George Floyd riots spiralled out of control Saturday night as cop cars were torched, stores were looted and 25 cities enacted curfews from coast to coast on a fifth night of protests that show no signs of stopping.
Scenes of destruction continued to spread across America as the death of the black man at the hands of white cop Derek Chauvin ignited outrage over what many feel is a systemic problem with police brutality against African-American men.
In Minneapolis, protesters were seen fleeing after cops hurled tear gas into the crowds while some responded by launching fireworks back at officers.
The National Guard was activated to defend the White House from attack as the Secret Service agents on the ground struggled to keep control of crowds descending on the seat of the US government.
The Big Apple was ablaze as NYPD vehicles were torched and ransacked while shocking footage emerged of cops violently detaining protesters.
In Atlanta a cop suffered ‘significant injuries’ when they were hit by an ATV.
Minneapolis: State troopers form a line in Minneapolis Saturday night on the fifth day of protests in the city
Washington DC: The National Guard was activated to defend the White House from attack as the Secret Service agents on the ground struggled to keep control of crowds descending on the seat of the US government
New York: The Big Apple was ablaze as NYPD vehicles were engulfed in flames while shocking footage emerged of cops violently detaining protesters
Chicago: A Chicago police vehicle is set on fire during violent protests and bricks are hurled at it
At least eight states and the District of Columbia have either activated or requested the National Guard including Minnesota, Georgia, Ohio, Colorado, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Utah and Texas as local law enforcement struggle to bring the carnage under control.
Meanwhile at least 25 cities roll out emergency curfews to try to bring rioting and looting under control.
Minnesota – where Floyd died – has born the brunt of the protests which began there Tuesday before fanning out across the country.
The Minnesota National Guard announced at around 10:30p.m. it was sending 10,800 troops in to tackle protests Saturday night, as pleas for people to observe curfews fell on deaf ears.
The Minnesota National Guard said on Twitter it has more than 4,100 citizen-soldiers and airmen already in the twin cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul – soon to ramp up to a staggering 10,800.
There were just 700 on duty on Friday.
State police officers were seen in their masses surrounding the fifth police precinct Saturday night after officials insisted that the city would be brought under control following four nights of widespread destruction including a suspected looter being shot dead, businesses being burned to the ground and police officers forced to flee for their lives when a police precinct was stormed and torched.
New York: A New York City Police Department vehicle burns after being set alight by protesters
New York: A cop car burns in Brooklyn where protest have been held for two nights over Floyd’s death
The city was filled with smoke Saturday as protesters let off fireworks and set fires.
Hundreds of protesters had gathered outside the fifth precinct and were driven out by state cops using tear gas and firing rubber bullets.
Footage showed protesters had retreated while the officers increased their circle around the vicinity – defending the police station for fear it will be stormed and torched like the third precinct was Thursday.
People marching from Minneapolis to St. Paul were also met with tear gas from officers stopping them in their tracks and sending masses fleeing from the potent chemical.
This comes as Governor Tim Walz has warned that a renewed spike in coronavirus cases could hit residents as protests have seen thousands take to the streets, while he admitted that the state’s jails cannot contain the number of people being taken into custody.
Washington DC: The seat of the government was under threat from protesters
Washington DC: The National Guard has been activated to Washington DC to help protect the White House
Washington DC:A protester holds up a sign saying ‘Stop killing us’ as a pack of military police are sen in the background
Washington DC: Demonstrators gesture next to a fire during a rally near the White House
The seat of the government was under threat from protesters leading to the National Guard being activated in Washington DC.
Things already turned ugly in the Big Apple during the day as officers pushed the crowds back and protesters responded by hurling bottles and other objects at the cops.
One protester was seen being violently arrested after they climbed on top of a police car.
An officer leaped onto the man throwing him to the floor as several more piled on and some struck the man with batons.
Crowds screamed and one woman was then also aggressively pushed in the chest with a police baton while other protesters tried to save her from the wrath of cops.
