June 3 George Floyd protest news

Peaceful protesters took to the streets around the US today to demand justice for George Floyd and other black Americans who have recently died following police violence.

Protesters cheered Wednesday by news that four Minneapolis officers are now charged in Floyd’s death.

Earlier in the day, three former Minneapolis police officers on the scene when Floyd was killed were charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced today.

Ellison said he’s upgrading the charge against Derek Chauvin, the officer who had his knee pressed into Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes, from third- to second-degree murder.

Here’s what the protests look like around the US:

Philadelphia

Activists gather in protest outside the 26th Police Precinct on June 3 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Washington, DC

Twenty-nine-year old DC resident, George (L), slaps hands with three-year-old Mikaela (R) in front of a police barricade on a street leading to the front of the White House during protests on June 3.

Protesters demonstrate near the White House on June 3 in Washington, DC.

Demonstrators lay down on Pennsylvania Avenue during a peaceful protest against police brutality and the death of George Floyd on June 3.

St. Charles, Missouri

City of St. Charles Mayor Dan Borgmeyer walks with protesters during a demonstration against police brutality and the death of George Floyd on June 3.

Seattle

Fort Worth

Los Angeles

Demonstrators hold signs in front of the district attorney's office protesting the death of George Floyd on June 3 in Los Angeles. 

This post has been updated with more details about the protests.

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam will announce plans to remove the controversial Robert E. Lee Monument from Richmond’s historic Monument Avenue during a press event in Richmond tomorrow, a source told CNN.

Lee was a confederate soldier in the American Civil War.

CNN reported on Monday that police had deployed tear gas against peaceful protesters near the monument. 

Police warned protesters that they were placing themselves and others “in grave jeopardy” by attempting to pull down statues on Monument Avenue.

“They are extremely heavy and would crush anyone standing too close. Please be aware of the danger. Stand down!” the Richmond Police Department (RPD) tweeted.

Former President Barack Obama closed his event on Wednesday with a veiled message to those Americans who have criticized or are worried about the ongoing protests: “Just remember, this country was founded on protest. It is called the American revolution.”

The line was the closest Obama got to criticizing those who question the protests and he framed it as those “who have been talking about protests.”

To young people, Obama kept up his hopeful message and cheered on the protests in the streets.

“Keep working. And stay hopeful,” he told them. “This is a moment and we have had moments like this before where people are paying attention. And that doesn’t mean that everything will get solved, so don’t get disheartened because this is a marathon not a sprint. But the fact that people are paying attention provides an opportunity to educate, activate, mobilize and act. And I hope we are able to seize this moment.”

He added: “I hope all the young people who have been inspired and engaged an involved, they keep at it.”

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Six Atlanta police officers have been booked after charges were filed against them related to a tasing incident in Atlanta on Saturday night.

The officers were filmed in downtown Atlanta breaking windows of a vehicle, yanking a woman out of the car and tasing a man. Both were later identified as students from Spelman College and Morehouse College.

District Attorney Paul Howard announced charges against the officers on Tuesday.

CNN has reached out to the police union for comment.

The US Park Police said on Twitter Wednesday it is investigating an incident involving Australian journalists covering protests in Washington, DC, on Monday.

The tweeted statement attributed to acting Chief Gregory Monahan said two officers have been placed on administrative duties while the investigation takes place.

CNN has previously reported that Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison called for an investigation after two of the country’s journalists were attacked Monday.

During a live morning newscast on the program “Sunrise” on Tuesday in Australia, police were seen using their shields to clear Channel 7 News US correspondent Amelia Brace and photojournalist Tim Myers from the scene. The Australian outlet is a CNN affiliate. 

The video showed police hitting Myers and punching his camera. Another officer then directs the pair, who were trapped against a wall, to move on, before appearing to smack Brace in the back with a baton.

Hear more:

Derek Chauvin, Tou Thao, Thomas Lane Kiernan, and J. Alexander Kueng.

All of the former Minneapolis Police officers charged in connection with the death of George Floyd are now in custody. 

Thomas Lane and Tou Thao both were processed into the Hennepin County jail around 5 p.m. local time Wednesday, according to jail records.

Former officer J. Alexander Kueng turned himself in earlier in the afternoon, his attorney Thomas Plunkett told CNN. 

Derek Chauvin – whose knee was on Floyd’s neck and is accused of second-degree murder – has been in custody since last week. All four are being held on $1 million bail.

More than 60 people are facing charges for crimes during recent protests in Los Angeles.

Most of the charges filed by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office were for looting, but others include assault and/or battery of a peace officer, robbery, burglary, and receiving stolen property.

The charges are related to incidents in downtown L.A., Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Long Beach, and other areas throughout the county.

The district attorney’s office said it expected more cases to be presented later this week.

Between Friday and Monday, the Los Angeles Police Department arrested about 2,700 people, Officer Rosario Cervantes told CNN. They are still tabulating arrests from Tuesday, she said.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department did not provide the number of people arrested in connection with protests. Deputy Trina Schrader told CNN that release of numbers could be further delayed, as sheriff’s offices will likely close due to a large crowd of protesters currently outside.

Walmart is removing firearms and ammunition from sales floors in some of its stores following nationwide protests sparked by the death of George Floyd.

Floyd, an unarmed 46-year-old black man, died last week at the hands of police in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Protests erupted across the US, demanding justice for Floyd and an end to police brutality.

Many businesses — including major retailers such as Target — were damaged or looted during the unrest. Cities across the US have imposed curfews in an attempt to avoid violent protests.

Walmart does not sell firearms or ammunition in many of the areas that have experienced issues due to looting, but the retailer made the precautionary move with protests still ongoing.

Asked if the military has to be sent into American cities to restore law and order, President Trump said “I don’t think we’ll have to.”

Trump said he has “very strong powers to do it” and said he might go beyond the National Guard “if it was necessary.”

Some context: On Monday, Trump said in a Rose Garden event, “If the city or state refuses to take the actions that are necessary to defend the life and property of their residents, then I will deploy the United States military and quickly solve the problem for them.” 

Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said Wednesday that he does not support using active duty troops to quell the large-scale protests across the United States. 

“The option to use active duty forces in a law enforcement role should only be used as a matter of last resort, and only in the most urgent and dire of situations. We are not in one of those situations now. I do not support invoking the Insurrection Act,” he told reporters.

In the interview with Sean Spicer, which aired on his show on conservative outlet Newsmax, Trump went on to slam Antifa and what he called other “radical-left” groups for being violent amid the protests in the wake of the death of George Floyd.

Trump said while the nation needs healing, there also needs to be “safety in our cities.”

After nine days of widespread protests, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced new charges against the four fired officers involved in the death of George Floyd.

The 46-year-old father died in Minneapolis last week after then-officer Derek Chauvin knelt on Floyd’s neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds.

Since May 26, the day after Floyd’s death, at least 9,839 people have been arrested nationwide during protests, according to CNN’s tally from agencies across the country.

Here’s a look at the protests around the country:

Los Angeles

Protesters gather at a peaceful demonstration over George Floyd’s death in Hollywood on June 3 in Los Angeles, California.

New York City

Demonstrators denouncing systemic racism in law enforcement and the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis Police officer raise signs and chant during a march through the borough of Brooklyn on June 3 in New York City.

Philadelphia

Protesters march past City Hall on June 2 in Philadelphia over the death of George Floyd.

Washington, DC

Police face demonstrators near the White House in Washington, DC, on June 3.

Former President Barack Obama warned that people should not feel that this current unrest and the subsequent changes will address all issues facing black Americans, stating that the country doesn’t “have the capacity to eradicate 400 years of racism in one fell swoop” during his town hall Wednesday.

Obama quoted Dr. Martin Luther King’s famous “arc of the moral universe quote” but added that the arc does not bend without work. 

“We bend it, all of you have bent it over the last four, five, six, 10 years and we are seeing the fruits of those labors in the degree of awareness that is out there,” Obama said. 

To prove this point, he noted the array of people who are speaking out at this time, namechecking Jim Harbaugh, the head football coach at the University of Michigan.

“That is not something that was happening five, six years ago, although Jim I know have been on the right side of this for quite some time,” Obama said. “You have unlikely participants because all of you have worked so hard to raise awareness, that is the progress that has been made, that doesn’t mean everything has been solved.”

Here’s Obama’s full quote:

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz praised the decision by the state’s attorney general to file criminal charges against all four police officers involved in the death of George Floyd.

The announcement comes the day before Floyd’s family is set to participate in a public memorial in Minneapolis.

“I think it’s critically important for them to see… that there’s another side to us and to this state that they did not see last Monday night,” Walz said.

