Washington DC: A massive protest has been erupted across the United States on Saturday following the death of African-American man George Floyd in police custody.
In a viral video, a police officer, Derek Chauvin, pinning the 46-year-old Floyd to the ground with his knee on his neck for nearly eight minutes. Floyd died at a local hospital shortly thereafter.
The four police officers were fired. A case of murder and manslaughter has been charged on Chauvin.
“The death of George Floyd on the streets of Minneapolis was a grave tragedy. It should never have happened. It has filled Americans all over the country with horror, anger, and grief,” Trump said at a Press Conference at the Kennedy Space Center.
"The death of George Floyd on the streets of Minneapolis was a grave tragedy. It should never have happened. It has filled Americans all over the country with horror, anger, and grief." pic.twitter.com/lirAMSv4Wo
— The White House 45 Archived (@WhiteHouse45) May 30, 2020
“We support the right of peaceful protestors, and we hear their pleas. But what we are now seeing on the streets of our cities has nothing to do with justice or peace,” he said.
“We support the right of peaceful protestors, and we hear their pleas. But what we are now seeing on the streets of our cities has nothing to do with justice or peace.” pic.twitter.com/ckZ28xXSkA
— The White House 45 Archived (@WhiteHouse45) May 30, 2020
“My Administration will always stand against violence, mayhem, and disorder. We will stand with the family of George Floyd, with the peaceful protestors, and with every law-abiding citizen who wants decency, civility, safety, and security,” he added.
Law enforcement officers in Chicago arrested 108 people during mass protests provoked by police actions in Minneapolis, where Floyd lost his life.
Curfews were imposed on major US cities as clashes over police brutality escalated across America with demonstrators ignoring warnings from President Donald Trump that his government would stop the violent protests “cold.”
From Seattle to New York, tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets demanding tougher murder charges and more arrests. In Los Angeles, officers fired rubber bullets and swung batons during a testy standoff with demonstrators who set fire to a police car, according to reports.
