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George Floyd U.S. protests live updates from June 2, 2020

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Protests against police killings of black Americans continued Tuesday following the death of George Floyd. In Houston, where Floyd was raised, organizers said more than 60,000 people attended a rally in the city's downtown.

Across the country, protests mainly peaceful by day have been marred by violence after dark. President Trump has threatened to take the extraordinary step of sending U.S. military forces into American cities to quell the unrest.

America Protests Houston
People gather to protest the death of George Floyd in Houston on Tuesday, June 2, 2020. David J. Phillip / AP
 

Protests in top virus hot spots spur fears of new COVID spikes

As people flood streets across America to protest the killing of George Floyd, public health experts fear the crowds, tear gas and arrests will lead to new transmissions of coronavirus.

An Associated Press review found that in the last week, there have been demonstrations in every one of the 25 American communities with the highest concentrations of new virus cases. Some have seen major protests over multiple days.

The protests come as communities across the nation loosen restrictions on businesses and public life that have helped slow the virus' spread, deepening concern that the two taken together could create a resurgence in cases nationally.

By The Associated Press
 

Buffalo woman charged for driving car into police officers

A Buffalo woman is facing felony charges after she drove a car through a group of police officers, injuring three of them.

Deyanna Davis, 31, was arrested Tuesday by New York State Police after she was released from the hospital, NYSP said in a statement

Davis faces five felony charges, including aggravated assault upon a police officer and 2nd degree criminal possession of a weapon.

Of the three officers injured, two are NYSP officers and one is with the Buffalo Police Department.

Buffalo Mayor Bryan Brown announced Tuesday that the Buffalo police officer who was struck by the car is in stable condition and expected to make a full recovery, according to CBS News affiliate WIVB's Marlee Tuskes.

By Jordan Freiman
 

Jim Clyburn says Trump has contributed to more "American carnage" than any president in his lifetime

Rep. Jim Clyburn addresses protesters who feel the political system has failed them 19:24

South Carolina Representative Jim Clyburn on Tuesday criticized President Trump over a Monday photo op. Police cleared protesters before Washington D.C.'s curfew went into effect so that Mr. Trump could walk unimpeded to a nearby church to pose for photos with a bible.

"It seems as if the president considers the exercise of one's First Amendment rights to be carnage," Clyburn said Tuesday on CBSN's "Red & Blue" program. "How we define it, generally, he has contributed to it more than any president in my lifetime. I don't think any president since maybe Woodrow Wilson."

Speaking about the death of Geroge Floyd and Minnesota's decision to open a civil rights investigation into the Minnesota Police Department, Clyburn said, "We have to begin to take action here. We can't allow these things to continue to happen."

By Jordan Freiman
 

Man suspected of impersonating National Guard member arrested on weapons charges in Los Angeles

A man wearing a uniform in an apparent attempt to impersonate a National Guard member was arrested in Los Angeles, CBS Los Angeles reported. Gregory Wong, 31, was arrested around 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday.

According to CBS LA, Wong was spotted by an actual member of the National Guard who noticed Wong's uniform didn't look right. Wong was arrested with an M-4 rifle and charged with transportation of an assault weapon.

Wong told police he was going to a friend's establishment to provide security. 

US-POLITICS-RACE-UNREST
Members of the California National Guard line up in front of protesters during a demonstration over the death of George Floyd while in Minneapolis Police custody, in Los Angeles, California, on Tuesday, June 2, 2020. KYLE GRILLOT/AFP via Getty Images
By Jordan Freiman
 

Minneapolis Public Schools votes to terminate contract with police department

The Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) Board of Education approved a resolution Tuesday to immediately terminate its contract with the Minneapolis Police Department, MPS Superintendent Ed Graff said in a statement. Currently, the police department provides the school system with resource officers.

Graff said his team will prepare a plan for moving forward without the police department by mid-August of this year.

"We must take all actions within our power to stop systems of oppression," MPS Board Chair Kim Ellison said in a statement. "For the MPS School Board, that means discontinuing our contractual relationship with the Minneapolis Police Department."

Jamie Yuccas contributed reporting. 

By Victoria Albert
 

Tensions rise after curfew ends in Washington, D.C.

Thousands of protesters gathered across the street from Lafayette Park near the White House on Tuesday, as military and civilian law enforcement personnel stood on the other side of a black chain link fence that had been put up overnight to block access to the park.

The crowd chanted the name of George Floyd and Black Lives Matter. Floyd is the black man who died while in police custody in Minnesota.

The protesters stood in front of the historic church where President Trump went for a photo op Monday night after the area around Lafayette Park was cleared of protesters by law enforcement officials using smoke canisters and pepper balls.

