Armed man aims car at US protesters, one shot in Seattle as UK protests turn violent
Video footage has emerged of the moment a man drove a car at George Floyd protesters in Seattle, hit a barricade then got out with a gun in his hand. WARNING: Graphic
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Video footage has emerged of the moment a man drove a car at George Floyd protesters in Seattle, hit a barricade then exited the vehicle brandishing a pistol.
At least one person was injured in the shocking incident (watch above).
The Seattle Fire Department said the victim was a 27-year-old male who was shot and taken to a hospital in stable condition.
Video taken by a reporter for The Seattle Times showed part of the scene in the city’s Capitol Hill neighbourhood, where demonstrators have gathered for days near a police precinct.
Police later said the suspect was taken into custody and a firearm was recovered.
It comes as American politicians have vowed to “de-fund” and even “dismantle” police forces as huge Black Lives Matter protests continued across the US and rallies turned violent against cops in the UK.
In a stunning development, nine of 12 members of Minneapolis City Council have vowed to “dismantle” their city’s police force, which is at the centre of the George Floyd protests after a white cop knelt on the black man’s neck. Floyd died in custody.
The Minneapolis Police Force is the same one that produced Mohamed Noor - the cop who shot dead Australian Justine Damond.
The Mayors of New York and Los Angeles have also declared they will “de-fund” their police forces - reduce their funding - in line with the demands of protesters.
The nation is now set to see a major backlash from the country’s powerful police unions.
In incredible scenes, the youthful Mayor of Minneapolis, Jacob Frey, was publicly humiliated by protesters when he refused their demand to close down the city’s police force. He had to do a “walk of shame” through booing protesters as he left the scene, clearly shattered and upset.
Members of the council later said they would move to dismantle the police force anyway.
Meanwhile, anti-racism protests in Britain have been “subverted by thuggery”, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said, warning those responsible will be held to account after disturbing images of injured police emerged.
“People have a right to protest peacefully and while observing social distancing but they have no right to attack the police,” Mr Johnson said.
“These demonstrations have been subverted by thuggery - and they are a betrayal of the cause they purport to serve. Those responsible will be held to account.”
COP SOAKED IN BLOOD AS UK TURNS INTO CHAOS
Boris Johnson has denounced the “thuggery” of protesters who turned Britain’s streets into chaos for a second day, with bloodied police officers targeted with bottles.
Winston Churchill’s statue was defaced and a lone protester tried to set the Union Jack on fire at The Cenotaph, a major war memorial in London.
In Bristol there were scenes reminiscent of Saddam Hussein’s statue being torn down in Iraq, when the figure of Edward Colston, a 17th century slave trader was thrown into the harbour.
Protesters also closed major roads across the UK as the Black Lives Matter movement, sparked by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis continued.
However, some video footage on social media showed a female protester telling people to stop throwing objects at police.
Mr Johnson said the anti-racism demonstrations had been “subverted by thuggery”.
“People have a right to protest peacefully and while observing social distancing but they have no right to attack the police,” he said.
“These demonstrations have been subverted by thuggery - and they are a betrayal of the cause they purport to serve.
“Those responsible will be held to account.”
Police were chased down the streets near Parliament Square and Downing Street, with some officers injured and bloodied in the attacks.
A police officer fell off her horse on the weekend in earlier violent protests.
Churchill’s statue in London was defaced for a second day, with protesters spraying the words “was a racist” under the name of the man regarded as a war hero in Britain.
Neil O’Brien, a Conservative MP, tweeted a picture of the graffiti, saying: “Wait until they find out about the other guy.”
The statue of Colston, erected in 1895, has been a target for protesters before, with some angry about Bristol’s links to the man who developed the town but also shipped slaves to America.
However, Home Secretary Priti Patel has said the toppling of the statue was “utterly disgraceful”.
“The acts of public disorder that actually have now become a distraction from the cause in which people are actually protesting about and trying to empathise and sympathise with,” she said.
“It’s right actually the police follow up on that and make sure that justice is undertaken with those individuals who are responsible for such disorderly and lawless behaviour.”
Marvin Rees, the mayor of Bristol, supported the protesters despite the vandalism and the coronavirus risks.
“Thank you to everyone who took part peacefully and respected the need to protect their communities as the Covid-19 pandemic continues,” he said.
“Let’s make the legacy of today about the future of our city, tackling racism and inequality. I call on everyone to challenge racism and inequality in every corner of our city and wherever we see it.”
US POLITICIANS CAVE TO DEMANDS TO CUT POLICE FUNDS
The embattled Mayor of New York, Bill de Blasio, has joined his Los Angeles counterpart in bowing to Black Lives Matter protesters’ demands to “de-fund cops”.
In a move that will draw a major backlash in a city where its police force holds iconic status, Mr de Blasio gave in to calls from George Floyd protesters across America to reduce funding for police.
