The United States President Donald Trump may have reached the pennacle of his tolerance over anti-racism protests raging on in the country even as deaths caused by novel coronavirus pandemic refuse to subside, as he has now vowed to use military forces against the peaceful protesters.
This is also as a foreign media outfit listed what need to be known about the protests as follows:
– At least four police shot in violent protests after Trump vows to bring in US military.
– At least 5,600 people have been arrested in cities around the country since demonstrations broke out.
– Protests enter seventh day across the US, including fires, violence near White House.
– The nationwide unrest started on Memorial Day, May 25, when George Floyd, 46, died after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes
– An autopsy commissioned for Floyd’s family found that he died of asphyxiation from neck and back compression. That distinguishes it from the official autopsy, which said he died from the effects of being restrained along with underlying health problems and potential intoxicants in his system.
– At least 40 cities in more than 20 US states and Washington DC have imposed curfews.
– National Guard members have been activated in at least 23 states and Washington DC.
Protesters gather outside the New York Police Department at Times Square in New York City on Sunday. It was the sixth day of protests and violent unrest, sparked by the death of George Floyd, a black man who died in Minneapolis police custody. WANG YING/XINHUA
US President Trump called himself the “president of law and order” in a Rose Garden address as military police were firing tear gas into peaceful protesters near the White House on Monday evening.
This came as George Floyd’s death was determined to be a homicide in a second autopsy.
CNN footage showed that one of its news staffers was hit by a projectile from the police sometime after 6 pm local time. Police on horseback forced protesters back up. Protesters were seen holding their hands in the air and shouting “don’t shoot” but had to retreat from the tear gas.
Trump announced that he is taking immediate action to “stop the violence and restore security and safety in America”.
“I am mobilizing all available federal resources, civilian or military, to stop the rioting and looting, to end the destruction and arson, and protect the rights of law-abiding Americans, including your Second Amendment rights,” he told Americans.
Trump said that he has “strongly recommended to every governor to deploy the National Guard in sufficient numbers that we dominate the streets”.
The president said that if cities or states refuse his directives, “I will deploy the United States military and quickly solve the problem for them. I am also taking swift and decisive action to protect our great capitol. … What happened in this city last night was a total disgrace.”
Protesters sing and dance to music during a protest against the death in Minneapolis in police custody of African-American man George Floyd, in Atlanta, Georgia, US June 1, 2020. [Photo/Agencies]
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker said after Trump’s speech that he rejects the idea “that the federal government can send troops into” his state.
“The fact is that the president has created an incendiary moment here,” Pritzker said in an interview with CNN. “He wants to change the subject from his failure over coronavirus, a miserable failure, and now we’re seeing a moment when there’s unrest because of the injustice that was done to George Floyd.”
Floyd, a 46-year-old African American man, died May 25 shortly after being arrested in connection with an alleged forgery in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
On Monday, Floyd’s death was called a homicide by an independent autopsy commissioned by his family. An official report soon followed, also ruling it homicide but finding a different cause of death.
The results of the preliminary autopsy from the Hennepin County medical examiner ruled out traumatic asphyxia — deprivation of oxygen, or strangulation — as the cause of death.
The medical examiner’s preliminary report concluded that Floyd’s death was caused by “the combined effects of Mr. Floyd being restrained by the police, his underlying health conditions and any potential intoxicants in his system”.
Protesters rally against the death in Minneapolis police custody of George Floyd, at the Barclays Center in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, May 31, 2020. [Photo/Agencies]
Benjamin Crump, an attorney for the Floyd family, said that Floyd was essentially “dead on the scene” on May 25. “The ambulance was his hearse,” he said.
Following the release of the independent autopsy, the Hennepin County medical examiner’s office released a report that said Floyd’s death was a homicide resulting from being restrained, noting that he died from experiencing a “cardiopulmonary arrest while being restrained by law enforcement officers”.
Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer who was seen in a video with his knee on Floyd’s neck, has been charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter. He is set to appear in court June 8.
The victim’s brother, Philonise Floyd, has set up a GoFundMe account as the Official George Floyd Memorial Fund, which has raised more than $7.5 million as of Monday afternoon.
“This fund is established to cover funeral and burial expenses, mental and grief counseling, lodging and travel for all court proceedings, and to assist our family in the days to come as we continue to seek justice for George. A portion of these funds will also go to the Estate of George Floyd for the benefit and care of his children and their educational fund,” Philonise Floyd wrote.
George Floyd’s other brother, Terrence Floyd, appeared at a Minneapolis memorial site Monday and called for peace.
“Educate yourself, and know who you’re voting for. That’s how we’re going to hit them. … Let’s switch it up,” he said.
Violent protests continued Sunday night and well into Monday in some US cities.
On Sunday, three people died during protests as a result of police returning fire – two in Davenport, Iowa, and one in Louisville, Kentucky.
According to CNN, Davenport Police Chief Paul Sikorski said three officers were patrolling the city when they were ambushed. The officers’ vehicles were hit, and one officer was injured. Four people were shot and two died.
In Louisville, one died following an exchange of fire between officers and others at the scene of a protest. Initial investigation found the officers’ body cameras were not activated. Police Chief Steve Conrad was relieved of duty by Mayor Greg Fischer for “institutional failure”.
The unrest led to thousands of protesters being arrested over the weekend across the US, including Chiara de Blasio, the daughter of New York Mayor Bill de Blasio. Hundreds of law enforcement officers were injured.
The protests and looting continued in New York on Monday night. In the Flatiron District, a Nike store and Best Buy were broken into, according to the New York Post. Stores in Soho were ransacked on Sunday.
Governor Andrew Cuomo ordered a one-night curfew starting at 11 pm on Monday.
In Washington, protesters gathered near the White House again Sunday night, forcing Trump to retreat to an underground bunker. Some buildings nearby were set on fire, and several landmarks including the Lincoln Memorial were painted with graffiti following demonstrations, according to the Parks Service.
Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser ordered another curfew for Monday and Tuesday nights starting at 7 pm.
By Monday, more than half of the states had activated 17,000 National Guard soldiers. More than 40 cities issued curfew orders.
FBI field offices across the country have set up command posts to deal with protests, according to CNN.
Attorney General Bill Barr ordered the FBI’s hostage rescue team to assist local police in Washington.
