George Floyd US protests: US envoy backs Aussie reporters
America’s most senior diplomat in Australia has issued an assurance that journalists covering the US riots will be protected.
- President’s ‘stunt’ condemned
- Vigilante groups form
- Trump: I’ll send in army
- President walks to church
- Police attack Aussie TV crew
- Governors blasted
For the sixth night running, the National Guard, the Secret Service and police struggled to contain the rage of tens of thousands of protesters who took to the streets over the killing of African-American George Floyd. Protests have continued despite Donald Trump saying he was deploying thousands of heavily armed soldiers to stop violence in the US capital and vowed to do the same in other cities if mayors and governors fail to regain control. Police fired tear gas at protesters outside the White House just before he spoke to clear the streets for the President to later walk to historic St John’s Episcopal Church that was damaged last night by protesters.
Imogen Reid 10pm US envoy vows to protect Australian journalists
America’s most senior diplomat in Australia has issued an assurance that journalists covering the US riots will be protected.
US ambassador Arthur B. Culvahouse Jr released a statement after a Channel 7 news crew were roughed-up by policemen in Washington.
“We remain steadfast in our commitment to protecting journalists and guaranteeing equal justice under law for all,” the statement read.
“We take the mistreatment of journalists seriously, as do all who take democracy seriously.”
Sunrise reporter Ameila Brace was providing an update from the White House with her freelance cameraman, Timothy Myers, when armed officers aggressively knocked her down.
The incident is among a series of similar instances involving media crews being subject to violence despite being identified as journalists.
The ambassador said freedom of the press is a right Australians and Americans “hold dear”.
“As Secretary Pompeo has stated, ‘At all levels, the Department of State works tirelessly to advance press freedom, and we honour those who have dedicated and even sacrificed their lives to sustaining democracy through journalism’,” he said.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has called to launch a probe into the assault, requesting the Australian embassy in Washington investigate the incident and register Australia’s concerns with local authorities.
Agencies 8.05pm End it or I will, Trump tells states
Donald Trump has declared himself the “president of law and order” and signalled that he would stake his re-election on convincing voters his forceful approach, including deploying troops to cities, was warranted in a time of national tumult and racial unrest.
Wielding extraordinary federal authority, the US President threatened the nation’s governors that he would deploy the military to their states if they did not stamp out violent protests over police brutality that have roiled America over the past week.
Read the full story here
The Economist 7.35pm Floyd outrage echoes King assassination
In scope, size and scale of disruption, the US protests over police killings most resemble those in 1968 after the assassination of Martin Luther King.
Read the full story here
Agencies 6.20pm Black Lives Matter protest in Sydney
Agencies 5.15pm New York under curfew as looters hit luxury stores
New York is under a curfew that will last until Tuesday night (AEST), officials say, after looters raided stores in central Manhattan, targeting some of the city’s top retailers.
Upmarket fashion store Michael Kors on Fifth Avenue was among the luxury outlets hit, along with Nike, Lego and electronics shops across Midtown, before the 11pm to 5am (7pm AEST) curfew came into effect.
Groups of young people moved from block to block around the district, usually bustling with tourists but deserted due to the coronavirus, with entire streets blocked by police.
Images from local NY1 television showed some young people running out of a Best Buy electronics store before being apprehended by the police.
Stores in the south of Manhattan suffered a similar fate.
The New York Times reported that the flagship Macy’s department store had also been targeted by looters.
Police did not immediately confirm this, simply saying that “numerous stores were hit” and arrests made “in the hundreds” across the city.
Mayor Bill de Blasio said a lot of stores around Madison Avenue had been hit and the situation was “really not acceptable”. As a result he said the curfew would start from 8pm on Tuesday instead of 11pm.
“The city is fully under control, and overwhelmingly calm and peaceful,” he nevertheless insisted on NY1.
The imposition of the curfew had been announced a few hours earlier by the mayor and New York state governor Andrew Cuomo after protests and looting — notably in the trendy SoHo district.
The mayor tweeted on Tuesday that “protesters were overwhelmingly peaceful today” but that some people were out to damage property and steal.
“We support peaceful protest in this city. But right now it’s time to go home,” Mr de Blasio said.
“Some people are out tonight not to protest but to destroy property and hurt others — and those people are being arrested. Their actions are unacceptable and we won’t allow them in our city.”
New York, the economic capital of the US, and about 40 other cities across the country have imposed curfews after violent protests against police brutality triggered by the death of African-American George Floyd in Minnesota.
Just after 1pm, around 100 people held a peaceful demonstration in front of the Barclays Centre in Brooklyn, the scene of major protests in recent days, taking a knee in tribute to victims of police brutality, according to an AFP journalist.
Police observed them from a distance but did not arrest anyone despite the curfew.
Agencies 5pm: 4 police hit by gunfire
Missouri state’s St Louis police say four officers have been struck by gunfire in an ongoing clash between protesters and police, AAP reports.
The officers have been transported to an area hospital and their injuries were believed to be “non-life threatening”, police said in a tweet on Monday night.
Agencies 4.45pm: Restaurant owner shot dead
Riot police firing tear gas scattered a protest crowd from a downtown Louisville square Monday night, hours after the firing of the city’s police chief in the uproar over the early morning shooting death of a popular restaurant owner by security forces, AP reports.