Echoing comments he made to CNN’s Omar Jimenez while visiting the Floyd memorial earlier in the day, Walz said at the briefing, “I think this is probably our last shot, as a state and as a nation, to fix this systemic issue.” 

The state legislature was already scheduled to go into special session next week to deal with coronavirus-related concerns and Walz said he now expects justice reform bills to be introduced as well.

Former Secretary of Defense James Mattis slammed President Trump in a statement, writing:

Mattis’ statement continued: “We are witnessing the consequences of three years without mature leadership. We can unite without him, drawing on the strengths inherent in our civil society. This will not be easy, as the past few days have shown, but we owe it to our fellow citizens; to past generations that bled to defend our promise; and to our children.”

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Benjamin Crump, the attorney for George Floyd’s family, said in a news conference on Wednesday that people should not celebrate because an arrest is not a conviction.  

“The family has always wanted first-degree murder. They wanted him charged to the full extent of the law,” he added.

“This is the tipping point in America where we finally address something they don’t like to talk about,” he said. “There are two justice systems in America. One for black America and one for white America, when there should be equal justice for the United States of America.”

Earlier today: Three former Minneapolis police officers on the scene when George Floyd was killed were charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced today.

Ellison said he’s upgrading the charge against Derek Chauvin, the officer who had his knee pressed into Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes, to second-degree murder.

One of the former Minneapolis police officers charged in George Floyd’s killing, J. Alexander Kueng, is set to appear in court tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. ET, according to court records.

Some more context: Kueng has been charged along with three other former officers in the killing of George Floyd. He was charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced today.

Former President Barack Obama delivered a message for young men and women of color across America.

“I want to speak directly to the young men and women of color in this country who, as was so eloquently described, have witnessed too much violence and too much debt, and too often some of that violence has come from folks who were supposed to be serving and protecting you.” 

Speaking at a live-streamed town hall with local and national leaders of the police reform movement, Obama said:

“You should be able to learn and make mistakes and live a life of joy without worrying about what’s going to happen if you go to the store or go for a jog or are driving down the street or looking at some birds in a park,” he added. 

Obama praised all the young people peacefully taking to the streets to protest injustice and said he hopes that, despite the events of the past few weeks, they feel hopeful, “even as you may feel anger, because you have the power to make things better and you have helped to make the entire country feel as if this is something that’s got to change.”

Watch:

Former President Barack Obama today said he sees the turmoil that’s roiled the country in the wake of the death of George Floyd as an opportunity for Americans to become aware of and address the “challenges, structural problem… [that] have been thrown into high relief” in our society. 

“They offer an opportunity for us to all work together to tackle them, to take them on, to change America and make it live up to its highest ideals,” continued Obama. 

Obama’s comments today were his first addressing Floyd’s death on camera (via Zoom). In recent days, he has addressed the topic on social media as well as a lengthy Medium post, where he condemned police brutality and called for political solutions to address protesters’ grievances about criminal justice.

Watch:

In a virtual forum in the wake of protests following George Floyd’s death, former President Barack Obama urged communities to try to change their use of force policies from within.

“What can we do? Number one, we know there are specific evidence-based reforms that if we put in place today, would build trust, save lives, would not show an increase in crime. Those are included in the 21st century policing task force report,” he said. “Number two, a lot of mayors and local elected officials read and supported the task force report. But then there wasn’t enough follow-through.” 

Watch:

On a day which saw Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announce new charges facing the four former police officers involved in the death of George Floyd, Eric Garner’s daughter shared her distress with an overall lack of progress.

Eric Garner died in 2014 after an altercation in which a former NYPD officer used a chokehold while making an arrest. Emerald, one of Garner’s six children, has been working to pass a law which would outlaw such a police tactic.

“I don’t doubt that if this law was passed the first time, George Floyd would be here today… this is something that needs to happen,” she told Jake Tapper.

No one was charged in the case of her father’s death. Garner views Ellison’s announcement as a positive development.

“I see now, that the officer here is being charged and all officers involved, I see that as a step in the right direction, but we have way more work to do.”

The Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police released a resolution to support legislation intended to combat hate crimes in Georgia.

Georgia is one of just a handful of states that doesn’t have any hate crime law.

The resolution said the organization is “committed to preserving the rights of all crime victims and is expressly opposed to bigotry and prejudice in any form.”

It added advocate legislation that mandates the criminal sentence of any convicted perpetrator who “intentionally selected any victim, or damaged any property of any victim, based upon bias because of that person’s real or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, mental disability, or physical disability.”

Several Georgia lawmakers have pushed to pass a hate crime bill in the wake of the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery and, more recently, George Floyd.

Former police officer Tou Thao was ready to employ a different restraint on George Floyd after he was subdued and on the ground but the other officers involved chose not employ it, according to his criminal complaint that was released today.

At one point, while Floyd was on the ground, Thao “obtained a hobble restraint from the squad car to restrain Mr. Floyd,” the complaint said.

The restraint is a piece of webbing or belt designed to go around a person’s legs to limit movement.

“But the officers decided not to use it and maintained their positions,” the complaint said.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said the process of prosecuting the four police officers will probably take “months.”

Asked by CNN’s Wolf Blitzer on whether the officers will be charged together, Ellison said he didn’t know yet.

“Well, that’s yet to be determined. That will be determined by motion practice. And we will see. That’s something that is in fact yet unknown. But it’s actually a strategic question that we need to discuss internally,” Ellison said.

Watch:

Former police officer Derek Chauvin’s bail has been increased to $1 million, according to the updated complaint filed today.

Chauvin is being held at the Minnesota Department of Corrections facility in Oak Park.

The increased bail amount coincides with the new charges of second-degree murder filed against him today.

The other three former officers all have bail set at $1 million, according to their court documents. However, of those three, only J. Alexander Kueng is in custody now.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said that the charges made against four former policer officer were based on evidence that was “significant, it was important, and it bolstered our theory of what happened here.”

“We work with our team, and we believe that the factual basis was there for this charge. It is an ethical charge, it’s a charge rooted in facts that we can prove,” he said.

Some context: Three former Minneapolis police officers on the scene when George Floyd was killed have been charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter, Ellison announced earlier today.

Additionally, Ellison announced he’s upgrading the charge against Derek Chauvin, the officer who had his knee pressed into Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes, to second-degree murder.

Watch:

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said a “sense of duty and responsibility” led him to file charges against all four officers involved in the death of George Floyd.

“I feel a tremendous sense of weight. I feel this is a very serious moment,” he added.

About the charges: Derek Chauvin, who pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes, had previously been charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. The new second-degree murder charge says that he killed Floyd “without intent” in the course of committing assault in the third degree, according to an amended complaint.

Thomas Lane and J. Alexander Kueng, who helped restrain Floyd, and Tou Thao, who stood near the others, were not initially charged. Lane, 37, Kueng, 26, and Thao, 34, are now charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey issued a statement this afternoon regarding charging decisions on the four police former officers involved in George Frey’s death.

Earlier today: Three former Minneapolis police officers on the scene when George Floyd was killed have been charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced today.

Additionally, Ellison announced he’s upgrading the charge against Derek Chauvin, the officer who had his knee pressed into Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes, to second-degree murder.

Former President Jimmy Carter became the latest — and final — living former president to weigh in on the death of George Floyd, who was killed while in police custody last week.

Carter went on to say that he feels he has “a responsibility to bring equity to my state and our country.”

The former president referenced remarks he made in 1971 during his inaugural address as Georgia’s governor.

“The time for racial discrimination is over,” he said at the time.

“With great sorrow and disappointment, I repeat those words today, nearly five decades later. Dehumanizing people debases us all; humanity is beautifully and almost infinitely diverse. The bonds of our common humanity must overcome the divisiveness of our fears and prejudices,” Carter said in his statement today.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison says the elevated murder charge for former officer Derek Chauvin and new charges for three other former officers were not influenced by the public outcry in the George Floyd case, nor the fact that a public memorial is scheduled for Thursday.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison warned the Minneapolis community Wednesday that while all four officers involved in the death of George Floyd were charged, bringing a case against police is always challenging.

Ellison noted that his partner in the prosecution, Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman, is the only Minnesota prosecutor who has ever successfully prosecuted a police officer for murder.

“We’re confident in what we’re doing, but history does show that there are clear challenges here,” Ellison said.

Watch:

One of the three former Minneapolis police officers who are charged with aiding and abetting murder in the death of George Floyd has been taken into custody, said Drew Evans, the superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.

Officials are in the process of taking the other two into custody, and Evans said he expects them to be in custody later this afternoon.

He did not say which of the three officers was in custody, but Hennepin County Sheriff’s website records show J. Alexander Kueng is in custody.

The site offers no other information or details.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said the new charges filed against all four officers involved in the death of George Floyd are “justified by the facts and the law.”

