Death of George Floyd: looting and scuffles in the United States, despite curfews

Donald Trump has promised to "stop collective violence" after the death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old African American who died on Monday following his arrest by the police. But, riots, looting and demonstrations are spreading across the country such as New York, Chicago, Miami, Atlanta, Seattle, Los Angeles ...

Protesters everywhere denounced police blunders and racial disparities. And they demanded justice for George Floyd who is to be buried this Sunday in Houston. White policeman Derek Chauvin who, on a widely distributed video, keeps his knee for long minutes on the neck of the forties was arrested Friday and charged with manslaughter. Protesters supported by stars demand his indictment for intentional homicide and the arrest of the three other agents involved in the drama.

To try to limit overflows, more than twenty cities have established a curfew and the National Guard has been deployed in the streets of several of them.

In Minneapolis, where George Floyd was killed, hundreds of protesters took to the streets at 8 p.m. as if to defy the curfew. Riot forces near the police station responded with smoke bombs and stun grenades. A shopping center near a police station was burned down.

RT @MinneapolisPD: Flames on the roof of a shopping mall near the 3000 block of Nicollet. Minneapolis Fire is responding with a strike team, which includes security provided by national guard. #MACCMN

Despite the establishment of a curfew, protesters continued to assemble after dark in Louisville, Kentucky. In Raleigh, North Carolina, a peaceful march escalated into the evening when hundreds of people threw stones at the windows and painted anti-police slogans on the walls. The police sent tear gas and pepper spray in an attempt to disperse the crowd.

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The mayor of Nashville, Tennessee, declared a state of emergency after demonstrators set fire to the interior of the courthouse.

Targeted White House

In Washington, the National Guard has been deployed to help police manage protests around the White House. Same thing in Los Angeles or Georgia where the governor Brian Kemp, signed Saturday evening a decree authorizing the mobilization of 3000 soldiers of the National Guard in all the State. In Minneapolis, 13,000 soldiers were also mobilized.

After numerous discussions with state and local leaders, I have signed an order authorizing the activation of up to 3,000 National Guard troops statewide ahead of several planned protests on Sunday, May 31. (1/2)

In this escalation of violence, the police are targeted or their equipment has been burned. In Los Angeles, five of them were injured and luxury stores in Beverly Hills looted or burnt down. In New York, more than 200 people were arrested after scuffles that injured several people in the police force. A Molotov cocktail was launched inside an occupied police car. "It is a miracle that no police officer was killed," said police chief Dermot Shea.

In total, according to the Associated Press, nearly 1,400 people have been arrested since Thursday.

"Anarchists go home. "

For the moment, even if the investigation is underway to find out if it has to do with the protests, three people have been shot and killed in downtown Indianapolis (Indiana), according to the local police chief. Randal Taylor. The day before a 19-year-old boy also died in Detroit

For Donald Trump, who has repeatedly denounced the "tragic" death of George Floyd, the President of the United States believes that we must not "let a small group of criminals and vandals destroy our cities," he said. he launched by attributing the overflows to "radical far left groups" and in particular "Antifa" (anti-fascists).

Charges that are repeated across the country. The Los Angeles sheriff tweeted, "Anarchists go home. In St. Paul, Minnesota, police arrested several unlicensed vehicles carrying "damage tools". The occupants fled as soon as their car was stopped.

Curfew in LA is in place. Anarchists go home. We LOVE our city ... we love our country ... we want everyone to be safe! - @LACoSheriff #LosAngelesProtest

For his part, Joe Biden, the Democratic candidate for the White House Joe Biden condemned the violence that broke out across the United States but considered that the Americans had the right to demonstrate against police brutality. “Demonstrating against such brutality is a right and a necessity. It is an eminently American reaction, he said.