George Floyd death protests spread across America
At least 5,600 people have been arrested as protests continue across the United States following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Mr Floyd, a black man, had been pleading for air as a white police officer pressed a knee on his neck.
Here are the latest developments:
A police officer has been shot and authorities are responding to another shooting during protests.
Authorities said the officer was shot on the Las Vegas Strip, and an officer was involved in another shooting on Las Vegas Boulevard.
Best video on internet today 🇳🇵❤️🇺🇲 #BlackLivesMatter #JusticeForGeorgeFloyd pic.twitter.com/KdCj039Z01
— The Comrade (@DearCom85180261) June 2, 2020
Protesters have been rallying for days across the country over the death of Mr Floyd.
Police say four officers were hit by gunfire after protests in the city started which peacefully on Monday became violent overnight, with demonstrators smashing windows and stealing items from businesses and fires burning in the central area.
It's ruthless that media trying to neglect the reality, reflecting the terrible situation and protestors actions as unacceptable. However, reality is not covert anyway.
— Akanksha Rana (@i_akankshaRana) June 2, 2020
We stand for #BlackLivesMatter#JusticeForGeorgeFloyd #WeLoveYouBlackArmy 💜 pic.twitter.com/EoVPUNCu3A
The police department tweeted that the officers were taken to a hospital with injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening. It was unclear who had fired the shots.
Protesters had gathered in front of police headquarters, where officers fired tear gas. Some protesters smashed windows at a 7-11 store and stole items from inside before the building was set on fire.
Workers in Alabama’s largest city began removing a Confederate monument on Monday night after demonstrators failed to knock down the obelisk the night before.
Birmingham mayor Randall Woodfin sent workers with heavy equipment to take down the 50ft Confederate monument made of stone. Late on Monday, after a 7pm curfew took effect and streets were mostly clear, crews began their work.
They did it! The MAJORITY of the confederate statue in Linn Park in Birmingham Alabama has been REMOVED! pic.twitter.com/6UvkWYdefL
— Brett "Solidarity 2024" Banditelli (@banditelli) June 2, 2020
Live video showed workers attaching straps to the peak of the obelisk so it could be lifted away with a crane. Within a few hours they had removed the top of the monument.
Mr Woodfin said the city would consider whether the memorial could be given to a museum or another group.
Two people have been killed during unrest in the Chicago suburb of Cicero as protests continued over the death of George Floyd, according to a town official.
Spokesman Ray Hanania said 60 people were arrested in the town of about 84,000 located west of Chicago.
GORGEOUS. Brooklyn is out in the thousands to demand #JusticeforGeorgeFloyd and #BrionnaTaylor! pic.twitter.com/jGcymMrKfv
— Ana Maria Archila🦋🐺 (@AnaMariaforNY) June 2, 2020
The Illinois State Police and Cook County Sheriff’s Office were called in to help local police on Monday as people broke into a liquor store and other businesses and stole items.
Law enforcement officers used tear gas, pellets and low-flying helicopters to turn back demonstrators in the US capital.
Protesters remained on the streets well past the 7pm curfew that had been imposed by District of Columbia mayor Muriel Bowser.
They had spent hours marching peacefully around the city before they were buzzed by the helicopters.
Protesters smashed windows at the Teamsters building as they dispersed.
Riot police firing tear gas scattered several hundred protesters from Jefferson Square, violently capping a day of mostly peaceful protests.
Riot police with batons at the ready stood shoulder to shoulder as they advanced down key streets before breaking up the protest after a brief standoff shortly after 10pm.
Demonstrators shouted at police as authorities on a microphone ordered the crowd to disperse before loud bursts of tear gas crackled and smoke spread over the area.
Protesters began running and military-style vehicles could later be seen occupying the key square fronting a courthouse complex.
Some protesters gasped and held wet cloths to their faces as they ran from the gas and advancing police, before the demonstrations petered out.
Earlier, the fatal shooting of the popular owner of a Louisville barbecue spot prompted a massive march to the site where the restaurateur was killed early on Monday.
David McAtee died while police officers and National Guard soldiers were enforcing a curfew amid waves of protests in the Kentucky city.
We’ve moved to 26th & Broadway. It was where David McAtee was shot and killed Monday morning by LMPD & the Kentucky National Guard. Officials say they were breaking up a large protest when someone fired a shot and they returned fire, killing the business owner. @WLKY #Louisville pic.twitter.com/CJpcDJOsQ7
— Shaquille Lord WLKY (@Shaquille_Lord) June 1, 2020
Louisville’s police chief was fired after city mayor Greg Fischer learned that officers failed to activate body cameras at the chaotic scene where Mr McAtee was shot.
Protesters were still in the streets on Monday night as curfew neared, and police officers and the National Guard used tear gas, starting shortly before 9pm.
Protesters largely dispersed after that, though some remained, and officers were making arrests, apparently for curfew violations. A similar scene had played out the night before.
More than 60 National Guard troops put down their riot shields Monday evening at the request of peaceful protesters who had gathered in front of Tennessee’s state Capitol in Nashville to honour George Floyd.
Guardsmen had initially rushed to grab their shields and form a hard line to block the slowly moving crowd from advancing up the Capitol steps.
As the National Guard began moving, Tennessee State Police grabbed batons and formed a line behind them. However, the crowd remained calm.
Democratic legislators leaving the capitol asked to be able to move past the line of guards to join the crowd. As the crowd continued to sing and call for justice for black Americans, slowly the shields began to drop. The state troopers declined to drop their batons but backed farther away from the crowd.
Monday’s peaceful vigil was a marked difference from several protests that turned violent in Tennessee over the weekend.
Washington state governor Jay Inslee has slammed US president Donald Trump’s threat to deploy the United States military to American cities to quell a rise of violent protests.
In an emailed statement in response to the president’s comments, the Democrat said Mr Trump “has repeatedly proven he is incapable of governing and shown nothing but false bravado throughout the chaos that has accompanied his time in office”.
Mr Inslee added: “He cowers at the feet of authoritarians around the world.
“Now he uses the most supreme power of the presidency in a desperate attempt to hide his timidity and vapidity. I pray no soldier and no civilian is injured or killed by this reckless fit.”
The Seattle area has seen several days of violence, including vandalism in the city centre.
