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George Floyd U.S. protests live updates from June 7, 2020

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President Trump announced Sunday that he will begin withdrawing the National Guard from Washington D.C., after a weekend of peaceful protests. "I have just given an order for our National Guard to start the process of withdrawing from Washington, D.C., now that everything is under perfect control. They will be going home, but can quickly return, if needed. Far fewer protesters showed up last night than anticipated!" Mr. Trump tweeted.

Tens of thousands protested peacefully throughout the country Saturday, with the largest crowd yet in the nation's capital. The police chief there said zero arrests were made Saturday, the third day in a row no arrests have been made by D.C. police, CBS affiliate WUSA-TV reported.

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.


 

Man drives car toward protesters then shoots one, police say

Authorities say a man drove a car at George Floyd protesters in Seattle Sunday night, hit a barricade then exited the vehicle brandishing a pistol. At least one person was injured.

The victim was a 27-year-old male who was shot and taken to a hospital in stable condition, the Seattle Fire Department said.

The alleged gunman was later attested, CBS Seattle affiliate KIRO-TV reports.

It was the second night of mayhem near the police station. On Saturday night, police used flash bang devices and pepper spray to disperse protesters on Capitol Hill. Seattle City Council members sharply criticized Mayor Jenny Durkan and Police Chief Carmen Best for the police action.

-- CBS/AP

 

Man charged in slaying of retired St. Louis police captain David Dorn

A 24-year-old St. Louis man has been charged with first-degree murder in the fatal shooting of a retired police captain who died on a night of violent protests while trying to protect his friend's pawn shop, the city's prosecutor announced Sunday

Stephan Cannon was being held without bond on a first-degree murder charge in the death of David Dorn, 77, who was killed Tuesday on the sidewalk outside Lee's Pawn and Jewelry. Dorn's last moments were caught on video and apparently posted on Facebook Live, though the video has since been taken down.

Dorn's death came on a violent night in St. Louis, where four officers were shot, officers were pelted with rocks and fireworks, and 55 businesses were burglarized or damaged, including a convenience store that burned. 

By The Associated Press
 

Protesters in England topple statue of slave trader Edward Colston into harbor

APTOPIX America Protests Global Britain
Protesters throw a statue of slave trader Edward Colston into Bristol harbour, during a Black Lives Matter protest rally, in Bristol, England, Sunday June 7, 2020, in response to the recent killing of George Floyd by police officers in Minneapolis, USA, that has led to protests in many countries and across the US. (Ben Birchall/PA via AP) Ben Birchall / AP

A statue of slave trader Edward Colston was torn down and thrown into Bristol Harbor on Sunday by protesters demonstrating against racism and police brutality in England. According to the BBC, one person was seen with their knee on the statue's neck in reference to the fatal arrest of George Floyd, whose death in Minneapolis inspired protests across the globe.

The bronze statue was erected in 1895, more than 150 years after Colston's death and 88 years after Britain abolished the slave trade in 1807. Colston played a key role in the Royal African Company, a 17th century slave trader responsible for transporting around 80,000 indentured people to the Americas.

Read more here.

 

Minneapolis City Council members announces intent to radically change their city's police department

Nine out of 13 Minneapolis City Council members announced Sunday their intent to disband the city's police department, CBS Minnesota reports.  

The alternative offer had to do with taking the department money and putting it toward community initiatives that strengthen safety, CBS Minnesota points out. Concrete details about how to do the work of dismantling MPD were less defined, although council member Philippe Cunningham said the upcoming budget is a great place to start.

"We're not going to tomorrow all the sudden have nobody for you to call for help. There will be thoughtful and intentional work that's done, research engagement, learning that happens in a transition that will happen over time," Cunningham said.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey issued a statement Sunday addressing the need for reform, but said he doesn't support disbanding the police department. 

