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Live coverage: Protests erupt across the US over the death of George Floyd

Donald Trump has cheered a major show of force by police and the National Guard, as demonstrators lay waste to US cities with fire and fury.

Christine Kellett and Agencies
18 min read
4:24PMMay 31, 2020.
Updated 12:35AMJune 01, 2020
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Protests Rock U.S. Cities Over George Floyd's Death

Hello and welcome to The Weekend Australian’s live coverage of the unfolding situation in the US, where city officials are bracing for another night of violent protests over the death in police custody of African American man George Floyd.

Laura Pullman 8.10pm ‘If cops stopped killing us, we wouldn’t burn city’

As the sun set in battle-scarred Minneapolis, two markedly different demonstrations were taking place.

Outside the Cup Foods delicatessen, the spot where George Floyd, 46, an unarmed black man, died last week after a white police officer knelt on his neck for more than eight minutes, gospel music and barbecue smoke filled the air. Flowers and teddy bears carpeted the ground and the walls were covered in murals.

“This is a celebration of George Floyd’s life. I’m sending out only positive vibes,” said Glen Walton, handing out free hotdogs and burgers. “It’s a painful, trying time but we have to be hopeful.”

Ten minutes’ drive away, however, the mood was darker. In the Third Precinct, epicentre of the violence, the streets were strewn with rubble and torched buildings still smouldered. The air was hazy with smoke, teargas and the smell of burning rubber.

Read the full story here

Cameron Stewart 7.30pm American dreams in flames

America was ready to explode even before George Floyd was killed by the Minneapolis police.

A Los Angeles Police Department kiosk ablaze in The Grove shopping centre. Picture: AP
A Los Angeles Police Department kiosk ablaze in The Grove shopping centre. Picture: AP

The twin tragedies of 40 million people — one-quarter of the US workforce — losing their jobs and 100,000 people losing theirlives during the coronavirus pandemic had turned the US into an emotional tinderbox that was waiting for a spark to set itoff.

No spark could have been more potent than the sickening video of police officer Derek Chauvin killing unarmed 46-year-oldFloyd by leaning on his neck with his knee last week.

Now more than 30 cities across the country are being convulsed by mass protests, riots, burning buildings, random shootingsand such a breakdown in law and order that the national guard has been deployed and the Pentagon put on standby to bring inthe military.

Read the full story from The Weekend Australian's Washington correspondent here

Agencies 4.40pm San Francisco joins cities under curfew

San Francisco Mayor London Breed has declared a citywide curfew for Sunday night, local time, as violent protests rage throughout the city in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death.

Mr Breed said on Sunday the curfew would last last from 8pm on Sunday (1pm on Monday, AEST) to 5am on Monday. The mayor said she had asked Governor Gavin Newsom to put the California National Guard on standby.

Authorities said there had been increased levels of violence, crime, vandalism and assaults on police officers as the protests took a dark turn.

Los Angeles is already under a citywide curfew and the National Guard is en route to help police quell the violence.

Chicago and Atlanta are among two dozen US cities ordering people to stay indoors.

READ MORE: Home of the hateful, fearful, heavily armed

Floyd Riots: NY police drive over crowds, Batman appears in Philadelphia, child maced in Seattle

Christine Kellett 4.20pm: Man attacked ‘while trying to protect Dallas neighbourhood’

Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden condemned has condemned the violence gripping America, as he continued to express common cause with those demonstrating after Floyd’s death.

“The act of protesting should never be allowed to overshadow the reason we protest,” Biden said in a statement. “It should not drive people away from the just cause that protest is meant to advance.”

A ransacked fashion store in Dallas.
A ransacked fashion store in Dallas.

Meanwhile, Dallas police have confirmed a man is in a stable condition in hospital after horrifying footage of him being beaten and stomped on in the street began circulating on social media.

Protesters badly beat the man after he confronted them carrying a machete to “allegedly protect his neighborhood,” according to police Sgt. Warren Mitchell.

Brief videos of the confrontation posted on social media appear to show protesters throwing things at a man carrying a long object. He then raises it and chases one of them as someone is heard screaming.

Moments later, a group of people can be seen punching and kicking the man, before clearing away to leave him immobile and bleeding in the street.

Christine Kellett 4pm: Officers pelted with bricks, bottles, bleach in LA

At least six LA police officers have been injured, including one undergoing surgery for a fractured skull, as authorities struggle to contain demonstrations.