He said New York would move funding from NYPD to youth services - but he was short on details.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has vowed to cut as much as $A250 million that was part of a planned increase in the police department’s budget
“We’re committed to seeing a shift of funding to youth services, to social services, that will happen literally in the course of the next three weeks, but I’m not going to go into detail because it is subject to negotiation and we want to figure out what makes sense,” Mr de Blasio said.
Mr de Blasio is a Democrat, but he has frequently been overridden in embarrassing fashion by fellow Democrat Governor Andrew Cuomo during the COVID-19 crisis.
It follows a humiliating scene in Minneapolis where the young Mayor, Jacob Frey, just 38, was put on the spot by protesters who demanded to know if he would close down the besieged Minneapolis Police Department.
“Jacob Frey, we have a yes or no question for you: yes or no, will you commit to defunding the Minneapolis Police Department?” asked a protest leader.
The mayor appears hesitant before the woman repeats her question, to which Mayor Frey shakes his head and replies: “I do not support defunding the Minneapolis police.”
The group of demonstrators immediately erupt in jeers as the woman points at Frey and says, “Get the f**k outta here!”
The dejected mayor looked humiliated as he shuffled through the crowd as protesters repeatedly shouted “shame!” as he left the scene.
In one viral video shared on Twitter, a protester appears to shout right behind Frey’s back as the mayor retreated.
While Mayor Frey was taunted by protesters, radical left Congresswoman Ilhan Omar called the city’s police force “rotten to the root” at another protest in Minneapolis.
“It’s time to disband the Minneapolis Police Department,” Ms Omar declared.
“I will never cosign on funding a police department that continues to brutalise us and I will never stop saying, not only do we need to dis-invest police but we need to completely dismantle the Minneapolis Police Department.”
“The Minneapolis Police Department is rotten to the root,” Omar continued.
“And so when we dismantle it, we get rid of that cancer and we allow for something to rise. And that reimagining allows us to figure out what public safety looks like.”
Fellow left-winger New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has also called on the defunding of police in New York City to the tune of $1A.6 billion.
A Defund the Police petition has gotten celebrity support from the likes of John Legend, Chris Martin of Coldplay and Joaquin Phoenix. They are demanding police budgets be cut and money invested into education, community programs and healthcare.
“Despite continued profiling, harassment, terror and killing of Black communities, local and federal decision-makers continue to invest in the police, which leaves Black people vulnerable and our communities no safer,” the petition says.
President Trump has also accused presumptive Democratic candidate Joe Biden of wanting to defund the police after Mr Biden promised a national police oversight commission in the first days of his administration if he is elected in November.
Mr Biden has also called for police departments across the country to review their hiring policies.
“Most cops meet the highest standards of their profession. All the more reason that bad cops should be dealt with severely and swiftly. We all need to take a hard look at the culture that allows for these senseless tragedies to keep happening,” Biden said during a speech last week in Philadelphia.
TRUMP ORDERS NATIONAL GUARD TO STAND DOWN
President Donald Trump has ordered the National Guard to begin withdrawing from Washington, D.C. now that protests are “under perfect control”.
Trump announced in a tweet on Sunday that soldiers “will be going home” following Saturday’s anti-racism protests but warned they could return “if needed”.
“I have just given an order for our National Guard to start the process of withdrawing from Washington, D.C., now that everything is under perfect control,” he said.
“They will be going home, but can quickly return, if needed. Far fewer protesters showed up last night than anticipated!”
Although Saturday’s demonstration in the nation’s capital was the largest yet, it was mostly peaceful and no arrests were made, according to Axios.
The presence of federal law enforcement in the heart of America had caused friction between Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser and Trump.
The DC mayor suggested on Sunday that Trump’s decision to send in the National Guard incited more unrest and caused even more people to show up to protest over the last few days.
“What Americans saw was federal police forces tear gassing peaceful Americans. And how they responded made clear to the president that Americans would exercise their First Amendment rights and they would do it peacefully,” Bowser said in an interview with ABC’s This Week.
“And what he actually did, as you saw for the remaining days, was turn out more people, and more people who were there for peaceful protest.”
National Guard soldiers shielded the president’s residence on Saturday as tens of thousands of protesters descended upon Washington DC to march against racism.
Grassroots activists called on Americans to show solidarity 12 days after the death of George Floyd, who was killed in police custody on May 25 in Minneapolis.
Black fences between seven and nine feet high were erected around the perimeter of the White House to prevent protesters from accessing it.
Military vehicles and officers in fatigues closed off much of downtown Washington to traffic ahead of the demonstration
Thousands gathered at the Lincoln and Washington Memorials before converging at the White House.
Despite the armed guards and soldiers, the president said he was unimpressed with Saturday’s turnout.
“Much smaller crowd in D.C. than anticipated,” he said.
“National Guard, Secret Service, and D.C. Police have been doing a fantastic job. Thank you!”
