June 1 George Floyd protest news | CNN

June 1 George Floyd protest news

01 george floyd family memorial minneapolis 0601 SCREENGRAB
Crowds at George Floyd memorial take knee with his brother
04:08 - Source: CNN

What you need to know

  • Protests erupted for a seventh day across the US over the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, at the hands of a police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
  • At least 40 cities imposed curfews and National Guard members have been activated in at least 23 states and Washington, DC.
  • An independent autopsy found Floyd died from “asphyxiation from sustained pressure,” while the Hennepin County Medical Examiner found “no physical findings” to “support a diagnosis of traumatic asphyxia or strangulation.”
  • One former officer who was seen with his knee on Floyd’s neck was charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter — but protesters say the charge doesn’t go far enough, and are demanding charges for the other officers involved.
  • President Trump declared himself “your president of law and order” during remarks from the Rose Garden Monday night.
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Our live coverage of the nationwide George Floyd protests has moved here.

Trump's call for a protest crackdown has been a boon for Chinese propaganda

Protesters running amok. Innocent citizens under siege. Outside actors engaging in terrorist acts. Police struggling to maintain control and in desperate need of reinforcements.

That was how Chinese state media portrayed anti-government protests in Hong Kong last year, dismissing calls for greater democracy and an investigation into police brutality by focusing on individual acts of violence and property damage. 

Throughout the protests, the US was consistent in its support of people’s right to take to the streets and have their voice heard. Facing widespread unrest and public anger at home in the wake of the death of George Floyd, the reaction from US President Donald Trump appeared markedly different.

On Monday, Trump called for the military to be deployed to “dominate” protesters, and demanded states do more to stem “acts of domestic terror.”

The irony has not been lost on Beijing, which on Thursday marks (or rather doesn’t, the date is highly censored) its own military crackdown on anti-government protesters on June 4, 1989

“Washington’s promise of equality and justice for all in the country has remained hollow at best,” state news agency Xinhua said in a commentary titled “The coming suffocation of the American dream.”

China Daily, a state-backed newspaper, noted that “The US, after the killing of Floyd, seems to be on fire, and troops have been mobilized to subdue angry demonstrators.” 

This rhetoric isn’t just embarrassing for Washington, it’s also a sign of how the US may find its influence damaged by a perceived hypocrisy over human rights at home and abroad. 

Earlier today, Hong Kong’s leader Carrie Lam pointed to the unrest in the US as evidence of Washington’s “double standards.”  

The ability of Washington to influence Beijing’s position on Hong Kong – which is in part founded on fear of outside influence in the city – was already severely limited. The Trump administration’s reaction to protests at home may have hurt its position even further.

A Kentucky police chief knelt with protesters amid peaceful demonstrations of solidarity

A protester holds a police officer's hand while praying together during a rally to protest the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor in Lexington, Kentucky, on Sunday, May 31.

As violent clashes between police and protesters erupted Sunday evening, the Kentucky city of Lexington emerged as one notable exception of how the two groups could demonstrate together in solidarity. 

During peaceful protests Sunday evening, Lexington officers clad in riot gear knelt and prayed with protestors, even embracing demonstrators too. The moments of unity were captured on video. 

Following chants from protestors urging officers to kneel with them, Lexington Police Chief Lawrence Weathers first took a knee, according to department spokeswoman Brenna Angel. The chief then told officers they could also kneel if desired, she said. 

“It was a beautiful thing,” Devine Carama, a hip-hop artist, community youth activist and organizer, told CNN. He was on the front line of the peaceful demonstrations Sunday evening. 

Minnesota officials now say no evidence the trucker intentionally drove into protesters Sunday

People react after a tanker truck drove into a crowd peacefully protesting the death of George Floyd on the I-35W bridge over the Mississippi River on May 31, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Minnesota authorities are now saying a man who drove a tanker truck toward protesters may not have done so intentionally.

What happened: On Sunday, Bogdan Vechirko drove a tanker truck toward a group of protesters on the I-35W bridge near Minneapolis. It doesn’t appear anybody was injured. He was subsequently arrested and charged with assault.

On Sunday, Public Safety Commissioner John Harrington’s department tweeted that the driver was “inciting a crowd of peaceful demonstrators.”

But Harrington walked it back today, saying, “We don’t have any information that makes this seem like this was an intentional act.”

Harrington says the state had not yet finished putting up roadblocks when Vechirko was on the freeway. “He saw the crowd, and from what it looked like, panicked,” said Harrington.