Asked about the possible impact of the charges on people across the country, Ellison responded, “The pursuit of justice is always good and right. And I want to signal to them that we hope that they continue to raise the cause of justice but do it in a peaceful manner. It is their right to express themselves. And with that I will say they should continue in their own communities to get together, to build a just police-community relationship. We need the faith community to be involved. We need arts and entertainment to inspire us towards justice. We need everybody. There is a lot more to do than just this case and we ask people to do that.”

Watch:

After he formally announced charges against all four officers, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison acknowledged that a “successful prosecution” could not rectify the “hurt and loss” so many people feel following George Floyd’s death.

Ellison added that the path to “constructing justice and fairness in our society” would be “slow and difficult work.”

“That work is the work of all of us. We don’t need to wait for the resolution and investigation of this case to start that work. We need citizens, neighbors, leaders in government and in faith communities, civil and human rights activists, to begin rewriting the rules for a just society now,” Ellison said.

The attorney general added that new policy and legislation is needed on the municipal, state and federal level. He encouraged individuals in the arts and entertainment industry to use their cultural influence to “inspire the change we need.”

“There is a role for all who dream of a justice that we haven’t yet experienced,” Ellison said.

Watch:

Three former Minneapolis police officers on the scene when George Floyd was killed have been charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced today.

“I strongly believe that these developments are in the interests of justice for George Floyd, his family, our community and our state,” Ellison said.

Thomas Lane and J. Alexander Kueng helped restrain Floyd during the May 25 incident, while officer Tou Thao stood near the others.

Arrest warrants have been issued for the three former officers, Ellison said.

Additionally, Ellison announced he’s upgrading the charge against Derek Chauvin, the officer who had his knee pressed into Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes, to second-degree murder.

Previously, Chauvin was charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Two autopsies of Floyd determined that Floyd died by homicide.

Watch:

The former police officer who had his knee pressed into George Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes is now facing a second-degree murder charge.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison formally announced the new charge today during a news conference.

Previously, Derek Chauvin, who was fired from the Minneapolis Police force after Floyd’s death, was charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison is expected to make a significant announcement at 4 p.m. ET in the case of the killing of George Floyd.

Ellison has yet to say anything officially, but here’s what we know so far:

When Ellison makes a formal announcement about the charges, we’ll cover it here.

After tweeting that Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison was increasing charges against former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin and also charging the other three officers involved in the George Floyd case, an aide to Sen. Amy Klobuchar told CNN that she was quoting the Minneapolis Star Tribune reporting that broke the news, and that she had no independent knowledge of Ellison’s plans.

A senior Klobuchar adviser also told CNN that she was only relying on information from the Star Tribune report and would never try to get ahead of Ellison.

Klobuchar spokesperson Carlie Waibel also took to Twitter to credit the reporters involved. 

“Senator Klobuchar’s tweet was based on the news Stephen Montemayor and Chao Xiong at the Star Tribune broke earlier today,” Waibel said.

Ahead of Minnesota attorney general’s expected announcement of new charges, George Floyd’s son Quincy Mason Floyd said his family wants justice.

The other three former police officers involved in the encounter that led to the death of Floyd have now been charged, according to Minnesota court records. Records also show that former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin has now been charged with second-degree murder.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison is expected to make an announcement at 4 p.m. ET.

Watch:

The other three former police officers involved in the encounter that led to the death of George Floyd have now been charged, according to Minnesota court records.

J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane, and Tou Thao are all facing charges of aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.

Earlier today: Court records showed that former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin has now been charged with second-degree murder.

Chauvin was seen on video pressing his knew into George Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes.

Hear more:

Court records show that former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin has now been charged with second-degree murder.

Chauvin, who had his knee pressed into George Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes, had previously been charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany told reporters Wednesday that President Trump was right to say earlier in the day that he didn’t instruct authorities to push back protesters so he could visit St. John’s church across the street from the White House for a photo opportunity. 

“He says, ‘I want to go to the church.’ He goes to the church. Everyone executes the plan in the order that the President puts into place. So the President is absolutely right in what he said.”

Some background: The White House is facing ongoing fallout from the events of Monday evening, where peaceful protesters were forcefully dispersed 30 minutes before a curfew was set to take effect, so Trump could participate in the photo opportunity with a Bible outside the church.

Earlier Wednesday, Trump claimed he was unaware of the tactics used to clear the park ahead of his visit – even though press widely reported the explosions could be heard from his address in the Rose Garden.

 When I said go to the church, I didn’t know, protesters or not, nobody tells me that. They say, ‘Yes sir, we’ll go to the church,’” he said, claiming law enforcement in the area “didn’t use tear gas,” which is untrue, according to the definition of tear gas used by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

McEnany said she wasn’t aware of the determinations the US Secret Service made ahead of Trump’s walk to the church.

She later said the scene would have looked different if demonstrators had moved back when she says announcements were made three times over a loudspeaker telling the protesters to move back. 

The forced removal of protesters by federal law enforcement officials, including the US Park Police, was widely criticized by DC’s city leaders, St. John’s church officials, and multiple clergy members from other faiths. 

Benjamin Crump, the attorney for George Floyd’s family, confirmed to CNN’s Sara Sidner that law enforcement authorities informed him of the details of the charges.

Crump tweeted Wednesday that Officer Derek Chauvin will be charged with second-degree murder and Officers Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng, and Tou Thao will be charged as well. 

The San Diego Police Department will stop using the controversial carotid restraint as a use-of-force procedure effective immediately, the department announced in a statement.

This change comes as a growing number of law enforcement agencies across the country are receiving mounting pressure to halt the use and training of neck hold and chokehold procedures.

New York City Police Commissioner Dermot Shea said today that the department condemns the killing of George Floyd.

He continued: “And I think it’s much larger than law enforcement condemning it. Any human being with a conscience feels the same way. So my heart goes out to the Floyd family.”

Watch:

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has extended the curfew in his state on Wednesday and Thursday nights. The curfew will be in effect from 10 p.m. CT to 4 a.m CT.

Read the tweet:  

Terrence Floyd, the brother of George Floyd, was overwhelmed and did not attend a scheduled event at a church in New York City this afternoon.

Speaking on his behalf, Rev. Kevin McCall said Floyd had a message for everyone.

Cup Foods owner Mahmoud Abumayyaleh

The owner of Cup Foods, the Minneapolis store whose employee called the police on George Floyd, says he and his employees will no longer be calling police to help with matters other than violence.

Abumayyaleh spoke on behalf of the actions of one of his store clerks who had called the police on Floyd.

“[H]e thought there was a need to call the authorities and that in itself should not have equated to the death and tragedy of George Floyd and that’s where the issue at hand lies because the authorities are called on any incident for that matter, it should never equate into a death sentence,” Abumayyaleh said.

Abumayyaleh declined to comment on reports that the former officer Derek Chauvin seen kneeling on Floyd has had charges against him increased. Cup Foods spokesperson Jamar Nelson said in response to the news, “justice has to be served.”

“How he didn’t get charged from second-degree murder was unfathomable, and now the attorney general has done it, it goes a long way. The expeditious firing of these four officers spoke a lot but what has to be taken into account, the fact when black and brown men come into contact with officers, the fact [is] they may not leave with their life,” Nelson told CNN.

Watch:

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison is increasing charges against former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin to second-degree murder in George Floyd’s death and also charging the other three officers involved in the incident, according to a tweet from Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar.

“This is another important step for justice,” Klobuchar tweeted on her verified account.

Read Klobuchar’s tweet:

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday thanked local law enforcement as well as peaceful demonstrators “who have engaged in lawful First Amendment activity.”

DeSantis said that at the request of the Secretary of Defense, he authorized 500 national guardsmen to deploy to the national capital region and confirmed that most will be arriving today.

“When I saw the video of that cop murdering George Floyd, I was just absolutely appalled by what I saw,” DeSantis said when asked about the case. “I think everyone agrees that that’s just totally intolerable what happened,” he added.

He confirmed that arrests have been reported in Tampa, Orlando, Fort Myers and the Miami region, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. 

Following the death of George Floyd, fashion retailer H&M said that it has acknowledged past mistakes and is taking steps to challenge racism. 

Those steps include a pledge to donate $500,000 to the NAACP, Color of Change, and the ACLU. The company also announced plans to develop stronger relations with historically black colleges, mobilize efforts to increase voter registration, and assemble a task force of black leaders to advise the company on further work.

Some context: H&M has previously been in the crosshairs of controversy over race.

In 2018, it was forced to apologize for using a black child to model a sweatshirt with a “coolest monkey in the jungle” slogan. The company removed the offending ad from its website after hundreds of social media users accused it of being racist.

All 10 million residents of Los Angeles County will be under curfew orders for a fourth straight night.

