George Floyd and Black Lives Matter protests: summary
George Floyd protests and aftermath: latest news - 10 June
Trump sells himself as a crisis-fighting president, a man who excels when the stakes are high. He has gone quite over coronavirus and continues to divide the nation over the protests after George Floyd's murder.
Philonise Floyd, George Floyd's brother, holds up his fist as he marches with others on Black Lives Matter Plaza near the White House, to protest police brutality and racism, on June 10, 2020 in Washington, DC. - The brother of George Floyd, whose killing by police sparked worldwide protests against racism, made an emotional plea to the US Congress Wednesday to 'stop the pain' and pass reforms that reduce police brutality. Demonstrations are being held across the US following the death of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, while being arrested in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Jose Luis Magana / AFP)
One of four Minneapolis police charged over Floyd's death freed on bail
One of the four former Minneapolis police officers who were charged over the death of George Floyd, a black man whose death in custody set off protests for police reform and racial justice, was released on bail on Wednesday.
Protests flared for a 17th day early on Thursday with crowds in Portland, Oregon, flooding city-center streets with some activists throwing bottles at police and removing temporary security fencing and using it to block traffic.
The former police officer released, Thomas Lane, 37, had been held on $750,000 bail and was freed from Hennepin County jail, sheriff's office records showed.
He was one of three officers charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter in the 46-year-old Floyd's death on May 25.
Minneapolis Mayor stands by his opinion that defunding the police is not the answer to fixing American's police problem.
Thomas Lane is one of three officers charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter in connection with the death of Floyd.
Trump to hold rally in Tulsa on 19 June
Donald Trump is to hold his first rally since the coronavirus pandemic hit, in Tulsa on Friday week. In the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests sparked by the killing of George Floyd, the choice of date and venue has attracted criticism: an infamous massacre of black people occurred in Tulsa in 1921, while 19 June is Juneteenth, the day in 1865 when the Emancipation Proclamation was read to enslaved African Americans.
Officer charged over Floyd death released on bail
One of the four former white Minneapolis police officers who were charged over the death of George Floyd was released on bail on Wednesday.
The former police officer, Thomas Lane, had been held on $750,000 bail and was freed from Hennepin County jail, sheriff's office records showed.
He is one of three officers charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter in Floyd's death on 25 May. (Reuters)
Protesters surround mayor's house in Florissant, Missouri
Protesters hold up placards as police officers guard Florissant mayor Tim Lowery's house on Wednesday, during a protest against the police brutality of a man hit by a detective in the Missouri city, and the death in Minneapolis police custody of George Floyd.
(Photo: REUTERS/Lawrence Bryant)
Minnesota Twins pledge $25 million to support racial justice
The ownership of the Minnesota Twins announced Wednesday that it is committing $25 million in support of racial justice.
The Pohlad family made the commitment 16 days after the death of George Floyd, a black man who died in Minneapolis after white officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on his neck for more than eight minutes.
"Black people have experienced oppression and racism for far too long in this country," Bill Pohlad, president of the Pohlad Family Foundation, said in a statement. "We condemn racism in all its forms, and we are firmly committed to helping to enact meaningful change. We know this will take time and effort, and we are committed to this work beyond this seminal moment in our country's history."
The Pohlad family indicated it would work with local governments and other organizations as well as the business communities to help rebuild businesses that were lost or destroyed during the period of protests and rioting following Floyd's death.
Buffalo bars riot unit from peaceful protests after injury to 75-year-old
The mayor of Buffalo, New York, on Wednesday ordered that a new police unit without military gear and trained in civil rights handle peaceful demonstrations after a riot unit was involved in the injury of a 75-year-old protester.
Mayor Byron Brown said the Public Protection Detail would receive training in freedom of speech and other rights and would "work with leaders and participants of future protests and demonstrations to ensure the safety and security of all people."
Two Buffalo tactical unit officers face felony assault charges for pushing Martin Gugino on Thursday when he approached them during a march against racism and police brutality amid nationwide demonstrations over the death in Minneapolis of a black man in police custody.
Aaron Torgalski, 39, and Robert McCabe, 32, the two Buffalo officers, were part of a special riot response squad called the Emergency Response Team (ERT).
Trump rules out renaming U.S. bases named for Confederate leaders
U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday rejected any proposal to rename U.S. military bases that are named for Confederate leaders from the 1860s Civil War, dismissing appeals made in the wake of the death of African American George Floyd.
As many as 10 bases carry the names of Confederate leaders, including Fort Bragg in North Carolina, one of the largest in the United States, and Fort Hood in Texas. Discussions about renaming them have emerged as a way of achieving racial reconciliation.
"The United States of America trained and deployed our HEROES on these Hallowed Grounds, and won two World Wars.
Therefore, my Administration will not even consider the renaming of these Magnificent and Fabled Military Installations...," Trump wrote in a tweet.
The root cause of the Civil War was the enslavement of African Americans. Slavery's legacy continues to haunt race relations.
George Floyd's brother asks U.S. Congress to 'stop the pain' of police killings
Philonise Floyd, brother of George whose killing in Minneapolis sparked protests around the world, asked the U.S. Congress on Wednesday to stop the pain of black people caused by police violence.
"I'm here to ask you to make it stop. Stop the pain," a tearful Philonise Floyd, 42, said in testimony before the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee. "George called for help and he was ignored. Please listen to the call I'm making to you now, to the calls of our family and the calls ringing on the streets of all the world."
George Floyd's death on May 25 after a policeman knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes was the latest in a string of killings of African-American men and women by police that have sparked anger on America's streets and fresh calls for reforms.
