George Floyd US protests: Washington up in flames as protests escalate, police arrest tanker driver
Tensions have spiked outside the White House, the scene of three days of demonstrations, where multiple fires have been ‘intentionally lit’.
- Speeding truck misses crowd
- Biden visits protest scene
- Trump threatens Antifa
- Morrison disturbed by protests
Protesters are again taking to the streets across the United States to voice their fury at police brutality as the Trump administration branded the instigators of five nights of rioting domestic terrorists. A tanker driver has been arrested in Minneapolis after driving his vehicle at speed on a freeway packed with protesters. Curfews are in place across more than two dozen cities and the National Guard is out in force alongside police in at least 11 states to try to bring an end to the most widespread race protests in decades fuelled by the death of George Floyd.
Associated Press 7.40pm Volcano of violence forced Trump into bunker
Secret Service agents rushed President Donald Trump to a White House bunker as hundreds of protesters gathered outside theexecutive mansion, some of them throwing rocks and tugging at police barricades.
Mr Trump spent nearly an hour on Friday night (Saturday AEST) in the bunker, which was designed for use in emergencies suchas terrorist attacks, according to a Republican close to the White House.
The account was confirmed by an administration official.
The abrupt decision by the agents underscored the rattled mood inside the White House, where chants from protesters in LafayettePark could be heard all weekend and Secret Service agents and police officers struggled to contain crowds.
Friday’s protests were triggered by the death of George Floyd, a black man who died after he was pinned at the neck by a whiteMinneapolis policeman.
Read the full story here
Agencies 6.45pm Anti-racism protests stretch to New Zealand
Protests sweeping the US over the death of George Floyd reverberated on the other side of the globe on Monday when thousands marched in solidarity on the streets of New Zealand.
The rallies were peaceful in contrast to the days of sometimes violent protests in the US after Floyd, an African-American, died while handcuffed and as a white police officer, who has since been charged with third-degree murder, knelt on his neck.
In Auckland, about 2000 people marched to the US Consulate chanting “no justice, no peace” and “black lives matter”.
Another 500 gathered in Christchurch, with a similar number standing in the rain at an evening vigil at Parliament in Wellington where they were presented with hundreds of names said to be Americans who have died due to racial injustice.
Nigerian-New Zealand musician Mazbou Q, who organised the protest, said the gatherings were not just about the death of Floyd.
“The... persecution of the black community is an ongoing phenomenon. The same white supremacy which has led to disproportionate killings of black people in the US exists here in New Zealand,” he told the crowd in Auckland.
“We pride ourselves on being a nation of empathy, kindness and love. But the silence from the government and the media does not reflect that at all. In fact, it makes us complicit.”
In Christchurch, where 51 people were killed by a self-proclaimed white supremacist last year, Josephine Varghese, told the crowd: “We demand racial and economic justice. Black lives matter, indigenous lives matter, Muslim lives matter.”
Police maintained a low-key presence as the protestors defied strict coronavirus regulations demanding gatherings be restricted to a maximum 100 people, who must maintain social distancing.
READ MORE: Riots invite crime, not justice
Agencies 4.45pm: Fires ‘intentionally set’ in Washington
Tensions have spiked outside the White House, the scene of three days of demonstrations, where police fired tear gas and stun grenades into a crowd of more than 1,000 chanting protesters across the street in Lafayette Park.
One of multiple fires “intentionally set” across the city was at St John’s Episcopal Church, which is located from across Lafayette Square, which is opposite the White House, AP reported.
The church says every president beginning with James Madison, “until the present,” has attended a service at the church, giving it the nickname, “the church of presidents.”
Protesters just pulled the American flag off of St John Church parish house outside the WH and burned it pic.twitter.com/ZqRYGLItuZ
— Todd Zwillich (@toddzwillich) June 1, 2020
The crowd ran away and piled up road signs and plastic barriers to light a raging fire in a nearby street. Some pulled an American flag from a building and threw it into the blaze.
A building in the park with bathrooms and a maintenance office went up in flames and people broke into banks and jewellery stores.
The park building at the NE corner of Lafayette Prk is now partially on fire pic.twitter.com/nRn585vTN9
— Todd Zwillich (@toddzwillich) June 1, 2020
The entire Washington, DC, National Guard - roughly 1,700 soldiers - was called in to help control the protests, according to two Defense Department officials who insisted on anonymity because they were not authorised to publicly discuss the matter.