NYC ENDS CURFEW
Mayor Bill de Blasio lifted the Big Apple’s controversial curfew a day early.
“New York City: We are lifting the curfew, effective immediately,” Mr de Blasio tweeted, ending the planned final night of the city shutting down to help curb looting and violent protests that plagued the city earlier in the week.
“Yesterday and last night we saw the very best of our city. Tomorrow we take the first big step to restart,” he said of Phase 1 of the four-part plan to end the coronavirus lockdown.
“Keep staying safe. Keep looking out for each other,” he wrote.
The mayor had ordered the curfew last Monday alongside Gov. Andrew Cuomo, after vandals used mass demonstrations spurred by the videotaped in-custody death of George Floyd as cover to loot stores.
Until the announcement, the city was set to go into a final lockdown at 8pm Sunday, finally ending at 5am Monday.
It had been controversial from the get-go, with the announcement shocking politicians and coming just hours after NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea said it would not work in the city.
De Blasio had previously refused to lift it early, even amid legal challenges claiming it violated New Yorkers’ civil rights.
SEATTLE PROTESTS TURN UGLE WITH FLASH BANGS
Police used flash bang devices and pepper spray to disperse a crowd of protesters in Seattle on Saturday night (local time), the ninth consecutive day of George Floyd protests in the city.
The mayhem in the city’s Capitol Hill neighbourhood followed a large, peaceful demonstration earlier in the day with medical workers demonstrating against racism and police brutality.
It also came a day after Mayor Jenny Durkan and Police Chief Carmen Best imposed a 30-day moratorium on the department’s use of one kind of tear gas.
KING-TV reports that a small group of protesters started throwing objects at officers about 7:30pm on Saturday (12.30pm Sunday, AEST).
Police ordered the crowd to move, then used incendiary devices.
After police were severely criticised by protesters and public officials alike for using tear gas and pepper spray to disperse largely peaceful crowds, Durkan and Best said Friday outside groups would review and update crowd-control policies, including the use of pepper spray and deadly force techniques such as neck and choke holds.
She and the mayor added that the ban on one kind of tear gas known as CS could be extended if groups need more time for policy review.
PROTESTERS TOPPLE CONFEDERATE STATUE IN VIRGINIA CAPITAL
A small group of demonstrators toppled a statue of a Confederate general in the former capital of the Confederacy late Saturday, following a day of largely peaceful protests in the Virginia city. The statue of Gen. Williams Carter Wickham was pulled from its pedestal in Monroe Park, a Richmond police spokeswoman said. She said she did not know if there were any arrests or damage done to the statue.
A rope had been tied around the Confederate statue, which has stood since 1891, The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported, adding that someone urinated on the statue after it was pulled down. Photos and video from the newspaper showed the what appeared to be red paint splashed or sprayed on the statue.
In 2017, some of Wickham’s descendants urged the city to remove the statue. Confederate monuments are a major flashpoint in Virginia and elsewhere in the South. Confederate memorials began coming down after a white supremacist killed nine black people at a Bible study in a church in South Carolina in 2015 and then again after the deadly white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017.
Last week, Gov. Ralph Northam announced that a state-owned statue of former Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee would be removed from its perch on the famed Monument Avenue “as soon as possible.”
The Lee statue is one of five Confederate monuments along Monument Avenue, a prestigious residential street and National Historic Landmark district. Monuments along the avenue have been rallying points during protests in recent days over Floyd’s death, and they have been tagged with graffiti, including messages that say “End police brutality” and “Stop white supremacy.”
Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney last week announced plans to seek the removal of the other Confederate monuments along Monument Avenue, which include statues of Confederate President Jefferson Davis and Confederate Gens. Stonewall Jackson and J.E.B. Stuart. Those statues sit on city land, unlike the Lee statue, which is on state property.
Stoney said he would introduce an ordinance July 1 to have the statues removed. That’s when a new law goes into effect, which was signed earlier this year by Northam, that undoes an existing state law protecting Confederate monuments and instead lets local governments decide their fate.
Wickham’s statue stood in Monroe Park, about a mile away from the Lee statue and surrounded by the Virginia Commonwealth University campus.
POLICE HORSE BOLTS IN CHAOTIC PROTEST
Violent clashes have erupted at the Black Lives Matter protests in London with a demonstrator hurling a bike at a police horse on Whitehall.
The horse bolted down Whitehall and the female officer riding it slammed into a traffic light and fell from her saddle injured and seemingly unconscious. The horse continued galloping down Whitehall where it collided with a woman protester before being brought under control.
The Metropolitan Police said: “The officer is currently in hospital, receiving treatment for her injuries which are not life-threatening. The officer fell from her horse, and we are examining the full circumstances of what took place.” They added that 14 arrests were made today and 10 officers were injured.
Originally published as Armed man aims car at US protesters, one shot in Seattle as UK protests turn violent