Reporting was contributed by Tim Arango, Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs, Audra D.S. Burch, Helene Cooper, Manny Fernandez, Thomas Fuller, Matt Furber, Shawn Hubler, Neil MacFarquhar and Frances Robles.
Across the country, protesters took to the streets for a fourth day to express their anger over the death of George Floyd, a black man who died after a Minneapolis police officer kept his knee pressed into his neck for more than eight minutes.
In scenes both peaceful and violent, thousands of protesters chanted “No justice, no peace” and “Say his name. George Floyd.” They hoisted signs reading: “He said I can’t breathe. Justice for George.”
Former police officer Derek Michael Chauvin was arrested Friday in Minneapolis on charges of third-degree murder and manslaughter in connection with Floyd’s death.
Saturday morning, after 72 hours of unrest in Minneapolis, Gov. Tim Walz described the protest scenes as a “military operation.”
“This is not about George’s death. This is not about inequities that were real. This is about chaos being caused,” Walz said.
Fires, looting and destruction were not isolated to Minneapolis. In Detroit, one person attending a protest was shot to death. Atlanta saw the CNN Center attacked and its mayor pleaded for calm.
Stay up-to-date on the George Floyd story by signing up for USA TODAY’s Daily Briefing. Here are the latest developments:
By Sunday, 1,700 National Guard troops will be in the Twin Cities and officials said they welcomed the help from the Pentagon, which they said independently asked military police to be ready to head to Minnesota.
Sekula Law Offices issued a statement late Friday saying Chauvin’s wife, Kellie, has filed for divorce.
As anger spilled across the U.S. over Floyd’s death, a second night of Breonna Taylor protests was marked by vandalism in downtown Louisville, Kentucky. She was shot and killed by police while sleeping in her home in March.
President Donald Trump said Friday he spoke with Floyd’s family and asserted that his relatives are “entitled to justice” in the case.
Our live blog will be updated throughout the day. Scroll down for the latest. Follow USA TODAY reporters Trevor Hughes and Tyler Davis for reports from the scene.
Car rams into protesters in San Jose; demonstrators on Bay Bridge
In San Jose, California, the driver of an SUV drove into a protesting crowd, captured on video by a KPIX-TV reporter. As the car drives away, what sounds like a shot fires, and people can be heard screaming and appear to run to the aid of someone on the ground.
A Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Department deputy was involved in a shooting in the area around the same time, the department later said on Twitter. But it was not immediately clear if it was the same incident.
The San Jose Police Department was investigating.
“We’re angry as well, and we’ve made that clear. We’ve allowed peaceful protest. But we will not tolerate lawlessness,” San Jose Police Chief Eddie Garcia said on Twitter.
In nearby San Francisco, protesters shut down the upper deck on the Bay Bridge, halting traffic.
Atlanta mayor pleads for peace amid protests
Peaceful protests turned violent in Atlanta on Friday night, with some demonstrators damaging police cars, vandalizing CNN’s headquarters and clashing with police, prompting an impassioned rebuke from the city’s mayor.
Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms had a stern message for violent protesters during a televised press conference: “You are disgracing our city; you are disgracing the life of George Floyd … We are better than this.”
As the demonstrations intensified, Bottoms feared the destruction would hurt minority business owners. “This is not a protest. This is not in the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr. This is chaos,” she said. “If you care about this city, then go home.” Read more.
– Joel Shannon
White House locks down
Outside the White House on Friday, Secret Service could be seen after 7 p.m. taking at least one person into custody. Videos showed a large group of protesters gathering, with some burning flags and knocking over barricades. The protesters have moved from the White House to another part of Washington, D.C.
Multiple reporters posted that they were inside the White House and that the Secret Service was not letting them leave the grounds during the lockdown.
The Secret Service frequently locks down the White House for perceived security threats, such as packages or bags left nearby. But the building is rarely locked down for protests. And while protests are a daily occurrence outside the White House, they are often small – drawing a few dozen people, at most. Read more.
– Savannah Behrmann
Coast-to-coast protests rage on
Protesters in Minneapolis largely ignored the city’s newly-instituted 8 p.m. curfew and continued marching through the streets, in some cases damaging buildings.
Another 500 Guard soldiers were mobilized in and around Minneapolis. But at a 1:30 a.m. news briefing Saturday, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said that he was moving to activate more than 1,000 more and was considering federal help.
The Guard was also on standby in the District of Columbia, where a crowd grew outside the White House and chanted curses at President Donald Trump, according to the Associated Press .
