♦ Officials in Minnesota say no protesters appear to have been hit after a semitrailer drove into a crowd demonstrating on a freeway near downtown Minneapolis.
♦ Atlanta’s mayor says two police officers have been fired and three placed on desk duty pending review over excessive use of force during a protest incident Saturday night.
♦ Officials are implementing a curfew in the nation’s capital after a night of violent demonstrations with rioters setting fires, smashing windows and breaking into businesses and left dozens of police officers injured.
WASHINGTON — Protesters started fires near the White House as tensions with police mounted during a third straight night of demonstrations held in response to the death of George Floyd at police hands in Minnesota.
An hour before the 11 p.m. curfew, police fired a major barrage of tear gas stun grenades into the crowd of more than 1,000 people, largely clearing Lafayette Park across the street from the White House and scattering protesters into the street.
Protesters piled up road signs and plastic barriers and lit a raging fire in the middle of H Street. Some pulled an American flag from a nearby building and threw it into the blaze. Others added branches pulled from trees. A cinder block structure, on the north side of the park, that had bathrooms and a maintenance office, was engulfed in flames.
Several miles north, a separate protest broke out in Northwest D.C., near the Maryland border. The Metropolitan Police Department says there were break-ins at a Target and a shopping center that houses Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue Men’s Store, T.J. Maxx, a movie theater and specialty stores. Police say several individuals have been detained.
ATLANTA — Riot police firing volleys of tear gas dispersed hundreds of demonstrators as a curfew took hold Sunday night, scattering a crowd that had protested for hours in downtown Atlanta over the deaths of George Floyd in Minnesota and Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia.
Hundreds of police, National Guard troops and other forces lined up in positions around downtown Centennial Park, a focal point of the weekend of protests.
An overnight curfew took hold at 9 p.m. as some on the fringes of what was a largely peaceful afternoon protest were setting off fireworks and burning construction materials near the park. An Associated Press photographer saw police then begin firing many 40 millimeter canisters of tear gas toward the crowd. People were choking, gasping and some throwing up as they scattered, leaving only a few still in the streets.
As police and National Guard troops took up positions with plastic shields on major streets, crowds melted away. WSB-TV showed footage about an hour later of officers taking people who lingered in the streets into custody, using plastic ties to handcuff them on street corners.
A racially diverse crowd of about 300 in the largest city in the nation’s whitest state marched, blocked traffic and vandalized police headquarters Sunday to protest George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis.
The demonstrators, most of them young people, marched to Portland City Hall, the Police Department and the Cumberland County Jail, chanting “Black lives matter!” and “I can’t breathe,” echoing a phrase uttered by Floyd, an African America man, as a white officer knelt on his neck. At one point, the group blocked Congress Street by lying down on the pavement.
At the police station, the group demanded to meet with the chief but left without meeting him. Several people spray-painted graffiti on the building’s brick exterior and garage door.
It was one of many demonstrations across the nation decrying the deaths of Floyd and other African Americans at the hands of police.
Portland Police Chief Frank Clark issued an open letter Friday saying his department “has policies and strategies in place in order to prevent such a tragedy from happening here.”
Maine as a whole is about 95% white, according to census data. Portland is slightly more diverse, with African Americans and other minorities making up about 15% of the city of 66,000.
While Chicago officials took extraordinary steps Sunday to patrol and restrict access to the city’s downtown in the hopes of preventing further chaos after a night of protests over the death of George Floyd, reports of vandalism and unrest cropped up throughout the day in the city’s neighborhoods and suburbs.
Vandals smashed store windows at a shoe store and cellphone shop in the heavily-Mexican Little Village neighborhood. Multiple suburban shopping malls were closed out of caution, including in North Riverside where police reported a “large disturbance.”
The unrest spread from downtown Chicago after a weekend of chaos, as peaceful protests devolved into violence and destruction. By Sunday, six people were shot in Chicago, one fatally, and 240 people were arrested in connection with the demonstrations, police said.
BELLEVUE, Wash. — The mayor of Bellevue, Washington, declared an emergency Sunday evening because of violence and looting and said she was enacting a 5:30 p.m. curfew for the downtown area of the city east of Seattle.
Bellevue Police said dozens of people broke into Bellevue Square, a large shopping mall. Officers entered the facility and chased looters out. Police urged people to avoid the area.