Read more here

 

Protests erupt all around the world over the death of George Floyd

Protests erupt all around the world over the death of George Floyd 01:57
By Jordan Freiman
 

House Democrats to unveil police reform bill amid nationwide protests

House Democrats will unveil legislation Monday morning to offer a blueprint for reforming policing policies in what is expected to be a massive bill focusing on holding law enforcement officers accountable for any misconduct and increasing transparency. The bill comes amid nationwide protests in response to the death of George Floyd. 

The bill, led by the Congressional Black Caucus, will be announced in a press conference with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senators Cory Booker and Kamala Harris, and other congressional Democrats on Monday morning. The bill is 136 pages, and includes reforms to make it easier to prosecute police officers for misconduct in civil court. Text of the bill, called the Justice in Policing Act 2020, was provided to CBS News by a House Democratic staffer.

The bill would amend the requirement of intent in the federal criminal statute to prosecute police misconduct, by changing the standard of prosecution from "willfulness" to "recklessness." It would also reform qualified immunity, meaning that individuals would be able to recover damages when their constitutional rights are violated by law enforcement officers. 

Read the full story here

By Grace Segers
 

George Floyd's death sheds light on police practice of kneeling on a suspect's neck

George Floyd's death sheds light on police practice of kneeling on a suspect's neck 02:27
By Jordan Freiman
 

Protesters take to the streets for 2nd straight weekend after George Floyd's death

Protesters take to the streets for 2nd straight weekend after George Floyd's death 02:39
By Jordan Freiman
 

Mitt Romney says "Black Lives Matter" at D.C. protest

 Senator Mitt Romney of Utah attended a protest in Washington D.C. on Sunday, telling a Washington Post reporter that he was marching "to make sure people understand Black Lives Matter."

Romney's office has not yet commented, but his spokesperson tweeted a video of him at the protest.

By Caroline Linton
 

Chicago mayor announces end of curfew

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced Sunday the citywide curfew has been lifted effective immediately. The curfew was put into effect after violence and looting erupted after protests earlier this week.

"I know this time in our city and our country has been difficult for us all, and I'm grateful to our residents for working together to navigate this challenging time," Lightfoot tweeted.

Thousands of protesters are expected Sunday after peaceful protests on Saturday, CBS Chicago reported

Anti-Racism Protests Held In U.S. Cities Nationwide
Protesters chant and wave signs at the CPD during a protest on June 06, 2020 in Chicago, Illinois. This is the 12th day of protests since George Floyd died in Minneapolis police custody on May 25. Natasha Moustache / Getty Images
By Caroline Linton
 

NYC mayor announces curfew has ended a day ahead of schedule

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Sunday that the citywide curfew has ended effective immediately, after there were only a handful of arrests and summons issued after a day of largely peaceful protests Saturday. The curfew was initially scheduled to end at 5 a.m. Monday, the same day when the city will begin reopening after the coronavirus shutdown.

"New York City: We are lifting the curfew, effective immediately. Yesterday and last night we saw the very best of our city," de Blasio tweeted. "Tomorrow we take the first big step to restart. Keep staying safe. Keep looking out for each other."

Read more here

Anti-Racism Protests Held In U.S. Cities Nationwide
Demonstrators denouncing systemic racism and the police killings of black Americans take to the streets in the borough of Brooklyn on June 6, 2020 in New York City. This is the 12th day of protests since George Floyd died in Minneapolis police custody on May 25. Scott Heins / Getty Images


By Caroline Linton
 

Biden to meet with Floyd family in Houston

Former Vice President Joe Biden plans to travel to Houston on Monday to meet with the family of George Floyd, opting for a private meeting instead of potentially disrupting Tuesday's funeral service with extra security measures.

"Vice President Biden will travel to Houston Monday to express his condolences in-person to the Floyd family. He is also recording a video message for the funeral service," a spokesman said Sunday.

An aide familiar with the plans said that Biden does not want his Secret Service protection to complicate the funeral service, but wanted to give his condolences in person.

Last week Benjamin Crump, an attorney representing Floyd's family, told CBS News that Biden was welcome to attend but said that he did not have final confirmation of the former vice president's attendance.