This man is a popular chef and bbq store owner who used to FEED POLICE FOR FREE AND GOT KILLED BY THE SAME PEOPLE HE FED. The two officers who killed him didn’t have their body cams on. His name is David McAtee. He was 53. #Louisville pic.twitter.com/4CUdtgbWKt
— princess (@deartaylorjade) June 2, 2020
David McAtee, the owner of a barbecue spot who was known for offering meals to police officers, died while police and National Guard soldiers were enforcing a curfew early Monday amid waves of protests over a previous police shooting in Kentucky’s largest city.
Police said they were responding to gunfire from a crowd.
Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer announced the firing of Police Chief Steve Conrad at a news conference Monday. He said officers involved in the shooting failed to activate body cameras at the chaotic scene. Authorities had sought footage for their investigation, after Kentucky’s governor demanded the release of police video.
Agencies 4.15pm: US forces mobilising
Attorney-General William Barr has encouraged more aggressive action against those who cause violence during protests across the country.
Barr told the state leaders that law enforcement officials must “have adequate force” and “go after troublemakers.”
“Law enforcement response is not going to work unless we dominate the streets,” Barr said.
Between the protests and the response to the coronavirus pandemic, the National Guard has been deployed at its highest level in recent history, surpassing the number of troops sent to the Gulf Coast during Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
More than 66,700 soldiers and airman have been activated - 45,000 to assist with the pandemic and more than 17,000 to help with the protests.
Other law enforcement resources are also being mobilised.
The Justice Department deployed the U.S. Marshals Service and agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration to supplement National Guard troops in Washington on Sunday. By midnight, Barr had ordered the FBI to deploy its Hostage Rescue Team, an elite tactical unit, to the streets of the nation’s capital, a senior Justice Department official said.
Barr has also directed the federal Bureau of Prisons to send teams of prison riot officers to patrol the streets in Miami and Washington, the official added.
Barr was travelling around Washington on Monday night to observe the protests, according to the senior Justice Department official, who would not discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
The U.S. Park Police and Secret Service have had dozens of officers out in riot gear in Washington for the last few nights, in addition to the Metropolitan Police Department. U.S. Customs and Border Protection was also sending officers, agents and aircraft around the country to assist other law enforcement agencies “confronting the lawless actions of rioters,” the agency said. The officers were being deployed in several states, though the official declined to provide specific details, citing security concerns.
Agencies 3.45pm: Tiger Woods urges calm
Golf superstar Tiger Woods called George Floyd’s death a “shocking tragedy” but said violent protests were not the answer as unrest flared across the United States on Monday, AFP reports.
Woods said he had the “utmost respect” for police and likened the situation to the Los Angeles riots of 1992, after four police were acquitted over the beating of motorist Rodney King.
America is witnessing its most widespread protests since the 1960s after Floyd, an unarmed black man, died while being arrested in Minneapolis.
“My heart goes out to George Floyd, his loved ones and all of us who are hurting right now,” Woods said in a statement on Twitter.
“I have always had the utmost respect for our law enforcement. They train so diligently to understand how, when and where to use force. This shocking tragedy clearly crossed that line.”
Agencies 3.15pm: Truck driver ‘confused’
The driver of a semi-trailer who rolled into the midst of thousands of people who had gathered on a closed Minneapolis freeway to protest George Floyd’s death was apparently confused and didn’t mean to injure anyone, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz says, AP reports.
It appeared no one was hurt, authorities say, but some witnesses say a handful of people who were on Interstate 35W near downtown Minneapolis sought medical attention on their own. Walz said preliminary information suggests the driver somehow got ahead of traffic officials as they were closing the freeway down in sections. He noted the driver braked as he rolled past protesters.
“The driver was frustrated,” Walz said. “They close in sections and he got ahead of people.” Public Safety Commissioner John Harrington said traffic cameras show the driver was already on the freeway before it was closed.
“From what we can tell in our interviews, we have not had any information that makes this seem like this was an intentional act,” Harrington said. “It wasn’t that he went around barricades to get at the protest.”
Richard Ferguson 2.55pm: PM raises journo assault
Scott Morrison has backed an investigation into the assault of two Australian journalists by US police forces outside the White House, hours after talking to US President Donald Trump.
Australian cameraman Tim Myers and reporter Amelia Brace were repeatedly hit with police batons and shields, as police cleared out protesters to make way for Mr Trump’s walk from the White House to take photos outside the historic St Johns Church.
Mr Morrison has reached out to Seven News and told the news organisation that they will have the government’s support if they pursue a formal complaint through the Australian embassy in Washington.
The Australian understands that the embassy has also contacted Mr Myers and Ms Brace.Mr Morrison has asked the embassy to investigate the matter and provide Canberra with further advice.
Before the assault, Mr Morrisom and Mr Trump discussed the latter’s desire to expand the G7 to include Australia, South Korea, India and Russia. Mr Morrison said he would be pleased to take up an invitation to the next G7 meeting.
Remy Varga 2.25pm: Aussies sign up to rally
At least 36,000 Australians have registered their interest in attending rallies, vigils and protests in solidarity with activists in the United States over the death in custody of Floyd George Junior.
A rally in support of the Black Lives matter movement will be on Tuesday night at Sydney’s Hyde Park, with 3200 people indicating their interest on Facebook.
Also in Sydney, just under 8000 people are interested in attending a vigil for Floyd on Saturday in Chippendale.
In Melbourne, 12,000 people are interested in attending a rally against deaths in custody at Victorian state parliament on Saturday.
In Adelaide, 4700 people are interested in attending a rally in solidarity with Minneapolis at Victoria Square on Saturday.
