Protests Spread To More American Cities In Response To Death Of George Floyd
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Protests in America have continued to spread across other cities following the death of 46-year-old George Floyd - and the subsequent investigation into former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who has been charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter.
Floyd, 46, died on Monday 25 May after he was arrested for alleged fraud.
Disturbing video footage of the arrest showed Floyd being led out onto the pavement in handcuffs before being placed on the ground face-down.
Police officers could be seen holding Floyd down, with officer Chauvin placing his knee on his neck - prompting Floyd to speak out to the officers, telling them: "I can't breathe."
He was later pronounced dead in hospital.
Responding to the incident, riots then broke out Minneapolis, triggering a wave of similar protests elsewhere in the US, including Los Angeles in California, Denver in Colorado and Memphis in Tennessee.
According to VOA, on Friday (29 May) there were protests in Washington DC at Lafayette Park outside the White House, which led officials to lock down the building.
In New York, demonstrators also took to the streets for a second day in protest of Floyd's death, while in Atlanta, Georgia, hundreds confronted police outside CNN headquarters, telling officers to quit their jobs - with the governor declaring a state of emergency and activating the National Guard.
Elsewhere, there were also similar scenes in Las Vegas, Nevada, Portland, Orgon, and in Houston, Texas, where Floyd grew up.
In Minneapolis, where Floyd died, rioters even proceeded to set fire to a police department building in the city's 3rd Precinct on Thursday night (28 May), with the National Guard called in to quell the rioting.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey ordered police personnel to evacuate the building, explaining: "Brick and mortar is not as important as life."
The lawyer for Mr Floyd's family, Ben Crump, condemned the violence that has erupted as a result of the tragic death.
"We don't need that. We need people focused on getting justice," he said.
In an earlier statement responding to Floyd's death, Frey said: "Being Black in America should not be a death sentence.
"For five minutes, we watched a white officer press his knee into a Black man's neck. Five minutes.
"When you hear someone calling for help, you're supposed to help. This officer failed in the most basic, human sense."
Featured Image Credit: PA
Topics: News, George Floyd, US News
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