Curfews in US to stop protests
THREAT: WE’LL STOP IT COLD, SAYS PRESIDENT
Fury erupts after death of unarmed black man during an arrest on Monday.
Curfews were imposed on major US cities as clashes over police brutality escalated across America, with demonstrators ignoring warnings from President Donald Trump that his government would stop the violent protests “cold”.
Minneapolis, the epicentre of the unrest, was gripped by a fifth consecutive night of violence on Saturday with police in riot gear firing teargas and stun grenades at protesters venting fury at the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, during an arrest in the city on Monday.
Los Angeles, Chicago and Atlanta were among two dozen cities ordering people to stay indoors overnight as more states called in National Guard soldiers to help control the civil unrest not seen in the US for years.
From Seattle to New York, tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets, demanding tougher murder charges and more arrests over the death of Floyd, who stopped breathing after Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes.
In Los Angeles, officers fired rubber bullets and swung batons during a standoff with demonstrators who set fire to a police car.
Police and protesters clashed in numerous cities including Chicago and New York, with officers responding to projectiles with pepper spray while shop windows were smashed in Philadelphia.
Trump blamed the extreme left for the violence, including widespread looting and arson in Minneapolis, saying rioters were dishonouring the memory of Floyd.
“We cannot and must not allow a small group of criminals and vandals to wreck our cities and lay waste to our communities,” the president said. “My administration will stop mob violence. And we’ll stop it cold,” he added, accusing the loose-knit militant antifascist network Antifa of orchestrating the violence.
Democratic candidate Joe Biden condemned the violence of the protests, but said on Sunday US citizens had the right to demonstrate. “Protesting such brutality is right and necessary,” he said. “But burning down communities and needless destruction is not.”
Peaceful protests occurred, too, including in Toronto, as the movement spread beyond America’s borders. Demonstrators nationwide chanted slogans such as “Black Lives Matter” and “I can’t breathe”, which Floyd was heard saying repeatedly before he died.
“Black lives matter. They will always matter. And we’re here today to show that,” said makeup artist Melissa Mock, who joined several thousand in a daytime protest in Miami.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walzs said he was mobilising the state’s entire 13000-strong National Guard to deal with rioters.
All major freeways leading into Minneapolis were closed on Saturday night, with military helicopters overhead as the state braced for more rioting, arson and looting, with locals saying much of the violence was being perpetrated by outsiders.
Some placed flowers in front of the shop where Floyd was arrested on Monday, before his death in the hands of police was recorded in a horrifying cellphone video since seen around the world.
In Houston, where Floyd was born and raised, an old friend of his, Sam Osborne, said as an African-American, he feared for his life. “I’m really messed up they killed him. I’m wondering like, what could possibly happen to me?” he said.
Houston’s mayor announced that Floyd’s body would be brought back to the Texas city.
At least eight states, including Texas, Colorado and Georgia, activated the National Guard, who were also deployed around the White House to help handle the protests there.
In Washington, protesters faced off with secret service agents outside the White House for a second straight night. Looting occurred in Miami, where a curfew was also announced, and in Los Angeles a curfew order was expanded as looting broke out.
Protests are expected to continue even after Chauvin, the now fired Minneapolis police officer accused of Floyd’s death, was charged with third-degree murder on Friday. Floyd’s family and many protesters want a tougher charge brought and have also demanded that three officers who assisted him be charged as well.