Meanwhile in Canberra, a peaceful protest scheduled outside the US embassy on Saturday has 1.7k people interested.
It is unknown how many people will actually physically attend the events.
The US has seen shocking scenes of violence, looting and police brutality after video emerged of a white police officer holding his boot to the neck of George Junior in Minneapolis.
Many of the Australian events draw parallels between the deaths of George and Aboriginal man David Dungay.
Both men uttered “I can’t breath” before their deaths in police custody.
Agencies 1.45pm: New York tightens curfew
New York City imposed a late-night curfew on Monday as officials tried, unsuccessfully, to prevent another night of destruction amid protests over George Floyd’s death, AP reports.
With an 11pm to 5am curfew, New York joined other cities around the country in imposing such measures after days of unrest. The limit on a city of more than 8 million people comes after months of restrictions already imposed because of the coronavirus pandemic.
But enough mayhem happened before the curfew took effect that Mayor Bill de Blasio tweeted that it would move up to 8pm Tuesday.
As the deadline to get off the streets approached, bands of protesters marched through Manhattan and Brooklyn, and police simultaneously responded to numerous reports of roving groups of people smashing their way into shops and emptying them of merchandise.
The doors of Macy’s flagship Manhattan store were breached, and police pulled two handcuffed men out and put them in a van.
People rushed into a Nike store in Manhattan and carried out armloads of clothing. Near Rockefeller Center, storefront windows were smashed and multiple people arrested. Wreckage littered the inside of an AT&T store.
Video posted on social media showed some protesters arguing with people breaking windows, urging them to stop, but instances of vandalism and smash-and-grab thefts mounted as the night deepened.
Agencies 1.30pm: Ardern scolds NZ activists
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has scolded thousands of New Zealanders for breaking coronavirus restrictions at Black Lives Matter protests, AAP reports.
New Zealand has just one active case of COVID-19, a 50-something Aucklander currently in isolation, and will achieve elimination of the disease this week without the discovery of another positive test.
On Tuesday, health officials reported their 11th straight day without a new case of the deadly virus. Ms Ardern’s coronavirus response has insisted on strict social distancing and caps on gatherings.
Both of those rules were flouted at rallies in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch on Monday.
Agencies 1.20pm: US protest ‘double standard’
Hong Kong’s leader has accused the US of applying “double standards” in its response to violent protests as she warned Washington’s plan to place trade restrictions on the financial hub would “only hurt themselves”, AFP reports.
Semi-autonomous Hong Kong has been rocked by months of huge and often violent pro-democracy over the past year, which riot police have stamped out with more than 9,000 arrests.
Washington has been critical of Hong Kong’s response to the protests with US President Donald Trump last week vowing to end the city’s special trading status after Beijing announced plans to impose a sweeping national security law on the business hub.
On Tuesday, Hong Kong’s Chief Executive Carrie Lam said such a move would be self-defeating as she took aim at the Trump administration for its own response to violent racial justice protests sweeping the US.
“You know there are riots in the United States and we see how local governments reacted. And then in Hong Kong, when we had similar riots, we saw what position they adopted then,” said Lam, who was selected as city leader by a pro-Beijing committee.
Agencies 1.10pm: SUV ploughs through police
A vehicle has ploughed through a group of law enforcement officers at a George Floyd demonstration in New York State, injuring at least two, AP reports.
Video from the scene in Buffalo on Monday night shows the vehicle accelerating through an intersection shortly after several officers apparently tackle a person on the street and handcuff him.
BREAKING: A trooper and an officer were hit by a car that blew through a line of officers at the protest on Bailey Avenue according to PBA President John Evans. They were taken to ECMC. Stay with @SPECNewsBuffalo for updates. #Buffalo pic.twitter.com/odQygo09lH
— Stephen Marth (@StephenMarth) June 2, 2020
Other officers are then seen tending to the injured officers on the sidewalk. Officers are seen scattering to avoid the SUV before it drives off past a military vehicle on Buffalo’s east side.
The officers were taken to Erie County Medical Center. Authorities said their condition was stable.
Agencies 12.50pm: Vigilante groups respond
There are reports from Philadelphia that men armed with baseball bats are roaming some city streets, in response to protests that have swept the area.
It follows images from Los Angeles in the past 24 hours that showed shopkeepers armed with guns patrolling their businesses in an effort to keep out potential looters.
There are now two all white armed vigilante groups roaming Fishtown with the blessing of the @phillypolice pic.twitter.com/csGWCDZ6Nw
— Josh Albert (@jpegjoshua) June 1, 2020
Agencies 12.30pm: Biden breaks his silence
Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden slammed Donald Trump Monday for “using the American military against the American people,” after the president vowed to order an army crackdown on sweeping civil unrest gripping the United States, AFP reports.
He's using the American military against the American people.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) June 2, 2020
He tear-gassed peaceful protesters and fired rubber bullets.
For a photo.
For our children, for the very soul of our country, we must defeat him. But I mean it when I say this: we can only do it together. https://t.co/G1yE67q9Nz
“He tear-gassed peaceful protesters and fired rubber bullets. For a photo,” Biden tweeted, referring to Trump’s decision to use law enforcement — including military police — to clear protesters from in front of the White House so he could pose for photographs at a riot-damaged church nearby. “For our children, for the very soul of our country, we must defeat him,” Biden said.