Mayor Lynne Robinson said people were stealing merchandise from storefronts and that she requested help from other police agencies. Earlier the Washington State Patrol said it was sending units to help quell unrest.
Bellevue’s downtown is home to large offices of many tech companies, including Microsoft and Amazon.
AUSTIN, Texas — During a demonstration in Austin, officers reportedly fired rubber bullets at protesters throwing water bottles at them. One of the rubber rounds hit a woman in the abdomen, according to the Austin American-Statesman, and she writhed on the ground, crying, “My baby, my baby.”
Officers reportedly pushed through the crowd to carry her away on a stretcher. Police did not immediately respond to questions about the incident.
San Diego police say officers have fired tear gas to disperse a crowd of demonstrators that was pelting them with rocks and bottles.
Hundreds of people, many with facial masks to protect against the coronavirus, marched through downtown chanting “George Floyd” with signs, including some saying “I Can’t Breathe,” a reference to Floyd’s dying words when a Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee on the back of his neck. Some demonstrators dropped to one knee at times.
The demonstration took an ominous turn several hours after beginning peacefully at 10 a.m. San Diego police said on Twitter that a crowd of 100 to 200 people was throwing rocks but stopped. Authorities said multiple vehicles were vandalized.
After the tear gas stopped, two groups formed on Broadway, a main thoroughfare, separated by police in riot gear.
Officials in Minnesota say no protesters appear to have been hit after a semitrailer drove into a crowd demonstrating on a freeway near downtown Minneapolis.
The Minnesota State Patrol says in a tweet that the action appeared deliberate. The patrol says the driver was injured and taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
It wasn’t clear how the driver was hurt. TV footage showed protesters swarming the truck, and then law enforcement quickly moving in.
Other TV footage showed the tanker truck moving rapidly onto the bridge and protesters appearing to part ahead of it.
The protesters were demonstrating against the death of George Floyd.
Atlanta’s mayor says two police officers have been fired and three placed on desk duty pending review over excessive use of force during a protest incident Saturday night.
Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said at a news conference Sunday that she and police Chief Erika Shields made the decision after reviewing body-camera footage. Shields called it “really shocking to watch.”
Officials say the incident came to light via video that circulated online.
It shows a group of police officers in riot gear and gas masks surround a car being driven by a man with a woman in the passenger seat. The officers pull the woman out and appear to use a stun gun on the man. They use zip-tie handcuffs on the woman on the ground. The couple did not appear to be fighting police on the video.
Bottoms said charges have been dropped against the woman, and the man has been released.
Local reporters, who captured footage of the incident, said the police had earlier broken the glass on the car. A reporter said police also flattened the tires.
The city is under curfew again Sunday night.
Los Angeles County declared a 6 p.m. curfew to prevent a repeat of violence that broke out after protests over the killing of a black man by a white Minneapolis police officer.
The county and city of Los Angeles declared states of emergency Sunday after a night of looting, vandalism and arson that followed mostly peaceful protests.
Beverly Hills, which was hit with violence on Saturday, and Santa Monica, which experienced looting Sunday, were under curfew orders at 4 p.m. The city of San Francisco declared an 8 p.m. curfew.
Officials are implementing a curfew in the nation’s capital after a night of violent demonstrations with rioters setting fires, smashing windows and breaking into businesses and left dozens of police officers injured.
District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser said the curfew would begin at 11 p.m. Sunday night and extend until 6 a.m. on Monday. She said members of the National Guard would also be on hand to assist the Metropolitan Police Department.
More than 1,000 protesters had already gathered Sunday evening at Lafayette Park across from the White House to protest the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Officials said they would have an increased police presence and additional federal agents were called in on Sunday.
The protest Saturday night turned violent as darkness set in. Protesters set fires, smashed windows and sprayed graffiti.
TAMPA, Florida — Protests were largely peaceful across Florida on Sunday, with some organizers doubling safety efforts to counteract the violence of Saturday night.
In Tampa, Black Lives Matter organizers had nearly 100 safety marshals in fluorescent vests patrolling their march, trained in de-escalation tactics and ordered to be on the lookout for antagonists.
The group also had medics, used walkie-talkies to quickly squelch outbursts and enlisted lawyers and those with legal training to watch out for protesters’ rights from the sidelines.
