[VIDEOS] George Floyd Killing - 4 officers charged - Protests erupt across the United States

[Firebat]

'Violence provokes violence', Mandela Foundation says in support of U.S. protests

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africa’s Nelson Mandela Foundation said on Thursday violence can be a rational response to racism and for some communities is the only way to elicit change, as protests raged across the United States over the death of George Floyd.

Floyd died after a police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes, video footage showed, sparking outrage across the United States and beyond. Protests in the country have turned violent.

The foundation, set up to guard the legacy of Nelson Mandela, South Africa’s first democratically-elected president, said that violence is often too readily dismissed as the work of extremists or criminals, when it can be the result of careful calculation by communities who “see that only such action elicits the desired response from the state”.

“When communities are confronted by both resilient structural violence and attacks on their bodies, violent responses will occur... The use of violence can be rational and carefully targeted,” its statement continued.

Violent struggle helped bring an end to a system of segregation and white minority rule in South Africa. But 26 years after the end of apartheid, the country is still grappling with racial tensions and massive inequality, with the foundation saying democracy had not “yet ensured black lives matter as much as white lives”.

It highlighted the case of Collins Khosa, a man who recently died in South Africa after allegedly being beaten by soldiers amid the country’s lockdown to stem the spread of the coronavirus.

“Now is the time for sober assessment of a resilient white supremacy in our country, in the US and globally. We need to reckon with the fact that structural and other forms of violence will provoke violence,” it said.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...says-in-support-of-u-s-protests-idUSKBN23B29C

 

[Abdullah719]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">NEW:<br><br>An autopsy has found that Manuel Ellis, a black man who died in police custody in Tacoma, was killed as a result of oxygen deprivation and the physical restraint used in his arrest. <br><br>"I can't breathe," he said before he died.<a href="https://t.co/SOJk8oaMsl">https://t.co/SOJk8oaMsl</a></p>— Mike Baker (@ByMikeBaker) <a href="https://twitter.com/ByMikeBaker/status/1268388800067059712?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 4, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[MenInG]

The secretary of the army interestingly sent a tweet about soldiers needing to protect Americans’ right to peaceably assemble, just three days after a group of peaceful protesters near the White House were forcibly removed using tear gas.

“Every Soldier and Department of the Army Civilian swears an oath to support and defend the Constitution. That includes the right of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition the government for a redress of grievances,” secretary of the army Ryan McCarthy said in a tweet.

The timing of the tweet was noteworthy, considering Trump has sought to depict the protesters who have demonstrated in response to the killing of George Floyd as violent “thugs.”

The tweet also comes one day after defense secretary Mark Esper reversed plans to withdraw active-duty troops froom the DC region, who were deployed in response to the protests.

 

[Shazzam]

I know which is why I asked. You clearly believe black lives matter regardless of situation or race involved yet say you are addressing only a single strata of the issue.

Yet, we only hear 'Black lives matter' when there is a racist attack.

Hence why all the solidarity of late is not only false but means nothing. Profile and pictures changed to black means nothing. Black lives matter slogans mean nothing. Why? Selective and subjective application.

You know which black lives really matter? The millions who are dying of starvation in Africa. I dont seen any solidarity for them.

What are you even trying to get at? It seems to me you are trying to jump from topic to topic. That literally has nothing to do with Police brutality due to racism. This is about Police brutality not about fixing world issues.

 

[Sirris]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The way I was just cheering ����������������������������</p>— Kina (@GoldeeeLoccs) <a href="https://twitter.com/GoldeeeLoccs/status/1267324795110264833?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 1, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

I'd like to bring attention to this clip and the overwhelming reactions to it on twitter.

Any commentary, fellas?

 

[Technics 1210]

What are you even trying to get at? It seems to me you are trying to jump from topic to topic. That literally has nothing to do with Police brutality due to racism. This is about Police brutality not about fixing world issues.

Let me make it clearer to you, police brutality isnt a new thing. Where is your solidarity when other members of the public are victims of police brutality.

That's right, you and the rest of the solidarity cult are hypocrites.

 

[Shazzam]

Let me make it clearer to you, police brutality isnt a new thing. Where is your solidarity when other members of the public are victims of police brutality.

That's right, you and the rest of the solidarity cult are hypocrites.

You are right Police brutality is not a new thing. It has happen for years. Which is why they need to be aware they gotta fix there system. Hence why these protests are happening to change that. And its working.

 

[The Viper]

US AG blames 'extremists' and 'foreign actors' for violence

US Attorney General Barr has repeated an assertion that "extremist groups" and "agitators" like the activists known as antifa, a loose affiliation of mainly far-left protesters, have been "hijacking" the protests.

"We have evidence that antifa and other similar extremist groups as well as actors of a variety of different political persuasions have been involved in instigating and participating in the violent activity," Barr said, but did not elaborate further.

Barr also noted there is evidence that foreign actors are amplifying tensions.

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly blamed the "radical left" and "antifa-led anarchists" for the unrest, though he has not provided evidence. It remains unclear what caused some peaceful protests to spiral into riots.

On Wednesday, three men with ties to right-wing extremists were arrested in Nevada on terrorism-related charges for allegedly scheming to engender violence during the Floyd protests.

 

[The Viper]

Remembering George Floyd: Hundreds to attend Minneapolis memorial

Spoiler

Minneapolis, Minnesota, US - Hundreds are expected to attend on Thursday the first of several planned memorials for George Floyd, an unarmed Black man killed by police in Minneapolis, Minnesota last month.

The Minneapolis event will kick off a week of services to honour Floyd, whose death on May 25, captured on video, set off protests across the United States, and worldwide.

The memorial, which will be attended by family, friends and prominent civil rights figures, will be livestreamed, starting at 1pm (18:00 GMT). Thousands of people are expected to gather in a park nearby. Reverend Al Sharpton is scheduled to give the eulogy.

On Thursday "we will lay out how we will mobilise nationally in the name of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and more", Sharpton tweeted on Wednesday, referring to the names of Black men and women killed by police or former law enforcement.

Sharpton's sentiment was shared by residents in Minneapolis, many of whom have attended daily protests, demanding justice for Floyd and an end to police violence.

"I'm not only there for the people that died of police shootings, but I'm there for the 401 years of slavery and oppression - systematic oppression that my people had to deal with, and are still dealing with," said Sada Cooper, a Minneapolis resident.

"Like, when is it going to end?" she asked.

Carlos Flemming said attending the memorial was not only a way to honour Floyd, but an "opportunity to take back this space and take back the narrative of what happened".

'I can't breathe'
That narrative is what Floyd's family and many protesters say is so important.

"The image that most of us have of George Floyd is the horrible video that we've seen," said Floyd family lawyer Chris Stewart on Wednesday, standing alongside Roxie Washington, the mother of Floyd's six-year-old daughter, Gianna.

Stewart was referring to the video, now seen around the world, in which Floyd repeatedly pleads for the white police officer kneeling on his neck to get off.

"I can't breathe," Floyd repeatedly says before going motionless, still being pinned down by the officer's knee.

"We've seen the anger in the streets; we've seen so much violence; we've seen beauty, also. We've seen people standing up and speaking up, and we've seen massive changes across the country," Stewart said. "But what we really wanted the world to see is the beauty of their child. The beauty of Gianna ... The beauty of Roxie who is holding up strong throughout this. And the actual situations in life that these things affect."

Mina Mansaray, a Minneapolis resident, said she sees Thursday's memorial as an opportunity to step back and reflect.

"I feel like we just have to slow everything down for a little bit to appreciate the reality of life," Mansaray told Al Jazeera. "Unfortunately, it's the fact that Black people have to, have to struggle a little harder than everybody else, but look at what we've created."

Thursday's service comes a day after prosecutors announced new charges against the four now-fired police officers involved in Floyd's death.

Derek Chauvin, the officer who knelt on Floyd's neck, had his previously announced third-degree murder charge upgraded to second-degree murder.

The other three officers face aiding and abetting second-degree murder and manslaughter charges. All four are in custody.

"This is a significant step forward on the road to justice, and we are gratified that this important action was brought before George Floyd's body was laid to rest," said prominent civil rights lawyer Ben Crump, who is also representing the Floyd family. "That is a source of peace for George's family in this painful time."

Services will also be held in North Carolina - where Floyd was born - and Houston - where he lived for a time. Floyd will be buried in Houston at a private service next week.

To Cooper attending Thursday's memorial gives everyone a chance "to show a sense of community, to show that everybody's on one accord".

"Everybody's here for the same purpose. Everybody has the same mindset," she said. "And we're all looking for the same outcome ... It feels like one body, and that's what God intended for us to be. One body."

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020...end-minneapolis-memorial-200604150458216.html

 

[MenInG]

The family’s lawyer, Benjamin Crump, said the fight for justice would have to go on “inside the courtroom and outside the courtroom”. It was revealed that Floyd had tested positive for coronavirus in April but Crump said that wasn’t what killed him.

“It was that other pandemic that we’re far too familiar with in America, that pandemic of racism and discrimination that killed George Floyd,” he said.

Then family members stepped up to remember Floyd.

Philonise Floyd described his love for his elder brother.

“We didn’t have much. Our mom did what she could. We would sleep in the same bed,” he said.

Philonise described his brother as inspiring, and how they would talk and dance and cook with their mother.

“It was amazing, everywhere you go and see how people cling to him. They wanted to be around him. George, he was like a general. Every day you walks outside and there’s a line of people … wanting to greet him and wanting to have fun with him.

“Guys that was doing drugs, like smokers and homeless people. You could tell because when they spoke to George they felt like they was the president because that’s how he made you feel.

“It’s crazy man. It’s amazing to me that he touched so many hearts.”

 

[MenInG]

Three police officers make first court appearance over Floyd death

As George Floyd's memorial service continues, three Minneapolis police officers have appeared in court over his death.

Thomas Lane, J Alexander Kueng, and Tou Thao have been charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder, and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.

If convicted, they face up to 40 years in prison. Their bail has been set at $1m (£792,000).

Derek Chauvin, the officer who knelt on Floyd's neck, has been charged with second-degree murder and is due to appear separately in court on 8 June.

 

[MenInG]

Amazing speech this!

===


Get your knee off our necks'

Reverend Al Sharpton is speaking now.

He reflects on the events leading to the memorial service today, noting that he gave the eulogy at Eric Garner's funeral, who died in a police chokehold in New York.

He said he went to the place where George Floyd died when he arrived in Minneapolis.

"When I stood at that spot, the reason it got to me because George Floyd's story has been the story of black folks. Ever since 401 years ago, the reason we could never be who we wanted and dreamed of being is you kept your knee on our neck," he says as the crowd applauds.

"It's time for us to stand up in George's name and say get your knee off our necks."

"The reason why we're marching all over the world is we were like George. We couldn't breathe - not because there was something wrong with our lungs, but because you wouldn't take your knee off your neck.

"We don't want no favours just get up off of us and we can do and be whatever we can be."

