George Floyd protests Live Updates: 'Will always stand against violence & disorder': Trump

In view of the violent protests across the country, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler has declared a state of emergency on May 30. The curfew is effective until 6 a.m. PT Saturday and resumes Saturday evening until Sunday morning. Wheeler took to Twitter to urge his city's residents to halt the unrest over George Floyd's death.

“Burning buildings with people inside, stealing from small and large businesses, threatening and harassing reporters," he tweeted. "All in the middle of a pandemic where people have already lost everything. This isn’t calling for meaningful change in our communities, this is disgusting,” he said.

US President Donald Trump took to Twitter to hailed the Secret Service for their professionalism and efficiently clamping down on protesters who were demonstrating outside the White House. The US President also said that the protesters would have been greeted with the "most vicious dogs" had they come closer to the fence.

"Big crowd, professionally organized, but nobody came close to breaching the fence. If they had they would have been greeted with the most vicious dogs, and most ominous weapons, I have ever seen. That’s when people would have been really badly hurt, at least. Many Secret Service agents just waiting for action," Trump tweeted. 

Trump took to his Twitter handle to praise the agents and said he couldn't have felt more safe adding that whenever someone would try to breach the line, the agents would quickly come down hard on them. Trump also called the protests that are taking place over the murder of George Floyd, an African-American man 'professionally organised'.

As protesters refuse to buzz and violent unrest continues on the streets, Minnesota Governer Tim Walz warned that he expects more arrests tonight. Walz said in a televised conference, "What you've seen in previous nights I think will be dwarfed by what they will do tonight." He further warned, "if you are an innocent bystander going out there tonight, you will be swept up in this."

Walz said that the curfew gives government legal authority to make arrests of people out there and asked public to help identify people inciting violence. "What I would ask today is if you know where these people are sleeping today, let us know and we will execute warrants," Walz said. "Call that in, tell us who they were."

On Saturday, Denver’s mayor Michael Hancock issued an 8 p.m. curfew as demonstrations protesting the death of George Floyd entered their third day. Thousands of people were expected to join the protest Saturday. In a press conference, Hancock said that the curfew will be in place from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. each night until Friday. He further said that the Colorado National Guard will help enforce the curfew.

As protests continue to engulf the American states over the death of George Floyd, US President Donal Trump on Sunday said that his administration "will always stand against violence, mayhem, and disorder". Condoling Floyd's death, Trump said, "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." Saying that his administration supports the rights 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.”

While at least eight US states have called on National Guard to contain the violent protests over the death of the 46-year-old, cities like Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Beverly Hills, Miami, Milwaukee and Cleveland have declared a curfew to battle the ‘unrest’. While Minnesota governor Tim Walz has continued to urge people to “stay inside their homes”, the police officials in the New York Police Department have even slapped federal charges on the detained protesters. National Guard has been deployed in several states including Utah, Minnesota, Georgia, Ohio, Colorado, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Utah, Texas and District of Columbia. From secret service vehicles to police headquarters, the angry demonstrators have vandalised public property across the nation while US President Donald Trump has said that his administration will stand against violence.

Minnesota governor Tim Walz said he expects to see a spike in COVID-19 cases following protests in the Twin Cities over the last few days. Calling the protests a "super-spreader type of incident", Walz said that a spike in Covid-19 is inevitable. Speaking to press, he reportedly said that the jails have the capacity to accomodate the protesters taken into custody. He also noted that urban warfare of folks "want to see chaos spread" and all leaders are responding to it keeping in mind the safety of residents and businesses.

While US President Donald Trump said that he stands with Floyd’s family and mentioned that he had a word with them, the 46-year-old’s brother Philonise Floyd has said that the conversation was ‘so fast’ and he did not get an opportunity to speak. In an interview with an international media outlet, Philonise said that conversation with US President was “hard” because he kept pushing him off. According to Floyd’s brother, talking to Trump was like ‘I don't want to hear what you're talking about’. Former US Vice President Joe Biden and Trump spoke with George Floyd’s family this week after the tragic incident on Monday and Philonise said he asked both of them to get justice for his brother’s death.
 