Report: Military police could dispatch to Minnesota
The Pentagon on Saturday ordered the Army to put military police units on alert to head to Minneapolis on short notice at President Donald Trump’s request, the Associated Press reports, according to three people with direct knowledge of the orders who did not want their names used because they were not authorized to discuss the preparations.
According to the AP report, soldiers from Fort Bragg in North Carolina and Fort Drum in New York have been ordered to be ready to deploy within four hours if called. Soldiers in Fort Carson in Colorado, and Fort Riley in Kansas have been told to be ready within 24 hours.
Mayor Bill de Blasio vows review of violence in NYC
Video posted to social media showed New York City officers using batons and shoving protesters down as they took people into custody and cleared streets. One video showed on officer slam a woman to the ground as he walked past her in the street.
Demonstrators rocked a police van, set it ablaze, scrawled graffiti across its charred body and set it aflame again as officers retreated. Blocks away, protesters used a club to batter another police vehicle.
“There will be a full review of what happened tonight,” Mayor Bill de Blasio tweeted, referring to the Brooklyn protest. “We don’t ever want to see another night like this.”
Civil rights leaders urge police to avoid military force, slam Trump for ‘pouring fuel on the fire’
Conjuring up memories of police confrontations with protesters during the Civil Rights Movement, national civil rights leaders are asking Minneapolis officials not to use military force against demonstrators. They also called out President Donald Trump for potentially inciting more violence.
“We need officers to not take action that escalates tension. The militarized police presence is not helping the situation,’’ Kristen Clarke, president of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law told USA TODAY. “President Trump, meanwhile, is pouring fuel on the fire by literally advocating for deadly violence to be used.”
The committee and other civil rights groups, including the NAACP, Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, the National Urban League, National Action Network and the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc., sent a letter late Thursday to Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Police Chief Medaria Arradondo calling for them to not use military force against protesters.
Derek Michael Chauvin, 44, was arrested Friday and charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter in connection to Floyd’s death. He was booked into the Ramsey County Jail.
A criminal complaint that references body cameras worn by the four now-former officers involved in the incident sheds some additional light on what happened on Memorial Day in the moments before and after Floyd’s death.
The Hennepin County Attorney’s complaint said Chauvin had his knee on Floyd’s neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, including two minutes and 53 seconds after Floyd was non-responsive. Read more.
Change.org petition grows at record pace
A petition on Change.org titled “Justice for George Floyd” has generated more than 6.3 million signatures as of Friday night, making it the fastest-growing petition in the website’s history.
The petition, which was started by 15-year-old Kellen S., was growing at a rate of of one signature every two seconds as of Friday morning, Change.org said in a statement.
“This has gone farther than I ever imagined,” Kellen told Change.org in a statement. “I hope that this helps bring the justice for George Floyd and his family that they deserve.”
The footwear company posted on Friday evening a socially conscious message to its more than 112 million followers.
Incidents that resulted in the deaths of black men and women in the United States have taken the forefront this week, and with a simple text-on-screen video, Nike made its stance clear.
“For once, Don’t Do It. Don’t pretend there’s not a problem in America. Don’t turn your back on racism. Don’t accept innocent lives being taken from us. Don’t make any more excuses. Don’t think this doesn’t affect you. Don’t sit back and be silent. Don’t think you can’t be part of the change. Let’s all be part of the change.”
Some protesters, especially younger or more aggressive ones, cheered the United States’s declaration, embracing it as a fulfillment of a protest philosophy, “If we burn, you burn with us” — meaning that if Hong Kong is brought down, China will be, too.
President Trump taunted CNN as the network’s Atlanta headquarters was attacked by rioters, retweeting a supporter who noted what she called the “irony” of the violence.
Trump retweeted conservative supporter “Melissa A.,” who snarked that the network was “being attacked by the very riots they promoted as noble & just.”
The retweeted post included a video clip of hundreds of protesters, some of whom scrawled graffiti — including the words “F— Trump” — on a giant CNN logo and busted the building’s glass entrance.
In an ironic twist of fate, CNN HQ is being attacked by the very riots they promoted as noble & just. Oops https://t.co/mDgGLYz5Lu
Lines of riot police guarded the home of former police officer Derek Chauvin’s house in Oakdale, a Twin Cities suburb, Thursday night from protestors following the death of George Floyd.
Chauvin was identified as the cop who held his knee on Floyd’s neck in the viral video of Floyd’s arrest. Along with the three other police officers involved in Floyd’s death, Chauvin was fired by Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo on Tuesday.
However, there are currently no criminal charges against Chauvin. The FBI and Department of Justice are launching a federal investigation into his actions.