AP
Agencies 2.42pm: Two officers fired over protest arrest
Two police officers have been fired and three others placed on desk duty over excessive use of force during a protest arrest incident involving two college students, Atlanta’s mayor said Sunday.
Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said at a news conference that she and police Chief Erika Shields made the decision after reviewing body-camera footage of a Saturday night incident that first gained attention from video online and on local news.
every moment of this insane. atlanta imposed a 9 pm curfew, and at 9:30 cops swarmed this car, bashed the windows, stabbed the tires and tased the black people. all behind a car of white people violating the same curfew, smiling and waving at the camera pic.twitter.com/vrIuf1sigW
— rudy betrayed (@rudy_betrayed) June 1, 2020
“Use of excessive force is never acceptable,” Bottoms told reporters. Shields called the footage “really shocking to watch.”
Police on Sunday night identified the fired officers as Investigator Ivory Streeter, who was hired in December 2003, and Investigator Mark Gardner, who was hired in August 1997.
Bottoms said the woman, Taniyah Pilgrim, was released without charges. She said the man, Messiah Young, was released, too, and she’s ordering the charges against him dropped. She didn’t specify what charges he faced. A police report says Young was charged with attempting to elude police and driving with a suspended license.
Agencies 2.23pm: DC calls in entire National Guard for protests
The entire Washington, DC National Guard is being called in to help with the response to protests outside the White House and elsewhere in the nation’s capital, according to two Defense Department officials.
Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said Sunday that she had requested 500 DC Guardsman to assist local law enforcement. Later on Sunday, as the protests escalated, Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy ordered the rest of the Guardsman - roughly 1,200 soldiers - to report.
1.50pm: New CCTV shows attack in cop car
Shocking new footage has emerged that appears to show George Floyd in a violent struggle with Minneapolis police before his tragic death.
Agencies 1.10pm: Fires lit near White House as protests escalate
Protesters started fires near the White House as tensions with police mounted during a third straight night of demonstrations held in response to the death of George Floyd at police hands in Minnesota.
Before the 11pm curfew, police fired a major barrage of tear gas stun grenades into the crowd of more than 1,000 people, largely clearing Lafayette Park across the street from the White House and scattering protesters into the street.
Protesters piled up road signs and plastic barriers and lit a raging fire in the middle of H Street. Some pulled an American flag from a nearby building and threw it into the blaze. Others added branches pulled from trees. A cinder block structure, on the north side of the park, that had bathrooms and a maintenance office, was engulfed in flames.
Daniela Hernandez 12.34pm: Concerns US protests could lead to virus case jump
Public-health and government officials worry ongoing protests against police brutality toward African-Americans and other minority groups, spurred by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis on Monday, could result in another jump in coronavirus cases in the coming weeks.
The new cases could add to the already disproportionate burden the disease has had on African-American and Latino populations across the country, experts said.
“It’s a triple whammy of protests, plus raging pandemic, plus economic instability. Those three things together make for a perfect storm of viral transmission,” said Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease specialist at the University of California, San Francisco.
He said he expects there will be a spike in cases due to protests. That would mirror patterns seen around the world after governments started lifting lockdown restrictions, but this time on a larger scale, he said, because the protests are happening across the country, often in hot spots of transmission, like the South and West.
Officials in cities hit by protests stressed that the country was still in the midst of a health emergency and encouraged the public to continue wearing masks and to adhere to social-distancing guidelines.
With Brianna Abbott - Wall Street Journal
READ MORE: Coronavirus Australia live blog
Agencies 12pm: Trump sheltered in White House bunker
Secret Service agents rushed President Donald Trump to a White House bunker on Friday night as hundreds of protesters gathered outside the executive mansion, some of them throwing rocks and tugging at police barricades.
Mr Trump spent nearly an hour in the bunker, which was designed for use in emergencies like terrorist attacks, according to a Republican close to the White House. The account was confirmed by an administration official.
The abrupt decision by the agents underscored the mood inside the White House, where the chants from protesters in Lafayette Park could be heard all weekend and Secret Service agents and law enforcement officers struggled to contain the crowds.
“The White House does not comment on security protocols and decisions,” said White House spokesman Judd Deere. The Secret Service said it does not discuss the means and methods of its protective operations. The president’s move to the bunker was first reported by The New York Times.
The president and his family have been shaken by the size and venom of the crowds, according to the Republican. It was not immediately clear if first lady Melania Trump and the couple’s 14-year-old son, Barron, joined the president in the bunker. Secret Service protocol would have called for all those under the agency’s protection to be in the underground shelter. — AP
Jennifer Calfas 11.30am: State of the union
Here is a look at where things stand in various cities:
Minneapolis / St. Paul
Protests continued in Minneapolis, marching along highways and gathering in front of the Cup Foods market where George Floyd was arrested, with volunteers passing out cans of instant formula, bags of popcorn, bottled water and other groceries to people passing by.