'When Washington's 7 p.m. curfew hit, the protesters didn't budge. Instead, they used an expletive to describe what they thought of the curfew and defied warnings from federal officials that the response from law enforcement could be even more forceful.

Protests Washington
With St. John's Church in the background, demonstrators gather to protest the death of George Floyd in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, June 2, 2020. Evan Vucci / AP
By The Associated Press
 

Chants of "no justice, no peace, no racist police" in Miami

A demonstration in Miami grew to about 400 people as protesters marched from a courthouse to a historically black neighborhood north of downtown.

Demonstrators sat on one knee during several stops to listen to organizers shouting instructions that they were to remain peaceful and hydrated in the 80-degree weather. They shouted, "No justice, no peace, no racist police" as more than 30 officers followed the group a few blocks behind wearing body armor.

Trinity Auberry, 22, arrived at the demonstration with four other friends. It was the first time protesting for the young black model who said the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis is not isolated and cases of "police brutality" are also common in Florida.

By The Associated Press
 

Police say Louisville man fired gun before his death

Louisville officials released new information on the shooting death David McAtee, a local business owner who was fatally shot by law enforcement Monday, CBS affiliate WLKY reports.

Police said video from inside and outside McAtee's business shows him firing a weapon before he was killed. Officials said it appears that McAtee fired the first shot and that an investigation is ongoing. It is unclear what sparked the confrontation.

Two officers, Kate Crews and Allen Austin, have been placed on administrative leave.

Read more at WLKY here.

By Justin Bey
 

Denver cop fired for sharing Instagram post that said "Let's start a riot"

The Denver Police Department said an officer at the center of a controversial picture on Instagram has been fired. Chief Paul Pazen called for an internal affairs investigation into the social media post, which appeared to show three officers dressed in riot gear. The caption read, "Let's start a riot."

That investigation revealed that officer Thomas McClay violated the department's social media policy. The picture was posted on Sunday and has since been removed.

Protesters have marched throughout the city in response to the death of George Floyd. 

Read more at CBS Denver.

 

Minnesota pastor believes protests are a "real opportunity" to change the system

Five miles north of the Minneapolis intersection where George Floyd was killed is the neighborhood of Hawthorne. The National Guard was sent there in the summer of 1967 when young African Americans rebelled against an unjust power structure. Now, 53 years later, spiritual wounds remain. There's a pastor there who's praying for change and keeping the faith.

Pastor Edrin Williams' Sanctuary Covenant Church has been on a mission for unity for 12 years.

Williams said racism is deeply rooted in America.

"When you run into somebody in the community and they're angry ... it's because every single thing that has been set into place we're told is supposed to help us is working against us," he explained.

In Hawthorne, 35% of the community lives below the federal poverty level; 40% are unemployed - the neighborhood has seen unrest before. In 2015, protesters demanded justice for the death of 24-year-old Jamar Clark, who was shot and killed by police.

"This can't be another band-aid put on this thing," Williams said. "This is like a real opportunity to actually change the system. And if the system can't be changed then we need to tear the system down."

Read more here.

By Jamie Yuccas
 

Mother of George Floyd's 6-year-old daughter speaks out: "This is what those officers took"

The mother of George Floyd's daughter spoke out on Tuesday for the first time since Floyd's death in an attempt to get "everybody to know that this is what those officers took." In a short, tearful statement alongside the daughter she had with Floyd, Roxie Washington mourned the loss of Floyd as a father to 6-year-old Gianna. 

"I don't have a lot to say, because I can't get my words together right now," Washington said at Minneapolis City Hall. "But I wanted everybody to know that this is what those officers took. At the end of the day, they get to go home and be with their families. Gianna does not have a father." 

"He will never see her grow up, graduate, he will never walk her down the aisle," Washington added. "If there's a problem she's having and she needs her dad, she does not have that anymore."  

Read more here.

Mother of George Floyd's child speaks out: "This is what those officers took" 11:28
By Victoria Albert
 

Twitter says fake "Antifa" account was run by white supremacists

Twitter has shut down multiple accounts that it says were operated by a white supremacist group posing as liberal groups encouraging violence.

Twitter said the white supremacist group Identity Evropa used one fake account, @Antifa_US, to call for violence in majority white suburbs, in the name of the Black Lives Matter movement. The account's removal was first reported by NBC News.

"This account violated our platform manipulation and spam policy, specifically the creation of fake accounts. We took action after the account sent a Tweet inciting violence and broke the Twitter Rules" the company said.

Twitter said it has also targeted other fake accounts run by Identity Evropa, but did not provide examples. The company said the accounts posted hateful tweets targeting race, religion and sexual orientation.