 

[The Viper]

Video of Floyd's death offers clues into ex-Minneapolis officers' possible defense, say legal experts

The video of George Floyd’s death offers clues into how three former Minneapolis police officers charged with aiding and abetting his murder could defend themselves, from saying they didn’t know excessive force was used to deferring to a senior officer, according to some legal experts.

A judge set bail of $1 million on Thursday for Tuo Thao, Thomas Lane and J. Alexander Kueng. The three men were with Derek Chauvin, the officer charged with second-degree murder after being recorded by a bystander kneeling on the neck of the 46-year old here African American for nearly nine minutes during his May 25 arrest.

The video touched off global protests against police brutality, but it also provides a window into possible defenses in court, seven legal experts interviewed by Reuters said.

People are usually charged with aiding and abetting when they actively encourage a crime or participate directly, such as driving a get-away car.

“Here, however, you have police who are duty bound to help/protect their fellow officer,” said Kurt Weinmann, an attorney with Garbarini & Scher. “To charge them you’d have to show they knew or should have known he was acting with excessive force.”

According to court documents, Thao watched as Chauvin placed his knee on Floyd’s neck, then turned to keep the crowd from getting too close.

Weinmann said Thao appears focused on controlling the growing crowd, as he is trained to do, and said prosecutors face a challenge of convicting him for failing to monitor Chauvin’s level of force.

“Expecting an officer to do that would be asking him to go against all of his instincts and usual practice,” Weinmann said.

Lawyers for Thao, Lane and Kueng did not respond to requests for comment. The officers were fired from the Minneapolis police department along with Chauvin.

The president of the police officers' unihere Bob Kroll, said in a letter to union members on Monday that the four "were terminated without due process" and he was working with the union’s labor attorneys to get them reinstated.

After Floyd’s arrest, the officers briefly tried to put him in a squad car, but he refused and said he was claustrophobic, according to court documents. After a struggle, Chauvin pulled Floyd to the ground while handcuffed, the court documents said.

Lane and Kueng helped hold Floyd down while Chauvin kneeled on Floyd’s neck, but the legal experts said they still had defenses, particularly Lane.

Soon after Floyd is pinned down, Lane asked Chauvin if they should roll Floyd on his side, and was told “no,” according to court documents.

Lane also said he was worried that Floyd was suffering from excited delirium, an agitated condition.

“The case against Lane will be the toughest for the prosecution because the defense will say he actively tried to help Mr. Floyd by urging Chauvin to turn Floyd over at least twice,” said Paul Callan, a former New York City homicide prosecutor.

Lane’s attorney told the court on Thursday his client was following his training officer’s orders and “he was doing everything he thought he was supposed to do.”

Kueng held Floyd’s back during the arrest, according to court documents, and may face the toughest case, partly because he remained silent during the arrest, the legal experts said.

They said Kueng will likely try to argue he was unaware of the extent of the force that Chauvin was using and could not determine Floyd’s condition until it was too late.

Both Kueng and Lane were relatively junior officers, which also could work in their favor.

“They will say they weren’t willing to go against the chain of command,” said Joseph Friedberg, a defense attorney.

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-m...-defense-say-legal-experts-idUKKBN23B3EJ?il=0

 

[The Viper]

ACLU and Black Lives Matter sue Trump and Barr

The American Civil Liberties Union is suing Donald Trump, William Barr and other federal officials over the assault on peaceful protesters near the White House on Monday, which was ordered by Barr so Trump could walk to St John’s church, the so-called Church of the Presidents, and hold up a Bible in a photo op meant to reassure evangelical supporters.

According to a release from the ACLU of the District of Columbia, the lawsuit filed on behalf of Black Lives Matter DC and individual protesters accuses Trump and the other officials are accused of “violating their constitutional rights and engaging in an unlawful conspiracy to violate those rights”.

Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and the law firm of Arnold & Porter also filed the suit.

“What happened to our members Monday evening, here in the nation’s capital, was an affront to all our rights,” April Goggans of Black Lives Matter DC, the lead plaintiff in the case, said in a quote provided by the ACLU.

“The death of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor at the hands of police officers has reignited the rage, pain, and deep sadness our community has suffered for generations. We won’t be silenced by tear gas and rubber bullets. Now is our time to be heard.”

Scott Michaelman, legal director for the ACLU of the District of Columbia, said: “The president’s shameless, unconstitutional, unprovoked, and frankly criminal attack on protesters because he disagreed with their views shakes the foundation of our nation’s constitutional order.

“And when the nation’s top law enforcement officer becomes complicit in the tactics of an autocrat, it chills protected speech for all of us.”

Ben Wizner, director of the ACLU’s Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project, said lawsuits would be filed across the US, where “law enforcement armed with military weaponry are responding with violence to people who are protesting police brutality.

“The First Amendment right to protest is under attack, and we will not let this go unanswered.”

 

[MenInG]

Another senior former military officer has denounced President Donald Trump's threat to use troops to suppress ongoing protests in the US.

The ex-Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman, Gen Martin Dempsey, told National Public Radio that Mr Trump's remarks were "very troubling" and "dangerous".

Mr Trump's current and former defence secretaries have also spoken out.

On Monday, the president threatened to deploy the military to "quickly solve" the unrest if states failed to act.

Mainly peaceful protests have spread across the US since the death of African American George Floyd in police custody last month.

While demonstrations over Mr Floyd's death appear to be simmering down in the nation's capital, the White House's security perimeter has expanded in recent days.

"The idea that the president would take charge of the situation using the military was troubling to me," Gen Dempsey said in rare public remarks on Thursday.

"The idea that the military would be called in to dominate and to suppress what, for the most part, were peaceful protests - admittedly, where some had opportunistically turned them violent - and that the military would somehow come in and calm that situation was very dangerous to me," he added.

Gen Dempsey served as America's most senior military officer under former US President Barack Obama from 2011-15.

"Donald Trump is the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people - does not even pretend to try," Mr Mattis wrote in the Atlantic magazine. "Instead, he tries to divide us."

Mr Trump hit back via Twitter at the "overrated general".

Earlier that day, Mr Trump's current Defence Secretary Mark Esper had also spoken up.

He said the use of active-duty forces to quash unrest across the nation would be unnecessary at this stage, in remarks that are known to have displeased the White House.

Mr Trump said on Monday from the White House Rose Garden that he would act to disperse violent protesters.

"If a city or a state refuses to take the actions that are necessary to defend the life and property of their residents," he said, "then I will deploy the United States military and quickly solve the problem for them."

While he spoke, authorities used force to disperse a mainly peaceful protest nearby so the president could walk to a historic church that was damaged by fire in the unrest and be photographed holding up a Bible.

The justice department had ordered Lafayette Square, just outside the executive mansion, to be fenced off for Mr Trump's walkabout.

By Thursday afternoon, that security zone was significantly expanded, with high fencing installed around the park area known as the Ellipse just south of the White House.

Also on Thursday, a moderate Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski broke ranks to say she was unsure if she would support Mr Trump's bid for re-election.

In what is being seen as the most outspoken criticism yet of the president from a senator in his own party, Ms Murkowski told the Washington Post: "I thought Gen Mattis' words were true and honest and necessary and overdue."

Shortly afterwards Mr Trump tweeted that he would campaign to throw the Alaska senator out of office when she is up for re-election in 2022.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52931133

 

[MenInG]

The American Civil Liberties Union and other civil rights groups are suing Donald Trump, William Barr and other federal officials over the assault on peaceful protesters near the White House on Monday, to allow the president to hold a photo op at a historic church.

According to a release from the ACLU of the District of Columbia, the lawsuit filed on behalf of Black Lives Matter DC and individual protesters accuses Trump and the other officials are accused of “violating their constitutional rights and engaging in an unlawful conspiracy to violate those rights”.

The Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and the law firm of Arnold & Porter also filed the suit.

Protesters demonstrating over the killing of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis were gassed, shot with rubber bullets and forcefully cleared on Barr’s orders so Trump could walk to St John’s church, the so-called Church of the Presidents, and hold up a Bible in a photo op meant to reassure evangelical supporters.

“What happened to our members Monday evening, here in the nation’s capital, was an affront to all our rights,” April Goggans of Black Lives Matter DC, the lead plaintiff in the case, said in a quote provided by the ACLU.

“The death of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor at the hands of police officers has reignited the rage, pain and deep sadness our community has suffered for generations. We won’t be silenced by teargas and rubber bullets. Now is our time to be heard.”

The lawsuit, filed in federal court on Washington, comes as William Barr, the attorney general, defended the decision to forcefully remove the peaceful protesters, saying it was necessary to protect officers and federal property.

Scott Michaelman, the legal director for the ACLU of the District of Columbia, said: “The president’s shameless, unconstitutional, unprovoked and frankly criminal attack on protesters because he disagreed with their views shakes the foundation of our nation’s constitutional order.

“And when the nation’s top law enforcement officer becomes complicit in the tactics of an autocrat, it chills protected speech for all of us.”

Ben Wizner, the director of the ACLU’s Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project, said lawsuits would be filed across the US, where “law enforcement armed with military weaponry are responding with violence to people who are protesting police brutality.

“The first amendment right to protest is under attack, and we will not let this go unanswered.”

Trump and supporters have claimed protesters in Lafayette Square, in front of the White House, and near St John’s church were not teargassed. But as an Associated Press factcheck points out, “the US Park Police denied using teargas, yet acknowledged deploying a pepper compound, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other scientific organizations list as one form of teargas”.

The White House has also contested reports that rubber bullets were also used to clear the crowd before Trump, who had just promised to enforce “law and order” in a brief Rose Garden address.

The events in and around Lafayette Square on Monday night have contributed to a growing rift in US society and even within the US military. Trump was accompanied to the church by officials including Mark Esper, the secretary of defense, and Gen Mark Milley, the chair of the joint chiefs of staff.

Esper has said he had not known the president was intending to hold a photo op. But senior figures including the former defense secretary and marine corps general James Mattis, the former JCOS chair admiral Mike Mullen and the former marine corps general John Allen, a former US commander against Isis and in Afghanistan, have expressed their disgust with both the stunt and the military’s participation in it.

Barr said he had met with other law enforcement officials earlier Monday and decided they needed to extend a security perimeter around the White House to protect federal agents “who could be reached by projectiles from the street”. He expected the perimeter to be moved in the early afternoon, but when he arrived in the evening, shortly before Trump was set to speak at a news conference, he learned it wasn’t done and ordered law enforcement officials to take action.

After the crowd was dispersed, Trump, followed by an entourage of his most senior aides – including Barr – along with Secret Service agents and reporters, walked over to St John’s Church, the landmark pale-yellow building where every president, including Trump, has prayed, that had been damaged Sunday night in a protest fire. Barr said Trump, as the nation’s chief executive, had every right to do so and claimed it wasn’t political.

“I don’t necessarily view that as a political act. I think it was entirely appropriate for him to do,” Barr said.

US Park Police launched an investigation after officers were seen hitting an Australian journalist with a shield as they cleared the protesters.

