Washington DC Mayor renames street in front of White House as 'Black Lives Matter Plaza'

The street in front of the White House where the protesters have been demonstrating against the tragic death of George Floyd has been renamed as 'Black Lives Matter Plaza'. Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser made the announcement on Twitter on Friday, June 5. 

Read: George Floyd Memorial: Mike Pence offers 'sympathies and prayers', calls it a 'tragedy'

Protests against George Floyd's death

George Floyd's tragic death has not only angered millions across the world but it has also fueled a fresh wave of protests in various US states. Several protestors also converged outside the White House shouting "Black Lives Matter" and "I can't breathe". The focus of the protests is the alleged institutional bigotry and consequent brutality in American police forces. Meanwhile, several police squads also joined the protestors in order to express their stand against police brutality and racism. 

Last week, as many as 40 cities across the United States imposed curfews in response to the mass protests. According to international media reports, around 5,000 National Guard soldiers have been activated in 15 states, as well as in Washington DC, along with 2,000 other personnel who are prepared to activate if needed. Meanwhile, over 4,000 people across the US States have been arrested during the protests.

Read: Lego pauses marketing of police-related products; donates $4M towards Black Lives Matters

George Floyd's Death 

George Floyd, a 46-year-old African American man, died in Minneapolis earlier last week. As per reports, Floyd was arrested by the local police for unspecified charges on May 26. A tussle is said to have broken out between George Floyd and the police officials, which resulted in Floyd’s death after being subdued for several minutes by an officer. In a video that went viral on the internet, the officer was seen pressing his knee against Floyd's neck who was seen gasping for air before turning motionless.

As per reports, police officer Derek Chauvin and three other officers - Thomas Lane, Tou Thao,   and J Alexander Kueng - were later fired by the Minneapolis Police Department. Chauvin has been charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.

Read: Biden slams Trump for pulling George Floyd into his White House address on unemployment

Read: US President Donald Trump uses upbeat jobs report to calm nerves on George Floyd protests