Mirko Bagaric 12.20pm: US burns, we turn away
As many cities across the US burn following the killing of George Floyd, and with protesters demanding changes to deeply entrenched racism within that country’s criminal justice system, Australian politicians should consider themselves on notice: we have even worse levels of discrimination in our system. Read more here
Agencies 12.15pm: Bishop attacks ‘staged’ visit
The bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington has sharply criticised President Trump 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, AP reports.
Presiding Bishop Michael Curry's statement on President Donald Trump's use of St. John's, Holy Bible - Episcopal News Service @pb_curry @iamepiscopalian https://t.co/V6Iqg3Bwci
— Episcopal News Service (ENS) (@episcopal_news) June 2, 2020
The Rev. Mariann Budde, whose diocese St. John’s belongs to, said she was “outraged” by Trump’s visit and noted that he didn’t 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.
Henry Winter 12pm: Sport stars protest
English Premier League champions-in-waiting Liverpool have posted images of the squad spread around the centre circle at Anfield, making a protest about police brutality towards black citizens, in the manner of the American football quarterback Colin Kaepernick. Read more here
Agencies 11.40am: Governors rebuff Trump
Jay Inslee, the governor of Washington state, has slammed President Donald Trump’s threat to deploy the United States military to American cities to quell violent protests over police killings of black people.
In an emailed statement in response to the president’s comments, the Democrat said Trump “has repeatedly proven he is incapable of governing and shown nothing but false bravado throughout the chaos that has accompanied his time in office.” “He cowers at the feet of authoritarians around the world,” Inslee said. “Now he uses the most supreme power of the presidency in a desperate attempt to hide his timidity and vapidity. I pray no soldier and no civilian is injured or killed by this reckless fit.”
The Seattle area has seen several days of violence, including vandalism in the city’s downtown core following the death in police custody of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Meanwhile, Oregon Governor Kate Brown said she would not send National Guard troops to actively help quell violent protests in Portland over the killing of Floyd because they aren’t needed and that “is exactly what President Trump wants.” Brown said she would send 100 state police from around Oregon to assist the city, and activate 50 Guard troops to work in support and behind the scenes. Earlier, Trump slammed many governors as “weak” and demanded tougher crackdowns on burning and stealing at some demonstrations.
Brown said having National Guard soldiers on the streets was the wrong way to go.
“You don’t defuse violence by putting soldiers on the streets,” the Democrat said. “Trump wants governors to deploy the national guard to intimidate the public.”
Agencies 11.30am: Police arrest 5600
At least 5600 people have been arrested in cities around the country since demonstrations broke out protesting the death of George Floyd. The protests began after the May 25 death of Floyd. 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. — AP
Richard Ferguson 11am: Police hit Aussie crew
Anthony Albanese has called on Australian Ambassador to the US Arthur Sinodinos to protest the police assault of a Seven News crew outside the White House during an anti-racism rally.
Australian cameraman Tim Myers and reporter Amelia Brace were repeatedly hit with police batons and shields, as police cleared out protesters to make way for US President Donald Trump’s walk from the White House to take photos outside the historic St Johns Church.
READ THE FULL STORY here.
Agencies 10.30am: Streets cleared for Trump
Minutes before Donald Trump spoke in the Rose Garden of the White House, police and members of the National Guard took aggressive action, using tear gas and flash bangs, to move back protesters who were outside Lafayette Park, across from the White House.
While he addressed the nation in the White House’s idyllic Rose Garden, a series of military vehicles rolled out front on Pennsylvania Avenue and military police and law enforcement clashed with protesters at Lafayette Park.
Those peaceful demonstrators were cleared so Mr Trump could walk across the park to St. John’s Episcopal Church, known as “The Church of the Presidents,” which suffered fire damage in a protest this week. Holding a Bible, he then stood with several of his Cabinet members as the cameras clicked.
Agencies 10.10am: Boxer to pay for funeral
Boxing champion Floyd Mayweather has offered to pay for George Floyd’s funeral and memorial services, and the family has accepted the offer.
Mayweather personally has been in touch with the family, according to Leonard Ellerbe, the CEO of Mayweather Promotions. He will handle costs for the funeral on June 9 in Floyd’s hometown of Houston, as well as other expenses. TMZ originally reported Mayweather’s offer. “He’ll probably get mad at me for saying that, but yes, he is definitely paying for the funeral,” Ellerbe told ESPN.com. — AP
Agencies 10am: Twitter acts on fake news
Twitter said it is “actively investigating” the #dcblackout hashtag after online accounts pushed false and misleading tweets during a night of unrest in Washington over the death in police custody of George Floyd. Twitter said it has “suspended hundreds of spammy accounts” under its platform manipulation policy.
A spokesman for the company also said, “We’re taking action proactively on any co-ordinated attempts to disrupt the public conversation around this issue.” Many of the accounts tweeted about a supposed communication blackout that occurred between 1am and 6am.
However, Alaina Gertz, spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Police Department said, “This appears to be misinformation. We have no confirmation of a cellphone blackout.”
Other tweets shared an image of a major fire next to the Washington Monument, but a reverse image search revealed that the picture was a scene from the American television program “Designated Survivor” which was set in Washington.
Alex Engler, a fellow at the Brookings Institution who specialises in artificial intelligence and policy, said he calculated upwards of 30,000 retweets of false or misleading content shared under the hashtag.
The tweets were subsequently shared as screenshots on Facebook and Instagram. Amid the backdrop of nationwide protests of Floyd’s death in Minneapolis, Engler said people wanting to spread misinformation know how to make emotionally charged content that aligns well with pre-existing outrage so it is ripe for sharing. He said he observed inauthentic accounts retweeting content with the hashtag #dcblackout, but they had low follower counts.