Both Floyd’s family and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey have called for criminal charges to be brought against Chauvin.
Chauvin has become the focus of protestors demanding justice for Floyd.
On the third night of protests, videos on social media showed five walls of riot police guarding Chauvin’s property from the hundreds of protestors gathered chanting “justice.”
Oakdale Chief of Police Bill Sullivan said Chauvin already vacated the house earlier this week. “Officers are stationed in the neighborhood only as needed, based on the activities of protesters,” he said in a statement to Newsweek.
“We are not defending or condoning the behavior of the officer in the Minneapolis incident. What happened to Mr. Floyd is horrible and we extend our deepest condolences to his family and friends. Nonetheless, our job is to uphold the rule of law even in times of distress and sadness. We ask for the Twin Cities community to assist law enforcement by demonstrating passionately but peacefully,” Sullivan added.
Crowds began gathering in front of his home on Tuesday afternoon. Several demonstrators left messages on the driveway in chalk and red paint, including one that read “A murderer lives here.”
According to the Oakdale Police Department, mobile field force teams were deployed to the area “to protect the peace and safety of the neighborhood.” Six people were arrested for unlawful assembly, five of them released on the scene.
Since the incident involving Floyd, city records have shown Chauvin has been the subject of 17 complaints over his two-decade career.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz called in the National Guard on Thursday as Minneapolis prepared for more riots.
Downtown Minneapolis has faced four consecutive days of unrest as protests turned violent with riot police firing rubber bullets and tear gas, stores being looted and businesses set ablaze and vandalized.
Protestors have taken to the intersection where Floyd was arrested, as well as the Third Police Precinct, where a semi-permanent barrier was erected. People began looting a Target in the nearby city of St. Paul on Thursday.
“It is time to rebuild. Rebuild the city, rebuild our justice system, and rebuild the relationship between law enforcement and those they’re charged to protect. George Floyd’s death should lead to justice and systemic change, not more death and destruction,” Walz said.
The National Guard confirmed on Twitter that more than 500 soldiers will respond to St. Paul, Minneapolis and the surrounding communities. They confirmed to Newsweek that there are currently no Guardsmen stationed at Chauvin’s home.
The last time the Minnesota National Guard was activated was during the 2008 Republican National Convention in St. Paul.
05/29/20, 12:40 p.m. ET: This story has been updated with comments from the Oakdale Police Department.
05/29/20, 12:59 p.m. ET: This story has been updated with comments from the Minnesota National Guard.
“This is not a protest. It is violence,” Mayor Greg Fischer said in a 1 a.m. video call with reporters.
“This violence and destruction is absolutely unacceptable,” he said. “It besmirches any claim to honor Breonna Taylor’s memory. … No one stands up for justice and equality by smashing windows and burning property. This destruction will not be tolerated.”
For the second night in a row, people took to the streets en masse to protest the fatal shooting of Taylor, an unarmed African American who died in her apartment after being shot at least eight times by Louisville Metro Police in March.
Taylor, an ER tech, was at her southwest Louisville apartment when police entered her home on a “no-knock” search warrant related to a narcotics investigation. Officers returned fire after Taylor’s boyfriend fired a shot at what he said he believed to be intruders. No drugs were recovered from the apartment.
There were no altercations between protesters and police Friday, and, unlike the night before, there were no reports of gunfire in the crowd. City officials reported two arrests, and a television news crew was taken to the hospital.
But vandals did significant damage across downtown: Windows to office buildings, at least one hotel and restaurants were smashed. Looters sidestepped broken windows and rummaged through the bar area of Eddie Merlot’s Prime Aged Beef & Seafood, hauling away armfuls of alcohol.
A similar smash-and-grab unfolded on live TV at the Omni Louisville Hotel on South Second Street, with looters sprinting away with bottles of booze.
Throughout the night, Courier Journal reporters and photographers saw canisters of tear gas being fired; heard flash bangs exploding; and spotted numerous fires in trash cans and recycling bins. Shards of glass were everywhere, and anti-police graffiti was spray-painted on buildings and sidewalks.
“This has been a very sad night for our city,” Fischer said. “Many came tonight to express the pain, anger and frustration brought about by the tragic death of Breonna Taylor. Many were here to exercise their First Amendment right to peacefully protest — and I respect that right.
“Unfortunately,” the mayor continued, “another faction of people use the occasion of a protest as an excuse to cause destruction.”
Before midnight, a peaceful demonstration paraded on Bardstown Road.
Jessie Halladay, a spokeswoman for Louisville Metro Police, also pointed to out-of-towners as the reason for much of the chaos and damage.
