More Than 1,500 Texas Troopers Sent to Respond to Protests

Protestors stop Dallas Police officers responding to a confrontation at Young St. and S. Griffin St. in downtown Dallas, Friday, May 29, 2020. People marched in protest of the in-custody death of George Floyd when they confronted Dallas Police tactical officers and tear gas was fired. (Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News via AP)

HOUSTON (AP) — More than 1,500 Texas state troopers were sent Saturday to various cities by Gov. Greg Abbott to help control protests over the death of Houston native George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody.

“Texas and America mourn the senseless loss of George Floyd and the actions that led to his death are reprehensible and should be condemned in the strongest terms possible,” Abbott said in a news release. “As Texans exercise their First Amendment rights, it is imperative that order is maintained and private property is protected.”

The troopers were being sent to Houston, Dallas, Austin and San Antonio, the governor said.

In Austin, hundreds of people gathered outside police headquarters and many later marched peacefully along Interstate 35 as police shut down the interstate to traffic.

The rally was for both Floyd and Michael Ramos, a 42-year-old man who was fatally shot last month by Austin police.

In a statement to Austin media Ramos’ mother, Brenda Ramos, issued a plea for calm.

“I am heartbroken over the terrible murder of George Floyd. I understand the anger. But I am pleading with the community, please do not commit violence in my son Mike’s name,” the statement said.

In Houston, Police Chief Art Acevedo said nearly 200 people were arrested Friday during a protest in which many blocked an Interstate 45 ramp and a highway.

Those arrested “participated in unlawful assemblies,” Acevedo said Saturday on Twitter. “Most will be charged with obstructing a roadway,”

Protesters also blocked a Dallas interstate and one officer suffered non-life-threatening injuries, police said on Twitter.

Authorities Dallas used tear gas and those in Houston used pepper spray to disperse crowds that numbered in the hundreds. Dallas Police Chief Renee Hall said officers were making sure the protest was peaceful when violence began.

“Then all of a sudden bricks start hailing, hitting our squad cars, hitting the officers ... I almost got hit with a brick,” Hall said.

It was not clear how many were arrested in Dallas and police did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment Saturday.

Protests have spread across the U.S., fueled by outrage over Floyd’s death. On Friday, the white Minneapolis police officer who knelt on Floyd’s neck was arrested and charged with murder.
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Editors: This story corrects that Houston police used pepper spray instead of tear gas.

Scenes of ‘Urban Warfare’ Erupt from Miami to Seattle

Peaceful demonstrations once again morphed into a night of chaos, fires, tear gas, and rubber bullets.

May. 30, 2020 10:43AM ET

Dozens of U.S. cities were still reeling from a brutal wave of protests when violence spread further across the nation Saturday—with patrol cars torched, buildings set ablaze, cops attacked, and police firing tear gas and rubber bullets at crowds from coast to coast.

Police and military reinforcements, curfews in major metropolitan areas, and impassioned scoldings from elected officials did little to quell the rage that erupted after a day of mostly peaceful demonstrations over the death of George Floyd.

As late afternoon bled into evening and night fell, reports of clashes from Buffalo to Seattle began pouring in, raising the question of how long the nationwide unrest might last, and how it might end.

Whether it was Philadelphia or Washington or New York, the confrontations unfolded with a sudden ferocity. Bank windows were smashed, anti-police slogans were scrawled on squad cars with busted windshields, infernos dotted the landscape. By Sunday morning, more than 1,400 people had been arrested across 22 cities, according to NPR. More than 345 people were arrested in New York City overnight alone.

Elected officials blamed outsiders for fueling the anarchy, which resulted in hundreds of arrests, injury to both police and civilians, and massive destruction.

Clashes between police and protesters were reported in cities large and small—Fayetteville, North Carolina; Rochester, New York; Grand Rapids, Michigan; Cleveland, San Diego, and Los Angeles.

One person was killed in Indianapolis and several others were shot as police investigated “multiple shootings” across the city. IMPD Police Chief Randal Taylor said in a late-night press conference that no officers were involved in any of the shootings among protesters. “Enough is enough,” he said. “Indianapolis, we are better than this. Downtown is not safe at this time.”

In Chicago, a brawl broke out between demonstrators and police officers, and a video posted to Twitter showed three cops outnumbered by a mob that descended and began beating them, while others tried to shield them.

Police vehicles were also smashed up, the tires slashed, and some demonstrators threw eggs at police officers. Police shut down Lake Shore Drive in both directions.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot gave the agitators a tongue-lashing, drawing a distinction between those genuinely grieving Floyd, who died while a white cop knelt on his neck, and those who came armed for what she described as “all-out battle.”

“You don’t come to a peaceful protest with a bowling ball,” she thundered. “You don’t come to a peaceful protest with bottles of urine to throw at police.”

Just near the White House around Lafayette Park, protesters moved from street to street, engaging in skirmishes and shouting matches with D.C. police.

Tear gas and flash-bangs were deployed on several major intersections just a stone’s throw from the West Wing and other federal buildings. Fires were lit, windows broken, bottles hurled. Several local businesses were defaced with “FUCK TRUMP” and “FUCK 12” graffiti. And crowds of demonstrators and activists traded chants: “Hands Up, Don’t Shoot” versus police orders to “Move BACK, Move BACK, Move BACK.”

Through it all, President Trump followed the action closely, with his senior aides debating into the evening the best course of action, according to two administration officials.“Tonight in Washington, I see another chance for him to be the law and order [president],” a White House official messaged The Daily Beast around 11:30 p.m. as the standoffs in the streets continued apace.

New York City was gripped by conflict for the second night as the NYPD squared off against hundreds of people out on the streets of Manhattan and Brooklyn. One of the most disturbing scenes of the night was video of an NYPD SUV that appeared to be deliberately driven through protesters blocking its way or clambering onto it.

In Flatbush, an NYPD squad car was set ablaze and a van was smashed—prompting police to deploy mace and make arrests. Protesters were seen throwing bottles of water at officers, and at least one cop was hit with a piece of concrete in the neck.

In Manhattan, near Union Square, several hundred protesters had been peaceful, even dancing in the streets, before the tenor suddenly shifted. Shop windows were smashed in and at least four NYPD vehicles were set on fire, the crowd cheered every time one of the cars exploded.

Amira Dunn, 23, said the police response varied—from aggressive cops who aggressively corralled crowds to others who seemed almost “humble.”

Miami streets were filled with smoke as several cars burned and police deployed tear gas in a bid to disperse protesters—and against that dystopian backdrop fireworks suddenly lit up the sky as part of a previously scheduled display to honor health-care workers.

Seattle protesters took over roadways, shattered store windows, and several cars were set on fire. One protester was spotted carrying around an AR-15, but was quickly disarmed by a security guard. With almost no notice, the mayor imposed a 5 p.m. curfew due to the “extremely dangerous situation” unfolding in the city.

Rallies in Philadelphia abruptly spun out of control, with some in the crowds smashing in windows at City Hall and setting off fireworks. Footage showed several police vehicles on fire, and the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that demonstrators had begun hurling things at SWAT officers. The police commissioner later said at least 13 officers had been injured, and there were also reports of looting.

A police officer’s throat was slashed in Jacksonville, Florida, where peaceful protests suddenly turned violent. Sheriff Mike Williams told reporters that the officer was “stabbed or slashed in the neck and is currently in the hospital.” Williams said other officers were pelted with rocks and bricks and that several arrests had been made.

In Minneapolis, after a night of widespread mayhem and destruction, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz started the day by announcing that he was fully mobilizing the state’s National Guard for the first time. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety said its law enforcement presence had tripled “to address a sophisticated network of urban warfare.”

The fifth day of protests there brought the largest crowds so far, and the mood among protesters was calm after several days of “absolute chaos” that Walz said was caused largely by outsiders. Highways into the city were shut down to stop interlopers from rushing in to join whatever fray might emerge.

Attorney General William Barr said Saturday he believed recent protests around the country were the work of radical elements. “Unfortunately, with the rioting that is occurring in many cities around our country, the voices of peaceful protest are being hijacked by violent radical elements,” he said in a taped address. “In many places it appears the violence is planned, organized, and driven by anarchic and far left extremist groups using Antifa-like tactics, many of whom travel from outside the state to promote the violence.”

As soon as the 8 p.m. curfew passed, police and National Guard members moved in with force and began lobbing tear gas at any protesters still in the streets. And while journalists are exempt from the curfew, members of the news media came under fire as well.

MSNBC’s Ali Velshi said on Twitter that he was hit in the leg with a rubber bullet after “State Police supported by National guard fired unprovoked into an entirely peaceful rally.” A CNN producer was also hit by police with a projectile live on the air while Omar Jimenez was reporting from the scene.

Protesters, meanwhile, had lauded themselves on keeping the demonstration peaceful.

“I’m a strong believer of predefined protest. Not every day has been like that. Today, I’m very proud of the very peaceful protest,” James Holmes told The Daily Beast. “Most of the destruction cane from people from out of state, people who are not part of the justice for George Floyd protest,” he said.

Another Minneapolis demonstrator, Mike Earney, condemned the looting that had taken place throughout the city because he said it distracts from the very injustice they are trying to highlight.

“But I will say that I have been beat by the police at the 3rd Precinct within an inch of my life. Yes, I was happy to see it burn. It was like seeing Obama win the presidency,” he said.

—with additional reporting by Rachel Olding, Lachlan Cartwright and Barbie Latza Nadeau

Cities Brace for Sixth Night of Protests

https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/george-floyd-death-protests-minneapolis-2020-05-31/

BY STEFAN BECKET, JORDAN FREIMAN, CAROLINE LINTON, MELISSA QUINN
MAY 31, 2020 / 7:32 PM / CBS NEWS

Americans are bracing for a sixth night of protests Sunday as the National Guard was activated in several cities and curfews were put in place.

