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US Riot Police in Washington During Floyd Protests - Sputnik International

Live Updates: US Lawmaker Questions Secret Service's Alleged Role in Tear Gassing Protesters Near WH

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Mass protests across the United States erupted against police brutality and racism on 25 May, after George Floyd, an unarmed 46-year-old African American man, died in police custody in the US city of Minneapolis. Some protests have turned into violent riots that include arson and widespread looting.

The US is preparing for another wave of anti-racism protests over Floyd's death as the states of California, Georgia, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington, and the District of Columbia have already mobilised National Guard troops to disperse protesters and help local law enforcement officers ensure security. Several Democratic governors, however, have pushed back against Trump's threat to deploy the military.

US President Donald Trump stated earlier he is taking presidential action to mobilise all available federal resources to respond to the ongoing protests over the death of George Floyd including the deployment of thousands of armed troops to quell riots in the nation's capital.

Speaking at the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, Trump said the death of George Floyd was a grave tragedy but warned against surrendering to hostility. Trump stressed that every US citizen has the right to be safe in their workplace, home, and city streets.

On 25 May, the 46-year-old Floyd, an African American, died in Minneapolis police custody after a white police officer, Derek Chauvin, knelt on his neck for at least eight minutes. Video evidence surfaced the following day which has sparked nationwide protests many of which have led to violence and rioting.

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22:01 GMT 02.06.2020

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is expected to attend the funeral of George Floyd in Houston, the lawyer representing Floyd’s family said.

George Floyd, the African American man whose death in police custody sparked a week of civil unrest across the United States, will be laid to rest in his hometown of Houston, Texas, on June 9, the family’s lawyer Ben Crump said on Tuesday.

“And we understand Vice President Biden will be in attendance [at the funeral]", said Crump.

On May 25, Floyd died in Minneapolis police custody after being arrested. A video of the arrest posted online shows a white police officer pressing on Floyd’s neck for nearly eight minutes while he was placed on his stomach, handcuffed and saying he can not breathe.

On Monday, a county examiner in the US state of Minnesota ruled that Floyd's death was a homicide.

20:54 GMT 02.06.2020

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Levar Stoney, mayor of Virginia’s capital Richmond, apologized on Tuesday that the city police used tear gas to disperse against protesters the previous night.

"I apologize for that," Stoney told a crown of protesters in Richmond.

On Monday night, hundreds of Richmond residents gathered in downtown to protest the death of African American man George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis, Minnesota on 25 May.

A video posted online the following day showed a white police officer pinning Floyd’s neck with his knee for at least eight minutes while Floyd lied on his stomach handcuffed saying he cannot breathe. On Monday, the county examiner ruled Floyd's death a homicide.

Protests have been organized throughout the United States against police brutality and racism, but many soon turned into riots complete with arson, looting and violence.

During the protests in Richmond on Monday, the police fired tear gas canisters from an area of the city where they were stationed, local media reported.

19:21 GMT 02.06.2020
18:44 GMT 02.06.2020
18:42 GMT 02.06.2020

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Chairman of the US House Committee on Homeland Security, Bennie Thompson, on Tuesday requested a briefing of the Secret Service Director, James Murray, regarding the use of force against peaceful protesters outside the White House.

"I write to you stunned, disturbed, and furious at the sight of federal authorities tear-gassing peaceful protesters in Lafayette Park, outside the White House, last night", Thompson said in a letter. "I request to receive a briefing no later than June 5, 2020, to understand the role of the United States Secret Service in planning, coordinating, and executing these actions".

The protest over the death of an African American man, George Floyd, in Minneapolis police custody was dispersed some 25 minute before the curfew with flash bangs, tear gas and physical force to secure a passage for President Donald Trump to St John’s Episcopal church, across Lafayette Park.

Thompson called it “shameful” that Trump used the power of the federal government "to attack Americans exercising their Constitutional right to protest just so he could stage a photo opportunity".

 

18:41 GMT 02.06.2020
18:34 GMT 02.06.2020

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The funeral for George Floyd, an African American man killed while in police custody, is scheduled for next week in Texas, the Fort Bend Memorial Planning Centre said on Tuesday.

The funeral will be held in Houston, Texas with public visitation on June 8 and Celebration of Life Private Service on June 9, according to the centre's Facebook page.

A county examiner in the US state of Minnesota in a medical report ruled that George Floyd's death while in police custody in the city of Minneapolis was a homicide.