“We wanted to be able to provide a safe space for their voice and rage to be heard within a controlled environment. It’s part of their amendment rights for them to be able to express themselves,” said Chaikirah Parker, who helped organize the event.
The veteran activist said they purposely held the event early Sunday, despite sweltering heat, because it brought a more peaceful demographic.
After the event was over, a young crowd held another protest and she said the veteran activists felt obliged to help.
“We really feel it’s our duty to pass the torch and teach the kids how to organize,” she said. “They’re cocky and then they realize the rapid response organization is a whole other level.”
New York City officials were looking for a peaceful way forward as the city entered a fourth day of protests against police brutality that have left police cars burned, and led to the arrest of hundreds of people.
Mayor Bill de Blasio said he had no plans to impose a curfew Sunday, unlike other major US cities, and smaller cities throughout the state.
De Blasio said city police showed “tremendous restraint overall” during the weekend’s protests, but promised an investigation of video showing two police cruisers lurching into a crowd of demonstrators in a Brooklyn street, knocking people to the ground. He appointed two city officials to review how the protests unfolded and how they were handled by the police.
“We all better get back to the humanity here,” de Blasio said at a Sunday morning briefing. “The protesters are human beings. They need to be treated with tremendous respect. The police officers are human beings. They need to be treated with tremendous respect.”
Hours after he spoke, demonstrations resumed. Like the past two days, they got off to a largely peaceful start.
Hundreds of people gathered on a plaza in downtown Brooklyn, chanting “No justice, no peace,” and “Black lives matter,” while making occasional insulting hand gestures at a line of police officers protecting the arena where the NBA’s Nets play.
Marchers chanted “Hands up, don’t shoot” — a rallying cry that originated from the August 2014 shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri — during a separate rally in Queens. In Manhattan, hundreds of people marched through the streets then knelt on Fifth Avenue.
Vandals hit shops in Santa Monica at midday Sunday as armed National Guard soldiers patrolled Los Angeles streets and cities across California declared another night of curfew to prevent violence after unruly demonstrators torched police cars, broke into stores and clashed with officers in riot gear.
The unrest in coastal Santa Monica happened not far from a peaceful demonstration near the city’s famous pier and headed for its popular Third Street Promenade shopping area, where they broke into a Gap store and a Vans sneaker store, where they could be seen walking out with boxes of shoes with no police in sight.
A woman holding a sign saying “End All Violence” managed to stop a man using a hammer to break the glass on the doors of an REI store. Another protester joined her and would-be burglars moved on.
Atlanta’s mayor says two police officers have been fired and three placed on desk duty pending review over excessive use of force during a protest incident Saturday night.
Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said at a news conference Sunday that she and police Chief Erika Shields made the decision after reviewing body-camera footage. Shields called it “really shocking to watch.”
Officials say the incident came to light via video that circulated online.
It shows a group of police officers in riot gear and gas masks surround a car being driven by a man with a woman in the passenger seat. The officers pull the woman out and appear to use a stun gun on the man. They use zip-tie handcuffs on the woman on the ground. The couple did not appear to be fighting police on the video.
Bottoms said charges have been dropped against the woman, and the man has been released.
Local reporters, who captured footage of the incident, said the police had earlier broken the glass on the car. A reporter said police also flattened the tires.
The city is under curfew again Sunday night.
After a violent night of looting and fires, about 1,000 protesters occupied part of Layfayette Park across from the White House on Sunday evening to condemn the death of George Floyd at police hands in Minnesota.
Police in riot gear lined up behind a set of barricades.
The mood was defiant. Protesters called the police murderers and traitors. They chanted “No justice, no peace, no racist police.”
The crowd focused on one black police officer, asking him to show support for the protest. “Please black man, take a knee,” protesters told him. “The whole world would see it.
The protesters had marched to the White House from Howard University. After arriving at the park, they pushed through the original barricades that had been set up. But at least at the start, the demonstration was peaceful.
The protest Saturday night turned violent as darkness set in. Protesters set fires, smashed windows and sprayed graffiti.
Several hundred people marched through downtown Boston on Sunday carrying signs and chanting in a peaceful protest over the death of George Floyd.
