Washington: Demonstrators marched, stopped traffic and in some cases lashed out violently at police as protests erupted Friday in dozens of U.S. cities following the killing of George Floyd after a white officer pressed a knee into his neck while taking him into custody in Minnesota. In Phoenix, Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and beyond, thousands of protesters carried signs that said: “He said I can’t breathe. Justice for George.” They chanted “No justice, no peace” and “Say his name. George Floyd.”
After hours of peaceful protest in downtown Atlanta, some demonstrators suddenly turned violent, smashing police cars, setting one on fire, spray-painting the iconic logo sign at CNN headquarters, and breaking into a restaurant. The crowd pelted officers with bottles, chanting “Quit your jobs.”
At least three officers were hurt and there were multiple arrests, Atlanta police spokesman Carlos Campos said in an emailed statement. Campos said protesters shot BB guns at officers and threw bricks, bottles and knives at them. People watched the scene from rooftops, some laughing as skirmishes broke out.
Georgia declares state of emergency
Brian P Kempt, governor of the state of Georgia, declared a state of emergency in Fulton county and ordered the deployment of 500 National Guard troops as protests turned violent in Atlanta.
Police in Atlanta said protesters lit fires and looted businesses in downtown Atlanta.
Protesters set fire to court building in Louisville
Hundreds of people protested for a second day in downtown Louisville, Kentucky, with some demonstrators breaking into the city’s Hall of Justice and starting a fire inside.
WHASS 11 TV said protesters broke into the court building through a basement window and lit a fire there. Police told the TV station “things are escalating, not de-escalating”.
Protesters defy Minneapolis curfew
Hundreds of people defied a curfew in Minneapolis by rallying in the city’s downtown for a fourth day over Floyd’s custodial death.
“It’s an eerie scene right now,” Allison Herrera, a Minneapolis resident, told Al Jazeera. “The curfew went into effect a little over an hour ago. And people are still out on the streets.”
Earlier in the day, CBSN Minnesota reported 1,000 people led by athletes marched to the Hennepin Bridge in downtown Minneapolis and took a knee in Floyd’s memory.
Police and protesters clash in New York City
Demonstrators took to New York City streets for a second day in protest over the death of Floyd, and invoked the names of other black people who died at police hands.
In Brooklyn, crowds of demonstrators chanted at police officers lined up outside the Barclays Center.
Crowds rallied in different parts of the city, with some chanting “Prosecute the police” and “I can’t breathe”.
