Mass US protests over George Floyd killing rage for eighth straight day

Large-scale protests continued for the eighth straight day in the US yesterday, with peaceful demonstrators defying curfews and some areas seeing the return of violence as the country was rocked by the police killing of black man George Floyd.

In Washington DC, more than 1,000 protestors remained outside near the White House past the 7pm curfew imposed by law enforcement. The mood remained largely peaceful, in a trend seen across the US.

However, violence returned to some protests. In New York, some demonstrators clashed with police and looted stores. Large and mostly peaceful marches and rallies took place in cities across the country including Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Atlanta and Seattle.

Protesters and police clashed in Atlanta, with demonstrators throwing bottles and shooting fireworks after a 9pm curfew. The police responded with tear gas, which they have used heavily used in recent days.

There had been over 9,000 arrests nationwide since the unrest began following Floyd’s death May 25 in Minneapolis. 

A Reuters/Ipsos poll yesterday showed that a majority of Americans are sympathetic to the protesters’ cause. It found 64 per cent of the population were “sympathetic to people who are out protesting right now” while 27 per cent said they were not and nine per cent were unsure.

A sizeable majority of Americans disapproved of the way US President Donald Trump has handled the protests. More than 55 per cent of Americans said they disapproved, including 40 per cent who “strongly” disapproved.

The protests in Washington yesterday followed a warning by Trump that he may call in the army to put down demonstrations. He was widely criticised for an incident in which police used flash grenades and tear gas to clear the vicinity around the White House so he could walk to a church and pose with a Bible.

In New York, thousands of chanting protesters stayed out past an 8pm curfew. They marched from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn toward the Brooklyn Bridge which goes to Manhattan.

Mass demonstrations erupted last week in response to a video that showed a white police officer in Minneapolis grinding his knee into unarmed black man George Floyd’s neck for more than eight minutes, while Floyd said: “I can’t breathe.” 

Source: Agencies