“They’re determined to create division within this community,” she said. “They are well-equipped. They bring sticks, bottles, bats, shields, guns. They are ready to set fires. They come well-stocked with water, supplies, other things. They are ready to start problems.”
Friday night’s unrest followed a smaller, but still raucous, protest Thursday that left seven people with gunshot wounds, including one in critical condition. Those shots were not fired by police, LMPD said.
Taylor’s death is one of a number of high-profile killings of black Americans, several at the hands of police officers, that have sparked protests across the country.
Protesters in recent days have taken to the streets for George Floyd, a black man killed by Minneapolis police in an incident captured on video. Floyd’s death came at a time when many Americas were already outraged over the killing of Ahmaud Arbery, who was jogging in a south Georgia neighborhood when he was killed by white men.
In Louisville, protesters carried signs and chanted about both Taylor and Floyd.
Around 11 p.m., a small group of protesters walked down Bardstown Road, followed by a line of police vehicles. Dozens of cars honked their horns in support.
People on sidewalks handed out water, reminding the crowd to stay hydrated, while chants of “hands up, don’t shoot” filled the air.
At Eastern Parkway, the protesters paused and knelt in the intersection, taking a brief moment of silence before walking back up Bardstown toward downtown.
Chanting throughout the night included “Breonna Taylor,” “No justice, no peace” and “F*** the police.”
As the group moved past a line of police officers blocking the entrance to the Mid-City Mall, several leaders also urged the group to “keep moving” and repeated that “this is a peaceful protest.”
Helicopters buzzed above the unrest for hours, their spotlights illuminating both tense confrontations and periods of standstill.
By midnight, empty milk jugs and crushed plastic water bottles littered the street in front of Metro Hall, where a handful of protesters remained — silently refusing to budge for the line of more than 50 officers in riot gear that had sought to advance.
Earlier in the evening, tensions rose as protesters spotted law enforcement officers inside the Hall of Justice. Protesters ripped the American and Kentucky flags from their poles in front of the building, using lighters and alcohol to set them ablaze.
Some hurled water bottles and other hard objects at the courthouse windows, splintering the glass. Other panes were smeared with red paint hand prints, made to look like blood.
As Thursday’s protests turned violent, Taylor’s family took to social media to plead with the community for peace.
“We are not going to stop until we get justice,” Juniyah Palmer, Taylor’s younger sister, said in a video.
“But we should stop tonight before people get hurt.”
Contributing: Billy Kobin, Mandy McLaren and Bailey Loosemore, Louisville Courier Journal. Follow Tessa Duvall on Twitter: @TessaDuvall.
The wife of Derek Chauvin, the fired Minneapolis police officer charged in the death of George Floyd, has reportedly filed for divorce over his role in the case, according to media reports.
Attorneys for Kellie Chauvin said Friday that she is seeking the “dissolution of her marriage” to Chauvin.
“She is devastated by Mr. Floyd’s death,” a statement on behalf of Kellie Chauvin and her family read. “Her utmost sympathy lies with his family, his loved ones and with everyone who is grieving.”
“She has filed for dissolution of her marriage,” the letter continued.
Kellie Chauvin doesn’t have any children from her current marriage, the letter said, and it was not clear how long the couple have been married.
Derek Chauvin was arrested and charged Friday in connection with Floyd’s death, which has prompted nationwide protests that have turned violent in a number of cities. He faces 3rd-degree murder and manslaughter charges.
He and three other officers were fired Tuesday in connection with Floyd’s death on Monday. The other officers have not been charged with any crimes, although authorities have said that may change.
Chauvin was captured on video pinning his knee into Floyd’s neck for several minutes during a Memorial Day arrest on a suspected forgery charge. Floyd reportedly stated he could not breathe as bystanders pleaded with Chauvin to stop.
The video has prompted massive demonstrations across the country. In Minneapolis, rioters torched a police station Thursday night and looters ransacked businesses. On Friday, violent confrontations between demonstrations and police were reported in Atlanta, New York City, Washington, D.C., and .
Fox News contributor Karl Rove weighs in on escalating tensions with China.
Former deputy White House chief of staff and Fox News contributor Karl Rove told “Your World” Friday that President Trump must approach China as an adversary, not an enemy after the president announced he would revoke Hong Kong’s special status with the United States.
“China is violating the commitment that they made to the world community that there would be one country, China and Hong Kong together, but two systems,” Rove told host Neil Cavuto. “A democratic Hong Kong and then a Communist state in mainland China.”