Street protests have been held for days around the country in response to the death of Floyd, a black man who died Monday after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee on his neck until he stopped breathing.
In Boston they chanted, “No justice no peace,” “black lives matter” and silence is violence” as they walked by City Hall, the State House, and the Public Garden, with the crowd closing off a two-lane city street. There was a light police presence and no signs of the violence that has erupted in other cities in recent days.
“They keep killing our people. I’m so sick and tired of it,” said Mahira Louis, 15, who was at the protest with her mother. “On the news, every time we say black lives matter they keep silencing us,” she said adding that things are going to change. “They’re not going to kill black people for no reason,” she said.
Most protesters wore face coverings amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“It isn’t comfortable to be at home but it’s really uncomfortable to be here, too, and know you’re doing this in the face of the COVID-19 crisis,” said Vivian Lee, 22, who participated with her sister and parents. “But it requires some discomfort for change,” she said.
Michael Brown Sr., the father of Michael Brown who was killed by police in Ferguson, Missouri, in 2014, joined the protest on Sunday, telling demonstrators to continue the movement.
He said he drove to Minneapolis from Ferguson even though being a part of another demonstration against the killing of a black man, “tears my heart” as it reminded him of his son.
“I understand what this family is feeling. I understand what this community is feeling,” he said.
Much of Dallas will be under curfew Sunday night as city officials try to prevent a repeat of the violence that broke out at weekend protests over the death of George Floyd and the treatment of black people by police.
Police Chief U. Renee Hall said at a news conference that the core around the city’s downtown will be under curfew from 7 p.m. Sunday to 6 a.m. Monday. She said it will remain in force “for the next several days.”
The move comes after hours of peaceful demonstrations became destructive Friday and Saturday night. Stores were broken into and robbed, police cars damaged and one man was badly beaten.
“We will not tolerate any more damage to our city,” Hall said.
MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said Sunday he is extending a city curfew a second night after protests following the deaths of George Floyd in Minneapolis and a local man in an altercation with an off-duty Milwaukee police officer.
Barrett said he had originally issued the curfew for just one night but said “In consultation with the chief and others we will have the curfew remain in effect for tonight.” The curfew goes from 9 p.m. Sunday until 7 a.m. Monday.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported 125 members of the Wisconsin National Guard will be on duty again Sunday night.
“I think the National Guard did a wonderful job.” Barrett said. Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers on Saturday called on the state National Guard to help support law enforcement in Milwaukee. A 38-year-old police officer suffered a minor gunshot wound early Saturday on Milwaukee’s south side where protesters had gathered near a police precinct. The officer was treated at a hospital and released.
Milwaukee Police Chief Alfonso Morales said the officer is recovering at home and that no officers were hurt Saturday night.
Atlanta’s mayor extended a curfew another night Sunday and Georgia’s governor authorized up to 3,000 National Guard troops to be deployed across the state to respond if needed to protests over the deaths of George Floyd in Minnesota and Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia.
Guard soldiers had helped enforce a 9 p.m. curfew Saturday in Atlanta, where violence has marred otherwise peaceful protests since Friday. Gov. Brian Kemp said more would be ready Sunday for demonstrations planned in Athens, Savannah and other cities.
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms signed an executive order Sunday extending the curfew in the city, according to text and email notifications sent to residents. It takes effect at 9 p.m. Sunday and will end at sunrise Monday.
Atlanta police said Sunday they had arrested more than 150 people overnight as protesters threw rocks at officers and broke windows in the downtown area. That brought the total number of arrests over two nights of protests to nearly 230.
Officials in Philadelphia announced plans to close off much of the center of the city Sunday after peaceful protests over George Floyd’s death turned into a night of destruction with store windows smashed near City Hall, merchandise taken from stores and police and other vehicles and structures set afire.
But television news helicopter footage Sunday afternoon showed people running into multiple stores in northeast Philadelphia, well outside the city center, and emerging with merchandise as disorder continued for a second day elsewhere in the city.
Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said much of Center City would be blocked off, affecting roads, bridges and expressway entrances and exits as well as the city’s transit agency. The Ben Franklin bridge between Philadelphia and Camden, New Jersey, was closed until further notice.
An 8 p.m. curfew in the city announced earlier was moved up to 6 p.m. Sunday, and retail establishments were ordered to close immediately with people cleaning or securing vandalized properties ordered to finish up and return home by 5 p.m. so the curfew could be enforced.