In Minneapolis, where George Floyd died and protests started, Governor Tim Walz announced the extension of a curfew for the Twin Cities. More than 5,000 National Guard troops were activated Saturday night in what Walz described as the "most complex public safety operation in the history of our state."

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo used his coronavirus briefing to say that "violence never works" after protests not just in New York City but also in Albany, Buffalo and Rochester. While Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti initially said he would not activate the National Guard — "this isn't 1992," he said Saturday night, referencing the Rodney King riots — within hours, he had reversed that call and asked Governor Gavin Newsom to deploy them.

Cities throughout the country extended curfew for Sunday, including Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, San Francisco and more.

History, Right Now: Echoes of 1968, and Other American Years

By TED ANTHONY

The streets were on fire as National Guard troops streamed into American cities. The shouts were soaked in anger and anguish: “We’re sick of it!”

There was dark talk of “radical agitators.” Violent outbursts and arrests piled up across the republic. The White House issued martial statements about law and order. On TV, footage of unrest and anger played on a continuous loop.

The voice from mission control was cool and calm as the rocket soared into the sky and towards space. “Stage One propulsion is nominal.”

It was the late 1960s. It is right now.

For Americans of a certain age — and for those mindful of the past — it is impossible to ignore the similarities between these past few days and some of the more unsettling moments from the 1960s. In particular 1968, a year marred by assassinations and violent social unrest.

And there are reasons to believe that 2020, not yet half done, may even surpass 1968 as one of American history’s most powerful social and political flashpoints.

From an impeachment trial to a devastating pandemic, from galloping unemployment to George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police, all the threads are there, flowing together into a raging, muddied river that serves up unimaginable challenges.

“All these things are being woven together,” says historian Thurston Clarke, author of “The Last Campaign,” which chronicles Robert F. Kennedy’s 1968 presidential campaign and assassination on June 6 of that year.

“It’s like an anti-hit parade, a convergence of the greatest catastrophes of the past 100 years or so, all hitting us at once,” Clarke says. “And with what hope?”

In the morass that is 2020, history’s ghosts from an assortment of American eras have resurfaced:

— From 1918, when a pandemic’s first wave ravaged, ebbed and then gave way to a more powerful second wave.

— From 1930, when an economic crash revealed its longer-term effects on American citizens in the form of the Great Depression.

— From 1974, and the governmental disarray that preceded Richard M. Nixon’s resignation, echoed in January and February with the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump.

— From 1992, and its images of Los Angeles burning after the acquittal of four police officers in the beating of Rodney King.

Perhaps the most uncomfortable era to summon for comparison is the one no one really wants to talk about: 1860, when the final pieces of polarization fell into place for what would be a cataclysmic Civil War.

Slavery, America’s greatest historical shame, was the flashpoint then. Today, it is police brutality against black people, a descendant of that awful legacy. Then, as now, there was deep economic disparity, and a debate between individual rights and the common good. Different visions of American life. Different sets of facts and ever-hazier notions of truth.

“What’s fundamentally common for all of these things in our history is a lack of agreement of what reality is — a lack of agreement about facts, about causes,” says U.S. historian John Baick of Western New England University. “When we can’t agree on basic truth, we reach our greatest periods of divide.”

Now, we also must navigate a social media landscape overloaded with instantly uploaded imagery to persuade and provoke — an echo chamber full of lighter fluid that itself is a subject of national contention, thanks in part to the president.

Problems sometimes addressed, sometimes ignored, never truly solved. That’s what makes the deepest impression on Frederick Gooding Jr., who teaches about race.

He sees parallels between today and the Reconstruction period that immediately followed the Civil War, when African Americans — coming off a war that, on paper, rebooted American society for them — were confronted with the realities of life in the postwar United States.

“You had the premise that `I’m free, but I walk the streets in psychological terror,’” says Gooding, an associate professor of African American studies at Texas Christian University.

“There really is nothing new under the sun here about the fundamental structure of our society and the way it behaves,” Gooding says. “The cycle is starting to repeat. There’s outrage, it flares up, there’s new understanding, things are put in place, and then it rears its head again.”

But right here, right now, 1968 seems the most relevant touchpoint of all.

A demonstrator is led by Chicago Police in this photo taken on Aug. 28, 1968. (AP Photo/File)
Then, it was politics and economics and race — the death of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in particular — with the backdrop of the Vietnam War, a long-running national cataclysm that was killing many thousands of Americans.

Now, it is politics and economics and race — the death of George Floyd in particular — with the backdrop of the pandemic, a long-running national cataclysm that is killing many thousands of Americans.

There are key differences, of course. The power structures have evolved and to some extent are more inclusive, though nowhere near where many hoped they’d be.

One example: Chicago, where in 1968 Mayor Richard J. Daley decried the protests at the Democratic National Convention and pushed the aggressive policing that helped make that a national flashpoint. Today, the mayor is Lori Lightfoot, an African American woman and first openly gay person to hold the office.

Perhaps the most striking difference is the one that may be fueling the fires of anger across the land: Now, unlike any other moment in history, protesters in one place can, with a device in their pockets, see and hear what’s happening elsewhere and match or surpass it in real time.

Some questions, then:

Is this period — what one Minneapolis resident called “a volcano finally erupting after years of simmering” — a singular moment in American life? It’s hard to declare that from within, but it certainly has most of the convulsive themes that have driven and riven U.S. history since its beginnings.

Will people gathering and colliding in the most aggressive of fashions — shouting in each other’s faces in the era of the coronavirus — create repercussions we can’t even consider? “This can be kind of a tinderbox for COVID,” protester Rosa Jimenez Cano said in Miami.

On Saturday afternoon, the SpaceX rocket streaked into the sky from Cape Canaveral, summoning an American moment of pride, control and expert accomplishment. And like those Apollo missions in the late 1960s and early 1970s, it left a troubled planet behind. “Congratulations to the Astronauts that left Earth today,” actor and comedian Andy Milonakis tweeted. “Good choice.”

Below it, all else felt tumultuous, a word that has been used so often to describe 1968 that it has become a cliche. Nevertheless, the word fits 2020, too — like a well-constructed face mask.

“For a surprisingly large number of Americans, I think, 1968 marked the end of hope,” Charles Kaiser wrote in “1968 in America,” his 1988 book. “Twenty years later, it may now be possible to start unraveling the mystery of how its traumas and its culture changed us.”

Is that how long it will take this time? Will 20 years be enough? And, as with Apollo 11 in 1969, might there be small steps and giant leaps just ahead – breakthroughs in figuring this all out – that help Americans find new ways to soar again?
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Ted Anthony, director of digital innovation for The Associated Press, has been writing about American culture since 1990. Follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/anthonyted

US Cities Clean Up, Prepare for Another Night of Unrest

By TIM SULLIVAN and MATT SEDENSKY

A volunteer sweeps up broken glass behind a shattered store glass door, Sunday, May 31, 2020, in Los Angeles, following a night of unrest and protests over the death of George Floyd, a black man who was in police custody in Minneapolis. Floyd died after being restrained by Minneapolis police officers on May 25. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu)

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — America’s cities boarded up windows, swept up glass and covered graffiti Sunday as the country’s most significant night of protests in a half-century spilled into another day of unrest fueled by killings of black people at the hands of police.

The turbulence sparked by the death of George Floyd — a black man who died after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed a knee into his neck for several minutes — shook not only the streets of New York and Los Angeles, but dozens of smaller communities such as Fargo, North Dakota, and Lincoln, Nebraska. The damage extended even to buildings near the White House.

“They keep killing our people,” said Mahira Louis, 15, who marched with her mother and several hundred others through downtown Boston on Sunday. “I’m so sick and tired of it.”

Peaceful protests involving tens of thousands of people on Saturday gave way, in some places, to violence, with police vehicles torched, stores emptied and objects hurled at officers. The police response varied from restrained to aggressive, with officers at times firing tear gas and rubber bullets.

Police and peaceful protesters alike pleaded for a stop to violence, saying it weakened calls for justice and reform.

“It only hurts the cause,” said Danielle Outlaw, head of the police force in Philadelphia, where more than 200 people were arrested as fires and looting engulfed the heart of the city.

Disgust over generations of racism in a country founded by slaveholders combined with a string of recent racially charged killings to stoke the anger. Adding to that was angst from months of lockdowns brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, which has disproportionately hurt communities of color, not only in terms of infections but in job losses and economic stress.

The droves of people congregating for demonstrations threatened to trigger new outbreaks, a fact overshadowed by the boiling tensions.

“Maybe this country will get the memo that we are sick of police murdering unarmed black men,” said Lex Scott, founder of Black Lives Matter Utah. “Maybe the next time a white police officer decides to pull the trigger, he will picture cities burning.”

The scale of the protests, sweeping from coast to coast and unfolding on a single night, rivaled the historic demonstrations of the civil rights and Vietnam War eras.

Curfews were imposed in major cities around the U.S., including Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle. About 5,000 National Guard soldiers and airmen were activated in 15 states and Washington, D.C.

In Minneapolis, police, state troopers and National Guard members showed new force Saturday in breaking up demonstrations after three days of police largely avoiding engaging protesters.

Dozens of protests were underway or expected Sunday, from Miami to Kansas City to San Francisco. They went forth largely without incident, but sparks of crime continued.