“[China is] not our enemy, but our adversary and rival,” he said, noting Beijing appears to be seeking military supremacy over the western Pacific Ocean and technological supremacy in many sectors.
“They are looking to explicitly knock the U.S. out of our position of dominance. And I think we better wake up and deal with it,” he remarked.
“I think [Trump’s] are good, measured steps. I hope that there are more. But there is no need to junk the entire relationship. If they do bad things, respond accordingly.”
MINNEAPOLIS (Reuters) – A third night of racially charged arson, looting and vandalism gripped Minneapolis as protesters vented rage over the death of an unarmed black man after a white police officer knelt on his neck as he lay on the ground following arrest.
The latest unrest in Minnesota’s largest city went largely unchecked late Thursday, with the mayor ordering a tactical police retreat from a police station that was set ablaze.
National Guard troops called out earlier in the day by the governor kept a low profile. Governor Tim Walz had ordered the Guard to help keep the peace after two previous nights of disturbances sparked by George Floyd’s death on Monday.
In a late-night Twitter message, President Donald Trump said he would send in National Guard troops to “get the job done right” if the “weak” mayor failed to restore order, suggesting lethal force might be needed.
“Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts,” Trump wrote.
The arrest of Floyd, 46, was captured by an onlooker’s cell phone video that went viral and showed a police officer pressing his knee into Floyd’s neck as he moaned: “Please, I can’t breathe.”
Four police officers involved in the arrest of Floyd, who was accused of trying to pass counterfeit money at a corner store, were dismissed on Tuesday, but unrest has continued unabated.
Sympathy protests erupted on Wednesday in Los Angeles and Thursday in Denver, with freeway traffic blocked in both cities. In Phoenix, protesters faced off with police in riot gear at City Hall, and a rally was held at the Arizona state Capitol.
Thursday night’s disturbances in Minneapolis also spread into adjacent city of St. Paul, the state capital, with fires and vandalism breaking out there.
In contrast with Wednesday night, when rock-throwing demonstrators clashed with police in riot gear, law enforcement in Minneapolis kept mostly out of sight around the epicenter of Thursday’s disturbances, the Third Precinct police station.
Protesters massing outside the building briefly retreated under volleys of police tear gas and rubber bullets fired at them from the roof, only to regroup and eventually attack the building, setting fire to the structure as police withdrew.
National Guard troops were absent, as were members of the fire department. Protesters were later observed on the roof, and a crowd of hundreds lingered around the building for hours, feeding flames with hunks of plywood and other debris.
STRONG AS HELL”
At a news briefing early Friday, Mayor Jacob Frey defended his decision to evacuate the precinct station due to “imminent threats to both officers and the public.”
Asked by reporters if he had a response to Trump’s tweet, Frey said: “Weakness is refusing to take responsibility for your own actions. Weakness is pointing your own finger at a time of crisis.”
“Donald Trump knows nothing about the strength of Minneapolis. We are strong as hell,” he said.
The Minnesota National Guard said it activated 500 of its soldiers in the greater Minneapolis area, mostly to provide security support to firefighters.
The mayor said many of the troops had been posted around the city to help police prevent looting of banks, grocery stores, pharmacies and other essential locations during the coronavirus pandemic.
Several other buildings and a car were set ablaze and looters plundered several businesses, including a burning liquor store and nearby discount store that had been ransacked the night before. Fire officials said 16 buildings were torched on Wednesday night.
The upheaval followed concerted efforts by law enforcement officials to ease tensions by promising justice for Floyd.
The Floyd case was reminiscent of the 2014 killing of Eric Garner, an unarmed black man in New York City who died after being put in a banned police chokehold as he, too, was heard to mutter, “I can’t breathe.”
Garner’s dying words became a rallying cry for the Black Lives Matter movement that formed amid a wave of killings of African-Americans by police.
At a peaceful daytime rally and march on Thursday around a county government center in Minneapolis, protesters pressed their demands for the four policemen to be arrested and charged.
“We’re not asking for a favor. We’re asking for what is right,” civil rights activist the Rev. Al Sharpton said as he addressed the crowd.
Police Chief Medaria Arradondo publicly apologized to Floyd’s family on Thursday morning, conceding his department had contributed to a “deficit of hope” in Minneapolis.
Officials overseeing investigations from the U.S. Justice Department, FBI, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and prosecutors appealed for calm, vowing a thorough investigation.
Slideshow (21 Images)
Floyd was a Houston native who had worked as a nightclub security guard. An employee who called police described the suspect as appearing to be drunk, according to an official transcript of the call.