While most of the US is currently rocked with violent protests, Juneau law enforcement officers joined the elected officials as well as the residents at a peaceful gathering on May 31 in Alaska’s capital to protest the tragic death of George Floyd. From demonstrators vandalising police vans to use of tear gas in return, the ‘mayhem’ has rocked the entire nation, but Juneau Police Chief Ed Mercer said that he along with other officers attended the march to show solidarity with the people standing up against injustice. 

Mercer said at the gathering, “We don’t tolerate excessive use of force,” and according to international media agency most people who assembled even practised social distancing and wore facemasks.

(With AP inputs)
 

US President Donald Trump welcomed the call for the National Guard in Minneapolis by saying that it would do the job that “Democrat Mayor couldn’t do”. Giving a political spin to the anger and grief of thousands of Americans after the death of the 46-year-old in the city, Trump said that the National Guard should have been deployed a couple of days ago to avoid the damage of police headquarters by the violent demonstrations. He also hailed the National Guard for doing “great job” and ‘playing no games’.

Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney released an executive order extending the citywide curfew for Sunday night into Monday morning after protests turned violent resulting in the injury of 13 officers.
 

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot took to Twitter to announce that a curfew had been put in effect in the city of Chicago from 9 pm to 6 am and will go on until further notice. "I have been watching a tragedy unfold in our city. What started out as a peaceful protest has now devolved into criminal conduct," she said in a press conference earlier in the evening. 

While addressing a press conference regarding protests in Philadelphia, police officials stated that around 3000 protestors gathered downtown Philadelphia earlier with what started as peaceful protests. However, these protests which originated outside the city's Museum of Art broke out into violence in the city centre. Officials stated that about 14 arrests had been made in connection with the violence.
 

Presumptive Democratic Party presidential candidate Joe Biden on Sunday spoke about the escalating riots across the US saying that the nation should not let its 'rage consume us'. "We are a nation in pain, but we must not allow this pain to destroy us. We are a nation enraged, but we cannot allow our rage to consume us. Please stay safe. Please take care of each other," said Biden.

"The act of protesting should never be allowed to overshadow the reason we protest. It should not drive people away from the just cause that protest is meant to advance," he said in a statement.

While addressing a press conference, Indianapolis Police Chief Randal Taylor stated that at least three people were reported shot and one dead amid protests in downtown Indianapolis on Saturday night. A police officer has been injured in the protest

San Francisco Mayor London Breed tweeted to announce that a curfew will be implemented in the city starting 8 pm tomorrow.  She added that the city and the police will continue to support 'peaceful' protests. 

California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in Los Angeles County, following escalating violence "California approved the city and county’s request to deploy members of the National Guard to assist Los Angeles and neighbouring communities," read a statement by the Governor's office. 

American retail giant Target announced its decision to close down 175 of its stores across the US in view of the escalating violence and to ensure safety of its staff.

"We are heartbroken by the death of George Floyd and the pain it is causing communities across the country. At this time, we have made the decision to close a number of our stores. We anticipate most stores will be closed temporarily. Our focus will remain on our team members’ safety and helping our community heal," read their statement. 

The mayor of Nashville, Tennessee, declared a state of civil emergency after protesters set a fire inside the Metro Courthouse in the state’s capital city. Thousands had rallied near the Capitol building Saturday afternoon to peacefully protest police brutality and racism. But things turned violent after darkness fell, with protesters breaking windows in government buildings and causing other property damage. 

“If you were out protesting last night, you probably need to go get a COVID test this week," said Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. Health experts fear that asymptomatic carriers of the virus could potentially affect thousands during these massive protests where people ignore social distancing norms. Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, in her warning, urged people to be careful and, said, “There is still a pandemic in America that’s killing black and brown people at higher numbers.”