After several days of increasingly violent protests and looting, state and city officials said they made strides in curbing lawlessness. About 55 people were arrested Saturday night in Minneapolis and St. Paul. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said he was extending an 8pm curfew and closing major highways in the Twin Cities area.
Atlanta
Demonstrations continued in the Atlanta, as protesters held signs, marched and chanted “No justice, no peace.”
Officials extended the city’s night-time curfew, beginning at 9pm Sunday through sunrise, after more than 150 people were arrested Saturday.
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms terminated two police officers following an incident that she said showed “excessive use of force” during Saturday night protests. Widely shared videos of the incident show officers surrounding a car with two college students inside, opening the passenger door and using tasers. The three other officers were placed on desk duty pending further review, she said.
Georgia
Governor Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency for Fulton County early Saturday, activating the National Guard after protesters in Atlanta set fire to a police car and some vandalized CNN’s headquarters.
Earlier this month, two white men were arrested and charged with murder and aggravated assault in the fatal shooting of Ahmaud Arbery, a 25-year-old black man, in Glynn County, about 270 miles southeast of Atlanta along Georgia’s coast.
New York City
Governor Andrew Cuomo said he will ask the state’s attorney general to review the “actions and procedures that were used” by the police during weekend protests in New York City. Videos shared Saturday on social media showed a police SUV drive into a group of protesters, who were throwing things at the car, according to a video verified by Storyful.
More than 340 people were arrested in protests across the city on Saturday and 208 people had been arrested Friday, New York City Police Department officials said Sunday. The officials said 47 police vehicles were vandalized in Saturday’s demonstrations, including a number of vehicles that were set on fire, and 33 NYPD officers were injured. On Friday, demonstrators set a police van on fire and threw objects at NYPD officers. Investigators believe outside anarchist groups coordinated efforts to incite violence at the city’s protests, NYPD officials said Sunday.
Los Angeles
Nearly 400 people were arrested in Los Angeles Saturday after looting and vandalism occurred in some parts of the city following peaceful daytime demonstrations, Los Angeles Police Chief Michael Moore said.
California Governor Gavin Newsom approved the city’s request to deploy members of the National Guard Saturday evening, and city teams cleaned debris. A citywide curfew will continue Sunday night beginning at 8pm until 5am Monday, officials said.
Police imposed a 4pm curfew Sunday in Santa Monica, just west of Los Angeles, as demonstrators marched down Ocean Avenue with signs. Videos shared on social media and on KTLA showed scores of protesters kneeling silently in the streets, holding their fists in the air.
Philadelphia
The city’s curfew will continue Sunday night starting at 8pm, as officials closed streets in Philadelphia’s Centre City to clean up debris after looting and damage sustained there Saturday night. More than 200 people were arrested Saturday, Philadelphia police said. Video posted to social media showed police officers hitting protesters with batons, according to footage verified by Storyful.
On Sunday, Mayor Jim Kenney lauded demonstrators who gathered peacefully over the weekend and said those who vandalised parts of the city “did a great disservice” to these protesters.
Chicago
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Sunday the National Guard had been called in and said the city’s 9pm curfew would stay in place until further notice. Officials said 240 people were arrested and one person was shot and killed during rioting downtown.
Washington, D.C.
Mayor Muriel Bowser imposed a curfew of 11pm to 6am and activated the Washington, D.C., National Guard to support the Metropolitan Police Department, following clashes between protesters and law enforcement that extended late into the night the previous two days.
Crowds had gathered again on Sunday afternoon in the area near the White House, where the earlier standoffs had occurred. Videos shared on social media showed crowds kneeling then chanting, “Stop killing black people.”
Louisville
Demonstrations continued Sunday in response to the deaths of Mr. Floyd and Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old black emergency-room technician in Louisville who was killed by police during a “no-knock warrant” raid of her apartment earlier this year. With a 9pm curfew order in place, Mayor Greg Fischer said the protest Saturday night was “smaller and more manageable” than previous nights and thanked “the vast majority” of protesters who demonstrated peacefully. The Louisville Police Department arrested 40 people, the mayor said.