In other shocking footage circulating on social media, an NYPD officer appears to deliberately mow down protesters with his car.
The vehicle is seen being blocked by a railing and protesters in the road before the car accelerates and drives into the crowds, as people are heard screaming.
This came after New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced they are launching separate investigations into the violent protests in Brooklyn on Friday where over 200 people were arrested and footage on social media showed cops violently handling protesters.
In a video that has been widely circulated on social media, one NYPD officer was seen aggressively shoving a 20-year-old female protester to the ground.
Los Angeles erupted in violence Saturday as cops were seen beating protesters with their batons and the City of Angels went up in flames.
Violent scenes played out in Chicago where police officers were seen being dragged along the floor by demonstrators and other protesters had to step in and save them from attack.
NYPD officers came down on Manhattan protesters with sheer force – despite both NYC mayor and state governor announcing they would investigate following footage of what appeared to be police brutality at Friday’s protest condemning that very action.
Outrage over the death of black man Floyd – who was killed when a white cop knelt on his neck for more than eight minutes during his arrest Monday – is ramping up across the nation, with protests springing up in multiple states.
Minneapolis: Outrage over the death of black man Floyd – who was killed when a white cop knelt on his neck for more than eight minutes during his arrest Monday – is ramping up across the nation, with protests springing up in multiple states
Los Angeles: Los Angeles erupted in violence Saturday as cops in riot gear clashed with protesters and the City of Angels went up in flame
In downtown Los Angeles, protesters sprayed graffiti and torched police cruisers while police shot rubber bullets into crowds and were seen beating demonstrators with batons.
Horrifying footage on social media showed black actor Kendrick Sampson being struck by police batons and fired at with rubber bullets in the midst of the protest while screams ring out in the background.
He is heard asking officers ‘why are you hitting me?’ as cops in riot gear strike him with their batons and shoot him with rubber bullets as he appears to be protesting peacefully.
LA Mayor Eric Garcetti announced a curfew in downtown LA starting 8p.m. Saturday through to 5:30a.m. Sunday, in desperate efforts to restore some order as he urged both law enforcement and protesters to ‘take a deep breath and step back for a moment’.
Garcetti said he would stop short of calling for the activation of the National Guard.
‘This isn’t 1992,’ he said, referring to the move made by officials during the 1992 riots after the Rodney King when all police officers involved in violently beating up the black man were acquitted.
This marked the fourth night of protests for LA after it became one of the first cities to start a break-off protest Tuesday over Floyd’s killing.
Washington DC: A fire burns in a dumpster as demonstrators protest the death of George Floyd
Washington DC: Demonstrators clean their eyes after getting tear gassed by cops outside the White House
Washington DC: Secret Service agents and protesters face off outside the sat of the US government
Tensions have escalated each day with Saturday seeing thousands gather in the Fairfax District.
In Chicago, shocking footage showed cops were seen being dragged along the floor and hit with banners by protesters before other protesters stepped in and formed a barrier round them so the cops could get back to their feet.
Police cruisers were vandalized and some protesters picked up police barricades and hurled them at the vehicles.
Minneapolis:
Minneapolis: A protester is sprayed with pepper spray by a Minneapolis police officer
Outside of the Daley Center, tensions erupted before 4pm local time, as demonstrators clashed with police and fired off bottle rockets.
There were reports of vandals with hammers trying to smash the windows of the Daley Center, the home to the Cook County Circuit Courts. The crowd marched toward nearby Trump Tower, where protesters tried to smash the windows of police cars and threw barricades, according to police scanner traffic.
This came after more than 100 people were arrested in the city Friday night.
In Times Square, New York City, hundreds of NYPD officers formed a barricade and marched down the street to force protesters gathered in anger over police brutality back.