Protesters returned to the streets of New York City on Saturday, even as Mayor Bill de Blasio pleaded for calm after a demonstration the previous night descended into chaos that left people bloodied and vehicles burned. Huge crowds marched through Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens while two police cruisers plowed into a crowd of people who had been pelting them with various objects, knocking several to the ground. 

(Agency Inputs)

Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams while addressing a press conference on Saturday revealed that protestors in Jacksonville had attacked a police officer who was "stabbed or slashed in the neck". The officer is currently undergoing treatment in a hospital,

In Salt Lake City, protesters defied a curfew and National Guard troops were deployed by Utah’s governor. Demonstrators flipped a police car and lit it on fire, and another vehicle was later set ablaze. Police said six people were arrested and a police officer was injured after being struck in the head with a baseball bat.

(Agency Inputs)

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif slammed the US over the death of George Floyd bringing up US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's statement on protests in Iran in 2018. 

After Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif slammed the US over the death of George Floyd, US Secretary of State has replied to the same tweet by accusing Tehran of giving death sentences to homosexuals and injustice against Jews and women.

After criticising Democrat Minneapolis governor for delaying the call for National Gaurd to contain the violent protests over George Floyd’s tragic death, US President Donald Trump has unleashed criticism on “all Dems”. Citing the situation in Philadelphia, Trump wants all Democrat Mayors as well as Governors to “get tough” and call on National Guard. According to the 45th US President, the people who are out on the streets and causing mayhem are “anarchists”. Trump said that the world is not only watching but “laughing” at the Democrat leaders as well as former US Vice President Joe Biden, who is also leading the Democrats into the presidential elections of the US in 2020.

The former First Lady Michelle Obama has said on May 30 that she is “pained” by the recent tragedies. Speaking a few days after the incident took place in Minnesota on May 25, Michelle has said that “race and racism is a reality” and the responsibility to eradicate such a problem that is causing multiple lives in the US and around the world is “upon all of us”. Michelle said through a social media post that she is “exhausted” with a “heartbreak” that seems unstoppable.

She also touched upon various ways in people can contribute to eradicating racism including starting conversations, self-examinations and listening to people who have experienced a different aspect of life. While thousands of people are on the streets across the nation and state governments have been calling on National Guard to contain the violence, Michelle said that it all “ends with justice”.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has said that the state’s Attorney General Keith Ellison will be leading any prosecutions involved with the death of George Floyd. This comes after several requests from activists, City Council members and a civil rights group. According to them, placing Minnesota Attorney General on the case would, in turn, send a strong message that justice will be granted. According to reports, Walz also said that Ellison has the required experience to lead the prosecution.

(With agency inputs)

Protesters started fires near the White House as tensions with police mounted during a third straight night of demonstrations held in response to the death of George Floyd at police hands in Minnesota.

An hour before the 11 p.m. curfew, police fired a major barrage of tear gas stun grenades into the crowd of more than 1,000 people, largely clearing Lafayette Park across the street from the White House and scattering protesters into the street.

Protesters piled up road signs and plastic barriers and lit a raging fire in the middle of H Street. Some pulled an American flag from a nearby building and threw it into the blaze. Others added branches pulled from trees. A cinder block structure, on the north side of the park, that had bathrooms and a maintenance office, was engulfed in flames.

(AP Inputs/AP Image)

The daughter of New York City's mayor Bill de Blasio was arrested on the night of May 30 while protesting over the death of George Floyd. Chiara de Blasio, who is black, reportedly refused to leave a Manhattan street ordered to be cleared because people were throwing things. She was later released after receiving a court summons but Mayor Bill de Blasio didn't speak about her daughter's arrest in his Sunday briefing.

(Inputs: AP)

California's state Department of Human Resources sent a directive to close all state buildings “with offices in downtown city areas” on June 1. A spokesperson for the state Government Operations Agency said that the decision was made after consultation with the California Highway Patrol and Office of Emergency Services. All state departments with offices in downtown city areas have been advised to remain closed and notify the staff regarding the decision.

(Inputs: AP)