The curfew begins at 9 p.m. local time Wednesday and is in effect until 5 a.m. local time Thursday, according to the L.A. County Emergency Operations Center.

Working media is exempt from the order.

Police officers hold a perimeter behind the metal fence recently erected in front of the White House on June 2.

Washington, DC, officials have decided to adjust the times for Wednesday night’s curfew to 11 p.m. ET to 6 a.m. Thursday morning.

There were 19 arrests in DC on Tuesday night — most for violating the 7 p.m. curfew, according to Washington DC Metropolitan Police Chief Peter Newsham.

Tuesday was the fifth night of Black Lives Matter protests in Washington, DC, in response to the death of George Floyd. 

Newsham said there was “excess of 5,000 peaceful protesters in the city” during a news conference Wednesday afternoon.

The 19 arrests was starkly different from the 288 arrests the previous night.

Bowser went on to explain that the curfew is a “tool for MPD to make sure that they can put their resources to finding those people and detaining those people.”

Newsham further explained, “If you have large groups that are clearly peacefully protesting and they are not exhibiting behaviors that we believe have led to the violence that we saw in the city those groups are going to be allowed to peacefully protest because that’s kind of the heart of what we do here in Washington, DC, is we allow for peaceful protests.”

Washington, DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser said the district is “examining every legal question about the President’s authority to send troops, even national guard, to the District of Columbia.”

She said she and the District’s attorney general have discussed whether President Trump has the legal authorities to request guard troops from other states and deploy them to DC. 

“We are, how shall I say, examining every legal question about the President’s authority to send troops, even national guard, to the District of Columbia, and if he has to make any other legal steps to do that,” she said.

More on this: The question has arisen since Trump threatened Monday night to invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807 in order to deploy active duty US soldiers to police US streets.

Former President Barack Obama plans to address in a virtual town hall tonight the death of George Floyd, stressing the importance of “ensuring that this moment becomes one for real change, and that we can turn protest into policy,” according to an Obama aide. 

Those comments will mark Obama’s first time addressing Floyd’s death on camera (via Zoom). In recent days, he has addressed the topic on social media as well as a lengthy Medium post, where he condemned police brutality and called for political solutions to address protesters’ grievances about criminal justice.

Following opening remarks at the event tonight, Obama will participate in a panel discussion, which the aide said is expected to center on policing reform and other issues related to law enforcement.

The town hall tonight is at 5 p.m. ET and is hosted by My Brother’s Keeper Alliance, a program of the Obama Foundation.

An earlier statement for the event also said this: “The killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and the loss of far too many Black lives to list, have left our nation anguished and outraged. While now is a time for grief and anger, it is also a time for resolve.”

Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan released an op-ed on social justice Wednesday, describing the current climate in the United States and detailing his own experiences with racism while growing up as a Pakistani American.  

Khan is only one of two people of color among majority owners of the National Football League’s 32 teams. Kim Pegula, an Asian American, co-owns the Buffalo Bills.  

He continued by describing his own experience growing up as a minority in the United States saying, “I came to the United States from Pakistan in 1967 with $500 in my pocket and faith in the American Dream. Opportunities to learn and succeed were abundant, and more than 50 years later I am forever grateful and proud to be a citizen of the United States. Nonetheless, while I pursued my goals as a student and later in the workforce, being a Muslim-American made me a frequent target of prejudice, discrimination and hatred.”

At the conclusion of Khan’s op-ed, the Jaguars owner emphasized, “Racism, in all its forms, will kill. It kills people, it kills communities, it kills dreams, it kills hope. For many Americans, now is the moment. Never has that been clearer. I don’t want to waste this moment.” 

The “grievances” which are at the heart of protests which erupted across the US “need to be heard and addressed,” United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said in a statement on Wednesday.

Bachelet also condemned what she called “credible reports of unnecessary and disproportionate use of force by law enforcement officers.”

She stressed that “a country needs its leaders to condemn racism unequivocally; for them to reflect on what has driven people to boiling point; to listen and learn; and to take actions that truly tackle inequalities.”

She stressed that violence, looting and the destruction of property “won’t solve the problem of police brutality and entrenched discrimination.”

“I repeat my calls to protesters to express their demands for justice peacefully, and for the police to take the utmost care not to enflame the situation through the use of excessive force,” the High Commissioner said.

 Asked what his message to President Trump would be in light of the protests over the murder of George Floyd, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Wednesday that “racism and racist violence has no place in our society.”

“We mourn George Floyd and I was appalled and sickened to see what happened to him,” Johnson said at a Downing Street news conference, adding that his message to Trump and “to everybody in the United States from the UK [is]… racism and racist violence has no place in our society.”

Johnson was asked about protests in central London in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement in the US.

Here’s what he said:

Benjamin Crump, family attorney for George Floyd’s family, urged protesters to “take a breath for peace.”

He also repeated his demand that the rest of the police officers at the scene of George Floyd’s death be charged.

“We absolutely believe he was tortured in the last 8 minutes and 46 seconds of his life,” Crump said at a news conference.

Crump praised Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, who will make an announcement in the case soon.

CNN’s Gregory Lemos contributed to this report.

Benjamin Crump, an attorney for the family of George Floyd, said he expects the other officers who were on the scene when Floyd died to be charged as accomplices.

While former officer Derek Chauvin — who had his knee pressed into Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes — has been charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter, two officers who helped restrain Floyd and one who stood near the others have not been charged.

Earlier today, officials told CNN that the Minnesota Attorney General’s office has finished its initial review of evidence in the investigation of the four former Minneapolis Police officers and has rendered a decision regarding additional charges.

One of the officials said state Attorney General Keith Ellison will be making a significant announcement in the case early this afternoon. The officials would not reveal what the decision was.

WATCH BEN CRUMP:

Quincy Mason Floyd, George Floyd’s son, today visited the site where his father died in Minneapolis.

“We want justice for what’s going on right now,” he said. “This is so emotional.”

He went on to say that “no man or woman should be without their fathers.”

The Minnesota Attorney General’s office has made a decision on additional charges in the George Floyd’s death, and officials are expected to make a significant announcement later today.

One former officer has already been charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter — but protesters argue the officers involved should also be charged.

WATCH:

At least three Capitol Police officers took a knee in an apparent silent protest during a demonstration outside the US Capitol building in Washington, DC.

All three declined to comment to CNN. There were two black officers and one white officer.

Earlier, the protesters were chanting “take a knee” to demonstrate their concerns over police brutality.

There have been approximately 9,839 people arrested across the United States amid protests following the death of George Floyd, according to CNN’s tally.

The first arrests began on May 26, the day after Floyd’s death. 

Nine CEOs from Detroit’s biggest companies stood together Wednesday to speak out against racism and injustice. They were joined by Mayor Mike Duggan and Rev. Dr. Wendell Anthony, president of Detroit Chapter of the NAACP.

Leaders included CEOs from the America’s big three automakers – all headquartered in Detroit.

“At GM, we aspire to be the most inclusive company in the world. And our hope is that every company will do the same,” Mary Barra, CEO of General Motors, said on Wednesday. “And while there may not be a precise roadmap for how that will happen, that is no excuse not to try. Inclusion will be a north star for us.” 

“I say today no more. No more,” said Mark Stewart, COO of Fiat Chrysler North America. “Racism of any kind if divisive, its ugly and it brings about the worst of humanity.” 

The nine CEOs committed to four principles to make tangible change, including:

Eight out of the nine CEOs at the event were white. Rev. Anthony said it is important to hear their voices, too.

“It’s important for white American and to hear from white Americans, it’s important for the business community to engage and their citizens too,” said Anthony. “They have a stake in it. And so other people listen to people that they know are like them, and they can make a difference in law enforcement. They can make a difference with our legislative bodies. They can make a difference in the halls of Congress and in the halls of the White House.”

Several of the CEOs sent letters to their employees denouncing racism and expressing their anger over the death of George Floyd and other black Americans.

“I am both impatient and disgusted by the fact that as a nation, we seem to be placated by the passive discussion of ‘why,” Barra wrote to employees. “Let’s stop asking ‘why’ and start asking ‘what.’” 

Other CEOs included Bill Ford, executive chairman of Ford Motor Company, Jay Farner, CEO of Quicken Loans, Wright Lassiter, president & CEO of Henry Ford Health System, Chris Ilitch, president & CEO of Ilitch Holdings, Dan Loepp president & CEO of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, and Gary Torgow, executive chairman of TCF Financial Corporation.

Police advance on demonstrators in Minneapolis on May 30.

The American Civil Liberties Union says it is filing a class-action lawsuit and asking a Minnesota court to stop what it calls “unconstitutional conduct targeting journalists.”