Curfews were also implemented in San Francisco, Dallas, Detroit and Omaha. — Wall Street Journal
Agencies 10.45am: No injuries from truck
A tanker driver has been arrested in the US city of Minneapolis after driving his vehicle at speed on a freeway bridge packed with protesters taking part in an anti-racism march.
Although there were no immediate reports of protesters being hurt, the driver himself was taken to hospital after being hauled from his vehicle by the crowd, the governor of Minnesota told reporters.
“I don’t know the motives of the driver at this time but at this point in time, to not have tragedy and many deaths is simply an amazing thing,” Tim Walz said.
Television footage showed that several hundred protestors were on the bridge which had been closed to traffic when the truck suddenly appeared. It was not immediately clear if the truck had been breached a barricade or had been given permission to enter.
Although he did not drive straight at the bulk of the crowd, the driver showed little sign of slowing down and some of the protesters could be seen desperately running to the side of the road before the truck eventually came to a halt.
In a statement, the local police department said that the unnamed truck driver had been taken to hospital “with non-life threatening injuries”. He has since been released into police custody.
“He is under arrest. It doesn’t appear any protesters were hit by the truck,” it added.
The footage evoked memories of the murder in 2017 of an anti-racism protester in the city of Charlottesville who was killed when a white supremacist drove his vehicle into a crowd.
The Minnesota State Patrol says in a tweet that the action appeared deliberate.
Very disturbing actions by a truck driver on I-35W, inciting a crowd of peaceful demonstrators. The truck driver was injured & taken to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries. He is under arrest. It doesn’t appear any protesters were hit by the truck. #MACCMN
— MnDPS_DPS (@MnDPS_DPS) May 31, 2020
It wasn’t clear how the driver was hurt. TV footage showed protesters swarming the truck, and then law enforcement quickly moving in.
Other TV footage showed the tanker truck moving rapidly onto the bridge and protesters appearing to part ahead of it. The protesters were demonstrating against the death of George Floyd. — AFP
Agencies 10.25am: Washington curfew announced
A nighttime curfew will be imposed across the United States’ capital Washington on Sunday evening (US time), the mayor of the District of Columbia said, after protestors again gathered near the White House. Mayor Muriel Bowser said in a statement that the curfew would last from 11pm until 6am on Monday, adding she had mobilised the National Guard to support the police after nationwide protests.
Arian Campo-Flores 10am: 5000 National Guard deployed
The National Guard said that approximately 5000 of its personnel were activated in 15 states and Washington, DC, with another 2,000 prepared to activate if needed. These personnel are trained to assist law-enforcement authorities with protecting lives and property in each location, the National Guard said, adding that state and local law-enforcement agencies remain responsible for security.
“We should not get used to or accept uniformed service members of any variety having to be put into a position where they’re having to secure people inside the USA,” said Army Major General Thomas Carden Jr. of the Georgia National Guard. “This is a sign of the times that we need to do better as a country ... I pray I never have to do it again.” — Wall Street Journal
Agencies 9.30am: Speeding truck misses protesters
A large truck has barrelled down a freeway into crowds of protesters packed onto the highway in Minneapolis. It’s unclear if there were injuries.
The truck came from the south headed north on the I-35W at a high rate of speed, honking its horn as it swerved through the crowd. The truck eventually slowed down as members of the protest climbed onto the truck.
A short time later, police moved in quickly to disperse the crowd that was pulling the driver from the cab. It’s not clear what happened to the driver as the crowd grabbed at him.
It’s also unclear how the truck got onto the highway. I-35W was closed down, along with other major highways by state authorities before the incident.
Agencies 9am: Biden visits protest scene
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden visited the scene of an anti-racism protest in the state of Delaware. “We are a nation in pain right now, but we must not allow this pain to destroy us,” Biden wrote on Twitter, posting a picture of him speaking with a black family at the cordoned-off site where a protesters had gathered on Saturday night.
“As President, I will help lead this conversation — and more importantly, I will listen.”
We are a nation in pain right now, but we must not allow this pain to destroy us.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) May 31, 2020
As President, I will help lead this conversation — and more importantly, I will listen, just as I did today visiting the site of last night's protests in Wilmington. pic.twitter.com/0h2ApbKT0C
Police in Houston, Texas, made more than 130 arrests overnight. The Denver mayor said people had been stopped while bringing “assault weapons, handguns (and) baseball bats” into the city.
Agencies 8.30am: Crowds gather at the White House
After a violent night of looting and fires, about 1000 protesters are occupying part of Layfayette Park across from the White House to condemn the death of George Floyd at police hands in Minnesota. Police in riot gear lined up behind a set of barricades.