WCAU-TV showed live aerial shots for more than an hour Sunday afternoon of people running from store to store in strip malls in northeast Philadelphia’s Port Richmond section, emerging with armfuls of merchandise as police units tried to keep up.
SAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco’s mayor and police chief said Sunday the city’s 8 p.m. curfew will be extended indefinitely and that people who are out after that time will be stopped.
Mayor London Breed said Gov. Gavin Newsom had approved sending in about 200 extra officers from other agencies.
Breed, who grew up in San Francisco, expressed sadness about the destruction but said she was not going to tolerate the violence. She said the fire department was inundated with calls because of fires and medical emergencies and had fire bombs thrown at them.
“In watching the videos, I was extremely upset because unfortunately with some of the vandals, they thought this was a game, they thought this was funny. And this is not funny. To damage property, to set fires that could lead to someone else’s death, to do the kinds of things that destroy and tear down our city as a symbol of what is going on … this is not who we are. We should not be OK with this.”
She said there were a lot of juveniles among the protesters: “So parents, where are your kids? Where are your kids?”
Police Chief Bill Scott said he sympathized with the message of the peaceful protests.
“As an African American man, I think I know probably more than most how it feels. I know both sides of this equation. We’re seeing violence across the country, we’re seeing peaceful protests across the county … We do hear you. We do hear you. Your mayor hears you, your chief of police hears you, the San Francisco Police Department hears you,” Scott said.
WASHINGTON — The mayor of the nation’s capital said Sunday that violence and vandalism from the previous night’s protests were committed by “an organized group that appeared more bent on destruction than protest.”
Muriel Bowser also acknowledged what she described as the legitimate grievances of the peaceful protesters, incensed over the death of George Floyd and other black Americans killed in altercations with police officers.
Bowser and Police Chief Peter Newsham toured the city around 3 a.m. Sunday, assessing dozens of broken windows, damaged storefronts and a few looted shops.
In a news conference Sunday, Newsham said 17 protesters were arrested and he expected more arrests as police go over security camera footage.
Three Secret Service vehicles were damaged and one police officer had a broken leg from a thrown rock. A contingent of 500 members of the D.C. National Guard remain on standby and will continue to be deployed to assist local security, Bowser said.
“We always in Washington, D.C., welcome peaceful protests. It’s necessary in an American society,” Newsham said. “We are hoping and urging participants to be peaceful. We are hoping that cooler heads will prevail.”
Saturday’s protests took place one day after Bowser had ended a three-month old stay-home order and launched the first phase of the District of Columbia’s reopening plan.
Bowser said Sunday she was “very concerned” that the protests in Washington and elsewhere could provide fertile ground for a new series of outbreaks. Many of the protesters were wearing masks but there were no attempts at social distancing.
“We’ve been working very hard in these last eight to 10 weeks to not have any mass gatherings,” she said. “As a nation, we have to be concerned about a rebound.”
A third night of protests in Louisville sparked by the police shooting of a black woman resulted in 37 arrests, a city official said Sunday.
Chief of Public Safety Amy Hess said at a news conference that officials did not yet know the hometowns of those arrested. Hess said a total of 10 people were arrested during protests Thursday and Friday.
Mayor Greg Fischer added that five Louisville police officers were shot at late Saturday night. None were hit, but three officers were in a car that was struck by at least one bullet, he said.
Fischer said a dusk-to-dawn curfew would continue Sunday night for a second straight night in Kentucky’s largest city.
Louisville’s protests followed the release of a 911 call by shooting victim Breonna Taylor’s boyfriend made March 13, moments after the 26-year-old EMT was shot eight times by narcotics detectives who knocked down her front door.
No drugs were found in her home. Taylor’s death has captured national headlines alongside the killings of Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia in February and George Floyd, the black man who died after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck for several minutes as he pleaded for air.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott declared a state-wide disaster Sunday following weekend protests that have turned violent and destructive.
In Texas, much of the demonstrating was peaceful, but the protests became violent Saturday with fires being lit, stores broken into and robbed and people hurt.
Police used tear gas to disperse some of the crowds and said they arrested more than 200 people between Dallas, Houston and Austin.