Vechirko is being interviewed by investigators, but Department of Corrections Commissioner Paul Schnell says it will be up to the county attorney whether to pursue the case.

Jail records show that Vechirko was still in custody without bail Monday night.

In Minneapolis, people are leaving tributes and flowers at the site of George Floyd's death

People gather at site where George Floyd died on June 1, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

In Minneapolis, the place George Floyd died has become an emotionally charged site of tribute, with hundreds of flowers and messages of condolences left by mourners.

Yesterday, the police said they had found incendiary materials like water bottles filled with gasoline in the area – but today, it’s quiet.

Part of the new calm may be because people are growing tired and disillusioned, or are realizing the impact of looting and destruction – but more likely, they have taken to heart the message of Terrence Floyd, George’s brother.

Terrence spoke to protesters and supporters at the scene today, his first appearance there since his brother’s death.

Terrence said his family is “peaceful” and “God-fearing,” and that George would not want the protesters to be committing acts of violence or destruction.

“Do this peacefully. Please,” he said.  

Watch more:

Democratic governors criticize Trump's call for stronger state response against protests

The Democratic governors of two western states issued statements Monday night criticizing President Trump’s call for states to crack down harder on violent protests. 

Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak accused the President of “inciting combativeness, stoking racial tensions, and creating division when we need unity more than ever.” 

In response to the suggestion that the National Guard has been restrained in some states, Gov. Sisolak said, “As the Commander In Chief of the Nevada National Guard I can state, categorically, that they have done their duty to protect all Nevadans, and will continue to do so.”

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee was even more direct in his criticism. In a written statement, Inslee said the President had “repeatedly proven he is incapable of governing,” and accused the President of showing “nothing but false bravado throughout the chaos that has accompanied his time in office.” 

New York looters seemed "well-organized," said CNN reporter

Most of the protests in New York today were peaceful marches – but as night fell, there were also increasing instances of property destruction and looting.

The looting appeared remarkably organized at times, said CNN Correspondent Shimon Prokupecz at the scene.

“They would go to stores. They would break the windows. You know, they would use hammers. They would run off. And then, others would come. And then, repeatedly come back,” Prokupecz said.

The looting and destruction would serve as a second blow to many of the businesses already suffering from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, he added. Many of the stores vandalized had already been closed for months, and had been losing money.

“And now, (the stores are) being looted.” Prokupecz said. “Everything taken out and now they have to repair the stores, fix the glass.”

The citywide curfew: The city’s curfew, which went into effect at 11 p.m. tonight, will be extended through tomorrow evening – but tomorrow night it will be enacted earlier, at 8 p.m. instead.

“The curfew, in the end, is probably too late,” Prokupecz said. “They brought in more officers. They doubled the number of officers that were going to be dealing with this today. And that didn’t even seem to help.”

Watch More:

Floyd family's lawyer: The autopsy shows the other officers also contributed to his death

Ben Crump, the attorney for George Floyd’s family, said the independent autopsy released today shows the other police officers involved were also directly responsible for Floyd’s death – not just former officer Derek Chauvin, who has been charged with third degree murder.

The autopsy: Independent medical examiners hired by Floyd’s family said today that the cause of death was asphyxiation due to compression of the neck.

The examiner added that “compression of the back” from other officers who knelt against Floyd’s back also interfered with Floyd’s breathing.  

“Hopefully, (Minnesota) Attorney General Keith Ellison will now consider that as he looks at the other officers,” Crump told CNN tonight. “The ambulance was the hearse for George Floyd … because he was dead at the scene.”

Watch more:

Virginia pulled its police out of DC after being put in “compromising position” for Trump's photo op

President Donald Trump holds a Bible outside St. John's Church, across Lafayette Park from the White House on June 1 in Washington.

Police officers from Virginia’s Arlington County, who went to Washington, DC, to provide aid to officers there, were pulled out of the capital after being “put in a compromising position,” said the county.

The county said it is also reevaluating its mutual aid agreements.

The “compromising position” refers to an incident Monday evening, during which peaceful protesters just outside the White House gates were dispersed by police with tear gas, flash grenades and rubber bullets.

Shortly after, Trump delivered remarks at the Rose Garden and walked over to St. John’s Episcopal Church to take a photo with a Bible.

“At the direction of the County Board, County Manager and Police Chief, all ACPD officers left the District of Columbia at 8:30 tonight. The County is re-evaluating the agreements that allowed our officers to be put in a compromising position that endangered their health and safety, and that of the people around them, for a purpose not worthy of our mutual aid obligations,” the county said in the statement.