For days, the federal government has vowed to have an aggressive response in the District of Columbia after nights of violence that led to fires being set, windows shattered, store shelves emptied and dozens of police officers injured. The federal government has deployed law enforcement officials from numerous agencies, and national guard troops from a number of states have been sent to the District of Columbia.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news...ump-protesters-church-white-house#maincontent

 

[MenInG]

Civil rights groups are to sue Trump over the assault on peaceful protesters near White House

Twitter has disabled a Trump campaign video tribute to George Floyd, they say due to copyright complaint. It will no doubt add to tensions between the president and the social media platform

Police officers in Buffalo have been suspended for pushing a 75-year-old to ground during the protests

Black college student Justin Howell, hit in the head by “less lethal” rounds fired by police at a protest on Sunday, is in critical condition at hospital

It is confirmed that Vallejo police killed an unarmed 22-year-old who was on his knees with his hands up

The New York Times has dropped its initial defence of a ‘Send in the troops’ article and now says Tom Cotton’s opinion piece did not meet editorial standards

 

[MenInG]

One of the four former Minneapolis officers charged over George Floyd's death tried to warn his fellow officers during the arrest, a court has heard.

J. Alexander Kueng hadn't yet completed his third full shift as a police officer when the deadly arrest occurred, his lawyer Tom Plunkett claimed.

Mr Plunkett said Kueng allegedly told his fellow officers as they were detaining George Floyd: "You shouldn't do that."

Kueng was in court on Thursday along with former officers Tou Thao and Thomas Lane after being charged with aiding and abetting murder, as well as aiding and abetting manslaughter.

A fourth officer, Derek Chauvin, was charged with second-degree murder after video showed him placing his knee on Mr Floyd's neck for more than eight minutes while detaining him on 25 May.

Lane was also new to the job, only on the force for four days when the incident occurred, his lawyer Earl Gray claimed.

Mr Gray said that Lane twice asked Chauvin, a training officer: "Shall we roll him over?" He also expressed concern that Mr Floyd may be in "delirium."

"What is my client supposed to do other than follow what the training officer said?" Gray said in court.

A judge ordered Kueng, Lane and Thao each an unconditional bail of $1m (£790,000) compounded with $750,000 (£595,450) of conditional bail. No pleas were entered.

All four of the former officers face a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison, according to the criminal complaints.

Multiple videos have been released on Mr Floyd's arrest, with one showing him pinned down by three different officers near a patrol car while a fourth stands near his head.

"Please, please, please, I can't breathe," Mr Floyd begged in one video caught by a bystander. "My stomach hurts. My neck hurts. Please, please. I can't breathe."

Lane and Kueng were the first officers to arrive at the scene that night, as they investigated a report that a possible counterfeit $20 (£16) bill had been passed at the Cup Foods grocery store, according to the complaint against Chauvin.

When Lane found Mr Floyd parked nearby, the officer pulled his gun, had him get out of his car and handcuffed him, the complaint said.

A cuffed Mr Floyd was eventually put face-down on the pavement with Kueng holding down his back and Lane pressing down his legs, the charging document against Chauvin said.

While a distressed Mr Floyd said "I can't breathe", "Mama" and "please" several times, Lane asked: "Should we roll him on his side?"

"No, staying put where we got him," Chauvin responded, according to the complaint.

"I am worried about excited delirium or whatever," Lane allegedly said.

"That's why we have him on his stomach," Chauvin responded, according to the complaint.

The official autopsy from the Hennepin County medical examiner listed Mr Floyd's cause of death as a "cardiopulmonary arrest complicating law enforcement subdual, restraint, and neck compression."

The medical examiner ruled that Mr Floyd's death was a homicide, but added that he had "significant" underlying conditions, including hypertensive heart disease, fentanyl intoxication and recent methamphetamine use.

But an examination funded by Mr Floyd's family reached a somewhat different conclusion. It found that police officers' pressing on his neck and body cut blood and air flow to his brain, causing him to die by mechanical asphyxia, pathologists hired by the family said.

Chauvin was initially charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter last week, but Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison elevated the case by adding a second-degree murder charge on Wednesday.

Mr Ellison said his team will assert that Chauvin committed a felony assault which unintentionally resulted in Mr Floyd's death, which fits the requirements for second-degree murder.

https://news.sky.com/story/george-f...ern-during-deadly-arrest-court-hears-12000760

 

[MenInG]

New York Times says senator's op-ed did not meet standards

The New York Times said a controversial op-ed it published by Republican Senator Tom Cotton - an op-ed that advocated the use of federal troops to quell demonstrations - did not meet its standards.

The Times reported that it had reviewed how Cotton's Send in the Troops editorial came to be published online and in the paper. "This review made clear that a rushed editorial process led to the publication of an Op-Ed that did not meet our standards," a Times spokeswoman said in a statement.

The decision came after a day of protests by Times staffers who believed the editorial was insensitive amid nationwide protests after last week's death of George Floyd.

 

[Robert]

Pride in the contribution of the white people is not the same as white supremacy. Are you even proud to be a Britisher? If yes, does it mean you believe in British supremacy?

And when are you going to kneel before the indian and pakistani posters if you so much believe in white guilt? Amazing how much some people have been brainwashed by the lefties to state hating their own identity and blackwashing their achievements.

Big false equivalence on your part there.

Perhaps I did not make myself clear. I feel no shame for the destructive actions of my ancestors because I was not there and did not take part. I am glad that I live in a liberal democracy, though that is being eroded by the current government. I don't think my country is any better than many, indeed we have slipped far down the Human Development Index in the last few decades.

 

[MenInG]

<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CBB6ewBA-aO/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); widthlc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CBB6ewBA-aO/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decorationne; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; 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font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-stylermal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"> View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div></a> <p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CBB6ewBA-aO/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-stylermal; font-weightrmal; line-height:17px; text-decorationne; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">This is a time of self-reflection for all – the NFL is no exception. We stand with the black community because Black Lives Matter. Through Inspire Change, the NFL, Players and our partners have supported programs and initiatives throughout the country to address systemic racism. We will continue using our platform to challenge the injustice around us. To date we have donated $44 million to support hundreds of worthy organizations. This year, we are committing an additional $20 million to these causes and we will accelerate efforts to highlight their critical work. We know that we can and need to do more.</a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-spacewrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/nfl/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-stylermal; font-weightrmal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> NFL</a> (@nfl) on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2020-06-04T2207+00:00">Jun 4, 2020 at 3:27pm PDT</time></p></div></blockquote> <script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>

 

[Technics 1210]

Black community are starting to denounce 'Black Lives matter' movement.

Blacks live matter is a leftist lie : https://mobile.twitter.com/hodgetwins/status/1268309646034432001?s=09

 

[Technics 1210]

Excerpt : What is not being told is the violent criminal history of George Floyd. The media will not air this. I’ve worked with the four defense attorneys that are representing each of our four terminated individuals under criminal investigation, in addition with our labor attorneys to fight for their jobs. They were terminated without due process,” wrote Kroll, according to a copy of the letter obtained by the Star Tribune.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.th...l-george-floyd-minneapolis-police-union-chief

 

[Markhor]

Excerpt : What is not being told is the violent criminal history of George Floyd. The media will not air this. I’ve worked with the four defense attorneys that are representing each of our four terminated individuals under criminal investigation, in addition with our labor attorneys to fight for their jobs. They were terminated without due process,” wrote Kroll, according to a copy of the letter obtained by the Star Tribune.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.th...l-george-floyd-minneapolis-police-union-chief

And so he deserves to have a cop kneel on his neck for nearly 9 minutes choking the life out of him ?

Amazing what almighty hypocrites some of you desis are - who'll cry rivers of tears for injustices in Palestine and Kashmir (as we all rightly should).

However with African Americans who've been enslaved, discriminated and subject to state sanctioned violence for over 300 years - well they had it coming because you know what those black folks are like.

 

[Technics 1210]

And so he deserves to have a cop kneel on his neck for nearly 9 minutes choking the life out of him ?

Amazing what almighty hypocrites some of you desis are - who'll cry rivers of tears for injustices in Palestine and Kashmir (as we all rightly should).

However with African Americans who've been enslaved, discriminated and subject to state sanctioned violence for over 300 years - well they had it coming because you know what those black folks are like.

You must have me confused with someone else. I don't post about Kashmir or Palestine, so quit generalising like you always do.

I don't need a history lesson, all races have been persecuted, and some continue to be persecuted. Save the victim mentality.

It would help if blacks respected their own people first before demanding respect from others.

The lefties are the problem. They only speak up when a white man attacks a black man, but not when a black man attacks a black - oh thats right, it isn't racist in the latter so no reason to moan or change profile pics.

 

[Firebat]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Two US police officers have been suspended without pay after a video showed them shoving a 75-year-old man to the ground <a href="https://t.co/6e7DzQdM7G">https://t.co/6e7DzQdM7G</a></p>— SkyNews (@SkyNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/SkyNews/status/1268885401156104195?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 5, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[Firebat]

Court bans Australian Black Lives Matter rally over coronavirus

An Australian court has banned a Black Lives Matter protest that was planned this weekend in Sydney, saying it posed a coronavirus health risk.

New South Wales (NSW) Police had sought a court order to halt it.

Thousands were expected to attend the rally in solidarity with US protests over the killing of George Floyd and to express anger over indigenous deaths in Australian custody.

Organisers say they are determined to go ahead with the protest.

Since the killing of African-American man George Floyd in Minneapolis, Australians have protested against their own country's disproportionate number of black deaths in custody.

Australia has recorded about 7,200 cases of the coronavirus and rapidly flattened its curve since April. There have been no community transmissions in NSW for more than a week.

"Everybody has given up a lot in order to defeat this disease," Justice Desmond Fagan said, ruling that health concerns outweighed the right to protest on this occasion.

"It's not a time to throw out our caution," he added.

However, Latona Dungay, whose son David died in prison in 2015, told AFP news agency: "We are going to march if they like it or not, because this is our land and nothing is going to stop any of us."

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison criticised the planned protests on Friday, saying "don't go".

"Let's find a better way and another way to express these sentiments, rather than putting your own health at risk, the health of others at risk," he said.

Demonstrations have already been held in cities including Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Canberra.

Police in Melbourne have urged people not to attend a planned protest there, pleading with organisers to cancel the event and threatening to issue fines. However, in Brisbane and Adelaide, protests have received police approval.