“Every Texan and every American has the right to protest and I encourage all Texans to exercise their First Amendment rights,” Abbott, a Republican, said in a statement.
“However, violence against others and the destruction of property is unacceptable and counterproductive. As protests have turned violent in various areas across the state, it is crucial that we maintain order, uphold public safety, and protect against property damage or loss.
The order allows Abbott to designate federal agents to do the work of local police. It comes as some Texas organizers are calling off demonstrations and others are planning to proceed.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lighfoot says access to downtown is restricted to only to residents and essential workers and the National Guard will have a presence in the city as officials seek to stem violence arising from demonstrations following the police killing of George Floyd.
Lightfoot again Sunday praised peaceful protesters, saying she stands “shoulder-to-shoulder” with those condemning Floyd’s death after Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck during an arrest earlier this week.
But she said that in order to protect the city, the state has agreed to dispatch “a contingent of the National Guard” to take up a “limited presence.”
She says bus and train service to the downtown Loop is temporarily suspended. Drawbridges that span several stretches of the Chicago River in and out of the area are raised to limit vehicle access.
And Lightfoot says a citywide 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew will remain in effect indefinitely. Officials say there were 240 arrests Saturday night and early Sunday, and that six people were shot, one fatally, in the Loop during a four-hour span Saturday evening.
LOS ANGELES — Armed National Guard soldiers patrolled the streets of Los Angeles on Sunday as the city began cleaning up after a night of violence that saw demonstrators clash repeatedly with officers, torch police vehicles and pillage businesses.
Fire crews responded to dozens of blazes, and scores of businesses were damaged. One of the hardest-hit areas was around the Grove, a popular high-end outdoor mall west of downtown where hundreds of protesters swarmed the neighborhood, showering police with rocks and other objects and vandalizing shops. One officer suffered a fractured skull, Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore said.
Windows were shattered at nearly every shop along a stretch of Melrose Avenue. At Tony K’s Shoe Store, owner Alan Kokozian said his entire product stock was either stolen or damaged.
Kokozian said he was hit in the head with a flying bottle as he pleaded with looters to spare his establishment Saturday evening.
“This was not a political protest. This was basically a bunch of thieves getting together taking advantage of a situation,” Kokozian said Sunday as he surveyed the hole in his roof caused by fire.
Security camera footage showed a swarm of people shattering the front window of DTLA Smoke Shop in downtown Los Angeles early Saturday. Within a minute they had emptied the store’s shelves and fled.
“I’m so angry. I’m so angry. You know, it’s my life, I put everything into it,” owner Natali Mishali told KCAL-TV. “I’m for speaking for human rights. I believe in that. I’m very passionate about that. This is just an excuse to steal.”
MINNEAPOLIS — Officials in Minnesota say a more aggressive approach helped prevent another night of dangerous and damaging violence in Minneapolis from protests over the death of George Floyd.
The state poured thousands more National Guard soldiers into a response that came after repeated days of arson, property damage and looting on the city’s south side.
Public Safety Commissioner John Harrington says law enforcement tried to move quickly to break up groups of protesters who ignored an 8 p.m. curfew that was in place for the first time.
Gov. Tim Walz called restoring order the first step toward addressing the systemic problems that contributed to the death of Floyd, who died after a police officer pressed his knee on Floyd’s neck for several minutes. Walz said the curfew will remain in place for at least one more day.
INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis police say a second person has died after several shootings happened during downtown violence that started Saturday and extended into early Sunday.
One of the deadly shootings happened late Saturday and the second about 2:30 a.m. Sunday, but city police say no officers were involved.
What led up to those deaths wasn’t immediately clear, said Patrolman Michael Hewitt, a police spokesman.
“We don’t have any way to link them, at this time, to any type of protest or anything,” Hewitt said Sunday. “We don’t know if they are separate incidents or really what they are.”
Protests became dangerous for a second straight night in Indianapolis as windows of numerous buildings were broken, people entered some stores and stole items and officers deployed tear gas. Fire badly damaged a pharmacy and fires burned in several large dumpsters pushed into streets.
LA MESA, Calif. — The quaint downtown of suburban La Mesa near San Diego has suffered major damage with Chase and Union banks next door to each other burned to the ground.