LAPD say officers have been hit with projectiles including bricks, bottles and even bleach.

Hundreds of people have been arrested in LA since Friday night, with California Governor Gavin Newsom sending up to 700 members of the National Guard to help out police.

“We have suffered a humongous amount of damage, a tremendous amount of loss during the worst pandemic in a century,” LAPD Chief Michael Moore has told reporters, condemning protesters who have smashed and looted stores and set fire to police cars.

Police have fired rubber bullets and tear gas as they try to enforce a curfew.

Agencies 3.41pm: New York mayor blames outsiders for violence

The NYPD said at least 120 people have been arrested and at least 15 police vehicles destroyed as New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio blames the destruction on a small number of agitators who he said “do not represent this city” and were purposely trying to incite violence against police.

“We appreciate and respect all peaceful protest, but now it is time for people to go home,” de Blasio told reporters outside the city’s emergency management headquarters just after 11.30pm.

“What we’re seeing is people coming in from outside, a lot of them are purporting to speak about the issues of communities of colour, but a lot of them are not from communities of color,” de Blasio said on the local cable news station NY1.

Earlier, a NYPD patrol vehicle was filmed ramming protesters who surrounded it an befan throwing projectiles.

Agencies 3.25pm: One killed in ‘multiple shootings’ in Indianapolis

Authorities are investigating “multiple shootings,” including one that left a person dead, in downtown Indianapolis.

Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Chief Randal Taylor confirmed the shootings during a late night news conference, but didn’t offer any more details. Police later tweeted that no officers were involved.

A firework explodes near a police line in Atlanta, Georgia.
A firework explodes near a police line in Atlanta, Georgia.

Protests became dangerous for a second straight night in Indianapolis as buildings were damaged, officers deployed tear gas and at least one business was briefly on fire.

A demonstrator is detained by Atlanta Police.
A demonstrator is detained by Atlanta Police.

Meanwhile, in Atlanta, a police officer was struck by someone riding an ATV during protests that continued despite a curfew. Police said they were still trying to determine whether the crash was deliberate. Police spokesman Carlos Campos said it happened about 10.30pm. The officer suffered significant injuries and was in stable condition, Campos said.

The ATV driver suffered minor injuries and was taken into custody, Campos said.

Agencies 3.05pm: Los Angeles stores smashed, stripped

Looters have been stripping stores of goods in Los Angeles shopping districts.

Several cities throughout the LA area declared 8pm curfews, including Pasadena, Santa Monica, West Hollywood and Beverly Hills. Some 700 National Guard troops were expected to be called in to help restore order, as looting took place in the Fairfax area and in downtown LA.

People are seen looting stores at the Grove shopping center in the Fairfax District of Los Angeles.
People are seen looting stores at the Grove shopping center in the Fairfax District of Los Angeles.

An Adidas Flagship store on Melrose Avenue was looted, as a group of protesters broke into the store and were seen leaving with merchandise. A group of people had been making their way along the famous LA shopping street home to boutiques and specialty stores breaking storefront windows and causing destruction along the way. Other stores included Altivo, a watch store and a nail salon where a group were seen breaking an ATM on the street. The Los Angeles Fire Department was working to put out fires at several stores in the 7600 block of West Melrose Avenue.

People are seen looting the Apple store at the Grove shopping centre in the Fairfax District of Los Angeles.
People are seen looting the Apple store at the Grove shopping centre in the Fairfax District of Los Angeles.

Earlier in the day, protesters clashed with police at Fairfax Avenue and Beverly Boulevard.

As a demonstration moved toward The Grove, there was looting at the two-floor Nordstrom department store and a Ray Ban sunglasses flagship boutique. Footage has also emerged of demonstrators standing guard and pleading with others not to break into an LA Target store.

As news of an 8pm Los Angeles curfew began to spread via broadcast news and mobile phone alerts, nearby shops like the luxury sneaker consignment store Flight Deck were fully robbed of inventory.

People are seen looting stores at the Grove shopping center in the Fairfax District of Los Angeles.
People are seen looting stores at the Grove shopping center in the Fairfax District of Los Angeles.

Moving further west into the border of Beverly Hills, a CVS Pharmacy superstore on La Cienega Blvd was stormed by masked people breaking safety glass with abandoned electric scooters. A police department kiosk was set ablaze at The Grove.