The organization says it intends to file suits in other states, as well, since members of the media have been impacted in more than a dozen states as protesters take to the streets to demand justice for the death of George Floyd and other black Americans at the hands of police.

Some context: Reporters have been arrested by police from Florida to Nevada, pelted by police rubber bullets fired by police from Washington, DC, to California and attacked by protesters from Arizona to Pennsylvania.

In one of the highest-profile examples, a CNN crew was briefly taken into custody on Friday by Minnesota State Police on live TV. The state’s governor apologized for the wrongful arrest.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo urged protesters to respect the evening curfew in place in New York City from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. ET, making a clear distinction between protesters and looters.

“There are people who are protesting. And there are people who are looting. Very, very different situations,” he said during his daily news conference.

A new and earlier curfew went into effect across New York City on Tuesday and is set to remain until Sunday.

Cuomo praised protesters for remaining largely peaceful on Tuesday night and also praised the police for how they handled the small minority of looters that persisted.

“I want to applaud the local police who have done a great job. I want to applaud the state police who have done a great job, the protests were mainly peaceful all across the state. And I want to thank all involved for keeping it that way,” Cuomo said.

WATCH GOV. CUOMO:

More than 1,000 people are peacefully protesting police brutality outside the US Capitol.

You can hear chants of “this is what democracy looks like” and “take a knee,” as well as “we are not a threat.”

Most people are wearing masks. 

The protesters gathered earlier this morning at Freedom Plaza before walking over to the Capitol building. On the way you could hear chants of “George Floyd” and “Black Lives Matter.”

The protesters plan to stage an outside sit-in which will also include speeches until about 3:00 p.m. ET, according to a schedule from the organizers. 

Watch the scene:

Demonstrators react as a helicopter circles low overhead near the White House in Washington on June 1.

Defense Secretary Mark Esper announced that the Army is conducting an investigation into why a National Guard helicopter hovered low over protestors in Washington, DC, on Monday night.

The DC National Guard said in a statement they were investigating the incident “to ensure all involved complied with applicable procedures and safety regulations.”

“I hold all members of the District of Columbia National Guard to the highest of standards. We live and work in the District, and we are dedicated to the service of our nation,” said the DC National Guard Commanding General Maj. Gen. William J. Walker in a statement.

“I want to make sure I understand why, what happened, who was involved, what orders were they given or not given, was there a safety issue involved, right, with an aircraft hovering that low,” said Esper.

In response to a question about the helicopter being used to intimidate protestors, Esper responded that he “got a report back that they were asked by law enforcement to look at a checkpoint, a National Guard checkpoint to see if there were protestors around.”

Esper said the maneuver appeared “unsafe,” but added, “I need to learn more about what’s going on.”

He suggested it would not have been unsafe if it were being done to medivac someone who was “seriously injured,” but that it was not his understanding that that was the helicopter’s mission.

A protester sits in front of a makeshift memorial to George Floyd near the spot where he died in Minneapolis on May 29.

The Minnesota Attorney General’s office has finished its initial review of evidence in the investigation of four former police officers involved in the death of George Floyd and has rendered a decision regarding additional charges, two law enforcement officials briefed on the state’s investigation tell CNN.

One of the officials said the state’s Attorney General will be making a significant announcement in the case early this afternoon. The officials would not reveal what the decision was.

A total of three now-former officers can be seen on video on top of George Floyd before his death on May 25. They include Derek Chauvin — now charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter — as well as officers Thomas Lane and J.A. Keung. A fourth former officer, Tou Thao, is seen on the video near the others.

Benjamin Crump, an attorney for the Floyd family, told CNN Wednesday that he is confident the other officers will be charged before Thursday’s public memorial in Minneapolis.

Protests across New York City last night were “overwhelmingly peaceful,” and the new strategies employed by the city’s police department to address the protests were effective, Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a news conference this morning. 

“Overwhelmingly, it was a very different reality in New York City last night, and the areas that had been particularly effected in midtown, Manhattan and in part of The Bronx the night before did not see that kind of activity in any meaningful number last night,” de Blasio said.

New strategies employed by the NYPD were created in light “of what happened 9 p.m. Sunday through Monday night,” he said, and he thanked NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea and the officers around the city.

“They’ve been asked to do a lot over the past few days – a lot of them are exhausted from working so hard, but they are going out there, doing their jobs, protecting all of us and showing a lot of restraint in the process … Anyone who wants to put on that uniform takes an oath, agrees to a higher calling, and agrees that restraint will be part of their life and ‘keeping the peace’ means every sense of those words. That’s what our officers and their commanders understand,” de Blasio said.

Cities and counties in California have imposed curfews in response to violent protests across the country this weekend.

Here are the latest curfews in the state (All are local times):

Todd Axtell, the police chief of St. Paul, Minnesota, said that if any officers think that the use of force against George Floyd was reasonable, they should turn in their badges. 

“We have been dealing with traumatic and challenging times, but…I want to make sure that all chiefs and sheriffs throughout this country join me in this clearing call to our officers. When they watch that video, if they think in any way, shape or form that that’s acceptable or reasonable uses of force — I told my officers, if they think that’s reasonable, I want you to turn your badge in to me and do it immediately,” Axtell told CNN’s Poppy Harlow. 

Axtell said that there is systemic racism embedded in most systems in the United States. 

Axtell marched alongside protesters yesterday. 

“It was such a touching moment for me personally to be in solidarity with a lot of the pain that’s occurring throughout our city and throughout this country. Now is our moment to move forward together, use this tragedy as an opportunity to do what has been needed to be done for many, many years,” Axtell said. 

Watch:

Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Wednesday that he had advance notice of President Donald Trump’s visit to St. John’s Church in Lafayette Park Monday night, but was not aware that the visit would turn into a photo opportunity.

Esper has drawn criticism from lawmakers and former defense officials over his decision to accompany Trump to the area minutes after law enforcement officers used riot control agents to clear the area of largely peaceful protesters.

Esper said he had not been briefed on plans to clear the park, but added that he would not expect to be briefed on such an operations. 

“I was not briefed on the plans, and I was not aware of what they were doing,” Esper said, later adding “that was not a military decision, that was not a military action.”

“I do everything I can to try to stay apolitical and to try and stay out of situations that may appear political. And sometimes I’m successful at doing that, and sometimes I’m not as successful,” Esper said.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz apologized to CNN correspondent Omar Jimenez after police arrested him and his crew on Friday while they were covering protests in Minneapolis.

Walz also explained why he felt it was important for him to be out on the streets of Minneapolis. It was the first time that the governor visited the memorial at the site of George Floyd’s death. 

“I have to personally and viscerally feel this. It’s unfortunate I’ve become friends with mothers only because their sons were killed,” he said.  

“I don’t think we get another chance to fix this in the country. I really don’t. I don’t think that’s hyperbole. I think being at the heart of this and seeing the community’s pain so viscerally, this is going to have to be that change we look for,” Walz added.  

WATCH THE INTERVIEW:

Speaking at a Pentagon media briefing Wednesday, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said he does not support the use of the Insurrection Act, adding that it should only be used as a last resort.

Some background: President Trump on Monday threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807 and take the unusual step of deploying active duty US soldiers to police US streets.

While Trump claims the move would break up anti-fascists, or Antifa, who he says are organizing violent riots that have led to looting, it would also effectively squelch peaceful protests for racial justice after the death last week of a black man, George Floyd, after a police officer used lethal force during a stop.

The law was most notably used in the 1950s to enforce desegregation. And later, in the 1960s, to address riots in Detroit.

WATCH:

Secretary of Defense Mark Esper called the killing of George Floyd a “horrible crime” and said the officers on the scene that day should be “held accountable for his murder.”

Esper said, “racism is real in America, and we must all do our very best to recognize it, to confront it, and to eradicate it.”

Some context: Derek Chauvin, the officer seen kneeling on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes, was charged on Friday with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.

Still, three other officers on scene — Thomas Lane, J.A. Kueng and Tou Thao — have not been charged, despite the family’s and protesters’ wishes. All four were fired by Chief Medaria Arradondo last week after video of the incident sparked outrage.

WATCH SEC. ESPER:

President Donald Trump returns to the White House after taking photos outside St. John’s Episcopal Church on June 1.

President Trump claimed Wednesday that his decision to visit St. John’s Episcopal Church has been widely praised by religious leaders.

The White House is facing ongoing fallout from the events of Monday evening, where peaceful protesters were dispersed with tear gas and rubber bullets before curfew so Trump could participate in a photo opportunity with a Bible outside the church, which suffered a fire during protests over the weekend. The move has been widely criticized by clergy. 

Asked his response to criticism from Rev. James Martin, a Jesuit Priest, who called it a “photo opportunity,” Trump said, “My response is simple – most religious leaders loved it.” He cited praise from political allies Franklin Graham and Robert Jeffress and cast blame on his rivals and the protesters.

