One week after George Floyd's death, thousands of people took to the streets of the United States. to protest his death and those of those who died before him due to the brutality ...
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Protests do not stop in the US 2:12
(CNN) - In the days after George Floyd's last words - "I can't breathe" - thousands of people have taken to the streets of the United States to protest his death and that of unarmed black men who died before him. police hands.
The country watched Floyd's last moments in anger and shock as he pleaded for his life when a Minneapolis Police officer put a knee to his neck. The protests began in Minneapolis and spread like wildfire in the United States, reaching Los Angeles, Atlanta, Washington state, Miami, New York, Chicago and the capital Washington.
Revelation of new George Floyd death video 2:48Nearly 4,000 people have been arrested across the country since Tuesday, for reasons ranging from alleged curfew violations to acts of destruction.
More than two dozen cities enacted curfews over the weekend, and governors activated National Guard troops to keep crowds at home. Most of the protests were peaceful, with people holding Black Lives Matter and "I Can't Breathe" signs, chanting loudly and armed with masks to protect themselves from the coronavirus.
- Minute by minute protests over George Floyd: protesters defy curfews
1 of 37 | A boy raises his fist during a demonstration on May 31 in Atlanta. Elijah Nouvelage / Getty Images
2 of 37 | Protesters march during a rally in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on May 31. Eva Marie Uzcategui / AFP / Getty Images
3 of 37 | A New York City police officer kneels during a protest in Times Square on May 31 in New York. Bryan R. Smith / AFP / Getty Images
4 of 37 | An agent points a non-lethal weapon as protesters raise their hands during protests May 31 in Santa Monica, California. Mario Tama / Getty Images
5 of 37 | Firefighters extinguish a fire that destroyed a KMBC vehicle in Kansas City, Missouri, on May 31. Shelly Yang / The Kansas City Star / Tribune News Service / Getty Images
6 of 37 | Members of the California Army National Guard stand guard outside City Hall on May 31 in Los Angeles. Ringo HW Chiu / AP
7 of 37 | "By whatever means necessary." Shaynna Ford stands in front of police in Washington on Saturday, May 30. Jarrad Henderson / USA Today Network
8 of 37 | A protester wearing an Elmo mask dances as a fire burns in Philadelphia on May 30. Matt Rourke / AP
9 of 37 | Protesters link arms in downtown Charlotte, North Carolina, on May 30. Peter Zay / Anadolu / Getty Images
10 of 37 | Local Los Angeles Police Department burns at The Grove Mall during a protest in Los Angeles on May 30. Mark J. Terrill / AP
11 of 37 | People with signs and masks that say "I can't breathe" attend a protest in Chicago on Saturday. Nam Y. Huh / AP
12 of 37 | Protesters burn a flag in front of the CNN Center in Atlanta on Friday. Elijah Nouvelage / Getty Images
13 of 37 | Protesters protest outside CNN headquarters in Atlanta on Friday. Mike Stewart / AP
14 of 37 | A protester carries a United States flag in front of a burning liquor store in Minneapolis on Thursday. (Photo: Julio Cortez / AP)
15 of 37 | "Derek Chauvin is a murderer," says a banner Thursday amid protests over the death of George Floyd. Chauvin is the cop with his knee around Floyd's neck. (Photo: Scott Olson / Getty Images)
16 of 37 | This Thursday continued protests against the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. (Photo: Scott Olson / Getty Images)
17 of 37 | People push open a door at a Minneapolis police station, protesting Floyd's death. (Photo: KEREM YUCEL / AFP via Getty Images)
18 of 37 | Some protesters set fire to an alcoholic beverage store in Minneapolis on Thursday. (Photo: Scott Olson / Getty Images)
19 of 37 | Protesters gathered Thursday in front of a Minneapolis police station. (Photo: KEREM YUCEL / AFP via Getty Images)
20 of 37 | A protester fills another's mouth with vodka in front of a burning liquor store in Minneapolis on Thursday. (Photo: KEREM YUCEL / AFP via Getty Images)
21 of 37 | Flames light up the facade of a Minneapolis police station, where protesters against Floyd's death protested barricades on Thursday. (Photo: KEREM YUCEL / AFP via Getty Images)
22 of 37 | "Say his name: George Floyd," "Is it me?" Say banners of protesters in Memphis, Tennessee, on Wednesday. (Photo: Joe Rondone / The Commercial Appeal / Imagn Content Services)
23 of 37 | Hundreds gathered Tuesday night at the same Minneapolis intersection where George Floyd was arrested.