(This story is refiled to correct spelling of Floyd in paragraph 7)
Reporting by Carlos Barria and Eric Miller in Minneapolis; Additional reporting by Brendan O’Brien in Chicago, Dan Whitcomb in Los Angeles, Nathan Lane in Wilton, Connecticut, Keith Coffman in Denver, David Schwartz in Phoenix; Maria Caspani in New York and Shubham Kalia in Bengaluru; Writing and additional reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Editing by Timothy Heritage
Obama tweeted his statement Friday after violence marred protests across the country Thursday evening.
“It’s natural to wish for life ‘to just get back to normal’ as a pandemic and economic crisis upend everything around us. But we have to remember that for millions of Americans, being treated differently on account of race is tragically, painfully, maddeningly ‘normal’ – whether it’s while dealing with the health care system, or interacting with the criminal justice system, or jogging down the street, or just watching birds in a park.
“This shouldn’t be ‘normal’ in 2020 in America. It can’t be ‘normal.’ If we want our children to grow up in a nation that lives up to its highest ideals, we can and must be better.
“It will fall mainly on the officials of Minnesota to ensure that the circumstances surrounding George Floyd’s death are investigated thoroughly and that justice is ultimately done. But it falls on all of us, regardless of our race or station – including the majority of men and women in law enforcement who take pride in doing their tough job the right way, every day – to work together to create a ‘new normal’ in which the legacy of bigotry and unequal treatment no longer infects our institutions or our hearts.”
Obama’s tweet references recent race-related incidents, including the death of Ahmaud Arbery, who was shot while jogging in Georgia in February, and Amy Cooper, who called police earlier this week after being asked by an African American birdwatcher in Central Park to keep her dog on a leash, per park regulations. Like Floyd’s death, both of the incidents mentioned above were caught on video.
The four officers seen on video ending Floyd’s life have been fired. CNN reports more than 500 Minnesota National Guard soldiers arrived in Minneapolis Thursday as protestors set a police station on fire.
According to the Star-Tribune, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said Friday he has “every expectation” authorities will press charges against the police officers involved in Floyd’s death.
In a live interview on CNN, Ellison attributed the lack of charges several days since Floyd died to prosecutors with the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office “trying to be careful” to make sure they have a case that is “air tight” and won’t fall apart because of pressure to file more quickly than the evidence allows. “I have every expectation that they will be [filed]” soon, said Ellison, while pointing out that his office is not the one to make charges happen.
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Protesters reportedly have smashed windows of CNN building.
Rapper and activist Killer Mike had an urgent plea for CNN following the vandalism its headquarters faced in Atlanta amid the George Floyd protests.
Killer Mike, an Atlanta native, was speaking at a news conference alongside Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms on Friday night as a violent mob defaced the CNN Center’s iconic sign outside the of the building, broke windows, and threw objects inside the lobby.
During his remarks, the rapper had some choice words for the liberal network.
“I love CNN … but what I’d like to say to CNN right now- karma’s a mother…” Killer Mike said. “Stop feeding fear and anger every day. Stop making people so fearful. Give them hope!”
He continued, “I’m glad they only took down a sign and defaced the building and not kill human beings like that policeman did. I’m glad they only destroyed some brick and mortar and they didn’t rip a father from a son, they didn’t rip a son from a mother like the policeman did. When a man yells for his mother in duressing pain and she’s dead, he’s essentially yelling ‘Please God, don’t let it happen to me.’ And we watched it.”
Killer Mike then posed a question to those “on the other side of this camera.”
“After it burns, will we be left with char or will we rise like the phoenix out of the ashes like Atlanta has always done?” he asked. “Will we use this as a moment to say that we will not do what other cities have done and, in fact, we will get better than we’ve been?”
A violent mob erupted at CNN’s headquarters in Atlanta Friday amid nationwide demonstrations following the death of George Floyd, with many seen vandalizing the entrance of the building in videos posted to social media.
Earlier in the day, CNN reporter Omar Jimenez and his team were taken into custody around 5:10 a.m. local time as they were reporting live outside a liquor store that had been set ablaze in the demonstrations. An hour and a half later, the network reported their release.
“A CNN reporter & his production team were arrested this morning in Minneapolis for doing their jobs, despite identifying themselves — a clear violation of their First Amendment rights,” the network said in a statement. “The authorities in Minnesota, including the Governor, must release the 3 CNN employees immediately.”
Police reportedly claimed Jimenez and the crew were taken into custody because they were told to move and didn’t listen. CNN said Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz “deeply apologizes” for the incident and had been working to have the three employees freed.
