Los Angeles erupted in violence Saturday as protests over the death of George Floyd spiraled out of control in cities across the nation. ...
Los Angeles erupted in violence Saturday as protests over the death of George Floyd spiraled out of control in cities across the nation.
Stores from mom-and-pops to high-end retailers in ritzy Beverly Hills were looted, and in downtown Los Angeles, protesters sprayed graffiti and torched police cruisers while police shot rubber bullets into crowds and were seen beating demonstrators with batons.
Outrage over the death of black man Floyd - who was killed when a white cop knelt on his neck for more than eight minutes during his arrest Monday - is ramping up across the nation, with protests springing up in multiple states.
At least eight states and the District of Columbia have either activated or requested the National Guard including Minnesota, Georgia, Ohio, Colorado, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Utah and Texas as local law enforcement struggle to bring the carnage under control.
A Los Angeles police officer watches a police car burn Saturday during a protest over the death of George Floyd
An LAPD vehicle is burned during protests that turned violent on Saturday
Los Angeles: People stand on top of a burned out police car during a protest in downtown LA
In Los Angeles, a demonstration that started out peaceful in the afternoon at the Grove, an outdoor mall, descended into violence as LAPD cars were set on fire and protesters smashed store windows, according to the Sacramento Bee.
Thousands of demonstrators flooded Beverly Hills' Rodeo Drive on Saturday carrying signs like 'Eat the rich' and 'George Floyd did not deserve to be murdered'. Footage captured people breaking into the closed Alexander McQueen store and making off with merchandise.
Horrifying footage on social media showed black actor Kendrick Sampson being struck by police batons and fired at with rubber bullets in the midst of the protest while screams ring out in the background.
He is heard asking officers 'why are you hitting me?' as cops in riot gear strike him with their batons and shoot him with rubber bullets as he appears to be protesting peacefully.
Chicago: Peaceful daytime marches in Chicago (pictured) turned violent later in the day with protesters and cops clashing
New York: Protesters are arrested in Times Square, New York, during rally against the police killing of George Floyd
LA Mayor Eric Garcetti announced a curfew in downtown LA starting 8p.m. Saturday through to 5:30a.m. Sunday, in desperate efforts to restore some order as he urged both law enforcement and protesters to 'take a deep breath and step back for a moment'.
Garcetti said he would stop short of calling for the activation of the National Guard.
'This isn't 1992,' he said, referring to the move made by officials during the 1992 riots after the Rodney King when all police officers involved in violently beating up the black man were acquitted.
This marked the fourth night of protests for LA after it became one of the first cities to start a break-off protest Tuesday over Floyd's killing.
More than 500 people were arrested in LA on Saturday.
Washington DC: A fire burns in a dumpster as demonstrators protest the death of George Floyd
Washington DC: Demonstrators clean their eyes after getting tear gassed by cops outside the White House
Washington DC: Secret Service agents and protesters face off outside the sat of the US government
Tensions have escalated each day with Saturday seeing thousands gather in the Fairfax District.
The footage of Floyd's killing and the unrest that has followed offers painful echos to the aftermath of the 1992 Rodney King beating, when LA was beset by riots following police officers' acquittal at trial.
'When you saw the destruction after, you thought people got the message, and this will never happen again,' Kerman Maddox, a public affairs consultant who covered the riots as a reporter, told the LA Times. 'But it happens over and over and over again and nothing seems to change. Nothing seems to get better.'
Congresswoman Karen Bass remembered feeling that the emergence of videotape in the King beating would be a turning point for marginalized communities.
'I remember feeling that — it was visceral,” she told the LA Times. 'With the invention of the video camera, we were sure we would finally get justice. Since then there’s been I don’t know how many recordings of black people being shot in the back, shot when they are running. In the overwhelming majority of cases, officers were either not charged or not convicted.'
Violent scenes played out in Chicago where police officers were seen being dragged along the floor by demonstrators and other protesters had to step in and save them from attack.
