Mon 01 June 2020:
Police fired tear gas outside the White House late Sunday as major US cities were put under curfew to suppress rioting as anti-racism protestors again took to the streets to voice fury at police brutality.
With the Trump administration branding instigators of six nights of rioting as domestic terrorists, there were more confrontations between protestors and police and fresh outbreaks of looting.
Violent clashes erupted repeatedly in a small park next to the White House, with authorities using tear gas, pepper spray and flash bang grenades to disperse crowds who lit several large fires and damaged property.
Local US leaders appealed to citizens to give constructive outlet to their rage over the death of an unarmed black man in Minneapolis, while night-time curfews were imposed in cities including Washington, Los Angeles and Houston.
One closely watched protest was outside the state capitol in Minneapolis’ twin city of St. Paul, where several thousand people gathered before marching down a highway.
07:38 GMT – Where have protests against police brutality taken place?
#NOW: Chants of “say his name, George Floyd” echoing across Capitol Hill for one of several protests planned throughout DC today.
Hundreds of people are gathered around the reflection pool hearing from black activists after a short march from the National Archives. pic.twitter.com/EUO3DSzpVt
— Alejandro Alvarez (@aletweetsnews) May 30, 2020
06:45 GMT – Trump took shelter in White House bunker as protests raged
Secret Service agents rushed President Donald Trump to a White House bunker on Friday night as hundreds of protesters gathered outside the executive mansion, some of them throwing rocks and tugging at police barricades.
Trump spent nearly an hour in the bunker, which was designed for use in emergencies like terrorist attacks, according to a Republican close to the White House who was not authorised to publicly discuss private matters and spoke on condition of anonymity.
The abrupt decision by the agents underscored the rattled mood inside the White House, where the chants from protesters in Lafayette Park could be heard all weekend and Secret Service agents and law enforcement officers struggled to contain the crowds.
06:25 GMT – Tear gas used to clear Washington, DC protesters
Protesters piled up road signs and plastic barriers and lit a raging fire in the middle of H Street.
Hello, this is Linah Alsaafin taking over the blog in Doha. Here is a summary of events so far:
- The entire DC National Guard has been called in response to protests happening outside the White House
- Minnesota state Attorney General Keith Ellison will lead the prosecution of the George Floyd case
- Former NBA star Michael Jordan has come out with a statement in support of protests
Holy moly.
A sea of protesters filled the streets of Chicago for George Floyd today.
Yet these massive peaceful protests rarely make it to mainstream media.#GeorgeFloydProtests pic.twitter.com/SjSHITpEud
— Sarah Abdallah (@sahouraxo) May 31, 2020
What a sight.
This is Colorado’s Capitol right now. Thousands of protesters are chanting “I can’t breathe” for George Floyd.
Will CNN or Fox News show us these massive peaceful protests?#BLACK_LIVES_MATTER pic.twitter.com/yBlUZiJH6q
— Sarah Abdallah (@sahouraxo) May 31, 2020
WATCH: Aerial view of Washington DC right now! #DCProtests #WashingtonDCProtest #georgefloyd #GeorgeFloydProtests pic.twitter.com/xDXxjewkQG
— Cam Grey ???? (@camerongrey) June 1, 2020
American people protests by chanting ‘i can’t breathe’ against the death of #GeorgeFloyd #ICantBreath #BlackLiveMatter pic.twitter.com/2ts7qfnUHf
— EliteWorldToday (@TodayElite) May 31, 2020
04:50 GMT – Denver police fire tear gas
Dozens of demonstrators, some throwing fireworks, taunted police and pushed dumpsters onto Colfax Avenue, a major artery, in the sporadic confrontations that occurred east of downtown.
Denver Mayor Michael Hancock called the behaviour of unruly protesters “reckless, inexcusable and unacceptable”.
04:30 GMT – Entire DC National Guard called: Report
The entire Washington, DC, National Guard – roughly 1,700 soldiers – is being called in to help with the response to protests outside the White House and elsewhere in the nation’s capital, according to two Defense Department officials, the Associated Press news agency reported.
Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said on Sunday she had requested 500 guardsmen to assist local law enforcement. Later on Sunday, as the protests escalated, Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy ordered the rest of the guardsmen – about 1,200 soldiers – to report.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to the AP because they were not authorised to discuss the matter.
The DC National Guard did not reply to a request from The Associated Press for comment.
03:20 GMT – Fires erupt near White House
Protesters started fires near the White House as tensions with police mounted. Police fired a major barrage of tear gas and stun grenades into the crowd of more than 1,000 people, largely clearing Lafayette Park across the street from the White House and scattering protesters into the street.
Protesters piled up road signs and plastic barriers and lit a raging fire in the middle of H Street. Some pulled an American flag from a nearby building and threw it into the blaze. Others added branches pulled from trees. A cinder block structure, on the northern side of the park, that had bathrooms and a maintenance office, was engulfed in flames.
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