Agencies 2.55pm: Minneapolis police say they have taken back control

Officials in Minneapolis say they’ve succeeded for now in stopping the violent protests that ravaged parts of the city for several days after the death of George Floyd.

Police, state troopers and National Guard members moved in to break up protests after an 8pm curfew took effect, firing tear gas and rubber bullets to clear streets outside a police precinct and elsewhere. The show of force came after three days where police mostly declined to engage with protesters. It also came after the state poured in more than 4,000 National Guard members and said the number would soon rise to nearly 11,000.

As Minneapolis streets appeared largely quiet, Corrections Commissioner Paul Schnell said the heavy response would remain as long as it takes to “quell this situation.”

Agencies 2.30pm: LA mayor deploys National Guard

The mayor of Los Angeles says the National Guard will be deployed overnight to help local law enforcement quell violence in the nation’s second-largest city.

Protesters clash with police officers during a protest in Los Angeles.
Protesters clash with police officers during a protest in Los Angeles.

Mayor Eric Garcetti says he asked California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Saturday to send 500 to 700 members of the Guard. Crowds of demonstrators have torched police cars, vandalized and burglarised stores and clashed with lines of officers. Hundreds of people have been arrested since Friday night.

Agencies 2.15pm: Truck driver rams protesters in Florida

A pickup truck has driven through a crowd of protesters in Florida’s capital, sending some running and screaming as protests across the state erupted in violence, especially in Miami where police cruisers were burned and authorities threw tear gas.

Video shows Tallahassee protesters walking around the truck as it stopped at a traffic light, while some appeared to speak to the driver. In one video, a bottle was apparently smashed against the widow and the truck then suddenly accelerated, knocking several people to the side, but no serious injuries were reported.

Saturday’s protest demanding justice for George Floyd was one of several in Florida and dozens across the nation.

Protesters are run down by the truck in Tallahassee. Picture: @alexisnscott
Protesters are run down by the truck in Tallahassee. Picture: @alexisnscott

Agencies 2.05pm: Miami demonstrators accuse police of aggression

A student at Florida International University said the protest was largely peaceful with the crowd of about 500 “singing, we were doing poetry” and urging each other not to “break windows” or hurt businesses. But when they arrived at the police station, another group of protesters also converged there and things escalated within minutes.

“There was a sniper on the roof with the police chief standing next to him and they started throwing smoke bombs to the crowd,” 27-year-old Liseth Hatta said. “Most of them were kids. They couldn’t’ have been older than 21. Everyone ran away screaming;” They tried to flee and rushed to the train station to head home, but police closed down the entrance.

“A lot of people tried to get back on the train to leave and they weren’t letting us,” Hatta said. “They basically trapped us in.”

Police officers detain a protestor in Miami, Florida.
Police officers detain a protestor in Miami, Florida.

Agencies 1.50pm: Tensions grow as night falls in North Carolina

More than 1,000 people have marched in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, breaking windows as police in riot gear released tear gas and pepper spray to disburse the crowds.

WRAL-TV showed video of throngs of people in front of the Wake County Courthouse, some walking with signs, others on bikes and skateboards to protest the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis by a police officer on Monday. Protesters gathered in late afternoon marching peacefully north from the courthouse chanting “No Justice, No Peace.” But tension grew after nightfall as some people threw rocks at windows and spray painted anti-police slogans on walls.

Fayetteville Street was the focus of most of the vandalism with multiple buildings along the street having windows broken out.

Agencies 1.15pm: Protesters torch courthouse as state of emergency declared

The mayor of Nashville has declared a state of emergency in the Tennessee capital city after protesters set the Metro Courthouse on fire. “This afternoon’s rally for George Floyd and racial justice was peaceful. I attended and listened,” Nashville Mayor John Cooper said on Saturday before announcing he declared a state of civil emergency.

A protester starts a fire at the Metro Courthouse in Nashville, Tennessee.
A protester starts a fire at the Metro Courthouse in Nashville, Tennessee.

“We cannot let today’s message of reform descend into further violence. If you mean our city harm, go home.” State governor Bill Lee said he authorised the National Guard “to mobilise in response to protests that have now taken a violent, unlawful turn in Nashville” at the request of the mayor.