The mood was defiant. Protesters called the police murderers and traitors. They chanted “No justice, no peace, no racist police.” The protesters have marched to the White House from Howard University. After arriving at the park, they pushed through the original barricades that had been set up. But at least at the start, the demonstration was peaceful.
Cameron Stewart 8.15am: Trump threatens Antifa
Donald Trump has signalled that Antifa will be designated a terrorist organisation by the United States, a move that legal experts say would be hard to execute.
President Trump, Attorney General William Barr and others have said the left-wing extremist group is to blame. Short for anti-fascists, Antifa is an umbrella term for far-left-leaning militant groups that resist neo-Nazis and white supremacists at demonstrations.
The United States of America will be designating ANTIFA as a Terrorist Organization.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 31, 2020
Attorney General Barr blamed Antifa and other “agitators” for taking over the protests in US cities. “The violence instigated and carried out by Antifa and other similar groups in connection with the rioting is domestic terrorism and will be treated accordingly,” Barr said in a statement on Sunday following the president’s tweet.
It is not clear how many, if any, of the protesters participating in demonstrations across the country are from Antifa, which experts note is not an organisation but rather an amorphous movement.
John Harrington, the head of Minnesota’s Department of Public Safety, told a news conference on Sunday that about 20 per cent of Saturday’s arrest records were for people out-of-state, though he did not yet have the total for Saturday night’s arrests.
Trump’s tweet on Sunday is not the first time the president has described Antifa as a terrorist group. Other conservative politicians, such as Texas Senator Ted Cruz, have made similar statements.
It is unclear whether the Trump administration is seriously pursuing the designation through formal channels, which would typically require co-ordination across multiple federal agencies. Experts say Trump lacks the legal authority to do so.
“Terrorism is an inherently political label, easily abused and misused,” said ACLU National Security Project Director Hina Shamsi. Mary McCord, a former senior Justice Department official, said “no current legal authority exists for designating domestic organisations as terrorist organisations”.
“Any attempt at such a designation would raise significant First Amendment concerns,” added McCord, who previously served in the Trump administration.
In a seperate tweet, Mr Trump said “Liberal Governors and Mayors must get MUCH tougher or the Federal Government will step in and do what has to be done, and that includes using the unlimited power of our Military and many arrests’’.
Crossing State lines to incite violence is a FEDERAL CRIME! Liberal Governors and Mayors must get MUCH tougher or the Federal Government will step in and do what has to be done, and that includes using the unlimited power of our Military and many arrests. Thank you!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 30, 2020
Matt Coughlan 8am: PM ‘disturbed’ by protests
Prime Minister Scott Morrison does not believe violent protests in the United States will bring change after the shocking death of an African-American man. America has been gripped by violence with protests boiling over after George Floyd died after a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck while he was under arrest.
The Australian prime minister said the footage from the US was disturbing. “I saw a good meme on the weekend - Martin Luther King didn’t change anything by burning anything down or by looting any shops,” he told 2GB on Monday. Mr Morrison said video of the officer kneeling on Mr Floyd’s neck was awful. “As upsetting and terrible that the murder that took place - and it is shocking, that also just made me cringe - I just think to myself how wonderful a country is Australia.” He cautioned against similar demonstrations in Australia turning violent, with local protests planned for later this week.
“There’s no need to import things happening in other countries here to Australia,” Mr Morrison said.
“Australia is not the United States. The United States is a great country. “They’re a great friend of Australia and they’re going through a difficult time. We wish them all the best as they deal with that.” — AAP
Jacquelin Magnay 7.40am: Protests in London
Thousands of protesters also gathered in London, Cardiff and Manchester on Sunday.
Defying the UK’s coronavirus lockdown rules, thousands gathered at Trafalgar Square and made their way to the US embassy in Nine Elms on the other side of The Thames.
The protestors chanted “I can’t breathe’’ and held signs, some which said “Justice for George Floyd” and ‘’Black Lives Matter’’ in a trans-Atlantic show of solidarity with the protesters and flare-ups across the United States.
At various points the protesters knelt to the ground and raised a clenched right fist, mirroring both the black rights protest salute of US Olympic gold medallist Tommie Smith at the 1968 Olympics and the kneeling of gridiron player Colin Kaepernick during the US national anthem in the 2016 NFL season to highlight racial injustice.
Scotland Yard said they had arrested five people outside of the US embassy, three of which were for violating coronavirus lockdown rules, and the other two for assaulting police.
