A rally against police brutality near the White House in Washington DC has escalated into clashes between officers and protesters, who at one point broke police lines. Fighting back, law enforcement reportedly used tear gas.
The DC protests over the death of George Floyd moved closer to the White House overnight, with multiple demonstrators engaging in a brawl with officers equipped with full riot gear. The police line was completely broken when protesters tried to snatch riot shields, eventually pulling one officer into the crowd.
Video footage shows the officer losing his helmet just moments before the mob violently surrounds the man, with some apparently trying to kick and punch him. He furiously fights back and eventually manages to rejoin his squad.
Other videos from the scene show protesters shouting that “tear gas” was deployed by the officers – although this could not be seen in the footage.
Hundreds of people rallied outside the White House, waving pictures of Floyd and chanting ‘I can’t breathe,' invoking his last words during a brutal police arrest, the footage of which sparked nationwide outrage.
The White House was placed on a brief lockdown, with Secret Service agents sealing off entrances and exits.
The ‘shoot first, ask questions later’ mentality appears alive and well amongst cops in America. The latest example came during protests over the death of George Floyd in Kentucky where police fired pepper balls at a TV news crew.
WAVE 3 News reporter Kaitlin Rust and her team were broadcasting live from the scene of demonstrations in downtown Louisville when an officer clad in riot gear suddenly fired off a volley of rounds at the journalist.
“I’m getting shot” the reporter could be heard exclaiming in shock after being blasted by the non-lethal rounds. The coverage shows Rust’s startled colleagues in studio asking her if she is alright. As the pain and surprise subsides, the reporter says “rubber bullets, rubber bullets, it’s okay, it’s those pepper bullets.”
— Christopher Bishop (@ChrisBishopL1C4) May 30, 2020
The anchors then ask who the police were aiming at. “At us,” Rust responds. “Directly at us.”
The team in the studio sounded disturbed by the fact that the police fired the rounds at the TV crew. “Obviously they see the camera!” one of the anchors says on the air.
An officer using a specialized air rifle was seen firing the non-lethal rounds at the reporter and camera crew during the broadcast.
Pepper balls contain chemical irritants similar to pepper spray and are shot in pellets. They are used by law enforcement agencies for riot control and crowd dispersal.
Many cities across the United States have been gripped by violent demonstrations following the death of George Floyd. The unarmed black man was killed by police in Minneapolis on Monday.
Friday was the second night of protests in Louisville. Seven people were shot and two were hospitalized at protests in the city the previous night, WAVE News reports.
Rioters in Portland, Oregon have started fires inside a building that holds the county’s sheriff’s office. Police have arrived at the scene and have begun to disperse the protesters.
A vigil for George Floyd, the man killed by Minneapolis police, descended into violence on Friday night in Portland, Oregon. Rioters targeted the Multnomah County Justice Center, which houses the sheriff’s office and detention center. In videos posted to social media, protesters are seen breaking windows and setting fires inside the building. One clip shows a group of rioters smashing computers and overturning desks and furniture.
In a tweet, Portland Police said the center “has been attacked and a fire has been lit inside,” adding that the city’s fire department had been dispatched to the scene.
Portland Police have declared the protest a riot and warned all demonstrators to vacate the area or be subject to “gas, projectiles, and other means necessary for dispersal.”
Riots and protests have sprung up in cities across the United States. The Pentagon is reportedly preparing to send military police to Minneapolis, while several states have already mobilized their national guards.
An explosive device, thought to be a “firecracker,” was thrown into the CNN Center in Atlanta, forcing a crew to stop reporting and run for cover. The chilling moment was caught on film.
The incident happened when CNN’s Nick Valencia was covering the massive protests over the death of George Floyd raging through Atlanta. Video of the live coverage starts with police in full riot gear holding a line and containing a mob of protesters.
“Some people are laughing, some people are videotaping,” the reporter is heard saying, at which point the explosive blows up at the doorstep.
“Nick, you alright? Are you OK, guys?” a CNN host asks repeatedly as chaos breaks out inside. Valencia described the explosive as a “firecracker” shortly after the live report was interrupted.
The CNN office in Atlanta was surrounded by scores of demonstrators earlier Friday, who vandalized the main entrance and set a police car on fire.
A number of armored vehicles and additional police reinforcements were brought in to back up the heavy police presence as the standoff continued outside the building, with dozens of heavily equipped officers protecting the entrance of the headquarters.
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp called in National Guard units and declared an emergency to quell the riots and looting amid the ongoing unrest in Atlanta.
A group of protesters in Denver have targeted the state’s Supreme Court building, according to local media reports. The unrest comes amid ongoing demonstrations and riots across the United States.
A reporter for an ABC affiliate in Denver filmed and photographed rioters smashing windows at the state’s SUPREME COURT building. She counted around six windows destroyed by the group.
The city was hit by protests that turned ugly, following the alleged police killing of a man in Minneapolis. Atlanta, Minneapolis, and New York also saw violent demonstrations on Friday night.
Amid raging protests, local police report that shots were fired at protesters, leaving at least one person dead. The authorities said that no officer was involved.
A Detroit police spokesperson confirmed that an unknown perpetrator fired a “shot or shots” into the crowd of protesters. The shooter fired shots from a grey Dodge Durango, fatally injuring a 19-year-old and fleeing the scene; the victim was rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The city faces chaos and violence as protests in the name of slain Minneapolis man George Floyd spiraled out of control.