Read more here.

fake-antifa-tweet.jpg
A screengrab of a tweet that Twitter says was posted by white supremacists posing as supporters of the left-wing anti-fascist movement Antifa. Twitter
By Graham Kates
 

6 Atlanta cops charged after 2 college students pulled from car

Six Atlanta police officers have been charged for assaulting two college students who were attempting to leave a protest Saturday. Two of the officers involved have already been fired from the department.

Messiah Young, 22, and Teniyah Pilgrim, 20, were leaving a George Floyd protest at Atlanta's Centennial Olympic Park after the city's 9 p.m. curfew went into effect CBS affiliate WGCL reported. Video of the incident shows an officer tell Young, who was driving the car, to keep moving but then the officer opens the door and tries to pull Young out of the car. Young manages to drive off but is stopped down the road by traffic. Officers then swarm the car.

One officer opens the passenger-side door as another attempts to break the driver-side window. The officer on the passenger side then uses his Taser on Pilgrim, who could be heard screaming throughout the encounter. Young can also be seen being tased before officers pull him from the car. Young also said he was punched at least 10 times while he was being subdued on the pavement. The entire incident was filmed live by WGCL.

Pilgrim on Tuesday said she is "so happy that they're being held accountable for their actions."

"I hope every police officer who thinks it's OK to drag someone, beat someone, do all this stuff because they're cops, I hope they're all going to be held accountable as well," she added.

Read more here.

By Jordan Freiman
 

Former correctional officer charged with driving into Indiana protest

A former correctional officer who drove into a Black Lives Matter protest faces a felony criminal recklessness charge, prosecutors said Tuesday. Christa Redman, 32, of Kokomo, also faces misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct and leaving the scene of an accident, the Howard County Prosecutor's Office announced.

Jail records indicate that Redman surrendered to police and bonded out of the Howard County Jail, the Kokomo Tribune reported.

Redman resigned from her position with the jail Sunday, Sheriff Jerry Asher said. That came a day after she allegedly drove her truck into a group near a Kokomo park protesting the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

Witnesses said Redman passed stopped vehicles in front of her, entered an intersection and struck protesters before fleeing. An affidavit said Redman honked the horn at protesters before striking them. Officers later located her at her residence a few blocks away, police said.

Redman told police that the protesters were "yelling and screaming at her and her children in the truck," the affidavit said.

Deza'Rae Bender, 24, of Kokomo sustained an injury to her arm and hand, police said. A 17-year-old female also told police that she also was also struck by Redman's truck.

A message seeking comment was left for Redman's attorney.

By The Associated Press
 

Barr involved in decision to expand perimeter around White House and remove protesters

Attorney General William Barr was part of the decision to expand the perimeter around the White House Monday, CBS News has confirmed, pushing protesters who were assembled there from the area before President Trump delivered remarks and walked across the street to survey a damaged historic church.

A Justice Department official told CBS News the decision was made late Sunday or early Monday morning to move the perimeter keeping protesters from getting close to the White House back one block. The official said it was a coordinated decision, and Barr advised it was the correct move.

Demonstrators had assembled in Lafayette Park, located in front of the White House. While the demonstrations were described as peaceful, tensions escalated when law enforcement deployed tear gas and forcefully pushed protesters from the area.

The events occurred as Mr. Trump delivered remarks in the Rose Garden at the White House, after which he left the compound to make his way through Lafayette Park to visit St. John's Church, whose parish office basement was set on fire after nightfall Sunday.

Accompanied by Barr and other Cabinet members, as well as White House aides and Secret Service Monday evening, Mr. Trump stood for photos outside St. John's and held up a Bible.

The Justice Department official said the president's movement's did not have any bearing on the decision to extend the perimeter around the White House. Barr went to observe the scene at Lafayette Park after visiting a command center Monday afternoon and was surprised to see it hadn't been moved as intended. The official said Barr then met with police to discuss moving the perimeter. Afterward, officers began pushing protesters from the park.

Read more here.

By Clare Hymes
 

Tens of thousands march in Houston to honor George Floyd

Houston residents are gathering Tuesday afternoon for a peaceful march to city hall to honor George Floyd. Some of Floyd's family members are expected to attend along with Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and community leaders.

Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo was among those at the march.

"If any person doesn't understand the pain of the African American community, I ask them to come out here and look at the pain in their eyes and the tears they shed," he said.

Read more from KHOU-TV.

America Protests Houston
People gather to protest the death of George Floyd in Houston on Tuesday, June 2, 2020. David J. Phillip / AP
 

Man who drove semi-truck toward crowd released without charges

A 35-year-old Otsego man has been released from custody without charges after driving his semi-truck into a crowd of protesters on the Interstate 35W bridge in Minneapolis over the weekend.

Bogdan Vechirko was released shortly after noon on Tuesday. Under the reason for release, authorities said "36 hours expired."