By Ed O'Keefe
 

Gottlieb warns of spike in coronavirus cases after protests

Gottlieb says there's "no question" protests will increase coronavirus spread 05:20

Dr. Scott Gottlieb, the former head of the Food and Drug Administration, warned Sunday there's "no question" the protests will lead to a spike in coronavirus infections.

"We're certainly going to see transmission coming out of these gatherings. There's no question about that," Gottlieb said on "Face the Nation," adding that in the U.S., the prevalence of coronavirus infection is about one in every 200 people. "I think the idea of reducing the risk from these protests is a shared responsibility. There's steps that the protesters can take, and you see many of them wearing masks in these protests and understanding the risks."

The demonstrations in response to the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis last month come against the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic, which has claimed the lives of nearly 110,000 people in the U.S., according to Johns Hopkins University.

The number of new coronavirus cases and hospitalizations is declining in many areas, and states have begun a phased reopening of their economies, allowing retailers, restaurants and salons to begin accepting customers once more. But Gottlieb said in places like New York City, which has reported a significant decline in hospitalizations, there likely will be a spike in coronavirus cases sparked by the protests.

"We're likely to see cases go up. I think trying to tease out what the contribution is from the protests versus the contribution just of the general reopening is going to be hard," he said, noting it will be several weeks before the impacts become clear.

Read more here.

By Melissa Quinn
 

Barr defends handling of response to protests

Barr says active duty troops should only be deployed within the U.S. "as a last resort" 17:59

Attorney General William Barr on Sunday defended the Trump administration's decision to have active-duty troops at the ready to respond to protests in Washington, D.C., saying the military should only be deployed to U.S. states and cities as a "last resort."

"Our position was common, which was that they should only be deployed as a last resort," Barr said on "Face the Nation," referring to the stance he, Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley took regarding the use of active-duty troops in the U.S. to quell protesters in the nation's capital.

Earlier this week, as thousands demonstrated in the district and in major U.S. cities around the country, President Trump threatened to mobilize the military if local officials did not do more to stop the violence that had occurred in some places.

CBS News reported that in a contentious Oval Office meeting on Monday, the president demanded the military deploy 10,000 active duty troops to U.S. streets after protests against police brutality erupted from coast to coast. But some of Mr. Trump's top officials, including Barr, Esper and Milley, objected to the president's demand, a senior administration official told CBS News. In an effort to address Mr. Trump's request, Esper and Milley urged the nation's governors that day to activate the National Guard in their states.

Barr disputed that characterization of the Oval Office meeting as "completely false" on Sunday, denying the president demanded active-duty troops in the streets immediately, rather than having them on standby. "The president never asked or suggested that we needed to deploy regular troops at that point," he said.

Read more here.

By Melissa Quinn
 

Trump pulls National Guard from D.C. following weekend marches

President Trump said Sunday that he has ordered the National Guard to begin pulling out of the nation's capital after peaceful demonstrations Saturday.

"I have just given an order for our National Guard to start the process of withdrawing from Washington, D.C., now that everything is under perfect control. They will be going home, but can quickly return, if needed. Far fewer protesters showed up last night than anticipated!" Mr. Trump tweeted.

The D.C. National Guard was activated earlier this week, and governors of at least 10 states sent their own National Guard soldiers and airmen to assist with the response to protests in Washington.

By Melissa Quinn
 

Atlanta lifts curfew

Atlanta on Saturday lifted its 8 p.m. curfew that had been put in place in response to ongoing protests. "The City of Atlanta will not have a curfew tonight, Saturday, June 6 through sunrise Sunday morning," the city said on Twitter.

The curfew was first enacted last weekend and began at 9 p.m. The curfew was moved up one hour on Friday and was initially set to run through the remainder of this weekend.

By Jordan Freiman
 

Artists in Minneapolis turn boarded up storefronts into art

Artists in Minneapolis turn boarded up storefronts into art 01:36
By Jordan Freiman
 

Attendees at George Floyd protests explain their motivation

Attendees of George Floyd protests explain their motivation 02:16
By Jordan Freiman
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