The Metro Nashville Police Department said they deployed gas at the courthouse “to protect the building after protesters set it on fire” before a curfew was set to start at 10pm on Saturday.

Agencies 1pm: Trump cheers show of force

US President Donald Trump appears to be cheering on the tougher tactics being used by law enforcement around the country to confront sometimes violent demonstrators joining in protests over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

On Saturday, the president commended National Guard troops deployed in Minneapolis, declaring “No games!” He also said police in New York City “must be allowed to do their job!” In a tweet, Trump said: “Let New York’s Finest be New York’s Finest.”

Police confront protesters in Union Square in New York City.
Police confront protesters in Union Square in New York City.

He was commenting on Twitter from the White House while crowds of protesters gathered outside.

Footage posted to social media shows police and the National Guard out in force in many cities across the country, particularly Minneaoplis, the epicentre of the demonstrations following the deat of local man George Floyd on Monday.

Agencies 12.30pm: Police charge protesters defying curfew in Minneapolis

Police in riot gear have charged protesters defying a curfew in Minneapolis, firing tear gas and stun grenades to keep them away from a police station, an AFP photographer said.

Officers, assisted by National Guard soldiers, had until then held back from confronting demonstrators out of fear of aggravating the crisis and because they were initially low in number.

News outlet MSNBC is reporting unprovoked action by police, firing tear gas at demonstrators who were protesting peacefully.

Agencies 12.20pm: Curfews in place in more than a dozen cities

Curfews are in effect or imminent in more than a dozen US cities facing rising unrest.

The start times Saturday evening range from 6pm in parts of South Carolina to 10pm around Ohio. People are being told to get off the streets beginning at 8pm. or 9pm in Atlanta, Denver, Los Angeles and Seattle.

A curfew is in effect for a second night in and around Minneapolis, though reports are emerging that police have begun to charge people who are flouting it.

Thousands ignored the Friday night curfew and peaceful protests gave way to violence late into the night.

Agencies 12.12pm: Protesters trying to provoke police: Chicago mayor

Chicago’s mayor has announced an overnight curfew in the city running from 9pm Saturday until 6am Sunday, and she says police will crack down on any violence.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot says that peaceful protesting over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis has “devolved into criminal conduct.” She says police will be aggressive with arrests for anyone caught damaging property.

In the mayor’s words: “We can have zero tolerance for people who came prepared for a fight and tried to initiate and provoke our police department.”

Chicago Police hold back protesters on Saturday.
Chicago Police hold back protesters on Saturday.

Agencies 12pm: Protest troublemakers mostly white, police say

Nearly two-thirds of the 60 people arrested during protests in downtown Detroit over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis were from the city’s predominantly white suburbs, police say.

Thirty-seven of those taken into custody on Friday night were from places like Warren, Farmington Hills, West Bloomfield and even Grand Blanc, which is about 96 kilometers northwest of Detroit, Detroit Police Chief James Craig said Saturday.

Detroit was one of a number of US cities where protests were staged, but didn’t see the levels of violence, damage or altercations with law enforcement that occurred elsewhere.

Demonstrators out in force in Detroit.
Demonstrators out in force in Detroit.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz blamed destruction Friday night in Minneapolis - including setting a police station on fire - on out-of-state instigators. In Detroit, the message given Saturday by Craig, Mayor Mike Duggan and local activists to outsiders was clear: Stay home.

“To those who threaten the safety of our community, our police officers, who damage property, we will not tolerate your criminal actions,” Craig told reporters. “Our response will be both measured and effective.”

Although Detroit is about 80% black, many of those arrested were white. “We support the right to free speech. We support peaceful protests,” Craig added. “If you want to disrupt, stay home and disrupt in your own community.” One person died in downtown Detroit after someone fired shots into a vehicle during a protest over Monday’s death of Floyd, a handcuffed black man who died after a Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee into his neck for several minutes.

Agencies 11.25am: Peaceful demonstration turns violent in Philadelphia

Authorities in Philadelphia say a peaceful demonstration has turned to violence, and at least 13 police officers have been injured amid incidents of arson and store break-ins in the city’s downtown.

Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw says at least four police vehicles were set ablaze and other fires were set throughout downtown Saturday afternoon. Protesters smashed windows and stole merchandise from stores as police tried to worked to corral the crowd, which Outlaw estimates numbered about 3,000.