24 of 37 | They then marched to a police compound to protest his death.
25 of 37 | Protesters chanted: "Without justice there will be no peace" and "I can't breathe."
26 of 37 | The incident recalls the 2014 death of Eric Garner, who spoke the words "I can't breathe," while a police officer locked his neck in New York.
27 of 37 | Since Garner's death, the phrase has become a rallying cry in the Black Lives Matter movement.
28 of 37 | Protesters march on Hiawatha Avenue while shouting slogans denouncing Floyd's death. Stephen Madden / Getty Images
29 of 37 | Floyd's cause and death are still pending and are being investigated by local, state and federal police, the Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office said in a statement.
30 of 37 | People gather and pray around a makeshift monument near the site where Floyd was brought into custody police the day before. Elizabeth Flores / Star Tribune / AP
31 of 37 | People gather outside a police compound during the protests. Richard Tsong-Taatarii / Star Tribune / AP
32 of 37 | Police sprayed tear gas to disperse the crowd after some people turned rebels, a police spokesperson said.
33 of 37 | A police officer throws a tear gas canister at protesters during the protest. Carlos González / AP
34 of 37 | Several protesters had to pour milk after being exposed to percussion grenades and tear gas. Carlos González / AP
35 of 37 | An illustration of Floyd is taped to the window of an empty building near where he was detained by police officers. Evan Frost / Minnesota Public Radio / AP
36 of 37 | Shawanda Hill, center, Floyd's girlfriend, reacts close to the place where he died. Kerem Yucel / AFP / Getty Images
37 of 37 | Protesters crowded near where Floyd was arrested. Kerem Yucel / AFP / Getty ImagesBut some protesters turned violent over the weekend, setting buildings and police cars on fire, smashing business windows, looting and crashing into police forces. Federal law enforcement officials said groups like white supremacists and anarchists are behind some of that violence.
Authorities responded with forceful confrontations, fired tear gas, pepper spray, and rubber bullets at the crowd, and arrested hundreds across the country. In New York City, a police vehicle was seen breaking through a crowd of protesters. In Atlanta, two officers were fired after their violent arrest of two college students was captured on video.
It is still unclear what the next few days will be like.
A boy raises his fist for a photo of a family friend during a protest for the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis while in police custody on May 31, 2020, in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Elijah Nouvelage / Getty Images)
Latest events
- Chiara de Blasio, daughter of New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, was arrested Saturday night along with other protesters, police sources say. She was arrested for illegal gathering and then released, sources said.
- There have been some 4,000 arrests across the country since Tuesday, according to a CNN count.
- Minnesota Governor Tim Walz announced that the Minnesota Attorney General's Office will take the lead in the case of Derek Chauvin, the agent who pressed his knee to Floyd's neck.
- Chauvin, who was initially expected to appear in court this Monday, will make his first court appearance on June 8. He was charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter.
- In New Jersey, the Atlantic City mayor said he was extending a night curfew until June 8; He said the city has had "a great deal of shame, but today is at the top."
1 of 10 | Police officers control the entrance to CNN headquarters during a protest on May 29, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia, over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis (Elijah Nouvelage / Getty Images). Look at the gallery →
2 of 10 | A man spray-paints a wall at the CNN Center in Atlanta during protests over the death of George Floyd in the city on May 29, 2020 (Elijah Nouvelage / Getty Images).
3 of 10 | "Black lives matter" is the slogan of the flag that a man waves during a demonstration in Atlanta this Friday for the death of George Floyd, a black security guard who died after a group of policemen knelt over his body until who couldn't breathe more days ago in Minneapolis, Minnesota (Elijah Nouvelage / Getty Images).