California police are arresting dozens of protesters after curfew in Los Angeles and Oakland

In Oakland, California, just east of San Francisco, peaceful protesters are being detained and arrested for being on the streets past the curfew.

Several dozen protesters are now lined up against the wall and being taken into custody, said CNN Correspondent Dan Simon on the scene.

“This follows a very peaceful protest that we saw this afternoon. We saw hundreds of youth throughout Oakland marching throughout the streets. There was a rally at a local high school, then they came downtown,” Simon said.

The curfew went into effect at 8 p.m. local time – about half an hour ago now. It will stay in place until 5 a.m. Tuesday morning.

The mayor on freedom of protest: Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf acknowledged earlier today that there is a painful history of curfews in America used as a form of government oppression – but that this was about safety and security rather than censorship.

It’s not just Oakland: Further south along California, police in Los Angeles are also arresting dozens of protesters who are out after curfew. There is a small crowd being detained in Sunset Boulevard, in the middle of Hollywood, with their hands held by zip ties.

Police officers in squad cars are also shouting out their windows that it was a curfew, and that those still out would be arrested and have their cars impounded.

Watch more:

Want to handle the looters? Arrest the police officers, said National Women's March organizer

Tamika Mallory, the co-leader of the National Women’s March, told CNN tonight that there was an easy solution to get looters and protesters off the streets – arrest the officers involved in several recent cases of black Americans dying at the hands of the police.

“How I would handle looters? I would arrest the cops,” she said.

Looting, violence, and vandalism were just “one part of the issue,” she added. “The true violence started when a man was killed on camera and yet a week later, we do not have anything that looks like justice.”

Watch:

Military helicopter flying over Washington, DC, as protesters violate curfew

It’s past 11 p.m. in Washington, DC, but protesters are still out in large numbers in the national capital.

At least one military helicopter is flying overhead and hovering in an attempt to disperse the crowds.

The helicopter can be seen making slow low-level passes, using its propellers to kick up strong wind and debris. The tactic, known as a show of force, is commonly used by the US military in combat zones overseas to drive targets away from a specific area.

Protesters are responding by raising their fists aloft in defiance.

The city curfew went into effect at 7 p.m. local time.

Watch the video:

Baltimore has activated the Maryland state police and National Guard

The Baltimore Police Department has activated the Maryland State Police to assist with crowds in the downtown Baltimore area, said the department on Twitter. 

“Officers have observed members in the crowd setting off illegal fireworks and throwing objects near peaceful protestors and officers,” said the tweet.

Earlier tonight, the police said they were receiving assistance from the Maryland National Guard in transporting personnel and resources through the city.

The looting and destruction in Manhattan tonight was "anarchy on the streets," CNN reporter says

The looting and destruction in New York City’s Manhattan was “anarchy on the streets,” said CNN Senior Media Correspondent Brian Stelter tonight.

In Midtown Manhattan, there was widespread looting along the eastern portion of the neighborhood – along the high-end shopping district Fifth Avenue and Madison Avenue, close to Trump Tower.

The looting also extended further south into Herald Square and the iconic Macy’s building, which was broken into, he said. There were also fires set and buildings vandalized.

“Property damage is nowhere near as important as physical loss of life … (but) I want you to know the property damage is widespread,” he said.

Aerial videos of Midtown show looters running down streets in groups, playing a “cat and mouse game” with police, Stelter said.

Across the East River, there are still up to a thousand protesters peacefully marching in Brooklyn, despite the citywide curfew now being in place.

When asked whether they will go home, protesters told CNN reporters they need to get their message across against police brutality – and that tonight, they are waiting to see how police engage before deciding how to respond.

Watch more:

Atlanta police have arrested 350 people in relation to the protests since Friday

Police form a line while trying to break up a demonstration on May 31 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Atlanta police have made 350 arrests related to the George Floyd protests since Friday, the department said on Monday.

They made 77 arrests on Friday, 157 on Saturday, 64 on Sunday and 52 so far on Monday.

Skirmishes after curfew: On Monday night, police and protesters clashed after the curfew came into effect at 9 p.m. ET, with protesters hurling projectiles and police responding by firing tear gas.

After the skirmish, the National Guard and Atlanta police got into formation and swept through the city’s downtown, clearing out protesters quickly.

In Dallas, police and protesters faced off with tear gas on a bridge

In Dallas, Texas, protesters who shut down a city bridge are being detained by police, hours after a curfew went into effect.

Protesters had begun demonstrating peacefully at the steps of the county courthouse earlier in the day, before marching through downtown Dallas.