Los Angeles: A police officer walks by a burning police car as another is seen destroyed
Los Angeles: People stand on top of a burned out police car during a protest in downtown LA
Los Angeles: Demonstrators block the street as Los Angeles Fire Department paramedic tries to get through the crowds
Los Angeles: The city erupted in violence Saturday as cops in riot gear clashed with protesters
Los Angeles: Two protesters sit in front of a fire on a road in downtown LA while one holds a Black Lives Matter banner and the other hholds his fist in the air
Los Angeles: A demonstrator jumps on a police car during a protest over the death of George Floyd
New York: An NYPD car is engulfed in flames in Brooklyn as people protest over Floyd’s death
New York: One protester was seen being violently arrested after they climbed on top of a police car
New York: An officer leaped onto the man throwing him to the floor as several more piled on and some struck the man with batons
New York: Crowds screamed and one woman was then also aggressively pushed in the chest with a police baton while other protesters tried to save her from the wrath of cops
New York: A protester is manhandled by NYPD officers in Times Square
At least 13 cities have now introduced curfews for Saturday night including in Minneapolis and surrounding cities of Minnesota, as well as Columbus, Atlanta, Louisville, Los Angeles, Portland, Columbia, South Carolina, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Seattle, Rochester, New York, Louisville and Milwaukee.
Several states have mobilized the National Guard after local authorities buckled under the weight of protests Friday night while President Trump has put the Army on notice to deploy to the streets with a four-hour notice – the first time this will have been done in almost 20 years during the 1992 LA riots over the beating of black man Rodney King by cops.
New York: An NYPD officer walks by a vandalized St. Patrick’s Cathedral in NYC on Saturday
New York: In Times Square, New York City, hundreds of NYPD officers formed a barricade and marched down the street to force protesters gathered in anger over police brutality back
New York: The Big Apple is bracing for another night of chaos as more than two dozen arrests have already been made
New York: A protesters is arrested in Times Square and taken away by NYPD officers during the protest in New york City
The National Guard has been activated to Seattle after the daytime peaceful protest descended into scenes of fire and vandalism into the evening.
Shocking footage emerged on social media of flames billowing out of cop cars before police run to detain someone suspected of carrying a firearm.
A plain-clothed cop is heard shouting put the weapon down as they run across the street with their firearm lifted towards someone.
Passersby and the person filming the scenes flee the scene amid fears of a deadly shootout breaking out.
Over in Georgia, protesters descended on the residence of Governor Brian Kemp where some protesters threw bricks at police officers.
Philadelphia has also been hard hit with at least six arrested and 13 cops injured in protests Saturday as of 8:30p.m.
Seattle: Shocking footage emerged on social media of flames billowing out of cop cars before police run to detain someone suspected of carrying a firearm
Seattle: A plain-clothed cop is heard shouting put the weapon down as they run across the street with their firearm lifted towards someone
Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said officers were struck by missiles of some sort being hurled at them by crowds, while at least four police cruisers were set alight.
Mostly peaceful daytime protests over the death of George Floyd continued across the country on Saturday before many turned violent into the afternoon and evening.
Crowds of thousands gathered in the Harlem section of Manhattan, Philadelphia, Chicago and at least 35 other cities on Saturday afternoon, chanting slogans and listening to speeches.
On Friday night, Minneapolis saw its worst night of arson, looting and vandalism yet, as protests in more than 30 cities spilled over into violence and clashes with police.
In a tweet on Saturday, President Donald Trump warned: ‘Crossing State lines to incite violence is a FEDERAL CRIME! Liberal Governors and Mayors must get MUCH tougher or the Federal Government will step in and do what has to be done, and that includes using the unlimited power of our Military and many arrests.’
He added the claim that ‘80% of the RIOTERS in Minneapolis last night were from OUT OF STATE.’
‘They are harming businesses (especially African American small businesses), homes, and the community of good, hardworking Minneapolis residents who want peace, equality, and to provide for their families,’ Trump said.