The Hennepin County Attorney's Office says the case has been deferred pending further investigation.

"Investigators are in the process of gathering additional information and answers to aid in the charging decision," the office said.

Read more at CBS Minnesota.

 

Trump wants the National Guard in New York after looting at Macy's store

President Trump called for the National Guard to be brought into New York City after the flagship Macy's store in Herald Square was looted on Monday night. The doors of the iconic department store were breached, and police pulled two men out of the store and put them in a van. 

"Macy's at 34th. Street, long the largest single department store anywhere in the world, & a point of pride in NYC, was devastated yesterday when hoodlums and thieves vandalized it, breaking almost all of its large panels of storefront glass," the president tweeted. "What a shame. Bring in National Guard!" 

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said Tuesday that sending in the National Guard would "make a bad situation worse." 

"I'm not happy with last night," Cuomo said. "But you have 38,000 NYPD — they have protected the city before in situations like these." 

"I do believe that the NYPD well-deployed do not need the National Guard," he added. 

By Victoria Albert
 

Minnesota launches civil rights probe into Minneapolis Police Department

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz announced Tuesday that the state's department of human rights is launching an investigation into the Minneapolis Police Department. The investigation will not only look into the death of George Floyd but will the review department's practices over the past 10 years.

According to Walz, the state will investigate "systemic practices against people of color" in the police department, marking the first time the state has launched a human rights investigation into a police department.

"We're not going to restore peace on our streets by having the national guard show up," Walz said. "We're going to restore peace by addressing the systemic issues that caused it in the first place."

"If this is not an inflection point... this will come back again."

Read more here.

By Audrey McNamara
 

Another round of curfew orders for Los Angeles County

Curfew orders are in effect for the Southland again Tuesday with more protests being held across the region.

The curfew runs from 6 p.m. Tuesday through 6 a.m. Wednesday. It applies to all incorporated and unincorporated areas. However, it does not apply to those voting in the special elections for the city of Commerce or the El Rancho Unified School District in Pico Rivera.

Read more at CBS Los Angeles.

 

2,700 arrests, 66 police vehicles damaged in Los Angeles

Police have arrested more than 2,700 people — including nearly 200 for looting and acts of violence — since the protests over George Floyd's death began last week.

LAPD Chief Michel Moore said about 2,500 of the arrests were for failure to disperse or breaking curfew.

Moore also said 66 LAPD vehicles have been damaged, seven of which were burned.

Read more at CBS Los Angeles.

 

Social media is going dark for Blackout Tuesday

As anti-police brutality protesters march across the nation, two black women in the music industry have created a movement for social media users to go dark for a day of protest. 

#TheShowMustBePaused is an industry-wide call to action for social media users to acknowledge "the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and countless other black citizens at the hands of police" by posting only a black tile on their social media platforms.

The initiative is the brainchild of Jamila Thomas, senior director of marketing at Atlantic Records and former Atlantic Records employee Brianna Agyemang.

However, as the movement grew, most people began using the hashtag #BlackoutTuesday, and activists urged social media users against using #BlackLivesMatter, saying it will drown out vital resources and information for the unaffiliated movement. 

"If you use the Black Lives Matter hashtag, use it to share necessary resources and information for the movement. If you are not using it for that purpose, please type out Black Lives Matter with no hashtag, so we do not inadvertently mute vital dialogue in a sea of black boxes," the organizers wrote.

Read more here.

By Chevaz Clarke
 

Mayor: NYPD, community leaders will create peace in NYC, not the National Guard

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio was asked Tuesday whether the city will enlist the help of the National Guard following another night of violence and looting.

"No. We do not need, nor do we think it's wise, for the National Guard to be in New York City — nor any armed forces," he replied, CBS New York reports. "For anyone who needs a history lesson: When outside armed forces go into communities, no good comes of it. We have seen this for decades. Go back to the '50s, '60s with the Civil Rights Movement on through all the way up to today."

The mayor called on elected officials, community leaders and clergy to help keep the peace. He praised peaceful protesters for stepping up to stop those inciting violence in their midst.

"Own your community. Do not let outsiders attack your community, do not let a violent few attack your community, do not let criminals attack your community," he said. "Stand up. I'll be standing by you. I'll be supporting you. The NYPD will be supporting you."

He also said the NYPD will be reevaluating and redeploying its resources tonight based on the latest, real-time intelligence.

Governor Andrew Cuomo said he was disappointed and outraged by what he saw Monday. He called out criminals for exploiting Floyd's death to wreak havoc.

"Those looters, that criminal activity hurt everyone — in the communities of the protesters, which are the communities that tend to be the poorest communities," he said. "The police in New York City were not effective at doing their job last night, period. They have to do a better job."