In Philadelphia, people robbed stores in broad daylight, and at least one more police vehicle was set ablaze. Streets leading downtown were closed. Chicago likewise restricted downtown access and called in the National Guard.

At the Minneapolis intersection where Floyd was killed, people gathered with brooms and flowers, saying it was important to protect what they called a “sacred space.” The intersection was blocked with the traffic cones while a ring of flowers was laid out.

Among those descending on Minneapolis was Michael Brown Sr., the father of Michael Brown, whose killing by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, set off unrest in 2014.

“I understand what this family is feeling. I understand what this community is feeling,” he said.

County Commissioner Angela Conley said the demonstrations and confrontations with police would continue until the other three officers who were at the scene when Floyd was pinned down are arrested and prosecuted. The officer who held his knee on Floyd’s neck, Derek Chauvin, was charged last week with murder. All four officers have been fired.

“We’ll continue to have this militarized presence in our community until justice is done,” Conley said.

In tweets Sunday, President Donald Trump blamed anarchists and the media for fueling the violence. Attorney General William Barr pointed a finger at “far left extremist” groups. Police chiefs and politicians accused outsiders of coming in and causing the problems.

Few parts of America were untouched. Protesters set fires inside Reno’s city hall, and police launched tear gas at rock-throwing demonstrators in Fargo, North Dakota. In Salt Lake City, demonstrators flipped a police car and lit it on fire. Police said six people were arrested and an officer was injured after being struck in the head with a baseball bat.

By Sunday, the fury had spread to Europe, where thousands gathered in London’s Trafalgar Square, clapping and waving placards despite government rules barring crowds because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In New York, a video Saturday showed two police cruisers lurching into a crowd of demonstrators who were pushing a barricade against one of them and pelting it with objects. Several people were knocked to the ground. It was unclear if anyone was hurt.

“The mistakes that are happening are not mistakes. They’re repeated violent terrorist offenses, and people need to stop killing black people,” Brooklyn protester Meryl Makielski said.

In Indianapolis, two people were reported dead in bursts of downtown violence, adding to deaths reported in Detroit and Minneapolis in recent days.

Buildings around the U.S. were defaced with spray-painted messages, from the facade of St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York to the historic Hay-Adams hotel near the White House. Some of Floyd’s gasped last words — “I can’t breathe” — were repeated, alongside anti-police messages.

Crews near the White House worked to replace windows that had been shattered with large pieces of wood. Buildings for blocks were marked with graffiti, including curses about Trump. Shattered glass still covered the sidewalks. The damaged buildings included the Department of Veterans Affairs, directly across the street from the White House.

Some leaders prepared to put more soldiers in the streets. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp authorized the deployment of up to 3,000 National Guard troops to Athens, Savannah and any other cities where more demonstrations were planned. Kemp had already approved up to 1,500 Guardsmen to help enforce a 9 p.m. Saturday curfew in Atlanta.

This week’s unrest recalled the riots in Los Angeles nearly 30 years ago after the acquittal of the white police officers who beat Rodney King, a black motorist who had led them on a high-speed chase. The protests of Floyd’s killing have gripped many more cities, but the losses have yet to approach the staggering totals LA saw during five days of rioting in 1992, when more than 60 people died, 2,000-plus were injured and thousands arrested, with property damage topping $1 billion.
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Sedensky reported from Philadelphia. Associated Press journalists across the U.S. contributed to this report.

Atlanta Mayor: 2 Police Officers Fired

Associated Press

Terrel Ransom, center, store manager for Buffalo Exchange walks over clothes in the damaged store, Sunday, May 31, 2020, in Los Angeles, following a night of unrest and protests over the death of George Floyd, a black man who was in police custody in Minneapolis. Floyd died after being restrained by Minneapolis police officers on May 25. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
The Latest on the death in Minneapolis of George Floyd, a handcuffed black man who pleaded for air as a white police officer pressed a knee on his neck:
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ATLANTA — Atlanta’s mayor says two police officers have been fired and three placed on desk duty pending review over excessive use of force during a protest incident Saturday night.

Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said at a news conference Sunday that she and police Chief Erika Shields made the decision after reviewing body-camera footage. Shields called it “really shocking to watch.”

Officials say the incident came to light via video that circulated online.

It shows a group of police officers in riot gear and gas masks surround a car being driven by a man with a woman in the passenger seat. The officers pull the woman out and appear to use a stun gun on the man. They use zip-tie handcuffs on the woman on the ground. The couple did not appear to be fighting police on the video.

Bottoms said charges have been dropped against the woman, and the man has been released.

Local reporters, who captured footage of the incident, said the police had earlier broken the glass on the car. A reporter said police also flattened the tires.

The city is under curfew again Sunday night.

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SANTA MONICA, California — Vandals hit shops in Santa Monica at midday Sunday as armed National Guard soldiers patrolled Los Angeles streets and cities across California declared another night of curfew to prevent violence after unruly demonstrators torched police cars, broke into stores and clashed with officers in riot gear.

The unrest in coastal Santa Monica happened not far from a peaceful demonstration near the city’s famous pier and headed for its popular Third Street Promenade shopping area, where they broke into a Gap store and a Vans sneaker store, where they could be seen walking out with boxes of shoes with no police in sight.

A woman holding a sign saying “End All Violence” managed to stop a man using a hammer to break the glass on the doors of an REI store. Another protester joined her and would-be burglars moved on.
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WASHINGTON — After a violent night of looting and fires, about 1,000 protesters occupied part of Layfayette Park across from the White House on Sunday evening to condemn the death of George Floyd at police hands in Minnesota.

Police in riot gear lined up behind a set of barricades.

The mood was defiant. Protesters called the police murderers and traitors. They chanted “No justice, no peace, no racist police.”

The crowd focused on one black police officer, asking him to show support for the protest. “Please black man, take a knee,” protesters told him. “The whole world would see it.

The protesters had marched to the White House from Howard University. After arriving at the park, they pushed through the original barricades that had been set up. But at least at the start, the demonstration was peaceful.

The protest Saturday night turned violent as darkness set in. Protesters set fires, smashed windows and sprayed graffiti.
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Several hundred people marched through downtown Boston on Sunday carrying signs and chanting in a peaceful protest over the death of George Floyd.

Street protests have been held for days around the country in response to the death of Floyd, a black man who died Monday after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee on his neck until he stopped breathing.

In Boston they chanted, “No justice no peace,” “black lives matter” and silence is violence” as they walked by City Hall, the State House, and the Public Garden, with the crowd closing off a two-lane city street. There was a light police presence and no signs of the violence that has erupted in other cities in recent days.

“They keep killing our people. I’m so sick and tired of it,” said Mahira Louis, 15, who was at the protest with her mother. “On the news, every time we say black lives matter they keep silencing us,” she said adding that things are going to change. “They’re not going to kill black people for no reason,” she said.

Most protesters wore face coverings amid the coronavirus pandemic.

“It isn’t comfortable to be at home but it’s really uncomfortable to be here, too, and know you’re doing this in the face of the COVID-19 crisis,” said Vivian Lee, 22, who participated with her sister and parents. “But it requires some discomfort for change,” she said.
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Michael Brown Sr., the father of Michael Brown who was killed by police in Ferguson, Missouri, in 2014, joined the protest on Sunday, telling demonstrators to continue the movement.

He said he drove to Minneapolis from Ferguson even though being a part of another demonstration against the killing of a black man, “tears my heart” as it reminded him of his son.

“I understand what this family is feeling. I understand what this community is feeling,” he said.
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Much of Dallas will be under curfew Sunday night as city officials try to prevent a repeat of the violence that broke out at weekend protests over the death of George Floyd and the treatment of black people by police.

Police Chief U. Renee Hall said at a news conference that the core around the city’s downtown will be under curfew from 7 p.m. Sunday to 6 a.m. Monday. She said it will remain in force “for the next several days.”

The move comes after hours of peaceful demonstrations became destructive Friday and Saturday night. Stores were broken into and robbed, police cars damaged and one man was badly beaten.

“We will not tolerate any more damage to our city,” Hall said.
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MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said Sunday he is extending a city curfew a second night after protests following the deaths of George Floyd in Minneapolis and a local man in an altercation with an off-duty Milwaukee police officer.

Barrett said he had originally issued the curfew for just one night but said “In consultation with the chief and others we will have the curfew remain in effect for tonight.” The curfew goes from 9 p.m. Sunday until 7 a.m. Monday.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported 125 members of the Wisconsin National Guard will be on duty again Sunday night.

“I think the National Guard did a wonderful job.” Barrett said. Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers on Saturday called on the state National Guard to help support law enforcement in Milwaukee. A 38-year-old police officer suffered a minor gunshot wound early Saturday on Milwaukee’s south side where protesters had gathered near a police precinct. The officer was treated at a hospital and released.

Milwaukee Police Chief Alfonso Morales said the officer is recovering at home and that no officers were hurt Saturday night.
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As police fired tear gas at protesters in one predominantly black neighborhood in Philadelphia, a few dozen city and state police officers lined up in front of a statue of former Mayor Frank Rizzo that has long been a flashpoint for protesters and was sprayed with graffiti Saturday.

Rizzo, mayor from 1972 to 1980, was praised by supporters as tough on crime but accused by critics of discriminating against people of color. Mayor Jim Kenney said Sunday that the 10-foot-tall statue that sits across the street from City Hall will be removed in a few weeks.
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SAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco’s mayor and police chief said Sunday the city’s 8 p.m. curfew will be extended indefinitely and that people who are out after that time will be stopped.

Mayor London Breed said Gov. Gavin Newsom had approved sending in about 200 extra officers from other agencies.