"Justice for George," Philonise Floyd told reporters on his way into the hearing venue.
White House proposals on police reform being finalized
The White House said on Wednesday it was putting the finishing touches on proposals to reform the police following George Floyd's killing while in police custody, but warned that reducing immunity for officers was a non-starter.
Speaking at a White House briefing, press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said administration plans to address protester concerns about police brutality were reaching "final edits," adding she hoped the proposals could be made public in the "coming days."
"The president has spent the last 10 days quietly and diligently working on proposals to address the issues that the protesters raised across the country, legitimate issues," McEnany said. But she ruled out presidential support for efforts to reduce police immunity, which she said "would result in police pulling back."
A Democratic bill unveiled on Monday included limits to those protections to make it easier for individuals to collect damages against officers in lawsuits.
More George Floyd street art appears
After impressive creations in Berlin and Barcelona, another mural paying tribute to Floyd and Adama Traore has been spotted in the French capital.
Kanoute: "Football needs more than hashtags & campaigns to curb racism"
Former Sevilla and West Ham player and current LaLiga ambassador Kanoute on racism:
"Football needs more than hashtags & campaigns to curb racism"
Have George Floyd protests led to spike in positive Covid-19 cases?
Face masks and outdoor air may have helped reduce the spread of COVID-19 during large anti-racism protests in the US as Al Jazeera examine the situation.
"You can't just sit on the sidelines"
Black and Latino men in the United States are twice as likely as white men to die during interactions with police. Americans of all ages and races are pushing for police reform.
Patrick Keyser, 27, is an Episcopal priest who said he attended Saturday's protest march in Washington to show solidarity with the demonstrators and hoped they would lead to "an end to police brutality and the killing of black bodies at the hand of the police. There comes a point where you can't just sit on the sidelines. ... I can't quite put my hands on it, but there's sort of this intangible spirit that I think anyone feels present here that are driving people to stand up peacefully."
A list of witnesses, including George Floyd's brother, testifying today over police brutality against people of colour in the United States.
White House defends Trump's conspiracy theory tweet on Buffalo protester
The White House on Wednesday defended President Donald Trump's promotion of an unsubstantiated conspiracy theory about a 75-year-old protester injured by police in Buffalo, saying it was Trump's "prerogative" to raise questions about the incident.
The protester, Martin Gugino, was shoved by police and critically injured when he approached them during a march against racism and police brutality in an incident that was captured on video and led to criminal charges against the officers involved. It was one of many protests after George
Floyd, a black man, died on May 25 in Minneapolis after a white police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes.
Trump, offering no evidence, tweeted on Tuesday that Gugino's fall could be a "set up" with ties to the anti-fascist movement antifa. Trump and other Republicans have sought to blame violence that has flared at some protests on antifa despite little evidence.
Joe Biden wrote an opinion piece in USA Today and said he wanted to put more money into the police in order to give them the money to carry out reforms.
"I’ve long been a firm believer in the power of community policing—getting cops out of their cruisers and building relationships with the people and the communities they are there to serve and protect. That’s why I’m proposing an additional $300 million to reinvigorate community policing in our country. Every single police department should have the money they need to institute real reforms like adopting a national use of force standard, buying body cameras, and recruiting more diverse police officers."
Philonise Floyd, the brother of George Floyd, who was killed by Minneapolis police officers on May 25, 2020 arrives at the US Capitol to testify at 'Oversight Hearing on Policing Practices and Law Enforcement Accountability' in Washington, DC, on June 10, 2020. (Photo by Olivier DOULIERY / AFP)
The statue of Christopher Columbus is seen on the ground after it was pulled down by protesters, following the death of George Floyd who died in police custody in Minneapolis, in Richmond, Virginia, US, 9 June 2020, in this picture obtained from social media. (Reuters)
Seeking justice
For Black people in this country, Floyd’s last words — “I can’t breathe”— served as yet another devastating reminder of the dangers of interacting with the police.
That shared reality is why Washington and thousands of other Black people arrived in Houston this week to mourn together.
Philonise Floyd to testify today
In case you missed the news earlier, George's brother is to testify today.
CrossFit: CEO Greg Glassman steps down after racist tweet
Crossfit CEO steps down and retires
The company's CEO, Greg Glassman, has stepped down after hundreds of gyms disaffiliated with the brand over some controversial George Floyd tweets.
Street artist Nathan Murdoch poses with his art against racism mural in a tunnel in Peterborough, UK, 10 June 2020. (Pic: Reuters/Andrew Couldridge)
You can see another of his pieces in the main image of this feed.
NYPD union chief: “We’ve been vilified, it’s disgusting”
Police union hits back at protesters
Mike O'Meara, the head of New York's biggest police officers' union, launched an astonishing attack on those protesting the death of George Floyd.
Catch up...
George Floyd's funeral was the focus of much of the attention yesterday. Some of the other stories making the news:
- Adidas to invest in black community
German sportswear brand Adidas has pledged to invest $20 million in the black community in the United States and make sure that at least 30% of all new U.S. jobs are filled with black and Latino people at its Adidas and Reebok brands.
- Covid-19 test sites destroyed in protests
70 coronavirus test sites were destroyed during George Floyd protests, which US officials worry could lead to a spike in infections.
- Columbus statue thrown into lake
On Tuesday night, a statue in Richmond's Byrd Park of Christopher Columbus was vandalised, broken down, and then thrown into the park's lake.
George Floyd rolling news: welcome
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the news surrounding the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd, an unarmed African American, in police custody in Minneapolis on 25 May.
Yesterday saw the funeral of Mr Floyd take place and we continue to look at the reaction around the world as suggestions are change is taking place.