The governor said he's offered to send in the National Guard but thinks 38,000 NYPD officers should be able to protect the city.

 

National Guard from several states in D.C. to help

The nearly 1,300 D.C. National Guard members who have been activated to deal with the civil unrest were joined Monday evening by Guardsmen from Utah and New Jersey, and almost 1,500 guardsmen are coming Tuesday from Indiana, South Carolina, Tennessee and Mississippi, according to Gen. Joseph Lengyel, chief of the National Guard Bureau.

The general said more are due to arrive Wednesday.

A senior defense official said later that some states have turned down requests to send their Guard members to the District of Columbia, in some cases because governors are concerned about dealing with problems in their own state. The official spoke on condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the Pentagon. 

The official said New York and Delaware have declined to send Guard members to Washington, and Pennsylvania is considering the request but not yet given an answer.

Protesters Demonstrate In D.C. Against Death Of George Floyd By Police Officer In Minneapolis
Members of the National Guard block an intersection after a demonstration on June 1, 2020 in Washington, D.C.  Joshua Roberts/Getty
By The Associated Press
 

A white bar owner in Omaha shot and killed a black protester. He won't face charges.

During protests in Omaha, Nebraska, over the weekend, a black activist was shot and killed by a white bar owner after a fight broke out. The Douglas County Attorney's Office said the shooter will not face charges because he was "defending himself."

James Scurlock, 22, was killed by Jacob Gardner, the owner of the Hive Bar and Gatsby Bar in Omaha, around midnight Saturday in the midst of protests against police brutality and George Floyd's death. 

The Douglas County Attorney's Office determined Gardner acted in self-defense after interviewing the shooter and reviewing videos of the incident. 

"There was a consensus... that the actions of the shooter were justified," County Attorney Don Kleine said during a briefing Monday. "There wasn't any big disagreement about what happened here."

Read more here.

By Sophie Lewis
 

George Floyd's brother implores protesters to stop looting

George Floyd's brother Terrence spoke publicly for the first time Monday as he gathered with hundreds of people for a vigil near the place in Minneapolis where George was killed during an encounter with police. Terrence implored protesters to stop looting in Minneapolis and across the country. 

"What are y'all doing? Y'all doing nothing! Because that's not going to bring my brother back, at all," he said.

It seems Monday night protesters in Minneapolis took Terrence's words to heart, taking part in a peaceful sit-in near the place police pinned downed George. Earlier, speakers had called for the arrests of the other officers involved in the fatal encounter with Floyd.

newly released autopsy commissioned by the Floyd family says the cause of death was asphyxiation from compression to the neck and back. It differs from the Hennepin County medical examiner's office autopsy, which says Floyd died from a heart attack while being restrained. Both label the death a homicide. 

Read more here.

George Floyd's brother implores protesters to stop looting 02:24
 

New York Governor Cuomo says protesters and looters are separate groups

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said Tuesday that people protesting the death of George Floyd have "by and large" been peaceful, and stressed that looters are a separate group.

"What's happening in this environment … all these issues are getting blurred," Cuomo said at his daily press briefing. "COVID-19 is one issue, the outrage over Mr. Floyd is another issue, looters are another issue."

"We can't blur the lines … don't blur the lines for your political purpose," Cuomo said, noting President Trump's criticism of New York City's response to the ongoing unrest. 

The governor said Mr. Trump has blurred the lines of these "compounding crises."

"The president doesn't want to distinguish between the looters and the protesters," Cuomo said. "He doesn't want to talk about the killing of Mr. Floyd, and he doesn't want to talk about reforming the justice system."

By Audrey McNamara
 

Protests underscore worsening racial wealth gaps

Until last week, Minneapolis was known as one of the country's most livable cities, lauded for its multiculturalism and vibrant neighborhoods. But the nationwide protests that have followed George Floyd's death at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer are also drawing attention to the stark socioeconomic differences between black and white Americans.

Despite its progressive image, Minneapolis struggles with some of the nation's greatest racial inequities, including wide gaps in wealth and income that effectively exclude many of its black residents from the city's prosperity. 

Although the average Minneapolis household earns almost $64,000, for example, blacks on average earn less than half what white households do. By that measure alone, Minneapolis is one of the most unequal cities in America. But black residents are also half as likely to own their homes as whites, and the jobless rate for blacks in the Twin Cities has long hovered well above that for white workers.

Minneapolis and other U.S. cities suffer from racial inequities that "can be suffocating for black and brown people," he added. "If we don't fix the systems of systemic racism, we will see bursts of anger like this over and over and over again. It'll be justifiable anger." 

— Aimee Picchi and Irina Ivanova  

Read more here.

 

NYC mayor says curfew will remain in place for rest of week

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said Tuesday an 8 p.m.-5 a.m. curfew will stay in place for the rest of the week. 