Breed, who grew up in San Francisco, expressed sadness about the destruction but said she was not going to tolerate the violence. She said the fire department was inundated with calls because of fires and medical emergencies and had fire bombs thrown at them.

“In watching the videos, I was extremely upset because unfortunately with some of the vandals, they thought this was a game, they thought this was funny. And this is not funny. To damage property, to set fires that could lead to someone else’s death, to do the kinds of things that destroy and tear down our city as a symbol of what is going on ... this is not who we are. We should not be OK with this.”

She said there were a lot of juveniles among the protesters: “So parents, where are your kids? Where are your kids?”

Police Chief Bill Scott said he sympathized with the message of the peaceful protests.

“As an African American man, I think I know probably more than most how it feels. I know both sides of this equation. We’re seeing violence across the country, we’re seeing peaceful protests across the county ... We do hear you. We do hear you. Your mayor hears you, your chief of police hears you, the San Francisco Police Department hears you,” Scott said.
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BERLIN — England winger Jadon Sancho joined protests across German soccer at the weekend by lifting his jersey after scoring to reveal a T-shirt with the handwritten message “Justice for George Floyd” on the front.

Floyd, a handcuffed black man, died Monday after a white Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin, pressed his knee for several minutes on his neck.

Sancho was shown a yellow card for his gesture which came after he scored the second goal for Borussia Dortmund against Paderborn on Sunday.

Earlier, Marcus Thuram took a knee after scoring in Borussia Mönchengladbach’s win over Union Berlin.

The Gladbach forward scored in the first half and then dropped his left knee to the ground and rested his right arm on his right thigh as he bowed his head in reflection. He spent 5 seconds in this position before getting up again to continue.

“No explanation needed,” Gladbach said on Twitter with a picture of Thuram kneeling.
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A third night of protests in Louisville sparked by the police shooting of a black woman resulted in 37 arrests, a city official said Sunday.

Chief of Public Safety Amy Hess said at a news conference that officials did not yet know the hometowns of those arrested. Hess said a total of 10 people were arrested during protests Thursday and Friday.

Mayor Greg Fischer added that five Louisville police officers were shot at late Saturday night. None were hit, but three officers were in a car that was struck by at least one bullet, he said.

Fischer said a dusk-to-dawn curfew would continue Sunday night for a second straight night in Kentucky’s largest city.

Louisville’s protests followed the release of a 911 call by shooting victim Breonna Taylor’s boyfriend made March 13, moments after the 26-year-old EMT was shot eight times by narcotics detectives who knocked down her front door.

No drugs were found in her home. Taylor’s death has captured national headlines alongside the killings of Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia in February and George Floyd, the black man who died after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck for several minutes as he pleaded for air.
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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott declared a state-wide disaster Sunday following weekend protests that have turned violent and destructive.

In Texas, much of the demonstrating was peaceful, but the protests became violent Saturday with fires being lit, stores broken into and robbed and people hurt.

Police used tear gas to disperse some of the crowds and said they arrested more than 200 people between Dallas, Houston and Austin.

“Every Texan and every American has the right to protest and I encourage all Texans to exercise their First Amendment rights,” Abbott, a Republican, said in a statement.

“However, violence against others and the destruction of property is unacceptable and counterproductive. As protests have turned violent in various areas across the state, it is crucial that we maintain order, uphold public safety, and protect against property damage or loss.

The order allows Abbott to designate federal agents to do the work of local police. It comes as some Texas organizers are calling off demonstrations and others are planning to proceed.
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COLUMBIA S.C. — Some protesters threw rocks at police and set fire to at least two police cars, ignoring pleas from fellow demonstrators to refrain from violence.

On Sunday morning, crews at businesses throughout the downtown commercial district swept up broken glass and affixed sheets of plywood to busted-out windows and doors.

During a news conference in Columbia later Sunday, U.S. Sen. Tim Scott — who, as the only black Republican in the Senate, has previously given a series of speeches on race, including his numerous experiences getting pulled over by police — referenced the 2015 death of Walter Scott, an unarmed black South Carolina motorist shot to death by a white police officer during a traffic stop in North Charleston.

Sen. Scott said that, as in the Floyd case, that incident was captured on video, but resulted in only nonviolent protests.

“We cannot have distractions especially fueled by violence,” Scott said. “Protesters, be heard, be seen, but be orderly.”

At that same news conference, Gov. Henry McMaster said the National Guard was on alert to activate if needed, urging protesters to take action but stay peaceful.

“We welcome conversation. We welcome protest, people speaking their mind, we welcome it, and we welcome it every time,” McMaster said “We’re better because of it, but we do not tolerate violence.”

Several cities in South Carolina remained under curfew, including Columbia’s downtown area. On Sunday, the mayor of Myrtle Beach instituted a “state of civil emergency” in that city due to the threat of possible unrest.

Unrest Devastates a City’s Landmark Street of Diversity

By KATHLEEN HENNESSEY and TIM SULLIVAN

A man walks on Lake Street while looking at businesses destroyed during riots and protests over the death of George Floyd, Sunday May 31, 2020, in Minneapolis. Floyd died after being restrained by Minneapolis police officers on May 25. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Along the miles-long Minneapolis street where more than a century of migrants have found their American footholds -- Germans, Swedes, Vietnamese, Somalis, Mexicans -- a new history can be traced.

There’s the smoldering police station torched early Thursday morning by protesters enraged by the death of George Floyd while in custody. There’s the Wells Fargo bank branch a couple of blocks away that mobs stormed through the next night, leaving behind a carpet of shattered glass and strewn paperwork. “Kill Bankers” reads the graffiti now spray-painted on an outside wall.

Go further up Lake Street and there’s more fresh history: the Somali restaurant with the broken windows, the empty hulk of a burned sneaker store, the boarded-up party supply store owned by a Mexican immigrant who had been praying for the coronavirus lockdown to end to so he could reopen.

The protests that have roiled Minneapolis night after night didn’t inflame just a single neighborhood: Much of the violence raged up Lake Street, an artery of commerce and culture that cuts across a broad swath of the city.

For residents, for businesspeople, for artists, the Lake Street corridor has long been a symbol of the city’s complex history, a block-by-block study in immigration, economic revitalization and persistent inequality.

On one end is a trendy district of bars and shopping. On the other are quiet neighborhoods atop the Mississippi River bluff. Between the two is a timeline that spans almost five miles marking each wave of arrivals, along with a tangle of languages spoken in each group’s markets, restaurants, churches and community groups.

The Lake Street businesses owned by Suad Hassan’s family are now boarded up, bearing messages like “black owned – solidarity.” Each night, the family has stood guard, successfully begging the mobs to pass them by.

The 35-year-old was born in Somalia, but her family fled the country to escape war when she was a child.

“When I saw the fire two nights ago, it was like a trauma that was triggered again for me,” she said. “I had put that away in my life a long, long time ago ... I told my mom ‘This is a war zone.’”

It’s Lake Street’s minority-owned small businesses that may suffer the most from the racial firestorm that hit the city this week. As thousands of people protested a police force with a history of violence against people of color, the collateral damage spread wide — from immigrant-owned restaurants to a center for Native American youth to an affordable housing complex under construction.

“What happened with Mr. Floyd is a horror,” said Eduardo Barrera, the general manager of Mercado Central, a cooperative of largely Latino-owned businesses that help spark economic revitalization along the street when it opened 20 years ago. The muraled corner building was broken into twice during the unrest, with some of its goods stolen.

“Nothing changes and people feel they’ve lost everything,” Barrera said. “There’s nothing to lose for them anymore. When there’s no justice, no fairness and no equity, they lose hope.”

“But we are hurting ourselves,” he said.

Many speculate that Lake Street was hit so hard because its eastern stretch includes the station associated with the white officer now charged with murdering Floyd. The destruction is particularly painful because Lake Street had become a success story, an achievement people took pride in.

Residents and business owners say they’ve spent the last 20 years working to revive its chain of neighborhoods -- many blighted by years of neglect, suburban flight and disinvestment.

Deb Frank moved into the Longfellow neighborhood just off East Lake Street 25 years ago, buying a two-bedroom, 100-year-old home for $40,000. The mail carrier and her neighbors teamed up to rid the area of two brothels by calling in license plates to the police and embarrassing the patrons.

Frank and her husband became used to walking to restaurants and coffee shops. “It was a really big transformation,” she said,

Today, she wonders: Is it all fleeting?

“It took years to get where we were and here we’re back in square one,” she said, noting even the local post office had been damaged enough to disrupt mail service. “No, we’re worse than square one.”

By all accounts, immigrant entrepreneurs have been the engine of Lake Street’s repeated resurgences. The stretch, which runs east-west through the city’s south side, has long been a landing pad for recent arrivals to the city.

Early in the last century, it was Germans like Emil Schatzlein, who opened a saddle shop on West Lake Street in 1907 that still sells cowboy boots today. And the Scandinavians whose imprint is still visible in the nearly 100-year-old Ingebretsen’s Nordic Marketplace, a local institution known for its lefse and herring.

Today, within a couple blocks of Ingebretsen’s, you can buy a bottle of fresh camel milk in an East African grocery and fried tortillas at Taqueria La Poblanita.

Just like many American cities, the 1960s saw a stream of white residents and businesses leave Lake Street for the suburbs. Buildings emptied out. By the time the Sears department store abandoned its towering building in the mid-1990s, much of the corridor was desperate for an economic infusion.

“It reinvented itself as an immigrant gateway,” said Bill Convery, director of research at the Minnesota Historical Society. “The economic blight led to opportunity.”

Somali immigrants fleeing war were among those who soon took advantage of the affordable rents to build businesses. Community organizations reopened the Sears building as the Midtown Global Marketplace, a showcase for food and crafts.