At least 432 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians have died in custody since 1991, according to data from the Guardian.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-52931409

 

[Abdullah719]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Two US police officers have been suspended without pay after a video showed them shoving a 75-year-old man to the ground <a href="https://t.co/6e7DzQdM7G">https://t.co/6e7DzQdM7G</a></p>— SkyNews (@SkyNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/SkyNews/status/1268885401156104195?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 5, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">New Tonight: Disturbing video from <a href="https://twitter.com/WBFO?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WBFO</a> in Buffalo, NY shows an elderly man walk up to police in riot gear. An officer shoves the man...he falls backwards, hits his head...starts bleeding immediately...motionless. <br>Why did this happen <a href="https://twitter.com/BPDAlerts?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BPDAlerts</a> ?<br> <a href="https://t.co/qbTvXAAPLH">pic.twitter.com/qbTvXAAPLH</a></p>— David Begnaud (@DavidBegnaud) <a href="https://twitter.com/DavidBegnaud/status/1268716877355810818?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 5, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[Abdullah719]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Chicago police are investigating after this video surfaced online: <a href="https://t.co/0BXMAtynEJ">https://t.co/0BXMAtynEJ</a> <a href="https://t.co/oP0S4x91SY">pic.twitter.com/oP0S4x91SY</a></p>— FOX 32 News (@fox32news) <a href="https://twitter.com/fox32news/status/1268384141780779009?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 4, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[MenInG]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">"You have to dominate the streets"<br><br>US President Donald Trump tells governors dealing with protests: "Don't be proud.. call in the National Guard, call me"<a href="https://t.co/XVQzZsW7FF">https://t.co/XVQzZsW7FF</a> <a href="https://t.co/YBFM49O7HR">pic.twitter.com/YBFM49O7HR</a></p>— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) <a href="https://twitter.com/BBCWorld/status/1268922448893837316?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 5, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[Shazzam]

Excerpt : What is not being told is the violent criminal history of George Floyd. The media will not air this. I’ve worked with the four defense attorneys that are representing each of our four terminated individuals under criminal investigation, in addition with our labor attorneys to fight for their jobs. They were terminated without due process,” wrote Kroll, according to a copy of the letter obtained by the Star Tribune.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.th...l-george-floyd-minneapolis-police-union-chief

What does that have to do with him being murdered the way he got murdered?

 

[Uzzy]

Please watch this video put out by Hasan Minhaj calling out the racism from Desi's in particular towards black people. The Asian community can be just as bigoted and I'm glad it's being called out. (Excuse the language in the video but I feel it's important to share, raise awareness and introspection)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_FE78X-qdY

 

[Technics 1210]

What does that have to do with him being murdered the way he got murdered?

It's called balance reporting for a balanced perspective. You only see the second half of the video of what happened to Lloyd. What about the first half? Did you know that Lloyd and the cop, personally knew each other before hand? No.

Please go back into believing your solidarity and profile pics will change anything.

 

[Abdullah719]

Trump suggests George Floyd is happy about US jobs numbers: 'Hopefully he's looking down'

Donald Trump has suggested George Floyd will be pleased about US job numbers, saying the man who died after a police officer knelt on his neck "is hopefully looking down, saying this is a great thing".

The president made the remark during an address about figures that showed unemployment had fallen.

"Hopefully George is looking down and seeing this is a great thing that's happening for our country," he said.

"It's a great day for him, it's a great day for everybody. This is a great day in terms of equality."

Mr Trump was speaking from the Rose Garden at the White House hours after the Labor Department said that US employers had added 2.5 million workers to their payrolls last month.

Economists had been expecting them instead to slash another 8 million jobs amid the ongoing fallout from the response to coronavirus.

"This shows that what we've been doing is right," Mr Trump said of the jobs numbers.

"This is outstanding what's happened today."

https://news.sky.com/story/trump-su...s-numbers-hopefully-hes-looking-down-12001192

 

[WhenSultansBowled]

Please watch this video put out by Hasan Minhaj calling out the racism from Desi's in particular towards black people. The Asian community can be just as bigoted and I'm glad it's being called out. (Excuse the language in the video but I feel it's important to share, raise awareness and introspection)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_FE78X-qdY

Watching the video right now. Hasan preaching the truth!

Thanks for sharing.

 

[MenInG]

Trump: 'Hopefully George is looking down right now'

Trump is apparently using his press conference to declare both the coronavirus crisis and the George Floyd protests to be over.

“Hopefully, George is looking down right now and saying, ‘This is a great thing happening for our country,” Trump said of Floyd, who died in police custody last week. “A great day for him, a great day for everybody. This is great day for everybody.”

However, protests against police brutality are continuing across the country, and Democrats have called for a number of policy changes, including a national ban on chokeholds, that have not been enacted.

In terms of the coronavirus crisis, this morning’s jobs report showed unemployment had dropped to 13.3%, so the US economy still needs to recover much more before reaching pre-pandemic levels.

==


Trump’s comment moments ago about this being a “great day” for George Floyd is already sparking outrage among the president’s critics.

“Hopefully, George is looking down right now and saying, ‘This is a great thing happening for our country,’” Trump said of Floyd, who died in police custody last week. “A great day for him, a great day for everybody. This is a great day for everybody.”

The liberal organization CAP Action said the president’s comment was “despicable”:

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Less than 24 hours after George Floyd’s memorial service, Trump called this a “great day” for Floyd and others "in terms of equality.”<br><br>Despicable. <a href="https://t.co/WD3YPy9t35">pic.twitter.com/WD3YPy9t35</a></p>— CAP Action (@CAPAction) <a href="https://twitter.com/CAPAction/status/1268926322363060224?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 5, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

==

Trump has retweeted a clip that his camapign shared of the president saying this was a “great day” for George Floyd, who died last week after a police officer put his knee on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes.


<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">"Equal justice under the law must mean that every American receives equal treatment in every encounter with law enforcement regardless of race…Hopefully <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GeorgeFloyd?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GeorgeFloyd</a> is looking down right now & saying this is a great thing that's happening for our country…in terms of equality" <a href="https://t.co/7rNQ4EX8Gq">pic.twitter.com/7rNQ4EX8Gq</a></p>— Team Trump (Text TRUMP to 88022) (@TeamTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/TeamTrump/status/1268928869052100608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 5, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>


Trump said during his Rose Garden event this morning, “Equal justice under the law must mean every American receives equal treatment in every encounter with law enforcement regardless of race, color, gender or creed. They have to receive fair treatment from law enforcement.”

The president then appeared to veer from his prepared remarks, saying, “We all saw what happened last week. We can’t let that happen. Hopefully George is looking down right now and saying, ‘This is a great thing that’s happening for our country.’ This is a great day for him. It’s a great day for everbody. This is a great day for everybody. This a great, great day in terms of equality.”

Trump then swerved back into talking about the economy, boasting about the coronavirus relief packages he has signed into law.

The president’s comments about Floyd came less than two weeks after the unarmed black man died in police custody and just one day after Floyd’s family held a memorial service for him in Minneapolis.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

You must have me confused with someone else. I don't post about Kashmir or Palestine, so quit generalising like you always do.

I don't need a history lesson, all races have been persecuted, and some continue to be persecuted. Save the victim mentality.

It would help if blacks respected their own people first before demanding respect from others.

The lefties are the problem. They only speak up when a white man attacks a black man, but not when a black man attacks a black - oh thats right, it isn't racist in the latter so no reason to moan or change profile pics.

I think you are missing the point. While you may be right about the black on black violence, and others may be right with their virtue signalling re desi racism, this is about what we should expect from police. In my book they should always be held to a higher standard, regardless of what colour they are. They are the ones that are there to protect the citizens from harm ultimately.

 

[Shazzam]

It's called balance reporting for a balanced perspective. You only see the second half of the video of what happened to Lloyd. What about the first half? Did you know that Lloyd and the cop, personally knew each other before hand? No.

I believe anyone can see that he was caught for a paying a counterfeit bill. So the dude was already caught due to a criminal offense. Meaning that extra effort you went through to dig up his past criminal offense was meaningless. Despite him being caught that way, the Police in that situation had no right to murder him the way they did. I think you miss that part since your so needy in proving how black lives don’t matter.

Please go back into believing your solidarity and profile pics will change anything.

Sure thing I will. At least I wont be the one hellbent on defaming a dead man who cant defend himself. Please do try your best in groveling lower than you are.

 

[MenInG]

Protests continue over police brutality as several cities hold memorials to honour George Floyd, an unarmed Black man who was killed by police in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on May 25.

Twitter has removed President Donald Trump's campaign tribute video to George Floyd on its platform, citing a copyright complaint.

Rights groups in the US have sued the Trump administration, claiming officials violated the civil rights of protesters when it removed peaceful demonstrators outside the White House earlier this week.

Mayor of Washington, DC, called for the withdrawal from the city of military units sent from other states to deal with protesters. She also renamed a section of a street near the White House, "Black Lives Matter Plaza"

 

[MenInG]

Officers suspended after man, 75, is shoved to ground; man remains in serious condition

Two police officers in Buffalo, New York, have been suspended after pushing a 75-year-old man who then fell down and cracked his head.

The video from WFBO of Thursday night’s encounter, which happened near the conclusion of protests over the death of George Floyd in Minnesota, quickly sparked outrage.

It showed an officer pushing a man who approached a line of officers clearing demonstrators from Niagara Square around the time of an 8pm curfew. The man falls backward and hits his head on the pavement. Blood leaks out as officers walk past.

The mayor, Byron Brown, said in a statement that the man, who hasn’t been publicly identified, was in serious condition. A hospital official said he was “alert and oriented”, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz tweeted Friday morning.

 

[Technics 1210]

I believe anyone can see that he was caught for a paying a counterfeit bill. So the dude was already caught due to a criminal offense. Meaning that extra effort you went through to dig up his past criminal offense was meaningless. Despite him being caught that way, the Police in that situation had no right to murder him the way they did. I think you miss that part since your so needy in proving how black lives don’t matter.



Sure thing I will. At least I wont be the one hellbent on defaming a dead man who cant defend himself. Please do try your best in groveling lower than you are.

But it's you who is the racist here by claiming the white cop is racist just cos he is killed a black devoid of any evidence other than skin colour, and the media narrative.

You still don't get it.

In almost ALL cases of police brutality, the officers involved are suspended pending investigation.

In the case of Lloyd, the officers were charged with murder. This without a formal internal review. You know why? There was history between Lloyd and the cop who killed him. Past records (as mentioned above) provided insight into their relationship.

So stop believeing this was a targetted racist attack until you have the full facts - which you will miss because you are too busy digesting the media horse pukky that is spoonfed to you only to yak it out later.

 

[Shazzam]

But it's you who is the racist here by claiming the white cop is racist just cos he is killed a black devoid of any evidence other than skin colour, and the media narrative. later.

Nice try I never claimed the white cop was racist. There is no way to prove nor disapprove that so don’t bring that strawman here.

You still don't get it.

In almost ALL cases of police brutality, the officers involved are suspended pending investigation.

In the case of Lloyd, the officers were charged with murder. This without a formal internal review. You know why? There was history between Lloyd and the cop who killed him. Past records (as mentioned above) provided insight into their relationship.

If you look at his past record you understand this man had served his time. Why does that all of a sudden matter? Why is that being used to portray Floyd in a bad light? Heck he paid a counterfeit bill which was his recent crime. For that he should have been rightfully arrested. But murdered just cause he has faced the authorities multiples, yeah I don’t think so.

