George Floyd protests: Line of police cars smashed and set alight in Philadelphia

Rioters are smashing lines of police cars, riding them through the streets and set them alight in Philadelphia as unrest continues across the US.

Protesters smashed a line of police cars and rode them through the streets, before setting the vehicles alight in Philadelphia as unrest continues across the US.

Protests, violence, looting and unrest has spread to numerous cities across the US and raged for a fifth night, sparked by the death of African-American man George Floyd, who was killed by white police officer Derek Chauvin. The protests against systemic racism and police brutality in some cities have spiralled into wanton destruction of property and looting.

Video shows lines of police cars smashed and ransacked by a group of protesters, who ride one of the vehicles through the street before it smashes into another police cruiser in the west of the Pennsylvanian city.

The police cars were then looted by the rioters, who stole police hats, backpacks and other items, throwing documents across the street. The cars were then set alight.

RELATED: Follow our live coverage of the George Floyd protests

POLICE CARS DESTROYED: Rioters destroy a line of police cars, ghost riding them into each other and setting them on fire in West Philadelphia.

MORE: https://t.co/Xm93XDEQV4 pic.twitter.com/8qcjnBHaHI

— FOX 29 (@FOX29philly) May 31, 2020

As the protests continue across the US, numerous levels of the police and armed forces have upped their response, firing on demonstrators with tear gas, rubber bullets and hitting them with batons and fists. Numerous journalists have also been targeted in violent attacks by police.

Up to 13 police officers were injured in protests in Philadelphia on Saturday in the middle of the city, according to the city’s Commissioner Danielle Outlaw. Officials do not have an update on the number of injured civilians.

On Saturday, protesters targeted and defaced a statue of former mayor and police officer Frank Rizzo. The statue had a paper bag put over its head and was sprayed with anti-police messages.

Police push down a street in Philadelphia on Saturday. Picture: Matt Rourke/AP

Looters leave a shoe store in Philadelphia. Picture: Matt Rourke/AP

Gave proof through the night that Frank Rizzo's still there. #Cityofbrotherlylove pic.twitter.com/vDiimrpg4Z

— David Hiltbrand (@DaveOnDemand_TV) May 31, 2020

The police were injured while trying to control the crowds, arrest people and prevent trespassing and vandalism, according to Commissioner Outlaw, who said officers were pelted with liquid and solid items.

Seven officers were treated for chemical burns to their faces and four officers had head injuries.

Four officers had injuries to their extremities, according to FOX29.

Police arrested more than 200 people in the city, and more than 138 of those were for violating a newly imposed city curfew, preventing people from being outside at night. Some 48 were arrested for looting and burglary and eight were charged with theft or assaulting an officer.

Vandalism in the city. Picture: Matt Slocum/AP

Lines of police cars were smashed and set alight. Picture: FOX29

In the high-end shopping district of West Walnut and West Chestnut Streets, looting continued from Saturday night through to Sunday morning. Reports of looting also came from Kensington and Port Richmond business on Sunday.

The protests are taking place in at least 25 cities across the US, with many minor cities reporting looting, violence and vandalism and receiving little or no media coverage.

"We haven’t seen a spasm of riots like this since the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1968," a US historian Douglas Brinkley told CNN on Sunday morning.

"There were more deadly and expensive riots in the 1960s — like Newark, Detroit and Watts — but there is no comparison to the toxic combination of George Floyd’s murder, COVID-19 and economic depression,” Mr Brinkley said.

“2020 is an election year and our entire democratic process is bursting at the seams.

“This will be known as the summer of fright and loathing in America.”