Unrest in America: Protesters, police clash in the wake of George Floyd’s death
On the fourth night of protests since the death of George Floyd, thousands of people, young and old and black and white, took the streets in cities across America.
They came to demand change after Monday’s death of Floyd, an unarmed black man who died after being pinned down by a Minneapolis police officer.
Floyd repeatedly said “I can’t breathe” while being pinned to the ground by police, McClatchy News reported. Video showed an officer kneeling on Floyd’s neck for several minutes before Floyd died at a hospital.
Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer who knelt on Floyd’s neck, was arrested Friday, charged with third- degree murder and manslaughter, according to McClatchy News. But for many at the protesters, they said it’s not enough. Three other officers who were involved in Floyd’s death were fired and are under investigation, authorities have said.
The protests started Tuesday night in Minneapolis and escalated throughout the week, with rioting, fires and looting. Now protesters across the country are taking to the streets to take a stand against police brutality and excessive use of force.
His last words — “I can’t breathe” — were chanted at protests across the nation, from Brooklyn to Atlanta to Fort Worth.
Warning: Some of the following material may contain offensive language.
In Washington D.C., the White House was put on lockdown Friday as protests over Floyd’s death grew on Pennsylvania Avenue, USA Today reported. The Secret Service took at least one person into custody, the news outlet reported.
The protesters moved from in front of the White House to other parts of Washington, D.C., according to USA Today.
Protests in Atlanta started peacefully, but by the evening an Atlanta police car was set on fire and windows were broken, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
Protesters also converged at CNN Headquarters, breaking out windows and throwing rocks, water bottles and other objects at a police line inside the building’s lobby. CNN reported at least two officers were injured before the scene was cleared.
Tensions between protesters and police have continued to escalate the situation in several cities across the U.S. In Houston, several hundred people gathered holding signs demanding justice, and several people were arrested, according to the Houston Chronicle.
Protesters have also stopped traffic in areas like Chicago, New York and San Jose. People in several other major cities have took to the streets as well.
This story was originally published May 29, 2020 at 9:49 PM with the headline "Unrest in America: Protesters, police clash in the wake of George Floyd’s death."