While in Washington, as in all major American cities, Saturday's rally against racism and police violence took place without incident, the demonstrators appropriated the mesh barriers protecting the White House to make it an immense billboard.
This "surrounding wall" put in place last Thursday, which gives the seat of the presidency an air of entrenched camp, is now covered with placards, drawings, slogans, saluting the memory of African-Americans who died during interventions police or while detained by police.
The fence outside the White House has been converted to a crowd-sourced memorial wall - almost like an art gallery - to black men and women who lost their lives at the hands of police.
Hundreds are strolling, looking, adding names and paintings and posters. pic.twitter.com/mXlZpfMAeX
The construction of this temporary wall, about 2.50 m high, has fueled criticism from opponents of Donald Trump, who accused him of hiding when the situation should have been appeased. It was decided after several hundred people gathered in front of the presidential railings last Monday to protest against the death of George Floyd.
These demonstrators were then dispersed violently to allow the president to leave the White House to go and pose in front of a nearby church with a bible in hand. In addition, after several violent demonstrations and scenes of looting in several cities, the American president had threatened to deploy the army to restore "law and order", raising an outcry.
The temporary fence around the White House & Lafayette Square has turned into a memorial as well as a place for people to leave their protest signs. #DCProtests pic.twitter.com/kKce4yFwzI
- Caroline Winslow (@CarolineWinslow) June 7, 2020Donald Trump on Sunday ordered the withdrawal of the National Guard soldiers from Washington, saying that the situation was now under control. "They will go home but can quickly return if necessary. Far fewer protesters than expected last night! (Editor's note: Saturday), ”he tweeted.
Appearance of police officer Derek Chauvin
This Monday, police officer Derek Chauvin, charged with the murder of George Floyd, is scheduled to appear in court for the first time. He was initially charged with manslaughter, but this chief was reclassified on Thursday June 4 as murder, punishable by forty years in prison.
On a video filmed by a passer-by and gone viral, we can see him keeping his knee for almost nine minutes on the neck of the victim who is flattened on the ground and complains that he cannot breathe. The three police officers who accompanied him were finally charged with complicity and placed in detention.
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The mobilization for justice for George Floyd has since grown worldwide. Last consequence to date: the municipal council of Minneapolis, city of Minnesota where the murder took place, promised to dismantle its police force as it exists in order to rebuild “a new model of public security which really protects our population "
Historic protests in the United States, two weeks after the death of George Floyd