A curfew that started at 11 p.m. Monday was in place overnight, although the city still saw destruction and unrest, including looting. 

As the 11 p.m. deadline to get off the streets approached, bands of protesters marched peacefully through Manhattan and Brooklyn, but police simultaneously responded to numerous reports of roving groups of people smashing their way into shops and emptying them of merchandise.

CBS New York reports the doors of Macy's flagship Manhattan store were breached. People rushed into a Nike store and carried out armloads of clothing. Near Rockefeller Center, storefront windows were smashed and multiple people arrested. Bank windows were smashed. Wreckage littered the inside of an AT&T store. 

New York has joined other cities around the country in imposing a curfew after days of unrest. They came on top of months of restrictions on public gatherings already imposed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

— CBS/AP

 

Area around White House sealed off and fence put up

The streets around the White House complex were shut Tuesday morning, guarded by a mix of Secret Service officers and FBI agents.

Overnight, a fence was constructed around Lafayette Park and along 17th St at Pennsylvania Ave, two areas that have been focal points for protests.

Work crews were still at work boarding up businesses in the area and attempting to remove graffiti from federal buildings.

By The Associated Press
 

Biden says country is "crying out for leadership" amid protests

Biden says country is "crying out for leadership" amid protests 22:16

Former Vice President Joe Biden said the country is "crying out for leadership" amid nationwide protests sparked by the death of George Floyd and accused President Trump of using force against peaceful protesters to stage a "photo op" near the White House on Monday.

In an address at City Hall in Philadelphia, the presumptive Democratic nominee for president said Floyd's death in police custody was a "wake-up call for our nation, for all of us."

"The country is crying out for leadership, leadership that can unite us," Biden said.

Biden condemned Mr. Trump for his response to protests in the nation's capital on Monday, when mostly peaceful protesters were tear-gassed and cleared from Lafayette Park across the street from the White House. Soon after, Mr. Trump walked through the park and posed for photos in front of historic St. John's Episcopal Church.

"When peaceful protesters are dispersed by the order of the president from the doorstep of the people's house, the White House, using tear gas and flash grenades in order to stage a photo op at a noble church, we can be forgiven for believing that the president is more interested in power than in principle," Biden said.

— Grace Segers and Bo Erickson

Read more here.

 

What is the Insurrection Act, and can Trump use it against protests?

President Trump said Monday he would deploy the military against protesters if local officials cannot stop violence that has erupted in some areas. Only states can activate the National Guard, so many questioned whether the president has the legal authority to deploy troops in American cities.

There are circumstances where a president can do so under the Insurrection Act of 1807, which has been amended several times in the years since. According to the law, posted online by the Legal Information Institute at Cornell Law School: 

"Whenever the President considers that unlawful obstructions, combinations, or assemblages, or rebellion against the authority of the United States, make it impracticable to enforce the laws of the United States in any State by the ordinary course of judicial proceedings, he may call into Federal service such of the militia of any State, and use such of the armed forces, as he considers necessary to enforce those laws or to suppress the rebellion."

Past presidents have employed the Insurrection Act to send the military to Southern states to ensure court-ordered desegregation of schools in the 1950s and 1960s, and at the request of several states to quell riots in 1968. It was most recently used in 1992, when troops were sent to Los Angeles after the California governor sought federal help during the riots following the police acquittal in the beating of Rodney King.

Still, Mr. Trump's comments about sending in troops put him in conflict with some state officials, who disputed that the president can send troops against their will. 

Read more here.

By Sarah Lynch Baldwin
 

Dozens of protesters arrested outside Minnesota State Capitol

Dozens of people were arrested for breaking curfew Monday night in St. Paul outside of the State Capitol building after a long day of peaceful protests, CBS Minnesota reports.

Police say that roughly 2,000 people first gathered outside of the governor's mansion early Monday evening before heading to the Capitol. Protesters were calling for the arrest of three former police officers involved in the fatal arrest of George Floyd. Another officer is already in custody.

A curfew from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. was in place Monday night and remains in place on Tuesday.

By Sarah Lynch Baldwin
 

Police chief says he doesn't "believe racism plays a role" in NYPD, as protesters fill streets

The top uniformed officer in the New York City Police Department said he understands the anger driving protests across the United States following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. On Monday afternoon, NYPD Chief of Department Terence Monahan kneeled in solidarity with protesters.

But he denounced looting, which marred another day of peaceful demonstrations in the city Monday as many ignored a new curfew. Monahan also said he doesn't believe racism plays a role in the NYPD.

"What happened in Minnesota was an outrage, completely and totally. But 800,000 law enforcement officers around this country are paying the price for what that guy did in Minnesota," Monahan told "CBS This Morning" co-host Tony Dokoupil.