“The bots are not actually there to spread the disinformation,” he explained. “They’re used to make the material seem true and seem trustworthy. Then you have actual people with actual networks disseminating this.” — AFP
Agencies 9.40am: Active-duty troops standby
As ordered by Donald Trump, the US military is sharply increasing the number of National Guard forces in Washington DC and, in an extraordinary move, has readied active-duty troops outside the city to respond to the protests.
A senior US defence official said all of the 1200 National Guard forces in Washington DC, had been mobilised and five states were sending 600 to 800 additional Guard troops who could be on the ground by evening. A second defence official said some of the Guard troops were armed with lethal weapons.
Beyond that, active US military duty troops — including military police and engineering units — were on standby in the National Capital Region but outside the city itself and were ready to deploy if needed. The hope, the first official said, was that the additional Guard units would make the use of active duty troops unnecessary.
“A decision to put active-duty troops on the streets would have to be made by the president at this point,” the official said. US Defence Secretary Mark Esper, Army General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Attorney-General William Barr and others would be at a Department of Justice to co-ordinate the response. — Reuters
Cameron Stewart 9.20am: Trump walks to church
In extraordinary scenes, Mr Trump walked from the White House to the St John’s church opposite the White House which was partially torched by arsonists the previous night.
The 1816 church is hugely symbolic, having been attended by every sitting president.
Mr Trump walked outside the church and held up a bible as sirens could be heard in the background. “We have a great country, we will make it even greater, it won’t take long … it will be greater than ever before,’’ he said.
He was then joined by a group including Attorney-General Bill Barr, Defense Secretary Mark Esper and chief of staff Mark Meadows.
“We have the greatest country in the world and we will keep it nice and safe,’ Mr Trump said as he walked back towards the White House.
Cameron Stewart 8.50am: ‘Acts of domestic terror’
Donald Trump has declared he will mobilise whatever is needed, including the US military, to restore order across America and “dominate the streets’’.
In a dramatic announcement from the Rose Garden of the White House, the president said the US needed “security not anarchy’’ and that the time had come to decisively end the protests which have gripped the nation over the past week.
“We are ending the riots and lawlessness — we will end it now,” Mr Trump said.
“These are not acts of respectful protest, these are acts of domestic terror … a crime against God.
“America needs security not anarchy ... justice not chaos, this is our mission and we will succeed.’’
As the president spoke, the sounds of tear gas being fired could be heard as police tried to move back crowds that had gathered in Lafayette Park outside the White House.
Mr Trump drew a line under the protests, saying that they were no longer aimed at protecting the memory of African American George Floyd who was killed by a Minneapolis policeman last week.
“All Americans were rightly sickened by the brutal death of George Floyd ... justice will be served, he will not have died in vain,’ Mr Trump said. “But we cannot allow the righteous cries of peaceful protesters to be drowned out by an angry mob.
“My first and highest duty as president is to defend our great country and our people.’’
Mr Trump said that if state Governors did not take tougher action to end the protests in their cities, he would deploy federal resources, including the US military, to quell the protests.
“I will deploy the US military and quickly solve the problem for them,’’ Mr Trump said.
“I will fight to protect you — I am your president of law and order and an ally of all peaceful protesters, but in recent days our nation’s been gripped by professional protesters,’’ he said.
Mr Trump spoke as a curfew came into force in Washington DC with Attorney-General William Barr having ordered riot squads into the city to try to hold the line against protesters.
Agencies 8am: Floyd death was ‘homicide’
An official autopsy released this morning ruled that George Floyd, the African-American man whose death at police hands set off unrest across the United States, died in a homicide involving “neck compression”. George, 46, died of “cardiopulmonary arrest complicating law enforcement subdual, restraint, and neck compression,” and the manner of death was “homicide,” the Hennepin County medical examiner in Minneapolis said in a statement.
The statement added that “manner of death is not a legal determination of culpability or intent.”
Bystander video showed Floyd pleading to be let up and saying repeatedly that he couldn’t breathe as a police officer Derek Chauvin kept his knee firmly pinned into Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes. Two other officers applied pressure with their knees to Floyd’s back.
Chauvin, who is white and has been fired from the Minneapolis police department, was hit with third-degree murder and manslaughter charges last week.
Earlier today, the Floyd family released an independent autopsy they commissioned which found he died of asphyxiation due to neck and back compression when Chauvin held his knee on Floyd’s neck until he stopped breathing, ignoring his cries of distress.
A memorial for Floyd will take place on Thursday in Minneapolis before a service in North Carolina and a funeral on June 9 in Houston, where he grew up, family lawyer Ben Crump said.
DEEPA SEETHARAMAN 7.45am: Facebook staff revolt
Facebook employees are using Twitter and Facebook’s internal communications tools to register their frustration over CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s decision to leave up posts by President Donald Trump that suggested protesters in Minneapolis could be shot.
Twitter flagged and demoted Trump’s tweet about the protests when he used the phrase “when the looting starts the shooting starts.” Facebook has let it stand, and Zuckerberg explained his reasoning in a Facebook post Friday. “I know many people are upset that we’ve left the President’s posts up, but our position is that we should enable as much expression as possible unless it will cause imminent risk of specific harms or dangers spelled out in clear policies,” Zuckerberg wrote. On Monday, dozens of Facebook employees staged a virtual “walkout” to protest the company’s decision not to touch the Trump. Workers also expressed frustration in other ways, including posting on Twitter, speaking to managers and writing on Facebook’s internal communication network. Though virtual, this was the first time that Facebook workers have staged a walkout in the company’s history.