NYPD officers came down on Manhattan protesters with sheer force - despite both NYC mayor and state governor announcing they would investigate following footage of what appeared to be police brutality at Friday's protest condemning that very action.
In Chicago, shocking footage showed cops were seen being dragged along the floor and hit with banners by protesters before other protesters stepped in and formed a barrier round them so the cops could get back to their feet.
Police cruisers were vandalized and some protesters picked up police barricades and hurled them at the vehicles.
Minneapolis: A protester is sprayed with pepper spray by a Minneapolis police officer
Minneapolis: State troopers form a line in Minneapolis Saturday night on the fifth day of protests in the city
Outside of the Daley Center, tensions erupted before 4pm local time, as demonstrators clashed with police and fired off bottle rockets.
There were reports of vandals with hammers trying to smash the windows of the Daley Center, the home to the Cook County Circuit Courts. The crowd marched toward nearby Trump Tower, where protesters tried to smash the windows of police cars and threw barricades, according to police scanner traffic.
This came after more than 100 people were arrested in the city Friday night.
In Times Square, New York City, hundreds of NYPD officers formed a barricade and marched down the street to force protesters gathered in anger over police brutality back.
Los Angeles: A police officer walks by a burning police car as another is seen destroyed
Los Angeles: Demonstrators block the street as Los Angeles Fire Department paramedic tries to get through the crowds
Los Angeles: The city erupted in violence Saturday as cops in riot gear clashed with protesters
Los Angeles: Two protesters sit in front of a fire on a road in downtown LA while one holds a Black Lives Matter banner and the other hholds his fist in the air
Los Angeles: People hold signs in front of the LAPD headquarters Saturday as calls mount for the other three cops involved in Floyd's death to be arrested and charged
Los Angeles: Graffiti left behind at Broadway and 6th Street in downtown Los Angeles where many businesses were vandalized the previous night during a protest
Los Angeles: A demonstrator jumps on a police car during a protest over the death of George Floyd
THE COURTHOUSE IN DOWNTOWN NASHVILLE IS ON FIRE; PROTESTERS CLASHING WITH COPS
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Things turned ugly as officers pushed the crowds back and protesters responded by hurling bottles and other objects at the cops.
One protester was seen being violently arrested after they climbed on top of a police car.
An officer leaped onto the man throwing him to the floor as several more piled on and some struck the man with batons.
Crowds screamed and one woman was then also aggressively pushed in the chest with a police baton while other protesters tried to save her from the wrath of cops.
In other shocking footage circulating on social media, an NYPD officer appears to deliberately mow down protesters with his car.
The vehicle is seen being blocked by a railing and protesters in the road before the car accelerates and drives into the crowds, as people are heard screaming.
This came after New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced they are launching separate investigations into the violent protests in Brooklyn on Friday where over 200 people were arrested and footage on social media showed cops violently handling protesters.
New York: An NYPD car is engulfed in flames in Brooklyn as people protest over Floyd's death
New York: One protester was seen being violently arrested after they climbed on top of a police car
New York: An officer leaped onto the man throwing him to the floor as several more piled on and some struck the man with batons
New York: Crowds screamed and one woman was then also aggressively pushed in the chest with a police baton while other protesters tried to save her from the wrath of cops
New York: A protester is manhandled by NYPD officers in Times Square
New York: An NYPD officer walks by a vandalized St. Patrick's Cathedral in NYC on Saturday
In a video that has been widely circulated on social media, one NYPD officer was seen aggressively shoving a 20-year-old female protester to the ground.
At least 13 cities have now introduced curfews for Saturday night including in Minneapolis and surrounding cities of Minnesota, as well as Columbus, Atlanta, Louisville, Los Angeles, Portland, Columbia, South Carolina, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Seattle, Rochester, New York, Louisville and Milwaukee.
Several states have mobilized the National Guard after local authorities buckled under the weight of protests Friday night while President Trump has put the Army on notice to deploy to the streets with a four-hour notice - the first time this will have been done in almost 20 years during the 1992 LA riots over the beating of black man Rodney King by cops.