Protesters also sprayed graffiti on a statue of former Philadelphia Mayor Frank Rizzo, tried to topple it and set a fire at its base. Rizzo was Philadelphia’s mayor from 1972 to 1980 and was praised by supporters as tough on crime but accused by critics of discriminating against minorities.

Authorities in Philadelphia have ordered a citywide curfew has been implemented from 8 p.m. Saturday to 7a.m. Sunday.

Christine Kellett 11.15am: National Guard mobilises to enforce Minneapolis cufew

The National Guard has begun to mobilise in Minneapolis, the epicentre of protests over the death of local man George Floyd on Monday. An 8pm curfew has just come into effect.

Meanwhile, several Minneapolis City Council members are asking Minnesota Governor Tim Walz to appoint the state’s attorney-general as a special prosecutor in the death of Mr Floyd.

Six of the council’s 13 members say they support a call from Floyd’s family for Attorney General Keith Ellison to handle the prosecution of the police officer who held his knee on Floyd’s neck Monday. The council members say they don’t think Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman has the public trust necessary for the job.

Freeman on Friday charged now-fired officer Derek Chauvin with third-degree murder in Mr Floyd’s death.

Demonstrators gather to protest the killing of George Floyd on May 30.
Demonstrators gather to protest the killing of George Floyd on May 30.

The council members say Mr Freeman waited too long in bringing charges. They say Mr Ellison, who is black, is best qualified to handle the case. They also cite a working group he helped lead on deaths involving police.

Christine Kellett 11am: New York mayor declares a state of emergency

Reports are emerging that the mayor of Rochester in New York has declared a state of emergency and ordered a 9pm curfew, while authotiries try to disperse crowds in Brookly and Harlem.

Protesters have been filmed forcing the closure of the West Side Highway.

The NYPD has also announced federal charges against a group of people accused of a Molotov cocktail attack on police officers.

Mayor Bill de Blasio has pleaded for calm after a demonstration in Brooklyn yesterday descended into chaos that left people bloodied and vehicles burned.

De Blasio expressed solidarity with demonstrators upset over police brutality, but promised an independent review of the Friday night confrontation in which both protesters and police officers engaged in violence.

The mayor said he was upset by videos of the clashes in which “protesters were handled very violently” by police and by reports that a state senator and member of the state Assembly were among the people sprayed with irritating chemicals by officers.

Agencies 10.50am: National Guard sent in to quell Utah protests

Utah Gov. Gary Herbert has activated the Utah National Guard after protesters angry over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis turned violent during a demonstration at which some participants carried rifles in Salt Lake City.

Herbert says in a tweet that the Guard will help control “the escalating situation” in the downtown area following the unrest Saturday afternoon. The protest started out peacefully, but degenerated into violence. A group of people flipped over a police car and lit it on fire.

Some demonstrators smashed eggs and wrote graffiti on the walls of the Salt Lake City police station. Others marched through downtown to the state Capitol.

Some people in the protest openly carried rifles, which is legal in Utah.

A protester looks on as a flipped over police vehicle burns in Salt Lake City.
A protester looks on as a flipped over police vehicle burns in Salt Lake City.

Christine Kellett 10.23am: Demonstrators pull down barricades around the White House

Several hundred people shouting “Black Lives Matter” and “I can’t breathe” have converged on the White House for a second straight day to protest the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis and President Donald Trump’s response.

Video posted to social media shows barricades being pulled down and protesters facing off with Secret Service officers with riot shields.

Yesterday, Donald Trump warned protesters would have been met with “vicious dogs and ominous weapons” if they had breached the White House fence.

Agencies 10.15am: LA Mayor imposes curfew

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has imposed a downtown curfew for Saturday night after some protests over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis turned violent.

With protesters were back out Saturday, Garcetti said everyone must be off down town streets by 8 p.m. and stay away until 5:30 a.m.

A police officer stands guard while a police vehicle burns in LA.
A police officer stands guard while a police vehicle burns in LA.

Several police cars were torched Saturday afternoon as some protesters ignored authorities’ call for peaceful demonstrations.

That followed a night of violence during which people smashed windows, robbed stores and set fires. Los Angeles police reported arresting 533 people during the night.

Agencies 10am: Situation escalating in Seattle

The Washington State Patrol has closed Interstate 5 in both directions through downtown Seattle after a protest over the death of George Floyd spilled onto the freeway.