READ MORE here.
Cameron Stewart 7.20am: Nation’s capital shattered
In downtown Washington it was easy to find the way to the White House — you just followed the lines of broken windows and graffiti until you arrived. After three nights of violent protests outside the White House, including the arson attack on the famous St John’s church, the blocks surrounding the country’s most famous building now look more like a ghetto than a showpiece.
My office at the Wall St Journal’s Washington bureau sits just two blocks from the White House, a short and lovely walk in normal times. Today that same walk was accompanied by the sound of broken glass underfoot as the remains of shattered shopfronts and abusive graffiti spoke of the fury and the destruction of rioters just hours before.
Next door to my office building, a CVS pharmacy sat empty with shattered windows having been broken into and looted the previous night. In the small park across the road in Farragut Square, the statue of the Union civil war hero Admiral David Farragut — best known for his cry of “damn the torpedoes, full steam ahead’’, was defaced by graffiti.
Many buildings lining the square, including the Army Navy Club were shuttered with plywood to keep protesters out but the Bank of American building on the corner was not so lucky. Every window was shattered, the ATM machines inside sprayed with orange paint. “F the banks’ was spray painted across one door, while the other had a gaping hole in the glass. Next door, the front window of the food store Sweetgreen was also shattered as were a line of other shops.
One block closer to the White House the walls of almost every building in the street had been sprayed with large messages. “Why do we have to keep telling you black lives matter?’ said one. “You have blood on your hands,’ said another. ‘F.. the system.” “f..the cops,’ said one more.
In Lafayette Park, the epicentre of the protests, the upmarket Hay Adams hotel was boarded up, while a statue of the Prussian-born Baron Friedrich Wilhelm opposite the White House bore the words in black paint: “RIP George Floyd’’.
The St John’s Episcopal Church known as the President’s church where every American president has prayed since it was built in 1816 was thankfully still standing after protesters lit a fire in its basement at the height of the protests early Sunday. Around Lafayette park, which has been barricaded off from the White House, teams of weary-looking secret service agents began to position themselves for yet another long day and night.
Who knows how many more nights they will have to guard the White House against the fury of those who have abandoned peaceful protest and are now intent on setting the national capital alight. Regardless of what comes next, the damage that these protests have already done to Washington’s image goes much deeper than broken glass.
Agencies 7am: US cities convulsed by unrest
Major US cities are bracing for another night of unrest after demonstrators took to the streets of more than 140 towns and cities overnight. Here’s a recap of the hot spots.
MINNEAPOLIS
The Midwestern city where a police officer killed George Floyd by kneeling on his neck for more than eight minutes was calmer overnight after beefing up its security forces.
Thousands of people marched to the capitol building in Saint Paul, Minneapolis’ twin city and the seat of the state’s legislature. The demonstrators were marching peacefully along a highway when the driver of a speeding tanker truck tried to force his way through the crowd, without causing any injuries. The driver is being investigated by police.
When the curfew began at 8pm for a third night, police fired flash-bang rounds at protesters to disperse them. More than 150 were arrested for breaking the curfew, officials said.
WASHINGTON
Hundreds of protesters gathered outside the White House for a peaceful demonstration that turned more tense once night fell and the crowds grew. Police fired tear gas to drive the crowds away from the presidential seat. In the ensuing melee, American flags were burned, cars were set ablaze, graffiti sprayed on walls and numerous shop windows smashed.
A curfew was introduced for the first time at 11pm, a deadline that was brought forward to 7pm Monday as the city braced for more protests. President Donald Trump was moved by his Secret Service guards to an underground bunker as the protests roiled the park outside.
NEW YORK
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has called for a national ban on excessive force by police and announced a curfew for New York City. In a joint statement, Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said the city of eight million people would be under curfew from 11pm Monday night until 5am the next morning. They said police would double their numbers to stem violence and property damage.
At an earlier briefing, Cuomo said he worried that demonstrations in the most populous US city in response to George Floyd’s death could cause a spike in coronavirus infections.
He called on citizens to push politicians to make changes to improve society. He also urged independent investigations of police abuse.
Images from overnight showed looters ransacking a pharmacy and breaking into several luxury stores in Manhattan’s SoHo neighbourhood after a day of protests across the city that led to hundreds of arrests. “It’s not enough to come out and say ‘I’m angry, I’m frustrated,’” Cuomo said. “The protesters are making a point. But you have to add the positive reform agenda.”
Among the hundreds of people arrested on four consecutive nights of unrest in the city was the daughter of the Mayor, Chiara de Blasio, who was briefly detained for unlawful assembly.
LOS ANGELES
The city announced a 6pm curfew for the whole of Los Angeles country as National Guard troops with rifles and combat gear began patrolling the city. On Melrose Avenue, residents used brooms and buckets of water to clean up the debris from the night before. At midday, several hundred people joined demonstrations and later in the night, looting broke out in Santa Monica in the suburbs, including in an upmarket mall. Police said they had made hundreds of arrests. — AFP
Agencies 6.30am: Obama urges US criminal justice reform
Former US president Barack Obama has penned a lengthy essay urging his country to “get to work” to enact criminal justice reform and address systemic racism after a week of protests over the death of George Floyd.