Windows were smashed at many businesses, including a Goodwill store, a Sotheby’s real estate office and a popular bar.
San Diego police officers, aided by other law enforcement agencies, walked shoulder to shoulder through the streets after 2 a.m. Sunday, telling hundreds of protesters and observers that they would be arrested for unlawful assembly if they didn’t disperse.
The east San Diego suburb of 60,000 people borders El Cajon, where the fatal shooting of an unarmed black man by a police officer triggered days of major unrest in 2016.
The La Mesa protest that began peacefully Saturday afternoon and turned increasingly violent as night fell.
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RICHMOND, Va. — Photos on social media show several fires throughout downtown Richmond overnight as protests in the Virginia capital continued.
The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports that the headquarters of the nearby United Daughters of the Confederacy burned early Sunday and was marked with graffiti. Several Confederate statues along the city’s Monument Avenue were defaced with graffiti.
The newspaper reports that an apartment building on a downtown street also caught fire, but protesters initially wouldn’t let fire crews through until police cleared the area with tear gas.
Police headquarters was the target of protesters for the second night in a row as officers formed a barricade around the building late Saturday night.
A dumpster was set afire near the police headquarters, which had its front windows broken out Friday night. The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported that the police fired tear gas to move crowds away from the building.
Several blocks away near Virginia Commonwealth University hundreds of protesters blocked streets chanting “George Floyd,” referring to the black man who died Monday after an arresting officer in Minneapolis pushed his knee into Floyd’s neck while he was on the ground handcuffed.
Media reports showed video of protesters hurling what appeared to be water bottles at a police car, which moved through the crowd and sped away. A police cruiser was burned in the violence on Friday night, along with a city bus.
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LOS ANGELES — The mayor of Atlanta, one of dozens of U.S. cities hit by massive protests in recent days, has a message for demonstrators: “If you were out protesting last night, you probably need to go get a COVID test this week.”
As emergency orders are lifted and beaches and businesses reopen, add protests to the list of concerns about a possible second wave of coronavirus outbreaks. It’s also an issue from Paris to Hong Kong, where anti-government protesters accuse police of using social distancing rules to break up their rallies.
Health experts fear that silent carriers of the virus who have no symptoms could unwittingly infect others at gatherings with people packed cheek to jowl and cheering and jeering, many without masks.
“Whether they’re fired up or not that doesn’t prevent them from getting the virus,” said Bradley Pollock, chairman of the Department of Public Health Sciences at the University of California, Davis.
One Atlanta protester said she has no choice following the death last Monday of George Floyd, a black man, after a white police officer in Minneapolis pressed a knee into his neck.
“It’s not OK that in the middle of a pandemic we have to be out here risking our lives,” Spence Ingram, a black woman, said after marching with other protesters to the state Capitol in Atlanta on Friday. “But I have to protest for my life and fight for my life all the time.”
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RALEIGH, N.C. — More than 1,000 people marched in downtown Raleigh on Saturday night, breaking windows as police in riot gear released tear gas and pepper spray to disburse the crowds.
WRAL-TV showed video of throngs of people in front of the Wake County Courthouse, some walking with signs, others on bikes and skateboards to protest the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis by a police officer on Monday.
Protesters gathered in late afternoon marching peacefully north from the courthouse chanting “No Justice, No Peace.” But tension grew after nightfall as some people threw rocks at windows and spray painted anti-police slogans on walls.
Fayetteville Street was the focus of most of the vandalism with multiple buildings along the street having windows broken out.
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HOUSTON (AP) — The mayor of Houston said Saturday that the body of George Floyd, whose death after a Minneapolis police officer pressed a knee on his neck during an arrest has sparked protests across the U.S, will be returning to the city where he grew up.
Floyd was a Houston native before moving to Minnesota. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said at a news conference that Floyd’s body would be coming back to Houston but provided no additional details. His family has not announced funeral plans.
“This is the same city that George Floyd grew up in. And his body will be returning to this city,” Turner said. “And so the focus needs to be on supporting and uplifting this family.”
Turner spoke alongside Houston Police Chief Art Acevdeo, who said his department had arrested more than 130 people since protests began Friday in the nation’s fourth-largest city.