So stop believeing this was a targetted racist attack until you have the full facts - which you will miss because you are too busy digesting the media horse pukky that is spoonfed to you only to yak it out later.

Ok let me get this straight you have issues from me getting info from media while its totally fine for a person like you to get it from your head to believe racism is a hoax in America.

How about this since you know so much of whats needs to be done. How about you tell me what people should really do to fix this mess.

 

[Technics 1210]

Soldiers of solidarity thinking:

1. White man kills a black man - black lives matter. Solidarity/Profile pic change.

2. Black man kills a black man - BLM silent, and the crime added to the statistics column.

3. Black man kills a white man - killer was a victim of racism: white have opressed black for centuries. No solidarity for whites.


Don't be fooled by the media narrative, or the fake solidarity displayed. These people are the real racists who display their solidarity based on the colour of a victims skin.

The establishment and soldiers of solidarity want you to believe that they only time a - black life matters - is when they're killed by a white. All other colours do not matter according these people.

Don't fall for the propaganda.

 

[Technics 1210]

Nice try I never claimed the white cop was racist. There is no way to prove nor disapprove that so don’t bring that strawman here.



If you look at his past record you understand this man had served his time. Why does that all of a sudden matter? Why is that being used to portray Floyd in a bad light? Heck he paid a counterfeit bill which was his recent crime. For that he should have been rightfully arrested. But murdered just cause he has faced the authorities multiples, yeah I don’t think so.



Ok let me get this straight you have issues from me getting info from media while its totally fine for a person like you to get it from your head to believe racism is a hoax in America.

How about this since you know so much of whats needs to be done. How about you tell me what people should really do to fix this mess.

Sigh. I never claimed black live do not matter.

It took you days to realise I have a problem with the media.

Too late though as you have revealed to be a racist by applying your solidarity to one colour.

I don't speak with racists.

Have fun changing your profile pics.

 

[Shazzam]

Sigh. I never claimed black live do not matter.

It took you days to realise I have a problem with the media.

Too late though as you have revealed to be a racist by applying your solidarity to one colour.

I don't speak with racists.

Have fun changing your profile pics.

Is this really the best rebuttal you got? Nice way of dodging my question. No problem though this was the only way you could get away with it since you clearly got no answers on how to fix this mess. The best you can do is believe in the fairy tale that this country has no violence due to racism.

Have a good day sir.

 

[Technics 1210]

Nice try I never claimed the white cop was racist. There is no way to prove nor disapprove that so don’t bring that strawman here.

I'm quoting this post because it deserves a seperate response as it highlights the precise problem with society.

This quote is from a person who is defending the show of solidarity, worldwide, promoting the message of black lives matter; a person who like billions of others, has swallowed the media narrative.

They claim the white cop was not racist (after their solidarity is challenged) yet failed to twig that the very narrative that is the foundation of their part-time solidarity, not only claims that the police brutality was carried out by a racist cop, but also an institutional racist system that targets blacks in the USA. If the victim was any other colour than black, this would not be perceived as a racist attack, and there'd be no show of solidarity.

Brainwashed to the extent they are unaware of what they are defending, and supporting.

 

[The Viper]

Biden: Trump's remark about Floyd was 'despicable'

Joe Biden has reacted to the president’s comment this morning that this was a “great day” for George Floyd, who was killed while in police custody last week.

“George Floyd’s last words, ‘I can’t breathe, I can’t breathe,’ have echoed all across this nation and quite frankly around the world,” Biden said while delivering remarkson the jobs report in Dover, Delaware.

“For the president to try to put any other words in the mouth of George Floyd, I frankly think is despicable.”

The presumptive Democratic nominee noted Trump made the comment on the same day that the jobs report showed black unemployment rose last month, even though overall unemployment fell.

Biden said Trump’s decision to make the Floyd comment following that disheartening news “tells you everything you need to know about this man.”

 

[MenInG]

Remaining National Guard troops in DC to return to home base: reports

The Pentagon will be sending back the remaining 900 active-duty troops who were sent to the Washington DC area to potentially respond to civil unrest, and they are expected to start heading back to their home bases, a US official told Reuters news agency.

The official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the order had been signed by US Defense Secretary Mark Esper and that the troops would be heading back to Fort Bragg in North Carolina and Fort Drum in New York.

The report came after Utah Senator Mike Lee tweeted that DC Mayor Muriel Bowser was 'kicking' National Guard troops out of hotels in the US capital.

 

[The Viper]

Kanye West will provide financial support to the families of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor.

West will fund the entire college education of George Floyd’s six-old-daughter, representatives for the rapper confirmed late Friday afternoon to PEOPLE. In addition, the rapper will also donate $2 million to support the “legal defenses and families” of the late Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor.

The news comes after West was seen participating in a South Side Chicago protest Thursday. The appearance came after a notable silence from West, as many in the hip hop field, including Jay-Z, Drake, and Ludacris, issued calls for justice. West is a noted supporter of President Trump, who has threatened violence and military action against protestors repeatedly.

While West has not publicly commented on the deaths of Floyd, Arbery, or Taylor, his wife, Kim Kardashian-West, wrote she was “infuriated and disgusted.” Previously, the couple have worked closely with President Trump on criminal justice reform and freeing inmates.

 

[Technics 1210]

I think you are missing the point. While you may be right about the black on black violence, and others may be right with their virtue signalling re desi racism, this is about what we should expect from police. In my book they should always be held to a higher standard, regardless of what colour they are. They are the ones that are there to protect the citizens from harm ultimately.

We should expect better from the police, but not all police are brutal/racists, and not all victims of police brutality are black.

There are plenty of videos showing police carrying out their duties to the standard we expect, but they don't go viral. White cops helping black people and black cops helping whites.

This is another unfortunate case. 1 of 1000s, the only difference is this was caught on camera.

So this brings me back to my original point - whats with the solidarity?

 

[MenInG]

Protests continued across the country. Medical professionals rallied in New York, demonstrators gathered at the shores of the Mississippi River in New Orleans, and knelt outside the Walgreens where police killed a 22-year-old amid protests this week in Vallejo, California.

The NFL commissioner Roger Goodell admitted that the organization was wrong for not letting players peacefully protest. Calls mounted for the orgnaization to formally apologize to Colin Kaepernick, who was sidelined after leading protests against police brutality in 2016.

Seattle has temporarily banned the use of teargas. A federal judge in Denver has blocked the police department from indiscriminately deploying chemical weapons and projectiles against peaceful protestors. And California’s governor has called for a statewide standard for law enforcement crowd control.

Minneapolis agreed to ban the use of police chokeholds in response to the killing of Floyd. The Minneapolis city council approved an agreement today with the state’s department of human rights, which also requires officers to intervene anytime they seen an unauthorized use of force.

The DC mayor renamed the section of 16th Street in front of the White House “Black Lives Matter Plaza,” as tensions escalate between the administration and the DC government. Mayor Muriel Bowser has also asked Trump to remove all “extraordinary” law enforcement officers. But Black Lives Matters called on Bowser to do more to address the issue of overpolicing — her current proposed budget increases funding for traditional policing and cuts funds from community programs to reduce violence.

The entire Buffalo police department’s emergency response team has reportedly resigned from the team after two colleagues were suspended without pay for pushing a 75-year-old man who was protesting the killing of Floyd. The 57 officers will still by employed by BPD but will no longer serve on the emergency response team. The elderly protester has been hospitalized and is said to be in stable condition.

Trump’s comment that this is a “great day” for George Floyd sparked outrage. Trump made the comment during a nearly hour-long event in the Rose Garden this afternoon, which mainly consisted of him boasting about the new jobs report. Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said the remark, which came less than two weeks after Floyd was killed while in police custody, was “despicable.”

The US unemployment rate surprisingly dropped to 13.3% in May, according to the jobs report released this morning.But the actual number may be higher due to an error.

 

[Shazzam]

Good to see changes being made. It shows the efforts of citizens is not going out In vain.

 

[MenInG]

All 57 members of a police tactical unit have resigned from the team in protest at the suspension of two colleagues who were filmed shoving a 75-year-old man to the ground.

Two members of the Buffalo Police Department's Emergency Response Team were suspended on Thursday after a local radio station released video of the incident involving the protester.

But Buffalo Police Benevolent Association President John Evans said the pair were simply "following orders".

"Our position is these officers were simply following orders from Deputy Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia to clear the square," he told The Buffalo News.

"It doesn't specify clear the square of men, 50 and under or 15 to 40. They were simply doing their job. I don't know how much contact was made. He did slip in my estimation. He fell backwards."

Speaking to local TV station WGRZ, he said the team had quit the unit "in disgust because of the treatment of two of their members, who were simply executing orders".

He said the 57 remain police officers, despite having stepped down from the unit.

Footage of the incident emerged as protests over the killing of George Floyd continued across the US.

The video shows the elderly man approaching a line of officers wearing riot gear. One officer pushes the man with a baton before a second man shoves him.

The sound of a crack is heard as the man falls backwards and hits the ground and blood trickles from his head.

Most of the officers march past after the man falls. The officer who pushed him with a baton initially leans over him before he is motioned away by a colleague.

Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown said the man was in stable but serious condition in hospital.

He said Police Commissioner Byron Lockwood ordered an investigation and suspended the two officers after seeing the video.

"I was deeply disturbed by the video," the mayor said in a statement.

https://news.sky.com/story/entire-p...ers-who-shoved-elderly-man-to-ground-12001431

 

[MenInG]

LA Galaxy drop Aleksandar Katai after wife's 'racist and violent' Instagram posts

Serbian footballer Aleksandar Katai has been released by LA Galaxy after his wife posted "racist and violent" messages on social media.

The Galaxy announced their decision to “mutually part ways” with their new winger on Friday in a one-sentence news release.

Tea Katai made the posts on her Instagram story earlier this week. The posts included a photo with a caption written in Serbian urging police to “kill” protesters, another referring to protesters as “disgusting cattle,” and a third sharing a racist meme.

The Galaxy met with Aleksandar Katai on Thursday. He disavowed his wife's posts late Wednesday night, saying the “views are not ones that I share and are not tolerated in my family.”

Galaxy fans have been calling for his dismissal. On Thursday, a handful of fans gathered by the David Beckham statue outside the club's stadium holding a banner reading “No Racists in Our Club”.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

We should expect better from the police, but not all police are brutal/racists, and not all victims of police brutality are black.

There are plenty of videos showing police carrying out their duties to the standard we expect, but they don't go viral. White cops helping black people and black cops helping whites.

This is another unfortunate case. 1 of 1000s, the only difference is this was caught on camera.

So this brings me back to my original point - whats with the solidarity?

The solidarity is - I assume - because until a fuss was made nothing was being done. I am sure there are plenty of fantastic white cops, but the only reason a fuss is being made about this one is because it was caught on camera, and initially the cop wasn't charged.

 

[Firebat]

Washington prepares for major protest as Democratic officials move to rein in police

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Protesters are expected to gather in Washington for a huge demonstration on Saturday as street marches across the United States over the killing of a black man in custody enter a 12th day and authorities move to rein in policing tactics.