Still, the economic progress did not erase the stubborn poverty, the racism or the striking inequality.

The corridor’s neighborhoods, along with city’s north side and core, know about police tensions all too well. An ACLU study of city arrests from 2012-2014 found black and Native American people more than eight times more likely than white people to be arrested for low-level offenses.

Minneapolis also has wrestled with its growing racial segregation -- a division uncomfortably illustrated by driving east on Lake Street, which begins in the overwhelmingly white, quiet and leafy neighborhoods near Uptown before shifting into largely black or mixed neighborhoods.

Business already were suffering from the pandemic’s stay-at-home orders when the protests started.

Gregorio De La Cruz a Mexican immigrant, was just starting to reopen his two East Lake Street businesses -- a party supply and candy store, and a commercial cleaning business -- when the violence erupted. Less than a mile from the torched police precinct, he has closed shop again.

“I never imagined there would be so much violence in this neighborhood,” he said, his eyes welling up as his 19-year-old daughter translated his Spanish words into English.

“We understand what’s going on and we get that this is important. They have a right to protest. I wish they’d do it peacefully,” he said.

De La Cruz hung a sign on his boarded-up door -- “Justicia Por Georrge Floyd” -- one of scores of pleas emblazoned on Lake Street’s plywood-lined storefronts. Two doors down, Ingebretsen’s offered another: “One Human Family.”
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This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Wells Fargo, which had been misspelled “Well Fargo.”

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Associated Press video journalist Noreen Nasir contributed to this story from Minneapolis.

World Alarmed by Violence in US; Thousands March in London

By DANICA KIRKA

People protest against crimes committed by the police against black people in the favelas, outside the Rio de Janeiro's state government, Brazil, Sunday, May 31, 2020. The protest, called "Black lives matter," was interrupted when police used tear gas to disperse people. "I can't breathe", said some of the demonstrators, alluding to the George Floyd's death. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

LONDON (AP) — Nations around the world have watched in horror at the civil unrest in the United States following the death of George Floyd, a black man who died after a white police officer pressed his knee on his neck until he stopped breathing.

Racism-tinged events no longer startle even America’s closest allies, though many have watched coverage of the often-violent protests with growing unease. Burning cars and riot police in the U.S. featured on newspaper front pages around the globe Sunday — bumping news of the COVID-19 pandemic to second-tier status in some places.

Floyd’s death on May 25 in Minneapolis was the latest in a series of deaths of black men and women at the hands of police in the U.S.

Thousands gathered in central London on Sunday to offer support for American demonstrators. Chanting “No justice! No peace!” and waving placards with the words “How many more?” at Trafalgar Square, the protesters ignored U.K. government rules banning crowds because of the pandemic. Police didn’t stop them.

Demonstrators then marched to the U.S. Embassy, where a long line of officers surrounded the building. Several hundred milled around in the street and waved placards.

Protesters in Denmark also converged on the U.S. Embassy on Sunday. Participants carried placards with messages such as “Stop Killing Black People.”

The U.S. Embassy in Berlin was the scene of protests on Saturday under the motto: “Justice for George Floyd.” Several hundred more people took to the streets Sunday in the capital’s Kreuzberg area, carrying signs with slogans like “Silence is Violence,” “Hold Cops Accountable,” and “Who Do You Call When Police Murder?” No incidents were reported.

Germany’s top-selling Bild newspaper on Sunday carried the sensational headline “This killer-cop set America ablaze” with an arrow pointing to a photo of now-fired police officer Derek Chauvin, who has been charged with third-degree murder in Floyd’s death, with his knee on Floyd’s neck. The newspaper’s story reported “scenes like out of a civil war.”

In Italy, the Corriere della Sera newspaper’s senior U.S. correspondent Massimo Gaggi wrote that the reaction to Floyd’s killing was “different” than previous cases of black Americans killed by police and the ensuring violence.

“There are exasperated black movements that no longer preach nonviolent resistance,” Gaggi wrote, noting the Minnesota governor’s warning that “anarchist and white supremacy groups are trying to fuel the chaos.″

In countries with authoritarian governments, state-controlled media have been highlighting the chaos and violence of the U.S. demonstrations, in part to undermine American officials’ criticism of their own nations.

In China, the protests are being viewed through the prism of U.S. government criticism of China’s crackdown on anti-government protests in Hong Kong.

Hu Xijin, the editor of the state-owned Global Times newspaper, tweeted that U.S. officials can now see protests out their own windows: “I want to ask Speaker Pelosi and Secretary Pompeo: Should Beijing support protests in the U.S., like you glorified rioters in Hong Kong?”

Hua Chunying, a Chinese Foreign ministry spokeswoman, pointed out America’s racial unrest by tweeting “I can’t breathe,” which Floyd said before his death.

In Iran, which has violently put down nationwide demonstrations by killing hundreds, arresting thousands and disrupting internet access to the outside world, state television has repeatedly aired images of the U.S. unrest. One TV anchor discussed “a horrible scene from New York, where police attacked protesters.” Another state TV message accused U.S. police agencies in Washington of “setting fire to cars and attacking protesters,” without offering any evidence.

Russia accused the United States of “systemic problems in the human rights sphere.″ It denounced Floyd’s death as the latest in a series of police violence cases against African Americans.

“This incident is far from the first in a series of lawless conduct and unjustified violence from U.S. law enforcement,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. “American police commit such high-profile crimes all too often.’’

There also have been expressions of solidarity with the demonstrators.

In Brazil, hundreds of people gathered in front of the Rio de Janeiro state government palace to protest crimes committed by the police against black people in Rio’s working-class neighborhoods, known as favelas.

The protest, called “Black lives matter,” was interrupted when police used tear gas to disperse people. “I can’t breathe”, said some of the demonstrators, alluding to the George Floyd´s death.

Protesters called for an end to police operations inside favelas. They shouted the names of some victims followed by the word “present!” Rio has one of the most deadly police in Brazil. In 2019 they killed 1,546 people, the highest number since 1998, and much of that was during police operations in favelas.

Over the weekend, Lebanese anti-government protesters flooded social media with tweets sympathetic to U.S. protesters, using the hashtag #Americarevolts. That’s a play on the slogan for Lebanon’s protest movement — Lebanon revolts — which erupted on Oct. 17 last year. Within 24 hours, the hashtag #Americanrevolts became the No. 1 trending tag in Lebanon.

In another expression of solidarity with American protesters, about 150 people marched through central Jerusalem on Saturday to protest the shooting death by Israeli police of an unarmed, autistic Palestinian man earlier in the day. Israeli police mistakenly suspected that the man, Iyad Halak, was carrying a weapon. When he failed to obey orders to stop, officers opened fire.
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Associated Press Writers David Rising in Berlin, Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Frances D’Emilio in Rome, Zeina Karam in Beirut, Tia Goldenberg in Jerusalem, Ken Moritsugu in Beijing, Jari Tanner in Helsinki, Finland, and Jim Heintz in Moscow, contributed to this report.

US Sends Brazil Malaria Drug for COVID-19

Associated Press

Families with their children play along the Paseo de la Castellana in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, May 30, 2020. Spanish authorities are reporting no setbacks in their gradual easing of restrictions on movement over this past month, as some regions prepare to further loosen limits from June 1. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

The Latest on the coronavirus pandemic. The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death.
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WASHINGTON — The U.S. has sent to Brazil more than 2 million doses of a malaria drug touted by President Donald Trump as potentially protecting against and treating the coronavirus, even though scientific evidence has not backed up those uses.

No large, rigorous scientific studies have found the drug, hydroxychloroquine, safe or effective for preventing or treating COVID-19, and some smaller studies have indicated worse outcomes from those taking the drug.

Brazil, now Latin America’s hardest-hit country, continues to see a surge in virus cases, and last week Trump announced that the U.S. was restricting travel from the country to prevent travelers from spreading the virus in the U.S.

In a joint statement with the Brazilian government on Sunday, the White House said the doses of hydroxychloroquine had been sent to Brazil as a prophylactic for front-line health workers and as a therapeutic for those who may come down with the virus. The White House said it was also delivering 1,000 ventilators to Brazil.
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CAIRO — Egypt’s Health Ministry reported its highest-ever number of infections and deaths from the coronavirus.

The ministry said Sunday there were 46 deaths in the last 24 hours, jumping from 34 the previous day. There were also 1,536 confirmed cases.

Egypt, a country of 100 million people, has seen a surge in infections in the past week. It has the highest announced deaths from COVID-19 in the Arab World, and the third in the Middle East behind Iran and Turkey, according to a tally by The Associated Press.

Sunday’s figures have taken the tally in the Arab World’s most populous country to 24,985 confirmed cases and 959 deaths. The ministry says over 6,000 patients were discharged from quarantine after their recovery.
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ANKARA, Turkey — Two hospitals for coronavirus patients were opened in Istanbul as Turkey’s daily number of new cases fell to its lowest since the peak of the outbreak.

“Thank God, we prevented the spread of the pandemic even without needing the additional capacity we created here,” President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Sunday as he opened a 1,008-bed hospital, built over 45 days on the site of the former Ataturk airport.

Turkey recorded 839 cases over the previous 24 hours, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca tweeted, taking the total to 163,942 since the first infection was announced on March 11. There were 25 coronavirus-related deaths over the same period, bringing the toll to 4,540.

Turkey ranks 10th worldwide for the number of virus cases, according to John Hopkins University, although experts believe the rate of infections globally could be much higher than reported.
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ATHENS, Greece — For the third day in a row, no new COVID-19 deaths have been reported in Greece.