After dispersing from the US Embassy some of the protestors went to Grenfell Tower in west London, where they chanted ‘’Black Lives Matter’’.
Smaller peaceful protests were held in Cardiff. In Manchester, people knelt at St Peter’s Square in a silent tribute to Mr Floyd.
Cameron Stewart 7.30am: State of the union: chaotic
America is on the edge. It is a country in chaos, racked by violent protests from coast to coast with buildings aflame, police under attack and angry masses flooding the streets in the most serious threat to law and order for decades.
In more than 48 cities, thousands of police tried to hold the line on Sunday (AEST) against tens of thousands of furious protesters enraged by the death last week of African-American man George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis police.
Two people, including a federal officer, have so far been shot dead in the protests. Overnight curfews were imposed major cities including Minneapolis, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Denver and Seattle. More than 1300 people have been arrested in 16 cities over the past four days, including several hundred in LA alone, where several top-end retail stores in Beverly Hills were smashed and looted on the weekend.
Police fired rubber bullets and teargas into large crowds on the fifth night of nationwide violence, the mass protests coming at a time of severe economic and social tension in the US with the coronavirus pandemic causing 40 million Americans to lose their jobs and 102,000 to lose their lives.
In Washington, the National Guard was deployed outside the White House, where chanting crowds taunted law enforcement officers. Dressed in camouflage and holding shields, the troops stood in a tight line a few yards from the crowd, preventing them from pushing forward.
US President Donald Trump said that “vicious dogs” and “ominous weapons” would be unleashed if protesters breached the White House fence.
In New York, at least three police cars were set on fire, and several people were injured as thousands of protesters took to the streets. In Salt Lake City, demonstrators flipped a police car and set it on fire, and another vehicle was later set ablaze. Police said six people were arrested and a police officer was struck in the head with a baseball bat.
The National Guard was also activated in Minnesota for the first time since World War I — as well as Georgia, Kentucky, Wisconsin, Colorado, Ohio and Utah.
In a remarkable move, the Pentagon has offered Minnesota active-duty US soldiers to help if the National Guard cannot hold the line against protesters.
The extraordinary scenes came as Mr Trump blamed the violence on the “radical left” and accused Democrat mayors of not doing enough to secure the safety of their cities.
“It’s the ANTIFA and the Radical Left. Don’t lay the blame on others,” he tweeted on Sunday (AEST). “These are ‘Organized Groups’ that have nothing to do with George Floyd. Sad!’
“How come all of these places that defend so poorly are run by Liberal Democrats? Get tough and fight (and arrest the bad ones). STRENGTH!” the President tweeted.
The mayors of major cities pleaded with protesters to disperse, with Los Angeles mayor Eric Garrett saying “if you love your city, go home”.
In Minneapolis, where 46-year-old Mr Floyd was killed last week after a policeman knelt on his neck while he was handcuffed and lying on the ground, local authorities admitted to being “overwhelmed” by 911 calls about gunfire and burglaries.
The protests continued despite sacked police officer Derek Chauvin being charged with third-degree murder for his role in Mr Floyd’s death. Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said he expected charges to be laid also against three other police who stood by as Mr Floyd lost consciousness and eventually died.
Mr Floyd’s last words have become a slogan for protesters across the country, with crowds chanting “I can’t breathe” to vent their fury.
Attorney-General William Barr said the violence was being promoted by “far left extremist groups” rather than those mourning the death of Mr Floyd.
“Groups of outside radicals and agitators are exploiting the situation to pursue their own separate and violent agenda,” Mr Barr said. “In many places, it appears the violence is planned, organised and driven by anarchic and left extremist groups, far-left extremist groups, using Antifa-like tactics, many of whom travel from outside the state to promote the violence.”
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said most of those who set fire to buildings and cars in Minneapolis last Friday and who were still causing trouble were from outside the state.
“Let’s be very clear, the situation in Minneapolis is no longer in any way about the murder of George Floyd,” Mr Walz said. “It was about attacking civil society (and) instilling fear.”
Few corners of America were untouched, from protesters setting fires inside Reno’s city hall, to police launching teargas at rock-throwing demonstrators in Fargo, North Dakota, to shattered windows at police headquarters in Richmond, Virginia.
But not all protests devolved into violence. In Juneau, Alaska, law enforcement officers joined elected officials and residents at a peaceful protest in front of a giant whale sculpture on the waterfront.
“We don’t tolerate excessive use of force,” Juneau police chief Ed Mercer told the gathering.
Cameron Stewart is also US contributor for Sky News Australia
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