Trump also claimed he was unaware of the tactics used to clear the park ahead of his visit – even though press widely reported the explosions could be heard from his address in the Rose Garden.

“When I said go to the church, I didn’t know, protesters or not, nobody tells me that. They say, ‘Yes sir, we’ll go to the church,’” he said, claiming law enforcement in the area “didn’t use tear gas,” which is untrue, per his own CDC.

Trump said that “many religious leaders loved it” when he held up the Bible.

 “I did hold up a Bible. I think that’s a good thing, not a bad thing,” he said.

Stephen Jackson, Gianna Floyd and Roxie Washington during an interview with CNN's Omar Jimenez.

The mother of George Floyd’s 6-year-old daughter Gianna said she struggled to tell the little girl how her father died.  

In a video shared on Instagram, Gianna sat on former NBA player and Floyd’s friend Stephen Jackson’s shoulders and said, “Daddy changed the world!” 

In the interview, Jackson, as well as attorney Chris Stewart, said Floyd moved from Houston to Minneapolis for work to provide for his family.

“We have to get convictions,” Jackson said.  

Watch more:

CORRECTION: This post has been updated to correct Roxie Washington’s name.

People protest in Houston on June 2.

More than 200 people were arrested in Houston Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, according to a tweet from the Houston Police Department.

The city’s police department went on to say, “This is an extremely low number of arrests considering the thousands of people in our community who marched and demonstrated peacefully today. We’re not aware of any significant property damage or injuries. We will have updated arrest numbers/info later this morning.”

Yesterday, peaceful demonstrators defied curfews and remained on the streets of American cities for another night of protests over the death of an unarmed black man in police custody.

The eighth night of protests saw less violence, fewer police clashes and more acts of civil disobedience.

Germany’s government is “shocked by the death of George Floyd” in the United States, Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesperson says.

“It is an appalling and avoidable death that shakes you up. We in the federal government are following closely what is happening in America right now.” 

Seibert went on to say: “We hope that this violence ends and we hope that the many wise and humane voices that exist in America too, those who are peacefully working for improvements (…) who are striving to end racism, are being heard.”

“I am sure there is racism in Germany too,” Seibert added, saying “every society, including ours, is called upon to continually work against this.”

Demonstrators walk across New York's Manhattan Bridge from Brooklyn on June 2.

Protestors in New York City last night appeared to be briefly boxed in on the Manhattan Bridge, with police waiting on either end — but officers eventually allowed them to walk off and leave the area.

Several posts on social media indicated the protestors had been “trapped,” including a post from Alexandria Ocasio Cortez that it was “dangerous” and the she was heading to the scene.

The protesters on the bridge had splintered off from a larger group that had been demonstrating in Brooklyn earlier in the day, according to CNN correspondent Jason Carroll, who reported from the scene. The splinter group tried to make their way to Manhattan when they were stopped on the bridge.

Carroll reported that police officers around the bridge were seen waiting on both ends, some with white zip ties used to detain protesters.

Later, Carroll reported that police allowed the boxed-in protesters walk away and leave the area. The demonstrators were seen slowly walk off, back to the Brooklyn side, as police stood to the side.

“We haven’t seen them make arrests or taking folks into custody, allowing those on the bridge to make their way off the bridge,” Carroll said.

What the Mayor’s office says: Later, the Communications Director for Mayor Bill de Blasio tweeted that only the Manhattan side of the bridge was ever closed. 

The nation’s top business lobbying group, citing an unemployment rate that is twice as high for black Americans as it is for whites, says it will redouble efforts to address racial inequality.

The US Chamber of Commerce promised to address “inequality of opportunity through education, employment, entrepreneurship, and criminal justice reform.”

“The senseless death of George Floyd has called renewed attention to the inequality and injustice in America,” the statement said. “As a nation, we must address this issue with a robust plan of action.”

The group named a national steering committee for the initiative that includes black business leaders.

The lobbying group promised to build on to two programs—one to help companies build diverse pipelines of talent and another is the chamber’s partnership with historically black colleges.

The chamber will hold a town hall on June 25 to address racial inequality and how corporate American can help fix it.

The groups says it represents the interests of more than 3 million businesses of “all sizes, sectors, and regions, as well as state and local chambers and industry associations.”

Taniyah Pilgrim and Messiah Young during an interview on CNN's "New Day" on June 3.

Two college students said they were traumatized after police used tasers and dragged them from a vehicle at a protest on Saturday night.

The six Atlanta police officers are being charged with using excessive force, according to officials.

The officers were filmed in downtown Atlanta breaking windows of a vehicle, yanking a woman out of the car and tasing a man. The two victims were later identified as college students at Spelman and Morehouse, both historically black schools, and were returning from protests calling for an end to police violence against black citizens.

Taniyah Pilgrim, the Spelman College student, said she thought she might be killed in that moment. “I was thinking, OK, this is the end,” she said. 

Morehouse College student Messiah Young told CNN’s Alisyn Camerota that he has not yet watched the video of the incident. “I’m not trying to relive that moment at this point. It’s a little too much right now, and I’d rather, you know, just recover, honestly,” he said.

“It’s probably one of the hardest moments that I’ve had to face in my life. I just can’t even fathom what happened. At this point, I’m just so far gone, it’s like I’m trying to remove myself from that situation, but it’s really hard to cope with,” Young said, growing emotional. 

Young’s wrist was broken, he got 20 stitches in his forearm and he said he felt lingering effects of being tasered. 

Pilgrim said the effects on her are “traumatizing.” 

“Once they approached the car, they literally swarmed the car. I just was shellshocked. I’ve seen the situation so many times, you know. We have George Floyd, we have so many people dying and it’s just senseless. Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, all these people are dying every day, and people are out protesting for this reason. It’s still happening at these protests. We see this literally daily. And it’s just not OK,” Young added.  

One of the officers wrote in a police report that he used his taser because he was unsure whether Pilgrim or Young were armed.

“As we’ve seen in the past, [there was an] attempt to assassinate the character of these young people to say there was a gun. There was never a gun,” said Young’s attorney Mawuli Davis. “… The culture in policing in America and in Atlanta must change and it must change immediately, or innocent people risk literally losing their lives.” 

Young said the incident really underscores the need for policing reform. 

Watch more:

People demonstrate at the State Capitol in St. Paul, Minnesota, on June 2.

Protests continued last night across the United States following the death of George Floyd at the hands of a now-jailed former Minneapolis police officer.

Here’s what it was like at the protests last night:

Joe Biden, Democratic presidential candidate and former vice president, speaks in Philadelphia on June 2.

Joe Biden struggled to win over young voters in the Democratic primary.

Now, as the 77-year-old turns his sights to the general election, many young people – a number of whom rallied behind some of his more progressive rivals in the primary – want to see if the presumptive Democratic nominee can give them the inspiration and bold change that they crave.

Ja’mal Green, a 24-year-old activist from Chicago, said young people want “a candidate who is going to change their lives.” Green was in Minneapolis over the weekend protesting the death of George Floyd, a black man who was killed in police custody after a white officer kneeled on his neck.

Green supported Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders in the 2016 and 2020 primaries, and pointed to criminal justice reform, “Medicare for All,” the climate crisis and the elimination of student debt as key issues for young voters.

If Biden does not move to the left on these issues, Green said he and young people on the left of the political spectrum “won’t support either candidate.”

Biden has in recent weeks ramped up efforts to engage young voters.

Read more here:

Former Vice President Joe Biden, presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, speaks during a NowThis economic address seen on a smartphone in Arlington, Virginia,

Related article 'We need him to start being bold:' Young voters are craving inspiration from Joe Biden

Zhao Lijian, a spokesperson for China's Foreign Ministry, speaks at a media briefing in Beijing on April 8.

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has again voiced its hope that the United States will take “concrete” measures against racial discrimination. 

“We hope the US government will take concrete measures to fulfil its obligations under the international convention on the elimination of all forms of racial discrimination to protect the legal rights of minorities,” Zhao Lijian, a spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry, said Wednesday

China “always opposes racial discrimination,” Zhao told a regular Ministry of Foreign Affairs press briefing.

Traditionally, Beijing has portrayed racism as a Western problem. But China itself has come under heavy criticism in recent weeks for its treatment of Africans in the country. 

Last month, many Africans were subject to forced coronavirus testing and arbitrary 14-day self-quarantine in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou, regardless of their recent travel history, and scores were left homeless after being evicted by landlords and rejected by hotels under the guise of various virus containment measures.

The incident caused a rupture in China-Africa relations, with the foreign ministries of several African nations – and even the African Union – demanding answers from China.