4 of 10 | Burning cars were seen during protests in Atlanta over the death of George Floyd. In this image, a man stands up from a burning Police vehicle with a police shield. (Elijah Nouvelage / Getty Images).
5 out of 10 | Police clash in Atlanta this Friday with protesters outraged at the death of George Floyd days ago in Minneapolis at the hands of an officer (Elijah Nouvelage / Getty Images).
6 out of 10 | A protester smashes the glass of a car in front of the CNN Center in Atlanta this Friday, during a demonstration for the death of George Floyd (Elijah Nouvelage / Getty Images).
7 out of 10 | Protesters break windows at the CNN Center in Atlanta on Friday, as protests in several cities across the United States over the death of George Floyd (Elijah Nouvelage / Getty Images).
8 of 10 | Two people videotape protests outside the CNN Center headquarters in Atlanta this Friday (Elijah Nouvelage / Getty Images).
9 of 10 | As part of the protests in Atlanta over the death of George Floyd, protesters graffiti insults outside the CNN Center this Friday (Elijah Nouvelage / Getty Images).
10 of 10 | "Abolish the jail and the Police" says one of the graffiti made during the protests in Atlanta for the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, at the hands of the Police (Elijah Nouvelage / Getty Images).The crowds that stayed until after dark
To help dampen the violence, at least 40 cities enacted curfews and more than a dozen governors deployed National Guard troops.
In Long Beach, California, some crowds braved the nightly curfew and began storming and tearing up shops on Sunday night.
Members of the National Guard were deployed to Long Beach to respond to the riots and looting, which followed a day of peaceful protests across the state.
In the nation's capital, a similar scene. Just before 8 p.m. Sunday, riot police and protesters stood in a stalemate in central Washington as crowds threw water bottles at police and authorities responded with sudden explosions and pepper spray.
The entire Washington National Guard, some 1,350 members, was called on Sunday night to help police with protests in the city after several fires, including in a church a few blocks from the White House.
In New York, a group of protesters remained in Manhattan at nightfall, confronting police after several fires started and some stores were looted. The group were the ones who stayed from the protests earlier that day, where hundreds marched peacefully through the streets of the city.
“Black lives matter. That's the message, ”a protester told CNN affiliate WABC. "Quiet. That is all. Just listen to us. Listen to our screams. "
Los Angeles: Fires and looting after Floyd's death 4:01Who are the looters
Officials in several cities have warned that those who rob shops and create scenes of chaos are not there to protest Floyd's death.
Federal law enforcement officials said they are aware that extremist groups caused some of the violence, using coverage of legitimate protests in Minneapolis and elsewhere. Among them are white supremacists, anarchists and far-left extremists, some of whom have overlapping affiliations, they said.
In Minnesota, law enforcement officials also said they believe there are white supremacists who attended the protests in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Department of Corrections Commissioner Paul Schnell said Sunday.
"They are agitators," he said, adding that authorities are trying to separate the groups so that the "agitators" do not meet and incite chaos.
He also added that there have been reports that the Antifa group attended the protests.
Antifa, short for antifascists, describes a broad group of people whose political beliefs lean to the left, often the far left, but do not conform to the platform of the Democratic Party.
- What is Antifa, the group Trump blames for violence in the protests over the death of George Floyd?
Trump wants to declare Antifa a terrorist group 1:57Elsewhere in the United States, officials say those who wreak havoc are not local citizens.
In Miami, Police Chief Jorge Colina said that "of the 57 people who were arrested, 13 of those 57 live in the city of Miami."
Some of those arrested are from Michigan, Georgia, New York and at least three are from Minnesota, he said. Others will not say where they are from.
In Chicago, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said the looters organized and possibly came from outside the city.
"Clearly there was coordination, clearly they were listening to our radio traffic," he said. "The number of U-Haul trucks that magically appeared in front of the stores, caravans of cars that brought people in and broke windows and then pushed the goods to the back of the cars, absolutely, they were organized."
CNN's Ganesh Setty, Alexandra Meeks, Joe Sutton, Jamiel Lynch, Lechelle Benken, Greg Clary, Melissa Alonso, Laura Ly and Jim Acosta contributed to this report.
Black Lives Matter
