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Monday, June 01, 2020, 14:55
White House calls for 'law and order' as violent protests rage
By Agencies
Monday, June 01, 2020, 14:55 By Agencies


Police form a line on H Street as demonstrators gather to protest the death of George Floyd, Sunday, May 31, 2020, near the White House in Washington. Floyd died after being restrained by Minneapolis police officers (ALEX BRANDON / AP)

WASHINGTON -The White House on Monday called for “law and order” and blamed agitators for a sixth straight night of violent nationwide U.S. protests triggered by anger over racial inequities and excessive police force.

One person was killed in Louisville, Kentucky, overnight where police and National Guard troops returned fire while trying to disperse a crowd

Police and fire departments fought into the night to quell chaos of fires burning near the White House and shops looted in New York City and Southern California. The National Guard said it had deployed in 23 states and Washington DC.

One person was killed in Louisville, Kentucky, overnight where police and National Guard troops returned fire while trying to disperse a crowd.

The unrest, which erupted as the country was reopening after lengthy lockdowns to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus, began with peaceful protests over the death of a black man, George Floyd, in police custody in Minneapolis last Monday.

Video footage showed a white police officer kneeling on the neck of Floyd, 46, for nearly nine minutes before he died. Derek Chauvin, the since-fired police officer involved in the incident, has been charged with third-degree murder.

Dozens of cities across the United States remain under curfews at a level not seen since riots following the 1968 assassination of civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr.

“We need law and order in this country,” White House spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany told Fox News. She said Antifa, an anti-fascist group, was “certainly behind” the violence.

US President Donald Trump, who on Sunday branded the group a terrorist organization, was due on Monday to meet his top law enforcement officer behind closed doors and then hold a call with governors, law enforcement and national security officials.

FACEBOOK, SNAPCHAT SLAM INEQUALITY

Meanwhile, Facebook Inc and Snap Inc became the latest US companies condemning racial inequality in the United States as violent protests flared up across major cities over the death of Floyd.

The two tech companies stood with Intel Corp, Netflix Inc and Nike Inc in taking a public stance against Floyd’s death - voicing concerns about discrimination against African-Americans.

Motorists are ordered to the ground from their vehicle by police during a protest on South Washington Street, Sunday, May 31, 2020, in Minneapolis. Protests continued following the death of George Floyd, who died after being restrained by Minneapolis police officers on Memorial Day. (JOHN MINCHILLO / AP)

“We stand with the Black community - and all those working towards justice in honor of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and far too many others whose names will not be forgotten,” Facebook’s Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg said in a Facebook post late Sunday.

He said the social network will commit US$10 million to organizations that are working on racial justice.

“I am heartbroken and enraged by the treatment of black people and people of color in America,” Snapchat Chief Executive Officer Evan Spiegel said in an internal memo.

“We must begin a process to ensure that America’s black community is heard throughout the country.”

On Friday, Nike flipped its iconic slogan to raise awareness about racism.

“For Once, Don’t Do It. Don’t pretend there’s not a problem in America. Don’t turn your back on racism,” the company said in a video that has over six millions views and was shared by celebrities and rival Adidas AG.

About 40 US cities including Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Chicago and Washington DC have imposed curfews as protests against police brutality kept spreading for the sixth day.

In Minneapolis, thousands of people swarmed the city on another day of protests on Sunday.

A tanker truck driver was in custody after speeding through marchers protesting Floyd's death on the Interstate 35W Bridge in Minneapolis late in the day, according to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.

ALSO READ: Protest continue across the US over the death of George Floyd

The freeway was among many shut down in the Minneapolis area for the second night in a row as an 8 pm curfew was imposed at the nation's center of protests for days.

Looting also broke out admist the protests in Southern California's Santa Monica. Upscale stores were looted along the city’s popular Third Street Promenade before police moved in to make arrests. The vandalism followed a largely peaceful march earlier in the beachside city. Further south, in the Los Angeles suburb of Long Beach, a group of young men and women smashed windows of a shopping mall and looted stores before they were dispersed ahead of a 6 pm curfew.