The protests in the Twin Cities were sparked by the death of 46-year-old George Floyd, a black man who died Monday after a white police officer, Derek Chauvin, kneeled on his neck for several minutes as he was being arrested on suspicion of forgery.
Video footage that went viral after the arrest showed Floyd telling the police officer “I can’t breathe” as passersby begged the officers to get off him. Moments later, Floyd became nonresponsive and was pronounced dead a short time later at a local hospital.
Chauvin was arrested Friday and charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter. The other three officers involved with the arrest have been fired amid calls for their arrest.
Fox News Greg Norman and Brian Flood contributed to this report.
Los Angeles Police were involved in physical confrontations tonight while attempting to detain some protesters in downtown L.A. during the third night of marches to decry the death of Minneapolis man George Floyd.
Local news showed police chasing some protesters through the streets near Pershing Square, but did not show what happened to instigate the issue. Two police officers were trying to subdue suspects when members of the crowd attempted to pull them off the suspects.
Later reports indicate the police were attempting to stop a bus stop from being vandalized. During that encounter, a protester reportedly threw some type of liquid, leading to a chase and subsequent wrestling match on the street.
Black Lives Matter was again the organizer of the marches. Protesters allegedly began hurling garbage at officers, leading to a scuffle and leading to officers forming skirmish lines. One person was reportedly detained, and the crowd began to disperse.
The police were on tactical alert in anticipation of problems tonight. Protesters have taken to the Los Angeles streets for two nights, including blocking the 101 Freeway during rush hour on Wednesday night.
Police reportedly detained several protesters near Fifth and Olive. It is not known if they were arrested or what charges they may face.
Demonstrators gathered outside of City Hall about about 5 PM and marched south on Spring Street, then turned North on Figueroa Street. They were protesting the death of George Floyd, who was detained by Minneapolis police and died in their custody. The four officers involved in that incident were immediately fired and at least two face criminal charges.
Police officers and protesters clash on Friday near CNN Center in Atlanta, in response to George Floyd’s death in police custody in Minneapolis on Memorial Day.
Mike Stewart/AP
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Mike Stewart/AP
Police officers and protesters clash on Friday near CNN Center in Atlanta, in response to George Floyd’s death in police custody in Minneapolis on Memorial Day.
Mike Stewart/AP
Angry protests nationwide on Friday followed the death of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis. Clashes erupted between activists and law enforcement in many of locations.
In most cases the demonstrations began peacefully, but as the day unfolded and night fell, they became increasingly violent.
“They are telling our stories and you are disgracing their building”
That was true in Atlanta, where a crowd of protesters outside of an entrance to CNN’s headquarters on Friday evening repeatedly threw rocks at officers attempting to keep them from rushing into the building. Armed with riot gear, more than a dozen officers braced as they endured attacks from protesters with rocks, smoke grenades, and apparently BB rounds. At one point protesters threw a flashbang that detonated in a small lobby.
Earlier in the day a police vehicle was set on fire. An act of vandalism reporters have cited as a turning point in the day’s activities.
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms pleaded with those marching in the streets to stop rioting.
“You are burning cars, you have defaced the CNN building. Ted Turner started CNN in Atlanta 40 years ago because he believed in who we are as a city. … They are telling our stories and you are disgracing their building,” Bottoms said in a televised interview.
Others who had surrounded CNN’s headquarters, smashed the building’s windows and sprayed graffiti on the network’s logo.
The messages scrawled on the building included insults to Trump, along with #Love and “no cops.”
Los Angeles crowd descends on uniformed officer
In Los Angeles, an angry crowd rushed into the streets amid oncoming traffic.
At one point, an officer grabbed a male activist in an attempt to restrain him. But after a brief tussle, a throng of protesters pulled the officer to the ground. They descended on the uniformed officer, kicking and hitting him with protest signs. Eventually, a man in civilian clothing pulled him out of the melee.
Dozens of people later marched onto the 110 Freeway blocking all of the northbound lanes.
White House on lockdown
On Friday afternoon the U.S. Secret Service temporarily locked down the White House, after demonstrators gathered in protest outside the gates. Many took a knee while others chanted, “Don’t Shoot.”
Shortly afterward, Secret Service officials said “personnel are currently assisting other law enforcement agencies during a demonstration” in the park across from the White House. Law enforcement struggled with protesters over metal barricades that form one of the layers of protection around the White House.
New York Protests Turn Violent
More protests broke out in New York, peacefully at first, in lower Manhattan area and then with spurts of violence at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Protesters threw water bottles and chanted insults at police.
