He eventually lies motionless with the officer's knee still on his neck. You can read about the deadly incident here.
The four officers involved in the incident were fired. Derek Chauvin, the white officer who pinned Floyd down, has been arrested and charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter. Protesters demand the three other officers be charged as well.
Protests - some violent - have since erupted nationwide as demonstrators rally for justice for Floyd and all unarmed Black people killed by police.

See the updates from Sunday's protests here.

SOURCE: AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES

George Floyd death
United States
Racism
Black Lives Matter
US & Canada