Yet China’s official response stopped short of admitting that discrimination took place – or apologizing for it.

China has also faced criticism over its treatment of the predominantly Muslim Uyghur minority in Xinjiang. The United States was among 23 nations to issue a joint statement at the United Nations General Assembly last year raising concerns over alleged human rights abuses in Xinjiang.

Read more:

Protesters hold a banner and wave US national flags as they march from Chater Garden to the US consulate in Hong Kong on September 8, 2019, to call on the US to pressure Beijing to meet their demands and for Congress to pass a recently proposed bill that expresses support for the protest movement. - Pro-democracy activists planned to rally outside the US consulate in Hong Kong on September 8 as the they try to keep international pressure on Beijing following three months of huge, sometimes violent, protests. (Photo by Vivek Prakash / AFP) (Photo credit should read VIVEK PRAKASH/AFP/Getty Images)

Related article Trump's protest response gives China a propaganda win on Hong Kong

People raise their hands and kneel as they protest at the makeshift memorial in honor of George Floyd, on Tuesday, June 2, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Tuesday was the eighth consecutive day of protests across the United States over the death of George Floyd.

On a national level, it was comparatively calmer than the violent clashes seen over the weekend and Monday. But despite the broadly peaceful nature of the protests, a number of violent confrontations between police and protesters occurred in several major cities.

Here are some of the biggest developments overnight:

Pope Francis celebrates Holy Mass on the Solemnity of Pentecost in Vatican City, Italy, on May 31.

Pope Francis spoke out on Wednesday morning in the Vatican about the “tragic” death of George Floyd.

Francis added that he is praying for the “repose of the soul of George Floyd and of all those others who have lost their lives as a result of the sin of racism.”

U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams speaks during an event at the White House in Washington DC, on May 26.

US Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams warned the nation to expect new outbreaks of coronavirus resulting from the George Floyd protests that have seen thousands of people gather in close proximity.

The US hasn’t even contained its current outbreak, let alone prepare for a second wave. The nation is still seeing about 20,000 new cases of Covid-19 every day.

Some states are doing better than others – but the entire West Coast is still seeing its infection rate tick upward, as well as South Carolina, which was one of the first states to start reopening.

Peaceful demonstrators defied curfews Tuesday night and remained on the streets of major US cities for the eighth night of protests over George Floyd’s death – but there was less violence and fewer police clashes.

Unprecedented curfews are in place in Washington DC, Atlanta, New York City, Cleveland, and several California cities to dissuade gatherings after a weekend of sometimes violent confrontations and looting.

But that didn’t stop thousands of people from showing up to call for justice following the death of George Floyd, who died last week after he was pinned to the ground by a Minneapolis police officer with his knee on Floyd’s neck for 8 minutes, 46 seconds.

In Philadelphia on Tuesday, protests culminated in a nine-minute “moment” of silence.

In Los Angeles, a group of protesters knelt with their hands up in peace signs outside the home of Mayor Eric Garcetti as they waited to be arrested.

In Atlanta, where days ago a police car was lit on fire, a large crowd marched peacefully through the same streets.

And in New York City, after widespread looting and property damage on Monday night, protests on Tuesday looked completely different, said Mayor Bill de Blasio. People marched through Manhattan, with some store owners, residents and supporters lining the sides of the streets and cheering on demonstrators.

There were some confrontations: Police and protesters did clash in some cities, including Washington, DC and Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

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NEW YORK, USA - JUNE 2: New Yorkers protest over the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died after being pinned down by a white police officer in Minneapolis, United States on June 2, 2020 in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Related article Demonstrators defied curfews but there were fewer clashes and less chaos on a night of mostly peaceful protests

Founder and CEO of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg speaks during the 56th Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany on February 15.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is facing rare public outrage from within his own company over inaction on incendiary remarks recently posted by President Donald Trump.

During a company-wide town hall, Zuckerberg struggled to explain his decision-making process as many of his employees, using a real-time feedback tool, reminded him of promises to remove content that calls for violence or that could lead to imminent physical harm.

Another Facebook employee told CNN Business they found Zuckerberg’s answers to staff questions at the town hall lacking, and said the CEO risked alienating more of his staff rather than addressing their concerns.

Virtual walkout: Tuesday’s event follows days of employee activism. On Monday, some staffers staged a virtual walkout in protest.

At least one worker, software engineer Timothy Aveni, has quit his job, saying it is no longer feasible to “keep excusing Facebook’s behavior.”

Contrast with Twitter: Facebook’s silence on Trump’s tweets – which claimed Thursday that “when the looting starts, the shooting starts” – stands in stark contrast to Twitter, which marked Trump’s tweet as violating the platform’s rules on “glorifying violence.”

Earlier this week, Zuckerberg said that though Trump’s tweet provoked in him a “visceral negative reaction,” he felt Facebook was dedicated to “free expression.”

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NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 25: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaks about the new Facebook News feature at the Paley Center For Media on October 25, 2019 in New York City. Facebook News, which will appear in a new dedicated section on the Facebook app, will offer stories from a mix of publications, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post, as well as other digital-only outlets. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Related article Mark Zuckerberg tries to explain his inaction on Trump posts to outraged staff

Officers from the Boise Police Department and Idaho State Troopers watch a crowd of people protesting at the Idaho Statehouse, on Sunday, May 31, in Boise, Idaho. 

As the night drags on in the US, most protests are starting to quiet down – but protesters are still going in the Idaho capital city Boise.

Crowds of peaceful protesters are still on the steps of the state capitol, many dressed in black and holding signs bearing protest slogans.

Earlier in the night, there was a Black Lives Matter candlelit vigil for George Floyd and victims of police brutality.

Boise Mayor Lauren McLean urged protesters to stay peaceful earlier today, and reiterated the need for racial justice and diversity.

“We are asking you, Boise, for peaceful, respectful voices today and always. When we act in violence against each other, we are hurting our entire community, especially people of color who call Boise home. How does this honor the legacy of George Floyd?” she said in a statement.

Elsewhere in America: Many of the crowds gathered in major cities earlier Tuesday have now begun to taper off as curfews take hold. It’s quiet in New York, with the city witnessing only sporadic acts of looting earlier in the evening. And though protesters clashed briefly with law enforcement in Washington, DC, the national capital has also remained comparatively peaceful for much of the night.

Sidnoma Ouango wears a President Barack Obama sweat shirt during a community effort to help store owners clean up in Bronx, New York, on Tuesday, June 2.

Former President Barack Obama, along with other leaders, will “discuss the tragic events of recent weeks, the history of police violence in America, and specific action steps needed to transform a system that has led to the loss of too many lives” in a livestream on Wednesday, according to the Obama Foundation.

The livestream will happen at 5 p.m.

These will be his first on-camera comments about recent events.

He also said in a statement on Friday that the death of a black man in police custody, “shouldn’t be ‘normal’ in 2020 America.”

Hundreds of protesters in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood stood in front of a police cordon Tuesday night, with dozens near the front holding umbrellas to shield themselves from crowd control chemicals such as pepper spray. 

The scene is reminiscent of last year’s Hong Kong protests, during which pro-democracy protesters regularly deployed the use of umbrellas in clashes with the city’s security forces.

Earlier in the day, Seattle demonstrators were heard chanting “No more gas!” to law enforcement in footage from CNN affiliate KIRO.

Seattle is under a nightly 10 p.m. curfew, which Mayor Jenny Durkan extended through Saturday.

Head coach Vic Fangio of the Denver Broncos speaks to the media at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, Indiana, on February 25.

In an interview on Tuesday, Denver Broncos head coach Vic Fangio told reporters he doesn’t believe racism or discrimination is an issue in the National Football League.

He called George Floyd’s death a “societal issue that we all have to join in to correct.”

Protesting racial injustice: The NFL has been embroiled in controversies surrounding racial inequity and representation for years.

The symbolic act of taking a knee, now ubiquitous in protests across the US, was popularized by former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who began kneeling during the National Anthem at NFL games in 2016 to protest police brutality and racial injustice.

Since then, Kaepernick has not been re-signed by any club – and some supporters argue he has been effectively blacklisted for his activism.

Diversity in the NFL: Only four NFL teams have a nonwhite head coach, and just two of the current general managers are minorities.

Of the five head coaching vacancies in the offseason, just one was filled by a nonwhite person – Ron Rivera, who is Hispanic.

On May 19, following a virtual league meeting, the NFL announced an expansion of coach position hiring requirements and implementation of enhanced diversity policies.

Police detain a protester who declined to get off the streets during curfew in New York, on Tuesday, June 2.

New York police arrested about 200 protesters across the city tonight, and that number is expected to increase, a law enforcement official told CNN.

It’s now past 1 a.m. in New York. The curfew went into effect at 8 p.m.