George Floyd, 46, died on May 25 in Minneapolis after a police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes. The killing has sparked protests against racism and police brutality in cities and smaller communities nationwide, as well as demonstrations around the world.

Some activists have called on social media for a million people to attend Saturday’s rally in the U.S. capital.

“We have a lot of public, open source information to suggest that the event on this upcoming Saturday may be one of the largest we’ve ever had in the city,” Washington DC Police Chief Peter Newsham told local media.

He did not give a crowd estimate. Local media has predicted tens of thousands of attendees.

Six buses unloaded several hundred uniformed military personnel, most carrying shields or body armor, at the White House grounds early Saturday, a Reuters photographer said.

Marches and rallies took place on Friday in Atlanta, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Miami, New York and Denver, among other places, while protesters massed again, in the rain, in front of the White House. The night-time protests were largely peaceful but tension remains high even as authorities in several places take steps to reform police procedures.

A federal judge in Denver ordered city police to stop using tear gas, plastic bullets and other “less-than-lethal” devices such as flash grenades, with his ruling citing examples of protesters and journalists being injured by police.

“These are peaceful demonstrators, journalists, and medics who have been targeted with extreme tactics meant to suppress riots, not to suppress demonstrations,” U.S. District Judge R. Brooke Jackson wrote in the ruling.

In Minneapolis, Democratic city leaders voted to end the use of knee restraints and choke-holds, while California’s Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, said he would end state police training of restraints that restrict the carotid artery in the neck.

In New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo said his state should lead the way in passing “Say Their Name” reforms, including banning choke-holds and making police disciplinary records publicly available.

“Mr Floyd’s murder was the breaking point,” said Cuomo, a Democrat. “People are saying enough is enough.”

Protesters were expected around the world on Saturday. Thousands took to the streets across Australia, as did hundreds in Tokyo and Seoul, while marches were expected around Europe.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...fficials-move-to-rein-in-police-idUSKBN23C1A7

 

[MenInG]

Two members Buffalo police officers have pleaded not guilty to assault after video emerged of them pushing a 75-year-old to the ground during protests over the death of George Floyd. The man was shown bleeding after striking his head as he fell.

Aaron Torgalski and Robert McCabe were arraigned in a Buffalo court on Saturday and both pled not guilty. They will be back in court on 20 July.

Torgalski and McCabe have both been suspended over the incident, which was viewed millions of times on social media. Buffalo police initially said the man had tripped during a confrontation but the city’s mayor later condemned the incident.

“After days of peaceful protests and several meetings between myself, Police leadership and members of the community, tonight’s event is disheartening,” Byron Brown said. “I hope to continue to build on the progress we have achieved as we work together to address racial injustice and inequity in the City of Buffalo.”

Meanwhile, in New York City, two police officers have been suspended over incidents with protesters last week. In the first, a woman was pushed to the ground during a demonstration outside Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, in the second an officer pulled down a man’s facemask and pepper sprayed him.

 

[MenInG]

Taking a knee, banging drums and ignoring social distancing measures, outraged protesters from Sydney to London kicked off global rallies against racism and police brutality on Saturday.

The death at police hands of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man in the US state of Minnesota, has brought tens of thousands out onto the streets during a pandemic that is ebbing in Asia and Europe but still spreading in other parts of the world.

"It is time to burn down institutional racism," one speaker shouted through a megaphone outside the Parliament building in London.

"Silence is violence," the throng shouted back in the rain.

Officials around the world have been trying to balance understanding at people's pent-up anger with warnings about the dangers of a disease that has officially claimed nearly 400,000 lives globally.

Yet tens of thousands of Australians defied Prime Minister Scott Morrison's call to "find a better way", and thousands more in the United Kingdom ignored the health minister's warning that the "coronavirus remains a real threat".

"We want justice. We want to breathe," hundreds chanted in Tunis, as demonstrations convulsing US cities spilled out across the world.

"Are you sure of your silence," asked a poster of a man laying a pink rose at a memorial set up outside the president's office in Pretoria, South Africa.

In Paris, riot police held back a crowd of several thousand who gathered outside the US embassy compound for an unsanctioned protest.

"I find it scandalous that all these injustices go unpunished," Dior, a 21-year-old Senegalese-Ivorian student, said amidst crowds holding up placards reading "Being black is not a crime" and "Our police are assassins".

"How many more?" asked a poster held up in a crowd of thousands in Frankfurt.

In North Carolina, a long line of cars snaked its way down a highway as mourners arrived for a viewing and memorial service at a church not far from Floyd's hometown.

And tens of thousands were again expected in Washington, DC where Mayor Muriel Bowse renamed the area outside the White House "Black Lives Matter Plaza".

 

[The Viper]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Buffalo police officers applauded by their colleagues as they leave the courthouse <a href="https://t.co/t9DGC07ijZ">pic.twitter.com/t9DGC07ijZ</a></p>— Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) <a href="https://twitter.com/Acyn/status/1269322620316442625?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[MenInG]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Buffalo police officers applauded by their colleagues as they leave the courthouse <a href="https://t.co/t9DGC07ijZ">pic.twitter.com/t9DGC07ijZ</a></p>— Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) <a href="https://twitter.com/Acyn/status/1269322620316442625?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Disgraceful.

 

[MenInG]

Washington DC’s mayor, Muriel Bowser, has spoken at one of the protests in the city. She said she had “pushed the Army away from our city” after she called on Donald Trump to withdraw thousands of national guard soldiers and federal law enforcement officers from the capital on Friday.

She also spoke about her young daughter. “I want to grow up in a country where she is not scared to go to the grocery store, not scared to go to work,” she said. “Where she can grow up in an America where she can be a senator in the 51st state, Washington DC.”

 

[Shazzam]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Buffalo police officers applauded by their colleagues as they leave the courthouse <a href="https://t.co/t9DGC07ijZ">pic.twitter.com/t9DGC07ijZ</a></p>— Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) <a href="https://twitter.com/Acyn/status/1269322620316442625?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Not cool they should not be celebrating pushing of a 75 year old man.

 

[Technics 1210]

I bet no one has seen the full video of the 75 year old being pushed.

He at 75 obviousley felt brave and young enough to protest, but when obstructing the cops (still 75 and feeling brave) the cops told him to move out the way, but he didn't, thus was pushed. When on the ground the other cop called the ambulance.

This is no different to the guy Tommy who died in a similar manner in london riots a few years ago. Once the full video was released, the suspended officers were back on the beat.

The left cult are very quick to jump to conclusions devoid of any evidence. The 75 year old shouldn't have got in the way on the police in the first place.

Video : https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/us-riots-buffalo-police-knock-out-protester-75-96fx33x5f

 

[The Viper]

Senior Trump aide apologizes for promoting racially-charged video

A senior aide to Republican U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday apologized for promoting a racially-charged video on her Twitter feed.

Mercedes Schlapp, a senior Trump national spokeswoman, said she “deeply apologized” for retweeting a video of a chainsaw wielding man in Texas shouting at anti-racist protesters, in which he used a racial slur.

“I retweeted without watching the full video. I deleted the tweet. I would never knowingly promote the use of that word,” Schlapp said in an email to Reuters.

Schlapp’s apology comes as the U.S. is convulsed by protests after the police killing in Minnesota last month of a black man, George Floyd, by a white police officer, who knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes. That officer has been charged with second degree murder and three fellow officers have been charged in abetting Floyd’s death.

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-u...ing-racially-charged-video-idUKKBN23D0X9?il=0

 

[Sirris]

Visuals:

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Thousands of people in Philadelphia continue to protest racism and police brutality following the death of George Floyd. Crowds in Center City stretched from the steps of the Art Museum and past the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul. <a href="https://t.co/LlmPCHjz7Q">https://t.co/LlmPCHjz7Q</a> <a href="https://t.co/6YJT2DvCW7">pic.twitter.com/6YJT2DvCW7</a></p>— NBC10 Philadelphia (@NBCPhiladelphia) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBCPhiladelphia/status/1269330816741650433?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">From some to just about everyone. The march on the Golden Gate Bridge has stopped all traffic. This is a captivating shot from our chopper. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BlackLivesMatter?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BlackLivesMatter</a> <a href="https://t.co/T5GPrvvJyj">pic.twitter.com/T5GPrvvJyj</a></p>— Eric Shackelford (@ABC7Shack) <a href="https://twitter.com/ABC7Shack/status/1269369901346512896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The party doesn’t end once you step away from the White House. Walk a mile up 16th Street, a largely residential neighborhood, and there’s a truck blasting live go-go music to the delight of everyone on the lengthy march south from Meridian Hill. <a href="https://t.co/ATwEjVItE7">pic.twitter.com/ATwEjVItE7</a></p>— Alejandro Alvarez (@aletweetsnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/aletweetsnews/status/1269390696018055172?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[MenInG]

Huge peaceful rallies have taken place across the US against racism and police brutality on the 12th day of protests sparked by George Floyd's death.

Tens of thousands of people marched in Washington DC, in the city's largest protest so far. Security forces blocked any approach to the White House.

Crowds also demonstrated in New York, Chicago and San Francisco.

Meanwhile, people paid their respects to Mr Floyd in North Carolina, where he was born, before a memorial service.

Mr Floyd, an unarmed black man, died in police custody in Minneapolis on 25 May. Video showed a white police officer, Derek Chauvin, kneeling on Mr Floyd's neck for almost nine minutes while he is pinned to the floor.

Mr Chauvin has been dismissed and charged with murder. Three other officers who were on the scene have also been sacked and charged with aiding and abetting.

Large anti-racism protests also took place in a number of other countries. In the UK, Parliament Square in central London was filled with people despite calls by the government to avoid mass gatherings for fear of spreading the coronavirus.

In Australia, there were major protests in the cities of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane that focused on the treatment of indigenous Australians. There were also demonstrations in France, Germany and Spain.

What happened at the protests?
In the US capital, protesters - many of them carrying placards saying "Black Lives Matter" - gathered peacefully near the Capitol, the Lincoln Memorial and outside Lafayette Park, next to the White House, at the newly renamed Black Lives Matter Plaza.

Mayor Muriel Bowser welcomed people, saying the crowds had sent a message to President Donald Trump. On Monday, federal law enforcement officers fired tear gas to clear a protest in the area ahead of a visit to a church by the president.

"If he can take over Washington DC, he can come for any state, and none of us will be safe," she said. "Our soldiers should not be treated that way, they should not be asked to move on American citizens."

Ms Bowser has requested the withdrawal of all federal law enforcement officers and National Guard troops from the city, saying their presence is "unnecessary".

A 35-year-old protester, Eric Wood, told the BBC: "I'm here because I really couldn't afford not to be here. Racism has long been a part of the US."

Crystal Ballinger, 46, said she felt hopeful about the movement this time. "I feel something different about this protest... I'm hopeful that the message of solidarity and equality is getting out."