Minnesota - where Floyd died - has born the brunt of the protests which began there Tuesday before fanning out across the country.
Despite insistence that Minneapolis would be brought under control Saturday, state police officers were seen in their masses surrounding the fifth police precinct.
Hundreds of protesters had gathered outside the precinct and were driven out by state cops using tear gas and firing rubber bullets.
Footage showed protesters had retreated while the officers increased their circle around the vicinity.
Governor Tim Walz has warned that a renewed spike in coronavirus cases could hit residents as protests have seen thousands take to the streets, while he admitted that the state's jails cannot contain the number of people being taken into custody.
New York: In Times Square, New York City, hundreds of NYPD officers formed a barricade and marched down the street to force protesters gathered in anger over police brutality back
New York: Two women are detained by NYPD officers at Times Square Manhattan Saturday
New York: The Big Apple is bracing for another night of chaos as more than two dozen arrests have already been made
New York: A protesters is arrested in Times Square and taken away by NYPD officers during the protest in New york City
New York: Hundreds gathered in the streets of NYC to demand justice for Floyd who died in police custody Monday
The National Guard has been activated to Seattle after the daytime peaceful protest descended into scenes of fire and vandalism into the evening.
Shocking footage emerged on social media of flames billowing out of cop cars before police run to detain someone suspected of carrying a firearm.
A plain-clothed cop is heard shouting put the weapon down as they run across the street with their firearm lifted towards someone.
Passersby and the person filming the scenes flee the scene amid fears of a deadly shootout breaking out.
Over in Georgia, protesters descended on the residence of Governor Brian Kemp where some protesters threw bricks at police officers.
Philadelphia has also been hard hit with at least six arrested and 13 cops injured in protests Saturday as of 8:30p.m.
Seattle: A plain-clothed cop is heard shouting put the weapon down as they run across the street with their firearm lifted towards someone
Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said officers were struck by missiles of some sort being hurled at them by crowds, while at least four police cruisers were set alight.
Mostly peaceful daytime protests over the death of George Floyd continued across the country on Saturday before many turned violent into the afternoon and evening.
Crowds of thousands gathered in the Harlem section of Manhattan, Philadelphia, Chicago and at least 35 other cities on Saturday afternoon, chanting slogans and listening to speeches.
On Friday night, Minneapolis saw its worst night of arson, looting and vandalism yet, as protests in more than 30 cities spilled over into violence and clashes with police.
In a tweet on Saturday, President Donald Trump warned: 'Crossing State lines to incite violence is a FEDERAL CRIME! Liberal Governors and Mayors must get MUCH tougher or the Federal Government will step in and do what has to be done, and that includes using the unlimited power of our Military and many arrests.'
He added the claim that '80% of the RIOTERS in Minneapolis last night were from OUT OF STATE.'
'They are harming businesses (especially African American small businesses), homes, and the community of good, hardworking Minneapolis residents who want peace, equality, and to provide for their families,' Trump said.
New York: Protesters on the West Side Highway confronted police officers as they marched Downtown toward City Hall during protests for George Floyd on Saturday in Manhattan
Washington DC: Protesters holding banners march from Capitol Hill toward the White House during a rally against the death in Minneapolis police custody of George Floyd on Saturday
Philadelphia: G. Lamar Stewart Sr. carries his son G. Lamar Stewart Jr. as protesters over the death of George Floyd gather at City Hall on Saturday
Minneapolis: People clean up broken glass, repair windows following a night of arson, looting and violence
As the nation braced for another day of protests, residents of Minneapolis turned out Saturday morning with brooms and trash bags to try and clean up their city after four nights of chaos.
Widespread looting and arson cut a swath of devastation across the city, leaving a trail of rubble and broken glass.
In Minneapolis, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz fully mobilized the state's National Guard and promised a massive show of force to help quell unrest that has grown increasingly destructive.
'The situation in Minneapolis is no longer in any way about the murder of George Floyd,' Walz said. 'It is about attacking civil society, instilling fear and disrupting our great cities.'