Authorities said Sunday that, since Saturday afternoon, only two new cases have been reported, raising the total to 2,917. The number of fatalities remains at 175.

Also, 13 patients are hooked to ventilators, while 106 have left intensive care.
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YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, California — Yosemite National Park has been closed to the public for nearly three months and a few dozen lucky children have had it mostly to themselves.

They are student journalists who put out the Yosemite Valley School newspaper.

Their parents are Yosemite’s essential staff who live in a residential area of the park and are watching over it while it’s closed.

The pandemic hasn’t stopped the presses on the school year’s last edition of “The Yosemite Eye.” The publication has charmed its community and has a circulation of 5,000.

Naturally, the upcoming June edition will feature some stories on coronavirus, from the children’s perspective.

Talleulah Barend, a fifth grader, is writing about how video games are helping people socialize. There is a story on making masks, and a word search featuring coronavirus keywords, like “Zoom.” Graduating eighth graders who are leaving to attend a high school outside the park usually get to give speeches. The paper will publish those.
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ROME — Italy registered 355 new coronavirus cases and 75 deaths, some of the lowest such numbers since the nation’s lockdown against the pandemic began in early March. Italy now totals 233,019 known cases of COVID-19 and 33,415 deaths.

But health experts say many people with no or mild symptoms likely didn’t get tested and note that many died in residences for the elderly or in their own homes also without being tested for the virus.

The latest figures from the health ministry come three days before Italy lifts a lockdown rule against travel for tourism between Italian regions and from most European countries.

This prospect has made some governors nervous in regions which have been relatively less hard hit in the pandemic.

Sicily’s governor, Nello Musemeci told the Corriere della Sera daily that if vacationers come from places such as northern Lombardy, Italy’s most stricken region, they should be prepared to indicate “day-by-day” whereabouts so they can be traced while visiting the Mediterranean island in case of infection.

For 10 days straight, Lombardy has been the only region in the country with daily increases of cases in the three digits, registering 210 confirmed infections in patients in the 24-hour period ending Sunday.
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JOHANNESBURG — South African President Cyril Ramaphosa says that China has pledged to make available 30 million COVID-19 testing kits per month to African countries, which are facing a shortage of the materials to test for the disease.

Ramaphosa, currently the chairman of the African Union, told journalists that Chinese President Xi Jinping had pledged that Chinese companies would make available the testing kits as well as 10,000 ventilators per month and 80 million masks per month to African countries.

Ramaphosa didn’t specify if the equipment would be donated or sold to African countries. South Africa, which has the continent’s highest number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 at 30,967 and 643 deaths, has faced a shortage of testing kits and other equipment.

The shortage of testing materials and ventilators has been a problem for all the countries of Africa, which have had to compete with richer countries for the equipment. The coronavirus is spreading steadily but relatively slowly across Africa, with the continent’s 54 countries reporting 141,535 cases and 4,069 deaths, according to figures provided Sunday by the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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LONDON — Britain has announced new plans to help the homeless, pledging to provide 6,000 new “supported homes” as the country moves to lift the lockdown put in place to stall COVID-19.

The measure builds on the work of a task force that succeeded in bringing 15,000 homeless people off the streets and into hotels during the pandemic.

The head of task force, Louise Casey, warned that “the pandemic is not over” and vulnerable people must still be protected.

But she praised the “absolutely extraordinary response” from charities and businesses. She says it has been “a heartening example of what we can do when we need to do it, and the best of Britain in this time of crisis.”

Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick said Sunday that the government is offering 433 million pounds ($534 million) for the new accommodation.
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MADRID — Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez says he will ask Spain’s Parliament for a final two-week extension of the nation’s state of emergency that has allowed the government to take lockdown measures to control its coronavirus outbreak.

Sánchez says this will be “the last, definitive extension of 15 days.”

The current state of emergency is set to expire on June 7. The government will ask for the extension in the coming days.

The lockdown measures have succeeded to reining in a COVID-19 outbreak that has claimed at least 27,000 lives in Spain.

Sánchez says this final stretch of the lockdown will include the handing back of control over health care to the regions that have shown the most progress in containing the virus.

“We have almost reached safe harbor,” Sánchez said.
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VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis cheerfully greeted people in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday, as he resumed his practice of speaking to the faithful there for the first time since a coronavirus lockdown began in Italy and at the Vatican in early March.

“Today the square is open, we can return to it with pleasure,” Francis said.

Instead of the tens of thousands of people who might have turned out on a similarly brilliantly sunny day like in pre-pandemic times, perhaps a few hundred came to the square on Sunday, standing well apart from others or in small family groups.

Until June 3, people aren’t allowed to travel between regions in Italy or arrive from abroad for tourism, so the people in the square came from Rome or places in the region.

Francis cited those who have been infected by the virus or who died in the Amazon region, especially the “particularly vulnerable” indigenous people. He prayed that no one in the world lack medical assistance, especially due to economic priorities.

“Persons are more important than the economy,” Francis said.

Noting this was the first time he could greet people in the square for weeks, Francis said that “one doesn’t emerge from a crisis the same. You either come out better or you come out worse.” He said he’d be back to greet them next Sunday in the same place at noon, smiling and pointing down to the vast square far below his studio window.
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BEIJING — A German engineer who flew to China on a special charter flight Saturday has tested positive for the coronavirus.

The Tianjin city government said in a social media post that the 34-year-old man from Blaustein, Germany, had a body temperature of 36.3 Celsius (97.3 Fahrenheit) and no COVID-19 symptoms. It did not give his name. He has been transferred to a hospital where he will be kept for medical observation.

About 200 people arrived on the chartered Lufthansa A340 from Frankfurt. A second flight is scheduled to depart on Wednesday for Shanghai.

China has banned most foreigners from entering the country to try to prevent the introduction of new infections, but agreed to allow the two German flights to bring back businesspeople as it tries to revive economic growth after the coronavirus shutdowns.
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ISLAMABAD — Pakistan’s daily death toll from the coronavirus is climbing, hitting a new high of 88 overnight, amid reports of acute care bed shortages and near daily warnings from health professionals to tighten lockdown measures.

The government, however, has kept mosques open, urging safe distancing but not enforcing the rules.

In the latest reduction of restrictions, the government has withdrawn the limits on congregations in mosques and churches in Muslim-majority Pakistan, where minorities make up less than 5% of the population of 220 million.

Pakistan has confirmed 69,496 cases of the coronavirus, including 1,483 deaths.
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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Tens of thousands of mosques across Saudi Arabia have reopened for the first time in more than two months.

Worshipers have been ordered to follow strict guidelines to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Islam’s holiest site in Mecca remains closed to the public.

Also Sunday, the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem that had been closed since mid-March reopened for prayers. Worshipers waited outside the gates, many wearing surgical masks. As they entered, they were stopped to have their temperature taken.

The new measures come as Saudi Arabia and other countries around the world begin to loosen restrictions following weeks of curfews and lockdowns.
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BRISBANE, Australia — COVID-19 restrictions are easing in most of Australia, but authorities say they’ll be watching carefully to ensure the country’s success in containing the pandemic remains on track.

Deputy Chief Medical Officer Nick Coatsworth says the lifting of restrictions is a balancing act between the socio-economic benefit from their removal and the public health risk.

“We’re taking a deliberately safe and cautious approach,” Coatsworth said. “Most importantly we’re taking the time to gather the data over the coming weeks to determine whether it’s safe to move to the next round of lifting restrictions.”

Coronavirus cases remain low in Australia by international standards, with 7,180 infections and 103 deaths.

The more flexible restrictions, which differ across the states, will mean more movement in public places, including pubs, cafes, and restaurants. But authorities have renewed their call for safe hygiene and social distancing measures to remain.
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NEW DELHI, India — India has recorded more than 8,000 new cases of the coronavirus in a single day for the first time as the infection tally surged to 182,143.

The death toll climbed to 5,164 after 193 fatalities were recorded in the last 24 hours, according to the health ministry data. This week has been the deadliest in India, with cases of infections and deaths reaching a new high almost every day.

Overall, more than 60% of the country’s virus fatalities have been reported from only two states — Maharashtra, the financial hub of India, and Gujarat, the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The new cases of infections are also largely concentrated in six Indian states, including the national capital New Delhi.

Public health experts have criticized the Modi government’s handling of the outbreak. A joint statement by the Indian Public Health Association, Indian Association of Preventive and Social Medicine and Indian Association of Epidemiologists, which was submitted to Modi’s office on May 25, said it was “unrealistic” to eliminate the virus at a time when “community transmission is already well-established.”

India has denied of any community transmission of the virus even though new cases have continued to mount significantly.
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SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea has reported 27 new cases of the coronavirus, including 21 from the densely populated Seoul metropolitan area, where officials have been scrambling to stem transmissions linked to club-goers and warehouse workers.

The figures announced by South Korea’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Sunday brought national totals to 11,468 cases and 270 deaths. Twelve of the new cases were linked to international arrivals.

South Korea was reporting about 500 new cases per day in early March but had seemed to stabilize its outbreak with aggressive tracking and tracing, which allowed authorities to ease social distancing guidelines.

But cases in the greater capital area have been rising steadily again since May amid increased public activity, causing alarm as millions of children have begun returning to schools.

Statement of the Chairperson Following the Murder of George Floyd in the USA

May 29, 2020

29 May 2020, Addis Ababa: The Chairperson of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat strongly condemns the murder of George Floyd that occurred in the United States of America at the hands of law enforcement officers, and wishes to extend his deepest condolences to his family and loved ones.

