A large group of demonstrators defied curfews and took to the streets of U.S cities over the death of an African American man in police custody as National Guard officer lined the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.
During the eighth night of protests, clashes between protesters and police and looting in New York City gave way to relative quiet by night end.
Demonstrations Across The US
In Los Angeles, arrests were made by the police to the demonstrators who stayed out after the city curfew. But by late evening, everything seemed to have gone back to normal.
In Philadelphia, Atlanta, Denver, and Seattle, large marches and rallies could still be seen.
In Portland, Oregon, the number of people on the streets seemed to increase before 11 p.m local time. The police officers used stun grenades and tears gas to disburse the crowd, calling their protests, “Unlawful assembly.”
Demonstrations on behalf of George Floyd and other victims of police brutality have been peaceful during the day but after dark hell breaks loose. The rallied turn to rioting, vandalism, arson, and looting in the dark. By Monday this week, five police officers had been hit by gunfire in two US cities. And this trend of protests has hit most of the US cities countrywide.
Roxie Washington, Mother of Floyd’s 6-year-old daughter, Gianna described her baby daddy as a good man.
“I want everybody to know that this is what those officers took from me…” Miss Washington said, sobbing. “Gianna does not have a father. he will never see her grow up, graduate.”
George Floyd died after a white policeman – Dereck Chauvin pinned his neck under his knee for nearly nine minutes in Minneapolis, an incident that has reignited police brutality against African Americans in the US.
The officer who knelt on Floyd, Derck Chauvin has already been charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. The other three officers who were at the scene have been fired but yet to be charged.
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Military Involvement
Trump has issued a threat to the protestors to use the military to curb the violence and has derided the local governments for their response to the disturbances.
According to the U.S National Guard, 18,000 Guard members were assisting local law enforcement in 29 states.
Pentagon said it has moved a total of 1,600 military officers unto Washington, D.C region.
The move to involve the military in the ongoing protests has alarmed some current and former state official
“America is not a battleground. Our fellow citizens are not the enemy,” Martin Dempsey, a retired four-star general who served as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, wrote on Twitter.
Video Courtesy of CNBC TV