In a video captured by a local reporter, police can be seen wielding batons and beating several protesters to the ground, at one point spraying a crowd with a repellent, and making arrests.
“Our police officers have been given a very clear instruction: as always, respect peaceful protest. We in this city have a long history of respecting every kind of viewpoint, that is the essence of New York City,” NYC mayor Bill de Blasio said in a press conference Friday.
The AP reports in Brooklyn, at least one NYPD van was set on fire by demonstrators two separate times.
At least 200 demonstrators were arrested Friday and a dozen NYPD officers injured, according to local reports. Seventy protesters were taken into custody on Thursday.
Fox News’ Pete Hegseth argues the tragic death of George Floyd doesn’t mean people should commit complete lawlessness by looting and burning down businesses.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot blasted President Trump and invoked an expletive Friday in response to his tweet after three days of protests in Minneapolis, Minn., when he called the protesters “THUGS” and tweeted that “when the looting starts, the shooting starts.”
“Donald Trump’s comment last night was profoundly dangerous,” Lightfoot said Friday during a news conference to discuss plans to reopen the city. “And we must stand firm in solidarity and say this is totally unacceptable no matter who is the speaker.”
“He wants to show failures on the part of Democratic local leaders, to throw red meat to his base,” she added, according to WGN9. “His goal is to polarize, to destabilize local government and inflame racist urges. We can absolutely not let him prevail. And I will code what I really want to say to Donald Trump. It’s two words. It begins with F and it ends with U.”
Protesters in Minneapolis have filled the streets in recent days following the death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man who died Monday following an arrest. A video showing a white police officer with his knee on Floyd’s neck while Floyd repeatedly complained he couldn’t breathe has elicited outrage and prompted nationwide demonstrations.
The officer has since been fired and was criminally charged on Friday. Three other officers were also fired but have no been charged.
On Thursday, some protesters stormed a Minneapolis police station and set it on fire, prompted officers inside to evacuate. In response, Trump called the protesters “THUGS” and tweeted “when the looting starts, the shooting starts.”
Twitter issued a disclaimer saying the tweet was “glorifying violence.” On Friday, Trump sought to clarify what he meant, saying “the looters should not be allowed to drown out the voices of so many peaceful protesters.”
Pritzker also took Trump to task over his response.
“From the very moment that I announced my decision to run for governor three-plus years ago, I said that this president was a racist, misogynist, a homophobe, a xenophobe,” the governor said Friday. “And I was right then and I’m right now.”
If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.)
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says he does not supporting extending additional unemployment benefits that run out at the end of July.
Patrick Semansky/AP
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Patrick Semansky/AP
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says he does not supporting extending additional unemployment benefits that run out at the end of July.
Patrick Semansky/AP
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he expects Senate Republicans will begin considering proposals for a “fourth and final” coronavirus response bill to address the needs of the country “in about a month.”
McConnell said the bill will be narrowly crafted and will focus in particular on jobs and schools. He said there could be funding for small businesses and health care, but he will not support extending the additional $600 per week in federal unemployment benefits that run out at the end of July.
“Unemployment insurance is extremely important, but it is not designed to encourage you to stay home; it is designed to get you through a trough until you can get back to work,” McConnell said. “I think you can certainly assume we will not be paying people a bonus for staying home in another bill.”
Speaking at an event in his home state of Kentucky, McConnell said Congress needs more time to assess the needs of the country before voting on another costly aid package.
“We need to push the pause button here and think through the next step and do it very carefully,” McConnell said. “We do have the potential long-term health of the country with this level of massive debt.”
Democrats have criticized GOP leaders for refusing to open negotiations on the next round of relief. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., is calling on McConnell to cancel upcoming committee hearings related to the 2016 election and focus instead on the coronavirus response.
“Watching our Republican colleagues over the last few weeks, you’d never know that the nation is in the midst of crisis,” Schumer said in a letter to Senate Democrats. “As unemployment claims reach their highest levels since the Great Depression, Senate Republicans have decided to ‘hit the pause button.’ “
McConnell has generally ignored calls for further negotiations on coronavirus aid until this week. In his Friday remarks, McConnell did not rule out the possibility of including some money for state and local governments but pointed out that Congress had already approved significant funds for them.
The only proposal McConnell explicitly endorsed was a plan to include liability protections for businesses, individuals, nonprofits and schools. Republicans have insisted they need to protect people from the threat of litigation who are doing their best to comply with regulations related to COVID-19. He detailed that the provision would cover the time period between December and go through 2024 – “a narrowly crafted liability protection for this disease.”
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