Thousands of people gathered in the downtown area Saturday for a largely peaceful demonstration, but some protesters turned rowdier as the afternoon worn on. Police used pepper spray on the demonstrators and deployed flash bang devices.

Police said arrests were made but an exact figure wasn’t available. State patrol Chief John Batiste said in a statement that “the freeway is not a safe or appropriate place for demonstration.”

EARLIER

US President Donald Trump has warned that his government will stop violent protests “cold,” blaming the extreme left as thousands began to appear on the streets of major US cities and threatened another night of unrest.

“We cannot and must not allow a small group of criminals and vandals to wreck our cities and lay waste to our communities,” Mr Trump said following another night of widespread looting and arson in Minneapolis.

“We can’t allow a situation like happened in Minneapolis to descend further into lawless anarchy and chaos.

“My administration will stop mob violence. And we’ll stop it cold.”

Mr Trump said rioters were dishonoring the memory of George Floyd, the African American who died on Monday after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes and who has become a fresh symbol of police brutality against blacks.

“The violence and vandalism is being led by Antifa and other radical left-wing groups,” Trump said, referring to the loose-knit militant anti-fascist network.

An LAPD vehicle burns after being set alight by protesters on Saturday.
An LAPD vehicle burns after being set alight by protesters on Saturday.

His comments came as crowds began to gather again in Minneapolis, New York, Chicago, Miami, Philadelphia and other cities, with authorities preparing for another night of violent protests over what African American leaders called “systemic” mistreatment by law enforcement.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz fully mobilised national guard troops Saturday and warned they would “decimate” rioters after overwhelmed law enforcement.

Protesters set police cars ablaze, smashed businesses’ windows and skirmished with baton-wielding officers in streets from Atlanta to Los Angeles on Saturday night.

A burned-out post office on Minnehaha Ave in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Buildings and businesses around the Twin Cities have been looted and destroyed in the fallout after the death of George Floyd.
A burned-out post office on Minnehaha Ave in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Buildings and businesses around the Twin Cities have been looted and destroyed in the fallout after the death of George Floyd.

“The situation in Minneapolis is no longer in any way about the murder of George Floyd,” Mr Walz said. “It is about attacking civil society, instilling fear and disrupting our great cities.” On Saturday, after a tumultuous night, racially diverse crowds took to the streets again for peaceful protests in dozens of cities. Friday’s protests, too, had started calmly – in cities from New York to Oakland, California, from Atlanta to Portland, Oregon – before many descended into violence.

A woman walks by graffiti reading "This Is War" following a day of demonstration.
A woman walks by graffiti reading "This Is War" following a day of demonstration.

At least two deaths were connected to the demonstrations; hundreds of people were arrested and police used batons, rubber bullets and pepper spray to push back crowds in some cities. Many departments reported officers were injured, while social media was awash in images of police using forceful tactics, throwing protesters to the ground, using bicycles as shields, and trampling a protester while on horseback.

A glass wall stands shattered at the CNN headquarters in the aftermath of rioting and protests in Atlanta.
A glass wall stands shattered at the CNN headquarters in the aftermath of rioting and protests in Atlanta.

On Friday, sacked police officer Derek Chauvin, who knelt on Mr Floyd’s neck for eight minutes, was charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter, following days of calls by civil-rights leaders and others for Mr. Chauvin to be arrested and criminally prosecuted.

Minneapolis officials had hoped the charges, along with an 8pm curfew, might temper the crowds that have looted and burned the city for the past several nights. Instead, they said they quickly realised Friday night’s crowds would overwhelm the civil police force of more than 2,500 they had mobilised.

People work to clean up outside a burned building in Minneapolis.
People work to clean up outside a burned building in Minneapolis.

The unrest this week recalled the riots in Los Angeles nearly 30 years ago after the acquittal of the white police officers who beat Rodney King, a black motorist who had led them on a high-speed chase. The protests of Floyd’s killing have gripped many more cities, but the losses in Minneapolis have yet to approach the staggering totals in Los Angeles. During the five days of rioting in 1992, more than 60 died, 2,000-plus were injured and thousands arrested, with property damage topping $1 billion.

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Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/world/streets-of-us-city-of-minneapolis-burning-with-rage-and-confusion/news-story/8d9cb84dea4cd9dde5b34d1c8924bf75