As the nation braced for another day of protests, residents of Minneapolis turned out Saturday morning with brooms and trash bags to try and clean up their city after four nights of chaos.
Widespread looting and arson cut a swath of devastation across the city, leaving a trail of rubble and broken glass.
In Minneapolis, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz fully mobilized the state’s National Guard and promised a massive show of force to help quell unrest that has grown increasingly destructive.
‘The situation in Minneapolis is no longer in any way about the murder of George Floyd,’ Walz said. ‘It is about attacking civil society, instilling fear and disrupting our great cities.’
In Harlem on Saturday, hundreds marched through the streets chanting ‘no justice, no peace’ and ‘NYPD suck my d**k.’
Protesters gathered near the Adam Clayton Powell Jr. State Office Building on 125th Street, near the iconic Apollo Theater, where speeches were delivered.
With the crowd blocking a major intersection, hundreds took a knee in the street, a nod to the national anthem protests started by former San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick.
Separate protests took place on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and in Brooklyn on Saturday afternoon.
Traffic on the Henry Hudson Parkway was brought to a standstill as the crowd, numbering in the thousands, marched Downtown toward city hall.
In Miami, hundreds marched through the streets, blocking traffic and chanting ‘No KKK, no racist USA, no cops.’
In Philadelphia, a crowd of thousands gathered outside of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
In Columbus, Ohio, Congresswomen Joyce Beatty was hit with pepper spray as she tried to intervene in clashes between protesters and police.
In Austin, Texas, protesters were seen blocking Interstate Highway 35 in Austin, Texas, on Saturday afternoon, according to a tweet from the city’s transportation department.
IH-35 ‘is completely blocked in both directions between 6th & 8th’ as protests continue, the tweet said.
‘We need the community to avoid the area because the IH-35 is blocked,’ Austin Police said in a tweet.
In response to Friday night’s protests and preparing for Saturday, Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley announced a curfew beginning at 10 p.m. and ending at 6 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday in the downtown area.
Cranley said that while most protesters last night were peaceful, a small group of protesters caused ‘real damages’ at local businesses and property after 11 p.m.
At least two deaths were connected to the demonstrations on Friday; hundreds of people were arrested and police used batons, rubber bullets and pepper spray to push back crowds in some cities.
Many departments reported officers were injured, while social media was awash in images of police using forceful tactics, throwing protesters to the ground, using bicycles as shields, and trampling a protester while on horseback.
On Friday, the officer who held his knee to Floyd´s neck was arrested and charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter – but that appeared to provide little balm. Many protesters are demanding the arrests of the three other officers involved.
Comments from President Donald Trump stoked the anger, when he fired off a series of tweets criticizing Minnesota’s response, ridiculing people who protested outside the White House and warning that if protesters breached the fence, ‘they would … have been greeted with the most vicious dogs, and most ominous weapons, I have ever seen.’
Leaders in many affected cities have voiced outrage over Floyd’s killing and offered sympathy for those who were protesting – but as unrest intensified, many spoke of the desperate need to protect their cities and said they would call in reinforcements, despite concerns that could lead to more heavy handed tactics.
Minnesota has steadily increased the number of National Guardsmen it says it needs to contain the unrest, and has now called up 1,700. He is also considering a potential offer of military police, which the Pentagon put on alert.
Georgia’s governor declared a state of emergency early Saturday to activate the state National Guard as violence flared in Atlanta. Portland, Oregon, Mayor Ted Wheeler also declared an emergency and ordered a nighttime curfew for the city. The mayor of Cincinnati announced a curfew Saturday and Sunday following damage to about 50 businesses during protests there.
The Guard was also on standby in the District of Columbia, where a crowd grew outside the White House and chanted curses at Trump. Some protesters tried to push through barriers set up by the U.S. Secret Service along Pennsylvania Avenue, and threw bottles and other objects at officers wearing riot gear, who responded with pepper spray.