“The waves of protests across the country represent a genuine and legitimate frustration over a decades-long failure to reform police practices and the broader criminal justice system in the United States,” Obama wrote in a post on Medium. “The overwhelming majority of participants have been peaceful, courageous, responsible, and inspiring. They deserve our respect and support, not condemnation — something that police in cities like Camden and Flint have commendably understood.”
Obama — who previously spoke out against Floyd’s death, saying treating US citizens differently on the account of race “shouldn’t be ‘normal’ in 2020” — also condemned the violence that has accompanied some of the protests. “Let’s not excuse violence, or rationalise it, or participate in it,” Obama wrote. “If we want our criminal justice system, and American society at large, to operate on a higher ethical code, then we have to model that code ourselves.” He pointed to elections as a force of change, denouncing the notion that voting won’t make a difference. “The bottom line is this: if we want to bring about real change, then the choice isn’t between protest and politics. We have to do both. We have to mobilise to raise awareness, and we have to organise and cast our ballots to make sure that we elect candidates who will act on reform,” he wrote.
He also emphasised the importance, not just of national elections, but those at the state and local level, where he says reforming police departments and the criminal justice system is most integral.
Agencies 6.20am: Floyd family release autopsy results
An autopsy commissioned for George Floyd’s family found that he died of asphyxiation due to neck and back compression when a Minneapolis police officer held his knee on Floyd’s neck for several minutes and ignored his cries of distress, the family’s attorneys said.
The autopsy found the compression cut off blood to Floyd’s brain, and weight on his back made it hard to breathe, attorney Ben Crump said. He called for the third-degree murder charge against Officer Derek Chauvin to be upgraded to first-degree murder and for three other officers to be charged.
The family’s autopsy differs from the official autopsy as described in a criminal complaint against the officer. That autopsy included the effects of being restrained, along with underlying health issues and potential intoxicants in Floyd’s system, but also said it found nothing “to support a diagnosis of traumatic asphyxia or strangulation.”
Floyd, a black man who was in handcuffs at the time, died after Chauvin, who is white, ignored bystander shouts to get off him and Floyd’s cries that he couldn’t breathe.
The official autopsy last week provided 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.”
Crump said last week that he was commissioning the family’s own autopsy. Floyd’s family, like the families of other black men killed by police, wanted an independent look because they didn’t trust local authorities to produce an unbiased autopsy.
The family’s autopsy was conducted by Michael Baden and Allecia Wilson. Baden is the former chief medical examiner of New York City, who was hired to conduct an autopsy of Eric Garner, a black man who died in 2014 after New York police placed him in a chokehold and he pleaded that he could not breathe. — AP
Agencies 6.10am: Floyd’s brother pleads for peace
The brother of George Floyd appealed for peace 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, a black man, died after a white police officer pinned his neck with his knee for several minutes a week ago.
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.” At the end of his remarks, Terrence Floyd led the crowd in a chant of “What’s his name?” answered by “George Floyd.” — AP
READ MORE here.
Catherine Lucey 6am: Trump pushes governors to ‘dominate’
President Trump has pushed governors to get tough on the violent demonstrations that have followed widespread peaceful protests against police brutality, telling state leaders, “most of you are weak.”
Speaking to the governors on a teleconference, the president said what was happening in New York City was “terrible” and added it was important for governors to send law enforcement in to “dominate,” according to a recording of the roughly one-hour-long call reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.
“You have to dominate. If you don’t dominate you’re wasting your time,” Mr Trump said. “You’re going to look like a bunch of jerks. You have to arrest people. And you have to try people and they have to go to jail for long periods of time.”
"You have to dominate": President Trump told governors on a call Monday that they are "weak" on protesters, and pushed them to arrest more people and "put them in jail for 10 years." These are excerpts from audio obtained by CBS News. https://t.co/r8pkyRYu1F pic.twitter.com/p4qThKAWeB
— CBS News (@CBSNews) June 1, 2020
Mr Trump was joined on the call by Attorney-General William Barr, who also stressed the need for a strong police presence, and by Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman General Mark Milley. Mr Barr said the violence was being committed at the hands of extremist agitators and urged a firm local response. He said a joint terrorism task force would be used to target instigators.
“Somebody throwing a rock, that’s like shooting a gun,” Mr Trump said. “You have to do retribution, in my opinion. You have to use your own legal system... But if you want this to stop, you have to do that, but you have to prosecute people.”
Democratic Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker directly confronted Mr Trump about his commentary, saying he was “extraordinarily concerned by the rhetoric that’s been used by you.”
“I don’t like your rhetoric much either,” Mr Trump responded, before saying he has addressed Mr Floyd’s death at length, but also is calling for law and order. The White House didn’t respond to a request for comment.
Mr Trump in recent days has condemned Mr Floyd’s death, which occurred after an officer held his knee on the man’s neck as he cried that he couldn’t breathe. The president has also called on state and local officials to do more to stop looting and violence, which he has blamed on outside agitators and radical-left groups.
On the call, the president again blamed “the radical left” and compared the protests to a war. He also cited “looters and people thinking they can get free stuff.” He called on governors to use the National Guard and noted the violence in New York, Philadelphia and Los Angeles, adding that in Washington, protesters “attacked the AFL-CIO building.”
“We’re going to clamp down very very strong,” he said. “If you don’t dominate your city and your state, they’re going to walk away with you.” On the call, some governors stressed to the president that there were peaceful demonstrators at the protests, even as they raised concerns about outside agitators.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, a Democrat, encouraged Mr Trump to make clear to the public that the National Guard wasn’t an occupying force and instead consists of people’s neighbours.