Minneapolis: People work to clean up outside a burned building on Saturday in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis: Even after police Officer Derek Chauvin was charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter in Floyd's death, violence escalated in the Twin Cities
Minneapolis: People clean up broken glass, repair windows following days of mayhem and violence
Minneapolis: Residents and shopkeepers tried to pick up the pieces on Saturday as they brace for another night of protests
Minneapolis: Buildings and businesses around the Twin Cities have been looted and destroyed in the violence this week
Minneapolis: Weary residents came together on Saturday to clean up the city after rioting on Friday night
Minneapolis: A resident works to remove damaged glass from a bus shelter that was vandalized in the violence
Minneapolis: A man walks his bike while carrying a broom to go help clean up the street following a night of looting
In Harlem on Saturday, hundreds marched through the streets chanting 'no justice, no peace' and 'NYPD suck my d**k.'
Protesters gathered near the Adam Clayton Powell Jr. State Office Building on 125th Street, near the iconic Apollo Theater, where speeches were delivered.
With the crowd blocking a major intersection, hundreds took a knee in the street, a nod to the national anthem protests started by former San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick.
Separate protests took place on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and in Brooklyn on Saturday afternoon.
Traffic on the Henry Hudson Parkway was brought to a standstill as the crowd, numbering in the thousands, marched Downtown toward city hall.
Harlem: Protesters gather in Harlem to protest the recent death of George Floyd Saturday in New York City
Harlem: Protesters gathered near the Adam Clayton Powell Jr. State Office Building on 125th Street, near the iconic Apollo Theater, where speeches were delivered
Harlem: Demonstrators participate in a solidarity rally for George Floyd on Saturday in New York
Harlem: A crowd of hundreds grew to thousands in upper Manhattan as the protesters began to march Downtown
Harlem: Protesters take over the F.D.R. Drive on Saturday as several massive protest groups moved to converge downtown
Harlem: Meanwhile, protestors on the West Side Highway confronted police officers as they shut down traffic
Harlem: Police detain a demonstrator as tensions rose in massive protests in New York on Saturday
In Miami, hundreds marched through the streets, blocking traffic and chanting 'No KKK, no racist USA, no cops.'
In Philadelphia, a crowd of thousands gathered outside of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
In Columbus, Ohio, Congresswomen Joyce Beatty was hit with pepper spray as she tried to intervene in clashes between protesters and police.
In Austin, Texas, protesters were seen blocking Interstate Highway 35 in Austin, Texas, on Saturday afternoon, according to a tweet from the city's transportation department.
IH-35 'is completely blocked in both directions between 6th & 8th' as protests continue, the tweet said.
'We need the community to avoid the area because the IH-35 is blocked,' Austin Police said in a tweet.
Chicago: Protesters gather in Daley Plaza outside of City Hall on Saturday, after clashes with police on Friday
Los Angeles: Demonstrators listen during a protest over the death of George Floyd Saturday in Los Angeles
In response to Friday night's protests and preparing for Saturday, Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley announced a curfew beginning at 10 p.m. and ending at 6 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday in the downtown area.
Cranley said that while most protesters last night were peaceful, a small group of protesters caused 'real damages' at local businesses and property after 11 p.m.
At least two deaths were connected to the demonstrations on Friday; hundreds of people were arrested and police used batons, rubber bullets and pepper spray to push back crowds in some cities.
Many departments reported officers were injured, while social media was awash in images of police using forceful tactics, throwing protesters to the ground, using bicycles as shields, and trampling a protester while on horseback.
On Friday, the officer who held his knee to Floyd´s neck was arrested and charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter - but that appeared to provide little balm. Many protesters are demanding the arrests of the three other officers involved.
Comments from President Donald Trump stoked the anger, when he fired off a series of tweets criticizing Minnesota's response, ridiculing people who protested outside the White House and warning that if protesters breached the fence, 'they would ... have been greeted with the most vicious dogs, and most ominous weapons, I have ever seen.'