The curfew, effective as of 7 p.m. local time, is only being enacted in some parts of Dallas, creating “curfew zones” – so protesters marched around the edge of those zones, said CNN Correspondent Ed Lavandera on the scene.

When they reached the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge, just west of downtown, they were met with hundreds of law enforcement officers.

A confrontation erupted, with the protesters and police facing off in the middle of the bridge. Police fired tear gas, and detained many protesters with zip ties. Protesters can now be seen sitting on the ground, as police continue processing those on the bridge.

“We don’t know the exact reason … for why they’re being detained, but I presume it’s going to be related to marching on the public streets here and essentially blocking traffic on to the Margaret Hunt-Hill bridge,” said Lavandera.

Watch:

New York's curfew is extended through Tuesday evening

Police officers lean against a barricade in a closed off Times Square shorty before the 11 p.m. curfew went into effect June 1 in New York City.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio extended the city’s curfew through Tuesday evening, after instances of violence and property destruction in Manhattan tonight.

The Tuesday night curfew will begin at 8 p.m. ET, de Blasio said on Twitter. The curfew tonight is about to go into effect, at 11 p.m. ET.

“These protests have power and meaning. But as the night wears on we are seeing groups use them to incite violence and destroy property. Our first priority is keeping people safe, so I’m extending the curfew to Tuesday. It will begin at 8pm,” de Blasio said. 

Minnesota Attorney General investigating Floyd's death: "We plan to hold everyone accountable" 

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, who is taking over the prosecution in George Floyd’s death, says they are taking another look at the actions of the other police officers present during it.

He explained that while he has spent the last 24 hours reviewing evidence, he cannot ethically comment as a prosecutor.  

This comes amid calls for justice in Floyd’s killing, including the legal fate of those three other officers at the scene who were fired for not saying or doing anything to stop ex-Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin as he kneeled on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes. 

“We are looking very carefully at holding everybody accountable who failed to do their duty and fell below the legal requirements of their position, or did something affirmatively that would be in violation of the law,” Ellison said.

“When we are ready, and that won’t be long from now, we plan on taking the proper and deliberate action.”

Watch:

Hillary Clinton criticizes Trump's "horrifying use of presidential power"

Former Secretary of State and 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton lambasted President Donald Trump’s use of force to clear protesters in Washington, DC, before taking a photo at St. John’s Episcopal Church.

“Tonight the President of the United States used the American military to shoot peaceful protestors with rubber bullets & tear gas them. For a photo op. This is a horrifying use of presidential power against our own citizens, & has no place anywhere, let alone in America,” she tweeted, urging Americans to vote in the upcoming 2020 presidential election.

What happened today: Just a few hours ago, Trump delivered remarks in the White House Rose Garden, before walking to the church to take a photo with a Bible.

Before his remarks, police released tear gas and fired rubber bullets at protesters near the White House in an effort to disperse the crowd for the visit to the church.

Protesters march through streets of Washington, DC, violating curfew

Demonstrators march through downtown on June 1 in Washington.

In Washington D.C., curfew has already come into effect – but crowds of protesters are still on the streets, as well as law enforcement officers trying to clear them out.

Just a few hours ago, the national capital had been the site of chaos, with police firing tear gas and rubber bullets to drive protesters out of Lafayette Park, just blocks from the White House.

The bangs were clearly heard in the White House’s Rose Garden, as President Donald Trump gave a press conference proclaiming himself the president of law and order.

Now as night falls, most of the protesters appear to be peacefully marching – but tensions are still high, with one group throwing rocks and smashing store windows.

Mayor condemns federal police actions: Muriel Bowser, the mayor of Washington, DC, said on Twitter that the actions of the federal police at the White House against peaceful protesters had been “shameful” and “without provocation.”

Watch:

GO DEEPER

Trump’s response to police killing threatens to further deepen unrest in America, Democrats and Republicans say
DC mayor urges calm after protests nearby the White House occur for second consecutive night
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar defends protests and says racism is deadlier than Covid-19 in powerful op-ed
The ACLU created an app to help people record police misconduct
A sheriff put down his baton to listen to protesters. They chanted ‘walk with us,’ so he did

GO DEEPER

Trump’s response to police killing threatens to further deepen unrest in America, Democrats and Republicans say
DC mayor urges calm after protests nearby the White House occur for second consecutive night
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar defends protests and says racism is deadlier than Covid-19 in powerful op-ed
The ACLU created an app to help people record police misconduct
A sheriff put down his baton to listen to protesters. They chanted ‘walk with us,’ so he did