Monahan said he understands the protesters' anger. 

"Protest, yell, scream, let your rage out, but don't take your rage out on the community, destroy the businesses that actually employ members of this community," he said.

Read more here.

NYPD chief discusses where to draw the line with protesters 05:47
 

Arlington County pulls officers from D.C. after tear gas used on protesters

Police officers from Arlington County, Virginia, located across the Potomac from the nation's capital, were ordered to withdraw from the District of Columbia after law enforcement fired tear gas to clear demonstrators from a park near the White House, allowing President Trump to walk to a damaged historic church.

The county said Monday evening that Arlington County Police Department officers who were assisting with the response to the protests left the District of Columbia around 8:30 p.m. "at the direction" of the county manager, county board and police chief.

"The county is re-evaluating the agreements that allowed our officers to be put in a compromising position that endangered their health and safety, and that of the people around them, for a purpose not worthy of our mutual aid obligations," the county said.

Libby Garvey, a member of the Arlington County county board, said on Twitter she was "appalled" that the "mutual aid agreement [was] abused to endanger their and others safety for a photo op." 

Read more here.

By Melissa Quinn
 

Protesters march in Sydney

More than 1,000 protesters marched through downtown Sydney on Tuesday in solidarity with Americans demonstrating against the death of George Floyd half a world away. Police escorted a crowd carrying banners that said: "Black Lives Matter," "Aboriginal Lives Matter," "White Silence is Violence" and "We See You, We Hear You, We Stand With You."

Around 2,000 demonstrators also gathered in Australia's west coast city of Perth on Monday night to peacefully protest, and rallies are planned for other Australian cities this week.

Referring to the violence in U.S. streets, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said "there's no need to import things ... happening in other countries here to Australia." 

By The Associated Press
 

Crowd clashes with police in Massachusetts hours after chief kneels with protesters

A crowd clashed with police in Worcester, Massachusetts, late Monday night, hours after the police chief knelt with demonstrators at a peaceful protest. CBS Boston reports the crowd marched through the streets to speak out against the death of George Floyd and some stopped to kneel or lay in the road.

Police in riot gear were lined up nearby. Sources told CBS Boston at one point projectiles were thrown at officers and fireworks were set off in a crowd. There was also a report of looting in Webster Square.

It happened just hours after hundreds of people gathered on the city common for a peaceful protest. Worcester Police Chief Steven Sargent joined those demonstrators, kneeling in solidarity.

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Chief Steven M. Sargent (right) with protesters.  Worcester Police Department/Facebook
By Sarah Lynch Baldwin
 

Cop shot in head in one of two police-involved shootings at protests in Vegas

What the local sheriff says were two protest-related shootings in Las Vegas Monday night left a Las Vegas police officer on life support and resulted in the death of a suspect at another scene.

Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Joe Lombardo told reporters in an overnight briefing that the demonstrations "led to" both incidents.

He said officers were attempting to disperse a large crowd of demonstrators in front of the Circus Circus Hotel and Casino on the Vegas Strip and were being hit with rocks and bottles form the crowd. While trying to detain some people, Lombado said, "a shot rang out and our officer went down." The officer was on life support and a suspect was in custody.

Read more here.

-CBS/AP

 

New York City spends night under historic curfew

New York City spent the night under curfew for the first time in more than 75 years, CBS New York reports. Governor Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio imposed the restrictions after several days of mainly peaceful demonstrations over the death of George Floyd escalated into violence.

Monday night's curfew lasted from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m., although many protesters stayed out well into the morning, including some looters who broke store windows and stole merchandise in several neighborhoods.

The Guardian Angels, volunteers who patrol the city, stood guard in SoHo after luxury stores were targeted Sunday.

"We're going to make sure we're out here to do everything we can for this community, and obviously to make sure there's no more looting," one man said.

Protests Against Police Brutality Over Death Of George Floyd Continue In NYC
Members of the Guardian Angels, a volunteer organization of unarmed citizens which began in the late 1970's, stand guard near looted stores during a night of protests and vandalism over the death of George Floyd on June 1, 2020 in New York City. Getty Images

The curfew on Tuesday is expected to start even earlier, at 8 p.m. It does not apply to essential workers or homeless people on the streets.    

The NYPD doubled the number of officers on the streets to 8,000. Police say dozens of people were arrested overnight.

 

Violence against journalists covering protests draws scrutiny from U.S. allies

Australia is investigating a U.S. police attack on two Australian journalists outside the White House with a view to launching a formal complaint, the foreign minister said Tuesday. The reporter and her cameraman were covering a protest outside the White House — part of the groundswell of public anger over the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police.