Recalling the historic Organisation of Africa Unity (OAU) Resolution on Racial Discrimination in the United States of America made by African Heads of State and Government, at the OAU’s First Assembly Meeting held in Cairo, Egypt from 17 to 24 July 1964, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission firmly reaffirms and reiterates the African Union’s rejection of the continuing discriminatory practices against Black citizens of the United States of America.

He further urges the authorities in the United States of America to intensify their efforts to ensure the total elimination of all forms of discrimination based on race or ethnic origin.

Issued by:
The Spokesperson of the Chairperson of the Commission
Ebba Kalondo
KalondoE@africa-union.org
+251911510512

New Protest in Chicago and Around US After a Violent Night

Associated Press

An officer takes down a protester after breaking through a police barrier during a march to bring attention to the death of George Floyd in the Loop Friday, May 29, 2020, in Chicago. Floyd died after being restrained by Minneapolis police officers on Memorial Day. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune via AP)

The Latest on the death in Minneapolis of George Floyd, a handcuffed black man who pleaded for air as a white police officer pressed a knee on his neck (all times Eastern):
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CHICAGO — Thousands of demonstrators have gathered in downtown Chicago hours after protesters clashed overnight with police during a protest over George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis.

A crowd converged on Chicago’s Loop for Saturday’s protest march, during which at least one flag was burned, and some protesters climbed onto a bus and a light pole and surrounded police officers.

Following the overnight clashes with protesters, Chicago officials are urging that demonstrators remain peaceful. Demonstrations are expected throughout the weekend over Floyd’s death.

Chicago police Superintendent David Brown says peaceful protests that began Friday afternoon turned more confrontational as the night wore on, resulting in 108 arrests. Protesters blocked traffic along major streets, threw bottles and other objects at police vehicles and shattered the windows of downtown businesses.
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COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The governor of Ohio is calling out the Ohio National Guard and also asking the highway patrol to help enforce laws in Columbus as the mayors of the state capital and Cleveland both announce 10 p.m. curfews following damage to businesses amid protests over the death in Minneapolis of George Floyd.

Gov. Mike DeWine said Saturday that the vast majority of protesters want “simply to be heard” and focus attention on the death of Floyd, a black man who died after a white officer pressed a knee into his neck.

But the governor adds that sadly the calls for justice and change are “being drowned out by a smaller group of violent individuals.” He says that “acts of violence cannot, and will not, be tolerated.”

Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther says he believes racism “is a public health and safety crisis” and he wants to see a more equitable city, but “we are now at a point that we can no longer tell who is protesting for change and an end to racism and who has only chaos and destruction in mind.”

Ginther says more than 100 public and private properties in Columbus had been damaged and at least 10 robbed of goods. He says five police officers were injured by thrown bricks or rocks and police vehicles have been set afire.
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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla — President Donald Trump says he will not tolerate mob violence during demonstrations over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

The president made the comment as he spoke in Florida after watching the successful launch of a SpaceX rocket Saturday. He turned his attention to the unrest in American cities following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis before he congratulated NASA and others involved in the space mission.

Trump says the rule of law is the crown jewel of the country and that “my administration will stop mob violence and we’ll stop it cold.”

Trump says that “I stand before you as a friend and ally to every American seeking justice and peace, and I stand before you in firm opposition to anyone exploiting this tragedy to loot, rob, attack and menace. Healing, not hatred. Justice not chaos are the missions at hand.”
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AUSTIN, Texas — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has sent more than 1,500 state troopers to various Texas cities to help control protests over the death of Houston native George Floyd in Minneapolis.

Abbott said in a news release Saturday that troopers are being sent to Houston, Dallas, Austin and San Antonio.

Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo says on Twitter that nearly 200 people were arrested Friday and most will be charged with obstructing a roadway as several protesters blocked an interstate and a highway.

Hundreds of protesters gathered in Austin on Saturday outside police headquarters and then marched along Interstate 35.

Floyd died after a Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck for several minutes even after he stopped moving and pleading for air.
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COLUMBIA, S.C. — A television news reporter in Columbia, South Carolina, has been injured by rocks thrown during protests outside the city’s police headquarters over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

WIS-TV anchor Judi Gatson tweets that reporter Miranda Parnell was being taken to the hospital to be “checked out” after Saturday’s incident.

The tweet says Parnell reported that “a person wearing a MAGA hat showed up at the rally, protesters confronted that person & then rocks were thrown.”

Several hundred people participated in the demonstration, tearing down the U.S. flag and the South Caroline state flag in front of the police The State newspaper reports that some protesters swarmed a police car, breaking its windows.

Floyd died after a Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck for several minutes even after he stopped moving and pleading for air.
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LAS VEGAS — Police in Las Vegas say 80 protesters were arrested and 12 police officers injured during violence Friday that followed a peaceful protest over the death of George Floyd after he was restrained by Minneapolis police.

According to police, the protest on the Las Vegas Strip began with up to 300 people gathering peacefully. But police say rocks were thrown at police and property was damaged several hours later when officers tried to disperse the crowd as tensions mounted.

Police said the arrests were made when protesters refused to disperse. Police initially said at least 31 people were arrested.

Floyd died after a Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck for several minutes even after he stopped moving and pleading for air.
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DENVER -- Denver’s mayor has ordered a nighttime a curfew as demonstrations protesting the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis entered a third day.

Mayor Michael Hancock said Saturday that the Colorado National Guard will help enforce the 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew.

Downtown Denver has been the scene of clashes between protesters and police the past two nights. Some protesters broke windows and police fired tear gas, flash grenades and pepper pellets.

Thousands of people are expected to return Saturday night. A protest organizer is urging people to be safe and not put others in harm’s way.

Floyd died after a Minneapolis police officer pressed a knee on his neck for several minutes, leading to protests in cities across the U.S.
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TALLAHASSEE, Florida — A pickup truck drove through an intersection where protesters were demonstrating Saturday in Tallahassee, Florida, causing people to run screaming out of the way as the vehicle stopped and started and at one point had a person on its hood, according to witnesses and video posted on social media.

Tallahassee Mayor John E. Dailey tweeted later that the driver was taken into custody after hitting the crowd at a low rate of speed. He says no one was seriously injured.

Video shows the truck stopped at a traffic light, and protesters walking around and near it while appearing to speak to the driver. The truck then suddenly accelerates.

Lucas von Hollen, an instructor at Florida State University, said he saw the incident as protesters were chanting and marching as in a standard demonstration, but then he heard a distinct scream of fear. He looked out a window from a second-floor work building and saw the burgundy pickup. He described it slowing down as it had driven up toward the protesters, who didn’t move.

“Then the truck revved its engines … a couple people got out of the way, but some people didn’t, and it just drove straight through the crowd.”

He said people followed the car to prevent the driver from getting away.
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BOSTON — The mayor of Boston hosted a prayer vigil with clergy and the city’s police commissioner to honor the memory of George Floyd.

Protests, some turning violent, erupted in cities around the country on Friday and Saturday over Floyd’s death. The officer was arrested and charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter.

Boston Mayor Martin Walsh says the prayer vigil, streamed live on the Boston government website, was to honor Floyd and to reflect “on his murder.”

Walsh says, “If there‘s ever a moment to acknowledge injustice and re-commit our nation to eradicating it, it’s right now ... This is our moment in time to change as a nation.”
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INDIANAPOLIS — Crowds angered by the death of George Floyd clashed with police in downtown Indianapolis overnight, prompting officers to fire multiple volleys of tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse crowds that shattered storefronts.

Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett says hundreds of city residents peacefully exercised their right to free speech to protest the horror of “the needless killing of George Floyd.” But he was saddened a smaller group turned violent and damaged businesses and caused injuries.

Fires were set in trash cans and a CVS store was set ablaze after protesters broke in and took items. Other stores were ransacked.
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WASHINGTON — The Pentagon says it has received no request from Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to provide federal forces, but several active-duty military units have been put on higher alert to deploy in case Walz makes a request.

The Pentagon’s chief spokesman, Jonathan Rath Hoffman, says Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, have spoken to Walz twice in the last 24 hours and told him they are ready to provide help to local and state authorities as needed. Hoffman says Walz has made no request for military help.

Defense officials say there is no intention to send federal forces to Minnesota without a request from Walz. If he does ask for military help, the units that would deploy would not get involved directly in law enforcement, the officials say, speaking on condition of anonymity in order to discuss planning, unless President Donald Trump ordered them to do so by invoking the Insurrection Act.

Military police units and perhaps engineering troops could help with non-law enforcement duties like transportation, communications and logistical assistance.
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WASHINGTON — Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser lashed out at President Donald Trump for his tweets criticizing her and Washington’s Metropolitan Police Department after protests near the White House on Friday night.

Trump warned in a tweet Saturday that the Secret Service was ready to unleash “the most vicious dogs and the most ominous weapons I have ever seen” if protesters had managed to breach the security lines.

Bowser called Trump’s remark’s “gross,” saying the reference to attack dogs conjures up with the worst memories of the nation’s fight against segregation.

She says, “I call upon our city and our nation to exercise restraint, great restraint even as the president tries to divide us. I feel like these comments are an attack on humanity, an attack on black America, and they make my city less safe.”

Bowser say the MPD stood ready to coordinate with the Secret Service if the protests continue Saturday night.

She says people are desperate for change and “leaders who recognize this pain,” instead of “the glorification of violence against American citizens. What used to be heard in dog whistles, we now hear from a bullhorn.”
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VATICAN CITY — A top Vatican cardinal is calling on U.S. pastors to plead for calm amid violent protests over the death of George Floyd in the United States.