People demonstrating against police brutality clashed with riot cops who used tear gas to push the crowds back.
Detroit police are firing tear gas cannisters at near point blank range as protestors retreat from intersection of Congress & Randolph @wdetpic.twitter.com/f2DfMjflvU
— Ryan Patrick Hooper (@HoopingtonPost) May 30, 2020
Multiple arrests were made during the day, accusing the detainees of engaging in “illegal assembly.”
Massive riots are taking place across the United States, at times escalating into looting and arson. In Minnesota and Georgia, authorities had to send in National Guard reinforcements to quell the violence.
While reporting from outside the White House, where clashes with Secret Service occurred overnight, Fox News’ Leland Vittert was shouted down by a handful of protesters who eventually overwhelmed the live coverage.
Video of the coverage shows Vittert trying to tell Fox News hosts what was happening at the time in the vicinity of the White House, but his words became inaudible due to the group of loud protesters.
Vittert further reported that Secret Service lines were broken by rioters who were eventually pushed back. He estimated that about 200 protesters and 100 Secret Service agents were taking part in the clashes.
— (((Jason Rantz))) on KTTH Radio (@jasonrantz) May 30, 2020
The White House was briefly put on lockdown Friday night as protests escalated across the country, with people venting anger over the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died at police hands in Minneapolis.
The Pentagon plans to send military police to Minneapolis to help restore order in the city, according to reports. The city has seen its fourth night of unrest.
They will deploy immediately to assist @ga_dps, @GaDNRLE, @GA_Corrections & local law enforcement who are working tirelessly to subdue unlawful activity & restore peace. We will continue to make all state resources available to local leaders during this emergency situation. (2/2)
Demonstrators have gathered around the White House for the second time in one day to protest the police killing of George Floyd, standing off with a riot squad guarding the building as some hurl water bottles and other objects.
Following the first rally outside the White House earlier on Friday – which prompted the Secret Service to put the building on lockdown for over an hour – a crowd gathered there again late in the evening, standing off with police.
A firecracker was thrown at officers at one point, encouraging them to group together more tightly and pull out additional shields. Another local reporter, said that 'tear gas' had been deployed, though it couldn’t be made out in footage.
Minor bouts of shoving have broken out between protesters and officers along the police line, but beyond the projectiles thrown, the situation appears to have avoided significant clashes so far.
Up to 200 demonstrators have been arrested in Brooklyn after a group protesting the police killing of George Floyd torched a police vehicle near Fort Greene Park and tried to break into the 79th Police Precinct.
A small group was arrested after breaking into the 79th Precinct in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood on Friday.
Law enforcement sources: Protest in honor of #GeorgeFloyd began at Barclays, making its way to the 79th & 88th precinct. Roughly 150-200 arrests, NYPD vehicles set on fire, protestors managed to break into the @NYPD79Pct and were quickly arrested. Dozen officers injured. @ABC7NYhttps://t.co/g0QTY8oYLz
The 88th precincts and Brooklyn North headquarters were also reportedly under siege by protesters. Demonstrators had filtered over to the precincts after the main demonstration in honor of Floyd at the Barclays Center arena was violently broken up.
Police were seen in videos posted to social media pummeling protesters with batons and pepper-spraying them. While the large group was ordered to disperse and dozens of protesters arrested for refusing to disperse, many remained in the area hours later.
Breaking: Police are clashing with protesters outside of Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Police are using pepper spray and batons against the protesters. pic.twitter.com/SLTsrQ3LbY
At least one police vehicle was set on fire in the Fort Greene neighborhood, while a parked police van was pelted with bricks and rocks.
The CO of the 88 precinct called a “10-13 for all Available units” at the Precinct, stating “the crowd is very violent use extreme caution” triage being set up for injured Cops in the 88 muster room pic.twitter.com/U19MWZsffR
Protesters in Minneapolis have surrounded a police station amid ongoing unrest over the killing of George Floyd by law enforcement, as a curfew imposed by the city government goes unenforced and crowds refuse to disperse.
The demonstrators could be seen outside the Minneapolis Police Department’s 5th precinct headquarters on Friday night in exclusive footage obtained by RT’s Sophia Narwitz.
The riot arrives at the Minneapolis police department. It’s 90 mins past the city curfew.
In the immediate area around the station, protesters gathered to chant anti-police slogans and voice outrage, while officers kept a low profile and largely stayed out of sight.
National guard and police have retreated in Minneapolis. Rioters march on. Cars on fire. Situation begins to devolve.
Elsewhere in the city, looting has again kicked off, with a group gathered near a convenience store near the 5th precinct attempting to breach the building. A pharmacy has also been ransacked, Narwitz reported.
Directly across the street from the Minneapolis 5th precinct, looting begins. pic.twitter.com/xcMq0H88EP
While a massive police and National Guard presence was seen earlier on Friday, as day became night and the mayor’s curfew took effect, security forces have largely vacated the streets.
Several officers were spotted on the roof of the 5th precinct building, however, mirroring a similar tactic adopted before the 3rd precinct headquarters fell on Thursday, with protesters storming the station and setting it ablaze as officers fled.
Rioters ignite fires across street from Minneapolis 5th precinct at gas station, and ransack businesses. Situation escalating.
A fire has been set at a gas station near the police department, with reports of several other conflagrations across the city. While the Minneapolis Fire Department said it continues to respond to fires, they have not been seen anywhere near the protesters.