"We have asked the Australian embassy in Washington D.C. to investigate this incident," Marise Payne said after the journalists were shoved, punched and hit with a baton live on television. "I want to get further advice on how we would go about registering Australia's strong concerns with the responsible local authorities in Washington."

Australia's 7News reporter Amelia Brace told her network that both she and her cameraman Tim Myers were left "pretty bruised, but okay" after their encounter with police in riot gear outside the White House.

There have been other incidents, including at least one captured on live television, in which news crews identifying themselves clearly to police have been placed under arrest. Other videos have shown police appearing to deliberately target members of the media covering the protests.

The non-profit group Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said Monday that at least 125 press freedom violations had been reported nationwide by journalists covering the demonstrations, which have devolved into violence, looting and destruction in multiple cities in recent nights. Multiple police and other law enforcement officers have been shot amid the chaos.

Read more here.

— CBS/AFP

 

European Union's top diplomat calls Floyd death an "abuse of power"

The European Union's top diplomat says the death of George Floyd was the result of an abuse of power and that the 27-nation bloc is "shocked and appalled" by it.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told reporters Tuesday that "like the people of the United States, we are shocked and appalled by the death of George Floyd."

Floyd died last week after he was pinned to the pavement by a white police officer in Minneapolis who put his knee on the handcuffed black man's neck until he stopped breathing. His death set off protests that spread across America. 

By The Associated Press
 

NYC looting persists despite curfew, with Macy's among stores hit

A late-night curfew imposed on New York City Monday failed to prevent another night of destruction, including arrests after a break-in at the iconic Macy's store on 34th Street, following protests over George Floyd's death. As the 11 p.m. deadline to get off the streets approached, bands of protesters marched peacefully through Manhattan and Brooklyn, but police simultaneously responded to numerous reports of roving groups of people smashing their way into shops and emptying them of merchandise.

The doors of Macy's flagship Manhattan store were breached. Police pulled two handcuffed men out and put them in a van.

People rushed into a Nike store and carried out armloads of clothing. Near Rockefeller Center, storefront windows were smashed and multiple people arrested. Bank windows were smashed. Wreckage littered the inside of an AT&T store.  

Video posted on social media showed some protesters arguing with people breaking windows, urging them to stop, but instances of vandalism and smash-and-grab thefts mounted as the night deepened.  

-CBS/AP

 

4 St. Louis officers hit by gunfire at protests

St. Louis police said four officers were hit by gunfire after protests that started peacefully Monday became violent overnight, with people smashing windows and stealing items from businesses and fires burning in the downtown area. The police department tweeted early Tuesday that the officers were taken to an area hospital with injuries that weren't believed to be life-threatening.

Two were shot in the leg, one in a foot and the fourth in an arm, St. Louis Police Commissioner Colonel John Hayden Junior told reporters in an overnight briefing.

It was unclear who fired the shots.

— CBS/AP

 

Tiger Woods urges calm after "shocking" death of George Floyd

Tiger Woods called George Floyd's death a "shocking tragedy" but said violent protests weren't the answer as unrest flared across the U.S. Monday. Woods said he had the "utmost respect" for police and likened the situation to the Los Angeles riots of 1992, after four police were acquitted over the beating of motorist Rodney King.

"My heart goes out to George Floyd, his loved ones and all of us who are hurting right now," Woods tweeted. "I have always had the utmost respect for our law enforcement. They train so diligently to understand how, when and where to use force. This shocking tragedy clearly crossed that line."

Woods' statement follows strong comments from a number of athletes including NBA legend Michael Jordan, who said he was "plain angry," and tennis player Coco Gauff who asked: "Am I next?"

By AFP
 

Tear gas scatters hundreds of protesters in Louisville

Riot police firing tear gas scattered several hundred protesters from Louisville's downtown Jefferson Square, violently capping a day of mostly peaceful protests.

Riot police with batons at the ready stood shoulder to shoulder as they advanced down key streets before breaking up the protest after a brief standoff shortly after 10 p.m. Demonstrators shouted at police as authorities on a microphone ordered the crowd to disperse before loud bursts of tear gas crackled and spread smoke over the area.

Protesters began running and military-style vehicles could later be seen occupying the key square fronting a courthouse complex. Some protesters gasped and held wet cloths to their faces as they ran from the wafting gas and advancing police. A helicopter clattered overhead amid the bursts of tear gas fire, and streets appeared to largely empty out.

By The Associated Press
 

2 police officers struck by vehicle in Buffalo

Two police officers were struck by a vehicle in Buffalo on Monday night, according to CBS affiliate WIVB. Both have been hospitalized with serious injuries. 

Sources told the outlet that one of the officers is a Buffalo police officer, and the other is a New York state police officer. The state trooper has non-life threatening injuries, according to the New York State Police's public information office.

By Victoria Albert
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