Cardinal Peter Turkson, who is from Ghana, says the death of Floyd was “disgracefully inhuman & sad enough.” In appealing for a message of restraint to be delivered at Sunday services, Turkson tweeted: “Let us not add to it, making it & memory of Floyd ugly with violence.”

Turkson heads the Vatican office responsible for social justice and development issues. He is one of only a handful of African cardinals and one of only two to head a major Vatican department.

The leadership of the U.S. Catholic Church has strongly condemned Floyd’s killing, saying racism is a “real and present danger that must be met head on.” The U.S. bishops conference says while the church always seeks non-violence, “we also stand in passionate support of communities that are understandably outraged.
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HARTFORD, Conn. — Demonstrators rallied in Hartford, New Haven, Bridgeport and other Connecticut cities for a second day Saturday to protest the Floyd’s death.

Hundreds walked the streets of Hartford and gathered outside city police headquarters, shouting “no justice, no peace,” “black lives matter” and “I can’t breathe.”

The rallies followed similar demonstrations in several cities in the state Friday. There were no reports of violence or major property damage.

“We’re seeing people of color being just being murdered down in the streets,′ New Haven resident Remidy Shareef told WFSB-TV. “This is a tragedy. People of color and everyone with a heart and soul needs to know we cannot let this happen. Everyone has the right to leave their homes and come home safely.”

Four men have been killed by police on Connecticut this year, including three in January. A fifth man who lost consciousness in police custody died a natural death from heart disease, officials say. The four fatal police shootings remain under investigation.
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PORTLAND, Ore. — Portland officials say they’ll track down those responsible for the damage to police headquarters, a shopping mall and many businesses.

Police arrested at least 13 people before dawn. Portland Fire Chief Sara Boone, who is African-American, says the anger and violence is not only about the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, but a system that allows people of color to “feel fear every day.”

She says, “This is a moment of reckoning. We are going forward to create an actual community, where respect and dignity are our core values.”

Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler imposed a State of Emergency and a curfew, which resumes Saturday at 8 p.m. and lifts at 6 a.m. Sunday.
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WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is urging Minnesota officials to get tougher with protesters who are destroying property and looting.

Trump spoke at the White House on Saturday after protests turned to rioting in some cities around the country. He says by getting tougher, political leaders in Minnesota would be honoring the memory of George Floyd.

Trump says the U.S. military is “ready, willing and able” to assist. He says “we can have troops on the ground very quickly if they ever want our military.”

Trump specifically called out the mayor of Minneapolis, Jacob Frey. He says the mayor “is probably a very good person, but he’s a radical, left mayor.” He then described how he watched as a police station in the city was overrun.

He says, “for that police station to be abandoned and taken over, I’ve never seen anything so horrible and stupid in my life.”
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CINCINNATI —The mayor of Cincinnati has announced a 10 p.m. curfew Saturday and Sunday in areas of the city following damage to businesses during protests over the Floyd’s death.

Mayor John Cranley said hundreds of people had demonstrated peacefully, with no major issues before 11 p.m., but those who engaged in criminal activity ”were not part of the protest.” Eleven people were arrested and more arrests will come as suspects are identified, he says.

Cranley says the businesses targeted were just “trying to earn a living, and be active and productive members of our community.” The curfew in the downtown and Over-The-Rhine areas will allow police to clear the streets and more easily arrest the few who might commit criminal acts, he said.

The Cincinnati Enquirer reported when many protesters began to disperse Friday night, other groups began to break windows and steal from stores. Some windows at the county justice center were broken and some restaurants and shops were broken into. About 50 businesses reported damage, officials say.
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WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has fired off a series of tweets ridiculing people who protested outside the White House and praising the Secret Service who used shields and pepper spray to push them back.

Hundreds gathered late Friday to protest the police killing of a black man in Minneapolis and Trump’s response.

The president tweeted Saturday he watched from inside the White House as officers “let the ‘protesters’ scream & rant as much as they wanted, but whenever someone .... got too frisky or out of line, they would quickly come down on them, hard - didn’t know what hit them.”

Trump said if the protesters had managed to breach the White House fence, “they would ... have been greeted with the most vicious dogs, and most ominous weapons, I have ever seen.”

Trump ended the last of five tweets by saying, “Tonight, I understand, is MAGA NIGHT AT THE WHITE HOUSE???”
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MINNEAPOLIS — The law firm representing the wife of a former Minneapolis police officer charged in the death of George Floyd says she has filed for divorce.

Sekula Law Offices says in a release that Kellie Chauvin is devastated by Floyd’s death and her “utmost sympathy lies with his family, with his loved ones and with everyone else who is grieving this tragedy.”

Derek Chauvin, who was fired from the police force after Floyd’s death, is charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Floyd died after the officer pressed his knee into his neck for several minutes even after he stopped moving and pleading for air.

The release says while Kellie Chauvin has no children from her current marriage, she is asking for privacy for her extended family during this difficult time.
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RICHMOND — Protesters in Virginia responding to the death of George Floyd earlier this week in Minneapolis smashed windows at police headquarters and briefly shut down a major highway.

In Richmond, a Friday evening protest began at Monroe Park, near Virginia Commonwealth University, and drew hundreds of people who marched through the streets chanting “no justice, no peace.”

News outlets reported a police cruiser and a dumpster near Richmond Police headquarters were set on fire. A Richmond television reporter covering the protests was struck by a thrown bottle and a city bus was set ablaze.

Police responded by spraying chemicals. Virginia Capitol Police says Capitol Square will remain closed Saturday.
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HOUSTON — Houston police say about 200 people were arrested and four officers were injured during protests over the death of Houston native George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody.

Police Chief Art Acevedo says on Twitter most of those arrested will be charged with obstructing a roadway as several protesters blocked an interstate and a highway Friday night.

In Dallas, protesters also blocked an interstate and one officer was injured. Police in both cities used pepper spray and tear gas to disperse crowds that numbered in the hundreds.
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NEW YORK — New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio says protesters and police officers will be held accountable for acts of violence at a demonstration in Brooklyn that left people bloodied and vehicles burned.

Police Commissioner Dermot Shea says more than 200 people were arrested and multiple officers were injured.

One demonstrator was charged with attempted murder for allegedly tossing a homemade firebomb at a vehicle occupied by several officers, who escaped without harm.

The protest, one of many around the country over the killing of George Floyd by a police officer in Minnesota, started peacefully in the late afternoon in Manhattan. Problems flared after several thousand people faced off with officers on the streets around a sports arena.

Speaking Saturday, de Blasio, a Democrat, expressed solidarity with demonstrators upset about police brutality, but says there will be a full review of what went wrong.

He says he was upset by videos of the confrontations “where protesters were handled very violently” by police and by reports that at least two elected officials were among the people sprayed with irritating chemicals by officers at the scene.

“That’s unacceptable, and we need to understand exactly why that happened,” the mayor said.

But he added some protesters had come “with an agenda of violence and incitement, and they meant to harm police officers, and they did harm police officers.”

Many people in the crowd threw bottles at police. A group set fire to a police van and battered several other police cruisers with clubs.
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CHICAGO — Police Superintendent David Brown says the peaceful protests that began Friday afternoon turned more confrontational as the night wore on, resulting in 108 arrests.

Protesters blocked traffic along major streets, threw bottles and other objects at police vehicles and shattered the windows of downtown businesses. About a dozen squad cars were damaged and some officers suffered minor injuries, including broken wrist.

He called the property damage “minimal” and joined some other police chiefs around the country in empathizing with the protesters. He criticized the actions of the police involved in the death of George Floyd.

He says, “We don’t want our officers treating anyone like that.”
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St. LOUIS — Protesters blocked a downtown St. Louis interstate for three hours on Friday, set a fire in the road and broke into trucks in a demonstration over the death of a black man in Minneapolis.

Protesters blocked I-44 for nearly three hours after taking to the streets Friday night, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

A protester who died had climbed between two trailers of a Fed Ex truck and was killed when it drove away, according to reports. Police say they were investigating.

The crowd dispersed after a few gunshots were fired. Police did not report any arrests.

Tensions between police and minority residents have lingered in the St. Louis area since the 2014 death of Michael Brown in Ferguson.

In Kansas City, Missouri, police used pepper spray on people marching through its Westport bar-and-entertainment district Friday night, The Kansas City Star reports. Police say a window was broken and protesters appeared ready to use a police barricade to do more damage.
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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Protesters in Charlotte responding to the death of a black man in Minneapolis looted stores, kicked and stomped on police cars and engaged in confrontations that led to multiple arrests.

News outlets report protests in the city Friday night began peacefully but turned violent as the night wore on. A grocery store and a cell phone store were looted, and protesters threw rocks at police, smashed a police bicycle, slashed the tires of a police car and stomped on other police vehicles.

Officers responded by deploying tear gas canisters. Police say they made several arrests but did not provide an exact number.

One of those arrested and charged with failure to disperse was City Council member Braxton Winston. He was released several hours later.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Kerr Putney told WBTV in Charlotte that protests began peacefully and police were prepared to accommodate that, “and then it turned on us.”

He added the police, “showed restraint, but they took care of business.”
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MINNEAPOLIS — The governor of Minnesota says he plans to fully mobilize the state’s National Guard and promised a massive show of force to help quell civil unrest following days of protests over the police killing of George Floyd.

Gov. Tim Walz says he also spoke with Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark A. Milley about getting federal assistance to help stop the violence.

Walz blamed much of the destruction in Minneapolis on Friday night on well-organized, out-of-state instigators whose goal was to “destabilize civil society.”

Minnesota Public Safety Commissioner John Harrington vowed a stronger police presence and a change in tactics “because this is intolerable and we are coming to stop it.”