“It got so bad a few nights ago that the people wouldn’t have minded an occupying force,” Mr. Trump responded. “I wish we had an occupying force.” Maine Governor Janet Mills, a Democrat, raised concerns about a planned trip to the state this week by Mr Trump that hadn’t yet been publicly announced. “I’m very concerned that your presence may cause security problems for our state,” she said. The president said later that Maine’s governor might have “talked me into” going to the state despite her concerns.
Republican South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster agreed with the president’s tough talk, saying: “I think what you are saying is right. We have to take these people out and deliver justice. ” Some also noted their concerns that the gatherings could lead to am increase in coronavirus cases. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat, said he was worried about it being “some kind of a setback.” Some of the president’s advisers have encouraged Mr Trump to tone down his rhetoric, people familiar with the matter said.
Cameron Stewart 5.30am: Rioters blur lines between church and state
The violent chaos engulfing the US has not managed to breach the White House defences, but an arson attack on the church where presidents have worshipped for the past two centuries struck a deeply symbolic blow to the heart of the nation’s capital.
The damage to the basement of St John’s Episcopal Church — just a stone’s throw to the White House, across Lafayette Square — was minor. But the protesters’ message had been delivered. The act was so brazen, so close to the White House, and the footage was beamed around the world.
It also emerged at the weekend that Secret Service agents rushed Donald Trump to a White House bunker as hundreds of protesters gathered outside the executive mansion, some of them throwing rocks and tugging at police barricades. The US President spent nearly an hour on Friday night (Saturday AEST) in the bunker, which was designed for use in emergencies such as 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 Lafayette Park could be heard all weekend and authorities were massively outnumbered by crowds.
In the shadows of the White House, the Secret Service fired teargas at more than 1000 protesters who pelted them with objects.
More than 60 Secret Service officers have been injured in three nights of violent protests in Washington.
In Minneapolis, where Mr Floyd was killed, a man drove a tanker truck into a crowd of protesters, forcing them to jump for their lives, but the truck eventually stopped without anyone being injured. The driver was charged with assault.
A Sunday afternoon of mostly peaceful protests in Boston broke at nightfall when protesters clashed with officers, throwing rocks, breaking into several stores and setting a police vehicle on fire.
Boston police said at least 40 people had been arrested, seven police officers had been hospitalised and 21 police cruisers were damaged.
In Atlanta, two police officers were sacked after a video showed them using excessive force in dragging two university students from a car.
In New York, however, police officers drew cheers and cries of “thank you” from crowds when they knelt on the ground and repeated the names of black Americans who had been shot by police.
In dozens of cities, looting and arson has spiralled out of control for days on end.
In response, retail giant Target said it was closing or shortening the hours of 200 stores across the country to protect against theft and damage.
Many workers have been told to stay away from their workplaces this week because of concerns over their safety.
In California, the Department of Human Resources sent a directive to close all state buildings with offices in downtown city areas on Monday, a sweeping mandate that covered everything from Department of Motor Vehicles offices to those that license workers and provide healthcare.
On Sunday, Mr Trump said Democrats were to blame for failing to halt the wave of violent protests engulfing the US.
He urged mayors and state governors to use the National Guard to crack down more forcefully on the protesters.
The President’s call came as at least 20 US cities imposed curfews to combat spreading violence.
Mr Trump, facing criticism for choosing not to address the nation at a time of historic civil unrest, also used the riots to attack his political opponents.
“Get tough Democrat Mayors and Governors. These people are ANARCHISTS. Call in our National Guard NOW. The world is watching and laughing at you and Sleepy Joe. Is this what America wants? NO!!!” he tweeted.
Mr Trump repeated his claim that the riots were primarily the work of anarchist far-left group Antifa and said he would label the group a terrorist organisation, although it is unclear that he has the legal authority to do so.
During an incident of daytime looting in Philadelphia, which was broadcast live on TV, the President tweeted that Democrat authorities in that city were failing to keep the peace.
“Law & Order in Philadelphia, NOW! They are looting stores. Call in our great National Guard like they FINALLY did (thank you President Trump) last night in Minneapolis. Is this what voters want with Sleepy Joe? All Dems!” Mr Trump posted.
Attorney-General William Barr said the protests across the country had been “hijacked by violent radical elements” who were seeking to pursue their own “separate, violent and extremist agenda”.
“It is time to stop watching the violence and to confront and stop it,” Mr Barr said.
“The continued violence and destruction of property endangers the lives and livelihoods of others, and interferes with the rights of peaceful protesters, as well as all other citizens.”
He said the violence “instigated and carried out by Antifa and other similar groups” amounted to domestic terrorism and would be treated accordingly.
The policeman accused of killing Mr Floyd, Derek Chauvin, has been charged with third-degree murder but Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said he believed that charges were also “warranted” against three other officers who had stood by as Mr Chauvin knelt on Mr Floyd.
Mr Floyd’s last words — “I cannot breathe” — have become a rallying cry for protesters around the country.
The nationwide unrest comes at a time of enormous economic and social strain, with the coronavirus pandemic causing the loss of 40 million US jobs and the deaths of more than 100,000 Americans.
Cameron Stewart is also US contributor for Sky News Australia
More Coverage
The business leaders who have joined Team Trump
Donald Trump’s second administration is months away from taking office but the charm offensive from business leaders has already begun.
Parent killer next door: the untold story of Virginia McCullough
She murdered them and lived with the bodies for years, plundering their savings and bombarding neighbours with strange gifts – including her dead parents’ possessions.