Most of the protests today have been peaceful, said CNN Correspondent Shimon Prokupecz. People marched through Manhattan, with some storeowners, residents and supporters lining the sides of the streets and cheering on demonstrators.

Though there were some instances of looting tonight, it was nowhere as widespread or chaotic as the looting seen on Monday night, which had targeted stores across Manhattan.

At one point, protesters trying to cross the Manhattan Bridge from Brooklyn to Manhattan were blocked off by police, who closed the Manhattan side of the bridge. There were fears of a confrontation, but police allowed the protesters to turn around and walk off the bridge back into Brooklyn without arrests.

Protesters gather in front of the White House over the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died after being pinned down by a white police officer in Minneapolis, on June 2.

In Washington, DC, police appear to be preparing to clear protesters still out on the streets past curfew.

It’s coming up to 1 a.m. local time. The curfew went into effect at 7 p.m.

After violent clashes this past week in Lafayette Park, close to the White House, a new fence was put up around the park. Police are now standing on the opposite side of the fence from the crowd of protesters, who number between 200 to 250, said CNN Correspondent Alex Marquardt from the scene.

Every now and then, protesters try to rock the fence, but they are often shouted down by other protesters.

Things escalated briefly, with protesters throwing fireworks and other projectiles through and over the fence at the police – who responded by using pepper spray blasts at the crowd, and what appears to be flash bangs.

“Now what you’re seeing is the response from the DC National Guard,” said Marquardt. “I’m not seeing any park police, this is all military police.”

Protesters are tending to those hit with the pepper spray, pouring milk and water on their faces and eyes to provide relief.

On Monday night, a retired police captain in St. Louis, Missouri, was killed in a looting incident, said the St. Louis Police Department.

David Dorn had been killed while responding to an alarm at a pawnshop, said the department in a press conference on Tuesday.

“Throughout the night, we made 25 arrests for various charges. And then there were 55 businesses and counting that were burglarized and had property damage,” said an official at the press conference. 

“One of those businesses had one of our retired captains, retired captain David Dorn, who retired after 38 years. During the looting process, David Dorn was exercising law enforcement that he learned here.”

President Donald Trump tweeted about the incident, paying his respects to Dorn.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Tuesday that the decision to implement an earlier curfew time of 8 p.m. came after the city saw “coordinated criminal activity” and looting. Previously the curfew began at 11 p.m.

“Now we’ve made the adjustment. I think this is the right approach that will help us to really lead this moment out and get back to a more normal place,” he said.

The citywide curfew will now remain in place for the remainder of the week, extending from 8 p.m. each night to 5 a.m. the next morning.

He emphasized that the looting was only done by a “infinitesimal” amount of people, and that the vast majority of New York protesters were peaceful. 

De Blasio declined to share exact numbers on the size of the police presence in the city Tuesday night, but called the presence “vast” and described the number as “the highest number of police we have had over the last five days.”

He added that he felt having National Guard troops in the city would have negative unintended consequences, and raise “a real risk of violence and someone losing their life.”

President Donald Trump tweeted about the ongoing protests in New York, citing Fox News in describing the “chaos, lawlessness, and destruction.”

“When will Governor Cuomo call the federal government for help?” he tweeted.

Later, he added in another tweet,”New York’s Finest are not being allowed to perform their MAGIC but regardless, and with the momentum that the Radical Left and others have been allowed to build, they will need additional help. NYC is totally out of control.”

What happened in New York: In Manhattan, scuffles broke out between police and protesters in the western neighborhood of Chelsea, with several protesters arrested or detained.

There were also instances of looting along the downtown area, with CNN Correspondent Shimon Prokupecz observing people break into a wine store and taking bottles.

Further south, protesters gathered on the Manhattan Bridge. Police were on both ends, but eventually allowed protesters to walk off peacefully.

There are between 7,000 to 10,000 people demonstrating in Portland, Oregon today, according to Portland police spokesperson Michael Roberts.

He said there are two main groups of protesters – one that started at Pioneer Courthouse Square and one at Revolutionary Hall.

Earlier tonight, police in Los Angeles began arresting a small group of protesters outside the mayor’s residence, hours after curfew.

Many of the protesters were still sitting on the ground, with their hands up together, chanting “Peaceful protest,” said CNN Correspondent Kyung Lah on the scene.

“One by one, you see two officers move forward. You can see the two officers move forward, lean down, ask the protester to stand up, turn around, put their hands behind them, and then they’re led away,” Lah said.

As the protesters were led away, the remaining crowd sitting on the ground cheered for them. The arrested protesters were then lined up against a wall, where they gave the police their information and were bused out to be further processed elsewhere, said Lah.

Compared to the scuffles and arrests taking place in other parts of the country, this scene was remarkably calm and orderly – in line with the peaceful tone of the protests all day.

“They have been supportive of one another. People in the apartments and the houses that they’ve walked by have run out to give them water, encouraging them to keep going.”

Hundreds arrested: The Los Angeles Police Department have arrested hundreds of protesters, said spokesperson Tony Im.

The protests took place in different parts of the city and county today, including Hollywood, Downtown Los Angeles, and the residential neighborhood of Hancock Park, where Mayor Eric Garcetti resides.

Seattle Mayor Jenny A. Durkan signed a civil emergency order on Tuesday extending the evening curfew through June 6, according to a copy of the order obtained by CNN.

The curfew extends every night from 9 p.m. local time until 5 a.m. the next morning. In the order, Durkan cited violence and looting as factors prompting the curfew, as well as the dangers of Covid-19 infection that are still present.

The curfew does not apply to law enforcement, emergency personnel, city and government officials, members of the news media authorized in advance, and workers engaged in essential functions like medical care, according to the order. 

Those who violate the curfew could face imprisonment and/or a fine of up to $500.

In New York, tensions were high earlier tonight with protesters on the Manhattan Bridge and police on both sides – but police eventually allowed protesters to walk away and leave the area.

Protesters holding signs and holding their arms up slowly walked off, back to the Brooklyn side, as police stood to the side.

“We haven’t seen them make arrests or taking folks into custody, allowing those on the bridge to make their way off the bridge,” said CNN Correspondent Jason Carroll at the scene.

“So far this falls in line with a lot of the tactics we have seen, not just tonight but last night as well, with the police taking a step back – allowing some of the demonstrators to have their voice,” said Carroll.

What happened: Earlier today, some protesters splintered from a larger group demonstrating in Brooklyn.

They tried to cross the Manhattan Bridge into Manhattan, but were stopped by police. They stayed stuck on the bridge, with some fearful of arrests, before turning around and peacefully walking off.

“Police are standing by – the tactic is take a backseat approach at this point and allow them to continue marching,” said Carroll.

The National Guard in Washington, DC, is now investigating the actions of their helicopters on Monday night, it said.

Late Monday night, helicopters were seen doing slow, low-level passes over crowds, and hovering in what appeared to be attempts to disperse the protesters.

Pentagon spokesperson Lt. Col. Chris Mitchell told CNN on Tuesday that the UH-72 aircraft had been flying to “provide observation of DC National Guard positions as they conducted civil unrest operations,” and had not been dispatched as part of law enforcement operations.

Many protesters in Washington, DC, peacefully walked away from Lafayette Square, heading north to the DuPont neighborhood after gathering near the park for hours past curfew.

A rolling police department bike squad slowly followed them up the streets, away from the White House.

It had been a more peaceful, quiet night than the previous few, after scenes of tear gas and police clashes with protesters in the Lafayette Square area this week.

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

The Seattle Office of Police Accountability received about 14,000 complaints concerning the conduct of Seattle police officers during this past weekend’s demonstrations, said spokesperson Anne Bettesworth.

Here are just a few of the allegations in the complaints:

The subsequent investigations will be led by civilians and will be “as transparent as possible given the law and police collective bargaining agreements,” said a press release from the city.

The Pentagon confirmed Tuesday night that about 1,600 active duty troops had been moved from Fort Bragg and Fort Drum to the Washington, DC area to assist civil authorities if needed.  

No active duty forces have been deployed in DC as of now, but the “active duty elements are postured on military bases in the National Capitol Region,” said Pentagon Chief spokesman Jonathan Hoffman in a statement, describing the movement as a “prudent planning measure.”

CNN previously reported that troops from Fort Bragg were being moved in the DC area on Monday night.

President Donald Trump’s announcement Monday that he is ready to deploy the military to enforce order inside the United States has led to discomfort among some in the Pentagon, defense officials have told CNN.

Some Pentagon officials have tried to make a strong case that the situation does not yet call for deploying active duty troops unless state governors make a clear argument that such forces are needed. 

“There is an intense desire for local law enforcement to be in charge,” a defense official said, alluding to the laws that forbid the military from performing law enforcement roles inside the US.