In New York, crowds crossed the Brooklyn Bridge, while in San Francisco demonstrators briefly shut the Golden Gate Bridge. In Chicago, about 30,000 people rallied in Union Park, and a Hollywood intersection was blocked by protesters in Los Angeles.

In Seattle, a number of healthcare workers - many in uniforms - marched to the City Hall. And in Richmond, Virginia, a statue of a Confederate general was pulled down from its pedestal.

There were also protests in Atlanta and Philadelphia, where crowds chanted "We need justice, we need love".

Meanwhile, the top editor of The Philadelphia Inquirer resigned after publishing a headline which equated property damage to the deaths of black people, which prompted public condemnation from many of the newspaper's staff.

Stan Wischnowski apologised for what he described as a "horribly wrong" decision to use the headline "Buildings Matter Too" on an article about civil unrest in the US.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52951093

 

[MenInG]

Washington, DC - Protesters chanting "Black Lives Matter" and "George Floyd" converged on the United States capital on Saturday thronging the streets from the Capitol building to a barricaded White House and Lincoln Memorial, to protest the killing of a Black man in police custody, on the 12th day of nationwide protests.

Military vehicles and officers in fatigues had closed off much of downtown Washington, DC to traffic, as protesters stirred by the death of George Floyd - who died on May 25 after a white police officer in Minneapolis knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes - flooded the streets chanting and carrying signs including "Get your knee off our necks".

The demonstrators appeared to come from varied racial and ethnic backgrounds, young and old, wearing mandatory masks because of the coronavirus pandemic. Many had children in tow.

Floyd's killing "caused us to rise up and realise we have to do something, we have to say something", protester Alexis Daniel told Al Jazeera.

"Our system is unjust, social injustice still exists today. Our Blacks are being killed, our Blacks are still facing inequality."

The signs held aloft by protesters echoed that.

"Justice, value, treatment, equality should not vary by skin color," one read, another: "How many weren't filmed?", implying Floyd's death might have gone unnoticed if not for the videos detailing the last moments of his life.

Some of Floyd's final words were "Please, I can't breathe", and "They're going to kill me."

Meaningful change
The size of the crowds in the capital on Saturday indicated the momentum of demonstrations calling for meaningful change to end racism and police brutality in the US has not dimmed.

"I am here to fight for my seven-year-old daughter," Marie Kelly told Al Jazeera.

"The US claims they are this big democracy and everyone has rights, they go to other countries to liberate, prove it here."

The rally followed a week of largely peaceful protests in Washington that at times grew violent, with shops and offices hit by nighttime vandalism and looting, prompting the city's mayor to impose curfews. The curfews were lifted on Thursday.

The White House has been fortified with new fencing and extra security precautions. Most businesses in the downtown area have their windows boarded shut.

The protest comes amid a standoff between Washington, DC's mayor, Muriel Bowser, and President Donald Trump.

Before the rally, Bowser on Friday, ordered an enormous "Black Lives Matter" mural painted in large block yellow letters on the street leading to the White House, spanning two blocks.

She renamed the section of the street directly in front of the presidential residence "Black Lives Matter Plaza."

Trump has advocated for a militarised response to the civil unrest and summoned a contingent of active-duty troops from other states to the city. As the rally was on going the president tweeted a phrase he has been repeating, "Law and Order".

"This is a rallying point to get his base going," said Al Jazeera's Shihab Rattansi, at the demonstration.

The Black Lives Matter organisation has objected to the militarisation of the police, driven by military equipment sent to police forces by the US Department of Defense, he said.

"If you stop spending billions of dollars on militarising the police, perhaps you'll get a different attitude, but also you can put all that money into communities," Rattansi said.

Last week, when Trump threatened protesters who come near the White House with "vicious dogs" and "ominous weapons", Mayor Bowser responded forcefully.

"There are no vicious dogs & ominous weapons. There is just a scared man. Afraid/alone. ... I call upon our city and our nation to exercise great restraint even while this President continues to try to divide us," Bowser wrote on Twitter.

On Monday, Trump came under fire after baton-swinging federal police fired smoke canisters, flashbang grenades and rubber bullets at a crowd of peaceful protesters to clear the area near the White House so he could pose for a photo-op in front of a church while holding a Bible.

Bowser called the scene "shameful".

Trump, for his part, has denounced Bowser as "incompetent".

"The incompetent Mayor of Washington, D.C., @MayorBowser, who's budget is totally out of control and is constantly coming back to us for 'handouts,' is now fighting with the National Guard," Trump wrote.

On the newly named plaza, protesters took selfies in front of the large metal fence that keeps them far from the White House.

A man standing behind a table handed out water, snacks and paper towels to demonstrators. The few police and security officers in sight wore patrol uniforms rather than body armour and helmets, and had a more relaxed posture than in days prior.

The mood across the capital seemed upbeat. The White House said the president had no public events scheduled for Saturday. It was unclear if, behind the new fence, he could hear the crowds filling the city and at one point chanting: "This is what democracy looks like."

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/06/dc-rallies-george-floyd-system-unjust-200606174032654.html

 

[MenInG]

Two Buffalo police officers were charged with assault on Saturday, prosecutors said, after a video that went viral showed them shoving an elderly protester to the ground at a march against racism.

Officers Aaron Torgalski, 39, and Robert McCabe, 32, were part of a unit in tactical gear enforcing an 8pm curfew on Thursday during the protest involving long-time community activist Martin Gugino, 75, Erie County District Attorney John Flynn said in a statement.

"The two defendants, who are Buffalo Police officers, pushed a protester outside of City Hall, causing him to fall and hit his head on the sidewalk," Flynn said.

Gugino remains in critical condition at Erie County Medical Center, where he was treated for a head injury, loss of consciousness and bleeding from the right ear, Flynn said.

Both pleaded not guilty to second-degree assault during the virtual arraignment before Buffalo City Court Judge Craig D Hannah. They were released on their own recognisance and are due back in court on July 20.

If convicted of the charge, they face up to seven years in prison.

McCabe's lawyer Tom Burton said after the arraignment that prosecutors did not have any grounds to bring felony charges. He said his client is a decorated military veteran with a clean record as a police officer.

"Nobody started out their day intending to hurt this fellow," Burton said. He added that if the victim had followed commands to back off, "none of this would have happened".

Members of the Buffalo Police Department's Emergency Response Team, the officers have been suspended without pay and are being investigated after a local radio station released a video of the incident involving Gugino, which went viral and had more than 78 million views by midday on Saturday.

The western New York state city saw pockets of looting after dark like many cities across the United States, where countless otherwise peaceful protests were staged in the wake of the death of George Floyd, a Black man in police custody in Minneapolis on May 25.

The video shows Torgalski pushing Gugino before he fell and McCabe about to kneel towards the man sprawled on the pavement before being moved along by a supervisor, the Buffalo News reported. Police initially said the man tripped.

Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown said he has not asked for the officers to be fired.

"It is very important that the officers know they are getting due process," Brown said. "Our information was that individual was an agitator."

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020...hoving-elderly-protester-200607063709360.html

 

[Firebat]

Trump wanted to deploy 10,000 troops in Washington D.C., official says

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump told his advisors at one point this past week he wanted 10,000 troops to deploy to the Washington D.C. area to halt civil unrest over the killing of a black man by Minneapolis police, according to a senior U.S. official.

The account of Trump’s demand during a heated Oval Office conversation on Monday shows how close the president may have come to fulfilling his threat to deploy active duty troops, despite opposition from Pentagon leadership.

At the meeting, Defense Secretary Mark Esper, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley, and Attorney General William Barr recommended against such a deployment, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The meeting was “contentious,” the official added.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Trump has since appeared satisfied with deployments by the National Guard, the option recommended by the Pentagon and a more traditional tool for dealing with domestic crises. Pentagon leaders scrambled to call governors with requests to send Guard forces to Washington. Additional federal law enforcement were mobilized too.

But also key for Trump appears to have been Esper’s move to preposition — but not deploy — active duty soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division and other units in the Washington D.C. area in case they were needed. Those troops have since departed.

“Having active duty forces available but not in the city was enough for the president for the time,” the official said.

Trump’s bid to militarize the U.S. response to the protests has triggered a rare outpouring of condemnation from former U.S. military officials, including Trump’s first defense secretary, Jim Mattis, and retired four-star generals who normally try to steer clear of politics.

Those comments reflect deep unease inside and outside the Pentagon with Trump’s willingness to inject the U.S. military into a domestic race relations crisis following the killing of George Floyd, 46, who died on May 25 after a Minneapolis policeman knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes.

Floyd’s death has led to a wave of protests and national soul-searching over the country’s legacy of violence and mistreatment of African Americans and other minorities.

It has also led some Pentagon leaders of color to issue unprecedented statements bit.ly/30mxTlD about their experiences dealing with issues of race in the U.S. military.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...shington-d-c-official-says-idUSKBN23E0DY?il=0

 

[majiz]

Firstly, I would like to accept there is probably minor racism issues in america,as there are minor racism issues everywhere, and as a minority you are inevitably always going to encounter things that make you a little ****** of. This sounds belittling you might think but it shouldn't come across that way, I just don't know of any reason to believe that this slaying by a cop actually had anything to do with the previous mentioned racial issues. I don't think America is a racist hellhole, I see no reason to suggest that it is. I'm not american and i don't live there, but I can't help but think she deserves so much better than this .


The micropscope is always on them and i feel truly sorry for them . I would suggest these two principles could go a long way to fixing america's problems

1) Make being an american cop an actual respectful and sought after job. Raise the salary to 200 grand a year, introduce rigorous psychometric testing- raise the number of applicants, raise the bar. Such a difficult job should demand a lot of investment. It would be the perfect statement for trump to make

2) Don't go to a protest if you don't know what is going on. Don't influence politics in such a huge way and cause unrest unless you are educated. Don't go to a protest unless you have watched the video. Don't go to a protest just because your friend is there and he/she told you to come

 

[MenInG]

George Floyd, the black man killed in police custody in the US, has become a rallying cry for equality and justice in some of the largest protests against racism since the 1960s.

Protestors have chanted his name for 13 days and his face has been painted in murals from Syria to Belfast.

But other names too have been on the lips of protesters, in particular that of Breonna Taylor, a health worker shot eight times by police who entered her apartment in Louisville, Kentucky on 13 March.

Activists are calling on people to "Say Her Name" as part of a movement to remember black women who have not attracted the same attention as other cases.

On Friday, when Ms Taylor would have turned 27, mourners gathered for a vigil in Louisville and people shared birthday messages on social media writing, "you should have been here to celebrate".

"It started off lonely, but it's so amazing to see so many people standing up for her, just saying her name," her mother Tamika Palmer, said at the vigil.

Ms Taylor would have been out in the Black Lives Matter protests if she hadn't been killed, her mother added.

What happened to Breonna Taylor?
The events of the night Ms Taylor died are disputed.