Washington DC: Protesters holding banners march from Capitol Hill toward the White House during a rally Saturday
New York: Protesters gather in Harlem to protest the recent death of George Floyd on Saturday
New York: Police load protesters onto transports after taking over the F.D.R. Drive in Harlem on Saturday
Leaders in many affected cities have voiced outrage over Floyd's killing and offered sympathy for those who were protesting - but as unrest intensified, many spoke of the desperate need to protect their cities and said they would call in reinforcements, despite concerns that could lead to more heavy handed tactics.
Minnesota has steadily increased the number of National Guardsmen it says it needs to contain the unrest, and has now called up 1,700. He is also considering a potential offer of military police, which the Pentagon put on alert.
Georgia's governor declared a state of emergency early Saturday to activate the state National Guard as violence flared in Atlanta. Portland, Oregon, Mayor Ted Wheeler also declared an emergency and ordered a nighttime curfew for the city. The mayor of Cincinnati announced a curfew Saturday and Sunday following damage to about 50 businesses during protests there.
The Guard was also on standby in the District of Columbia, where a crowd grew outside the White House and chanted curses at Trump. Some protesters tried to push through barriers set up by the U.S. Secret Service along Pennsylvania Avenue, and threw bottles and other objects at officers wearing riot gear, who responded with pepper spray.
'I just feel like he´s just one of many names that we´ve had to create hashtags and T-shirts and campaigns for and I feel like nothing has changed,' district resident Abe Neri said of Floyd. 'And so that´s why I´m out here. Yeah, when you say nothing you´re taking the side of the oppressor.'
A person was killed in downtown Detroit just before midnight after someone in an SUV fired shots into a crowd of protesters near the Greektown entertainment district, police said. And police in St. Louis were investigating the death of a protester who had climbed between two trailers of a Fed Ex truck and was killed when it drove away.
Atlanta saw some of the most extreme unrest. While crews in that city worked to clean up glass and debris from rioting the night before, a large electronic billboard on Saturday morning still carried the message, 'If you love Atlanta PLEASE GO HOME,' echoing the mayor´s pleas.
National Guard members blocked anyone from approaching heavily damaged buildings, including the College Football Hall of Fame and nearby restaurants.
People protest over George Floyd's death in front of The White House on Saturday in Washington, DC
In Washington, DC people protest over George Floyd's death in front of The White House on Saturday
Demonstrators express anger over George Floyd's death in front of The White House on Saturday
'This is not in the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr.,' Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said. 'You are disgracing the life of George Floyd and every other person who has been killed in this country.'
Bottoms was flanked by King´s daughter, Bernice King, and rappers T.I. and Killer Mike.
'We have to be better than burning down our own homes. Because if we lose Atlanta what have we got?' said Killer Mike, crying as he spoke.
Video posted to social media showed New York City officers using batons and shoving protesters down as they took people into custody and cleared streets. One video showed on officer slam a woman to the ground as he walked past her in the street.
Demonstrators rocked a police van, set it ablaze, scrawled graffiti across its charred body and set it aflame again as officers retreated.
'There will be a full review of what happened tonight,' Mayor Bill de Blasio tweeted, referring to the Brooklyn protest. 'We don´t ever want to see another night like this.'
Underscoring that Floyd's killing is part of a pattern, the names of black people killed by police, including Eric Garner, who died on Staten Island in 2014, were on signs and in chants.
'Our country has a sickness. We have to be out here,' said Brianna Petrisko, among those at lower Manhattan´s Foley Square, where most were wearing masks amid the coronavirus pandemic. 'This is the only way we´re going to be heard.'
In Houston and Dallas, Los Angeles and Oakland, California., protesters blocked interstates, but much of the ire in many cities was focused at police. In Portland, Oregon, protesters lit a fire inside police headquarters.
Protesters in Houston, where Floyd grew up, included 19-year-old Jimmy Ohaz from the nearby city of Richmond, Texas: 'My question is how many more, how many more? I just want to live in a future where we all live in harmony and we´re not oppressed.'