Sporadic violence broke out in Boston following peaceful protests as activists threw bottles at police officers and lit a cruiser on fire. Philadelphia announced a 6 pm to 6 am curfew after a day of protests and looting.

Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser said on Sunday night she was imposing a citywide curfew amid rising tensions between protesters and police outside the White House. Protesters set fires near the White House, the smoke mixing with billowing clouds of tear gas as police sought to clear them from the area.

The curfew would last from 11:00 pm on Sunday (0300 GMT Monday) until 6:00 am (1000 GMT) on Monday. Bowser also activated the DC National Guard to support the local police.

This AFP graphic shows a map of the US with photos locating violent protests on May 29-31 over the death of a handcuffed and unarmed black man, George Floyd, during a police arrest on May 25.

Sunday marked the third day in a row of protests in the US capital over the death of Floyd. On Friday night, US President Donald Trump was briefly taken to the underground bunker used in the past during terrorist attacks, according to local media report.

The administration of Trump, who has called protesters "thugs," will not federalize and take control of the National Guard for now, national security adviser Robert O'Brien said on Sunday.

By Sunday night, thousands of demonstrators were fanning across New York City in different groups, walking into streets which were crowded with traffic.

Some of the groups paused every few blocks to take a knee, while others gathered in Times Square in Manhattan and outside the Barclays Center arena in Brooklyn.

In New York City, police arrested about 350 people and 30 officers suffered minor injuries during clashes. Mayor Bill de Blasio said police conduct was being investigated, including widely shared videos showing a police vehicle lurching into a crowd of protesters who were pelting it with debris in Brooklyn.

Los Angeles declared another curfew effective from local time 8:00 pm Sunday (0300 GMT Monday) to 5:30 am (1230 GMT) Monday as the country's second largest city witnessed a night of looting and vandalism in the city's downtown and shopping streets.

Other cities in Southern California, including Santa Ana, Culver City and West Hollywood, which joined Los Angeles in proclaiming an overnight curfew on Saturday, also extended the curfew to local time 5:30 am Monday.

California governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in Los Angeles County on Saturday night to cope with the unrest. With a population of more than 10 million, the county is the most populous county in the United States.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Sunday once again set strict parameters for the city effort to contain another night of protesting.

Bridges on the Chicago river dividing the residential areas north of the city's downtown Loop area remained up on Sunday, closing off any movement between the two sides. The city's public transit system suspended all bus and rail services starting at 6:30 pm.

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker would activate 375 Illinois National Guard soldiers to help manage street closures at the request of Lightfoot. The Guard will not interfere with peaceful protestors, Pritzker said.

Police stand near an overturned vehicle and a fire as demonstrators protest the death of George Floyd, May 31, 2020, near the White House in Washington. (ALEX BRANDON / AP)

Chicago's precautions followed a chaotic and violent Saturday evening, when many businesses along the streets were looted, police cars overturned and some properties damaged. There were six shootings with one death, and police made 240 arrests.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Sunday declared a state of disaster following violent protests in cities throughout the state. The move allowed Abbott to designate federal law enforcement officers to respond to the ongoing threats.

Abbott also has ordered thousands of more troopers to these cities and more than 1,000 National Guard soldiers to assist the Department of Public Safety and local law enforcement in their efforts.

READ MORE: Protests heat up as curfews imposed in several US cities

Meanwhile, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has also deployed tactical teams to assist state and local law enforcement.

Over the weekend, protests and violence throughout Texas continued as hundreds of protestors were arrested in the past two days.

In Dallas, Police Chief Renee Hall on Sunday instituted a curfew from 7 pm Sunday (0100 GMT Monday) till 6 am for the next several days in response to the weekend violent protest.

In the state capital of Austin, protesters gathered in downtown area Sunday afternoon and marched toward the state Capitol and Austin City Hall, chanting "no justice, no peace," according to local media.

The demonstrations brought out a diversity of people, a point one young black woman noted at a march in Culver City, California on Sunday. “It means a lot to see people other than black people joining the demonstration,” said Candace Collins.

Protests spread around the globe, with events in London and Berlin on Sunday and others on Monday including in New Zealand, Australia and the Netherlands.


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