18:13 GMT 02.06.2020
17:51 GMT 02.06.2020
17:42 GMT 02.06.2020

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - US Attorney General William Barr in a statement on Tuesday said even greater law enforcement resources will be deployed in the nation's capital tonight to counter ongoing anti-racism and police brutality demonstrations, which sparked following the death of George Floyd last week.

"There will be even greater law enforcement resources and support in the region tonight", Barr said.

17:03 GMT 02.06.2020

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The National Guard should not be brought into New York City to help end and contain rioting there after a night when police arrested nearly 700 people for looting, Mayor Bill de Blasio told a news conference on Tuesday.

"We will regret it if we bring in outside armed forces", de Blasio said. "I want to say it as clear as a bell: When you bring in people not trained for the circumstances, really bad things happen".

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo imposed a curfew on New York City starting on Monday night and said he has the state’s National Guard on standby after a weekend of riots. The riots followed initial peaceful protests across the United States over the death of African American man George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis, Minnesota on 25 May.

However, de Blasio, who has often publicly clashed with Cuomo on policies to deal with the novel coronavirus pandemic, announced his own curfew terms of 8:00 pm through 5:00 am for the rest of this week. The mayor said New York City's own police force had sufficient resources and were far better trained and prepared to deal with the riots.

16:46 GMT 02.06.2020

"At the end of the process, we had over 300 arrests", WMPD Chief Peter Newsham said during a press briefing.

Newsham explained that the arrests were made primarily for violations of the curfew as well as for burglary and riding.

16:13 GMT 02.06.2020

US House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith on Tuesday called on Pentagon leaders to testify about deploying military forces to quell protests across the country.

"I have serious concerns about using military forces to respond to protesters. The role of the US military in domestic US law enforcement is limited by law. It must not be used in violation of those limits and I see little evidence that President Trump understands this fundamental premise", Smith said in a statement. "I have called for Secretary of Defense Mark Esper and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley, to testify before our committee to explain this domestic engagement to the American people".

US militarised police - Sputnik International
US House Committee Demands Testimony From Pentagon on Using Military Against Protesters
15:06 GMT 02.06.2020

NEW YORK (Sputnik) - New curfew measures imposed in New York City due to violent protests over the death of a black man in police custody will remain in place from 8:00 p.m. (12:00 a.m. GMT) to 5 a.m. (09:00 a.m. GMT) through 7 June, Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a press briefing on Tuesday.

"I am extending the curfew, which I announced would be beginning again at 8 p.m. tonight until 5 a.m. Wednesday morning. We are going to continue that curfew for the remainder of this week", de Blasio said.

 

15:01 GMT 02.06.2020

STOCKHOLM (Sputnik) - Thousands of Swedish nationals are participating in an online rally against racism and police violence toward African Americans in the United States, according to the organizers of the event.

"We have had enough and demand justice for George Floyd and all who like him has been killed by the police as well as by others simply because the color of their skin! We have had enough and demand justice and equity for Black people everywhere who continues to be oppressed, targeted, abused and neglected simply because of the colour of their skin!" the organisers said on Facebook.

The action is held in solidarity with the US-based Black Lives Matter movement and with the support of activist Aysha Jones, the National Afro-Swedish Association and Afro-Swedes Forum for Justice.

Participants have been urged to check-in at the US Embassy via Facebook and upload a protest logo.

14:36 GMT 02.06.2020
14:26 GMT 02.06.2020

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The US Secret Service should explain its alleged involvement in the use of tear gas to drive peaceful protesters from in front of the White House on Monday, Congressman Gerald Connolly wrote in a letter to Secret Service Director James Murray.

"I write to request documents and information regarding disturbing reports that the Unite States Secret Service was involved in, and may have directed, the use of tear gas and rubber bullets, against peaceful protesters outside of the White House for the purposes of facilitating photo opportunity for President Donald Trump", the letter said on Tuesday.

13:42 GMT 02.06.2020

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The US Secret Services has shut down the roads adjacent to the White House to all traffic until further notice, the District of Columbia Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency announced on its website on Tuesday.

"The United States Secret Service reports the below road closures to vehicular traffic until further notice", the notice said. "17th Street Between Constitution and H Street NW 15th Street between Constitution and H Street, NW H Street between 15th and 17th Street, NW. Please use alternate routes".

Separately, the Secret Service erected chain link fences around the White House to close off Lafayette Square, a public park where protesters have been gathering to denounce the killing of George Floyd, an unarmed African American who was killed in police custody.

13:27 GMT 02.06.2020
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