Breonna Taylor, an emergency medical technician, was at home in bed in Louisville when police officers entered her apartment shortly after midnight. She died after being shot eight times.

They raided her address using a battering ram when executing a search warrant as part of a drugs investigation. No drugs were found on the property.

Local media report that police were acting on a "no-knock" warrant, allowing them to enter the home without warning. Police say despite the warrant, they knocked before entering but Ms Taylor's family and a neighbour have disputed this.

The police had the wrong address, a wrongful death lawsuit filed by her family claims.

Ms Taylor was asleep and her boyfriend Kenneth Walker, who has a gun licence, grabbed his firearm, according to the suit.

Mr Walker believed people were breaking in and he fired in self-defence, his lawyer said.

Mr Walker called 911 and said that "somebody kicked in the door and shot my girlfriend," according to a recording released last week.

Louisville police said they returned fire after one officer was shot and wounded in the incident.

What is the status of the case?
In May Ms Taylor's family filed a wrongful death lawsuit that accuses the officers of battery, wrongful death, excessive force, negligence and gross negligence.

It says the officers were not looking for Ms Taylor or her partner - but for an unrelated suspect who was already in custody and did not live in the apartment complex.

The search warrant obtained by police included Ms Taylor's house because authorities believed a suspect in a drug ring used her apartment to hide drugs, according to a CNN news affiliate.

A lawyer for Ms Taylor's family, Ben Crump, described the incident as a "botched police raid."

An investigation into the circumstances of her death opened by the FBI on 21 May is ongoing, according to CNN.

Three officers have been placed on administrative leave, but no-one has been charged.

What has changed since her death?
The officers who entered Ms Taylor's apartment were not wearing body cameras that could record the unfolding events.

Now, the Louisville police department says all officers must wear body cameras.

"No-knock" search warrants have been temporarily suspended.

And the Louisville police chief was removed from his post when it was discovered that officers present at the fatal shooting of a black man during a protest did not have their body cams turned on.

Why does her story resonate?
People expressing their sadness, horror and anger about racism in the US have been sharing pictures of Ms Taylor on social media. More than five million people, including singer Janella Monae, have signed a petition calling for justice.

Many drew attention to stark statistics about the huge inequalities African-American women live with.

Black women are three times more likely than white women to die in pregnancy, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

They also experience significant pay disparity - in 2017 black women earned 61 cents for every dollar earned by white men, according to the Centre for American Progress.

As demands for racial equality continue, many want Breonna Taylor's name to be remembered.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52956167

 

[MenInG]

New York governor Andrew Cuomo said during his daily press briefing on Sunday that poor management was to blame for incidents of looting over the last week in New York City.

“The looting had nothing to do with protesting. Protesting is different,” Cuomo said. “You have looting, and you have protesting. You have apples, you have oranges. They’re different. Well the night of looting was the fault of the police officers? No, it wasn’t the fault of the protesters and it wasn’t the fault of the police officers, I said it was the management and deployment of the police officers.”

Like Washington DC’s mayor, Muriel Bowser, Cuomo said defunding police would not be helpful. “No police? You get looting. That’s what you get. Nobody wants that,” he said.

 

[MenInG]

When Donald Trump spoke to George Floyd’s brother Philonise last month, ostensibly to express his sympathies, it didn’t go well.

“He didn’t give me an opportunity to even speak,” Floyd said. “I was trying to talk to him, but he just kept, like, pushing me off, like ‘I don’t want to hear what you’re talking about.”

In Houston on Monday the Floyd family will get the chance to talk face-to-face with the man challenging Trump for the White House in November, the presumptive Democratic Party candidate Joe Biden.

According to the New York Times, Biden will travel to Texas to meet the Floyd family ahead of Monday’s public memorial service, and a private funeral the following day.

Biden is not expected to attend either event, the newspaper says, because he does not want his presence to be a distraction. But as well as meeting with Floyd’s family, Biden will record a video message to play at Tuesday’s funeral.

“He wanted to offer in-person condolences,” the Times reported, citing people “familiar with the matter.”

The trip to Texas will be Biden’s first outside his home state of Delaware since the start of the pandemic lockdown, and his first public appearance since amassing enough delegates to clinch the Democratic presidential nomination on Friday.

On Wednesday, the day after his brother’s funeral, Philonise Floyd plans to give congressional testimony to the House judiciary committee’s hearing on police practices and law enforcement accountability.

 

[The Viper]

Democratic U.S. presidential candidate Joe Biden to meet George Floyd's family

Democratic U.S. presidential candidate Joe Biden will travel to Houston on Monday and meet with the family of George Floyd, two weeks after Floyd’s death in police custody triggered nationwide protests over racial injustice, aides said.

Biden is expected to offer his sympathies to Floyd’s relatives and record a video message for Floyd’s funeral service, which will take place on Tuesday in Houston, two aides said. He is not expected to attend the service to avoid any disruption to mourners that could be caused by his Secret Service protective detail.

Floyd, an unarmed black man, died after a white police officer kneeled on the back of his neck for several minutes, even after he complained he could not breathe and appeared to lose consciousness. The incident was captured on video, setting off massive street demonstrations that have spread across the United States and around the world.

Biden has criticized President Donald Trump in recent days for his response to the protests, which have largely been peaceful but have occasionally led to violent clashes and property damage. Trump, a Republican, has called on authorities to crack down on protesters.

The trip to Texas comes as Biden’s staff grapples with how to campaign safely amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Since widespread shutdowns began this spring, Biden has only left his Delaware home a handful of times but has not traveled farther than Philadelphia.

Biden, the former vice president, is often praised by supporters for his ability to offer comfort to those in mourning; his first wife and infant daughter died in an automobile accident, and his son Beau died of brain cancer.

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-u...-meet-george-floyds-family-idUKKBN23E0S9?il=0

 

[globalcitizen]

It’s not clear what the protester demands are at this point. Are they expecting some law to be passed or some sort of acknowledgement?
This is turning out to be politically motivated across the usa.
Obama being a black president for 2 terms in office dint do anything about racism and incidents like Floyd happened before too. This has nothing to do with trump or his government

 

[Gharib Aadmi]

It’s not clear what the protester demands are at this point. Are they expecting some law to be passed or some sort of acknowledgement?
This is turning out to be politically motivated across the usa.
Obama being a black president for 2 terms in office dint do anything about racism and incidents like Floyd happened before too. This has nothing to do with trump or his government

They want police reform....An end to police brutality, and want police to be held accountable for there actions.

Lets be real, had this not been caught on video, the officers would not have been charged. they would have said that George Floyd was resisting arrest. This is the change the protestors want.

 

[globalcitizen]

They want police reform....An end to police brutality, and want police to be held accountable for there actions.

Lets be real, had this not been caught on video, the officers would not have been charged. they would have said that George Floyd was resisting arrest. This is the change the protestors want.

It’s easier said than done.
where were these protests when American police killed a white Australian woman just assuming she may be armed?
this has nothing to do with black vs whites as it’s made out to be. It should be about police brutality.
America has no strict gun laws and their police are trained to react that way.
so first the gun laws should be made more stricter otherwise the police will be like lambs to slaughter.
Add to that the rowdies and thieves will have a field day killing innocents and police cannot do anything

 

[Gharib Aadmi]

It’s easier said than done.
where were these protests when American police killed a white Australian woman just assuming she may be armed?
this has nothing to do with black vs whites as it’s made out to be. It should be about police brutality.
America has no strict gun laws and their police are trained to react that way.
so first the gun laws should be made more stricter otherwise the police will be like lambs to slaughter.
Add to that the rowdies and thieves will have a field day killing innocents and police cannot do anything

That case of the Australian women is a perfect example of the double standard. That black guy was arrested and convicted. Its very hard to convict white police officers who have killed black men. If there is no video then forget about it....If there is video and protests then you have a chance.

The police are paid alot money to serve the public. They are not supposed to act like an occupying army.

 

[MenInG]

[utube]r5WM5SsFP7Q[/utube]

As thousands of demonstrators protest against police brutality demanding racial justice across the US, a sweet gesture by a cop towards a little girl is melting hearts online. In a video, an officer in Houston, Texas is seen kneeling on the ground and comforting the 5-year-old girl by saying, “We’re here to protect you.” The poignant moment, captured on camera by the child’s father, is now going viral.

Twitter user Simeon Bartee, who attended one of the George Floyd marches in his hometown, said his daughter got worried seeing many police officers in riot gear and started to cry. Taking to Twitter, he said one of the police officers noticed the girl crying and approached them. When she asked him “Are you gonna shoot us?”, the officer got down on one knee wrapped his arm around her and responded: “We’re not here to hurt you at all.”

Comforting the kid, the officer can be heard saying, “You can protest, you can party — you can do whatever you want. Just don’t break nothing.”

Talking to ABC News, the father of the kid said he wants to thank the officer for “giving him a different perspective”, not just for him but also for his daughter’s perception of how they view police. The man said the Floyd incident has hit him home because as his own brother faced police brutality in 2016.

“We have dealt with a lot of pain from that and it’s kind of gone full circle for me now,” he said. “I just want to tell the officer thank you for giving me a different perspective on what police officers, the good police officers, are like,” he added.

Bartee’s brother was left with a broken nose and an eye socket damaged so badly that surgeons had to put a metal plate in his face. Doctors also said Bartee sustained a facial nerve damage. The incident happened allegedly when he was attacked by a group of five officers during a trip to the medical section of the Harris County Jail.

As the video went viral, many came forward to appreciate the officer’s gesture but also debated if little children should be taken to protests as many in the recent week turned violent.

This officer is not the only one from Houston Police who won hearts online. Recently, the police chief too earned praise after advising Donald Trump “to keep his mouth shut”. “Let me just say this to the President of the United States, on behalf of the police chiefs of this country: please, if you don’t have something constructive to say, keep your mouth shut,” chief Art Acevedo said after the POTUS urged them to “dominate” over ongoing protests.

This little girl, however, isn’t the only one who got everyone talking online for joining the recent Black Lives Matter marches. Another 7-year-old girl is being hailed as an ‘icon’ after video of her chanting ‘no justice, no peace’ passionately went viral.

Meanwhile, protesters stirred by the death of George Floyd vowed to turn an extraordinary outpouring of grief into a sustained movement as demonstrations shifted to a calmer, but no less determined focus on addressing racial injustice.

https://indianexpress.com/article/t...s-little-girl-in-anti-racism-protest-6445899/

 

[MenInG]

Curfews lift, police show less force amid peaceful protests

With New York City poised to reopen after a more than two-month coronavirus shutdown, officials lifted a curfew that was in place amid protests of police brutality and racial injustice. But they also urged that demonstrators be tested for COVID-19.

"Get a test. Get a test," New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo told people who have been participating in rallies and marches in memory of George Floyd. "I would act as if you were exposed, and I would tell people you are interacting with, assume I am positive for the virus."

Cuomo said the state would open 15 testing sites dedicated to protesters so they can get results quickly. His call for demonstrators to proceed carefully is similar to those made in Seattle, San Franc