Floyd, 46, grew up in Houston’s Third Ward, one of the city’s predominantly black neighborhoods. At 6 feet, 6 inches, Floyd emerged as a star tight end for Jack Yates High School and played in the 1992 state championship game in the Houston Astrodome. Yates lost to Temple, 38-20.
Floyd’s death Monday and other police killings of black men have fueled tense demonstrations nationwide.
The white police officer who held his knee to Floyd’s neck as he begged for air was arrested Friday and charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. But many protesters are demanding the arrests of the three other officers involved.
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WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump appears to be cheering on the tougher tactics being used by law enforcement around the country to confront sometimes violent demonstrators joining in protests over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
On Saturday, the president commended National Guard troops deployed in Minneapolis, declaring “No games!”
He also said police in New York City “must be allowed to do their job!” In a tweet, Trump said: “Let New York’s Finest be New York’s Finest.”
He was commenting on Twitter from the White House while crowds of protesters gathered outside.
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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Police have arrested nearly 1,400 people in 17 U.S. cities since Thursday as protests continue over the death of George Floyd.
Floyd died Monday in Minneapolis after a police officer put his knee on Floyd’s neck for more than 8 minutes. The officer, Derrick Chauvin, was arrested on Friday and charged with third-degree murder. Floyd was black. Chauvin is white.
The arrest has done little to quell protests across the country over the weekend. Most have been peaceful, but some have erupted in violence.
An Associated Press tally of arrests found at least 1,383 people have been arrested since Thursday. The actual number is likely higher as protests continue Saturday night.
More than a third of the arrests, 533, came from Los Angeles alone on Friday.. The mayor of the nation’s second-largest city has imposed a citywide curfew until 5:30 a.m. Sunday.
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NASHVILLE, Tennessee — The mayor of Nashville, Tennessee, has declared a state of civil emergency after protesters set a fire inside the Metro Courthouse in the state’s capital city.
Thousands had rallied near the Capitol building Saturday afternoon to peacefully protest police brutality and racism. But things turned violent after darkness fell, with protesters breaking windows in government buildings and causing other property damage.
The Tennessean newspaper says demonstrators also pulled down a statue outside the Capitol of Edward Carmack, a controversial former lawmaker and newspaper publisher who espoused racist views.
Police deployed tear gas and began warning demonstrators that the protest was unlawful.
Gov. Bill Lee issued an order Saturday night for the National Guard to mobilize “in response to protests that have now taken a violent, unlawful turn in Nashville.”
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MINNEAPOLIS — Police in Minneapolis are confronting protesters out after curfew on the fifth day of protests over the death of George Floyd.
A group of marchers was moving north toward downtown on a city street when officers fired tear gas Saturday night. The group immediately retreated.
Soon after, officers fired tear gas and moved in to push away throngs of protesters who were milling around the city police’s 5th Precinct.
The tougher tactics came after city and state leaders were criticized for not more strongly confronting violent and damaging protests.
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CHICAGO — Chicago’s mayor has announced an overnight curfew in the city running from 9 p.m. Saturday until 6 a.m. Sunday, and she says police will crack down on any violence.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot says that peaceful protesting over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis has “devolved into criminal conduct.”
She says police will be aggressive with arrests for anyone caught damaging property.
In the mayor’s words: “We can have zero tolerance for people who came prepared for a fight and tried to initiate and provoke our police department.”
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MIAMI — An initially peaceful protest in Miami over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis has turned violent, with some demonstrators setting fire to police cars.
Witnesses to the clash Saturday say officers responded with tear gas and fireworks to disperse the crowd. The mayor has declared a 10 p.m. curfew.
At one point, Interstate 95 was shut down as protesters stood on the busy highway. Police also used bicycles to push back an increasingly rowdy crowd throwing rocks.
Elsewhere in Florida, protesters in Tampa smashed store windows and set a gas station ablaze Saturday night after a peaceful demonstration during the day. Some broke into AT&T and Gold N Diamond stores.
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MINNEAPOLIS — Hundreds of people protesting the death of George Floyd have gathered in Minneapolis near the city police department’s fenced-off 5th Precinct as a show of defiance against the 8 p.m. regional curfew.
Twenty-five-year-old Ronnie Tesfa says he is from a suburb of Minneapolis and is participating in the demonstration.
He says many of the protesters initially planned to obey the curfew. But he says that after an hours-long rally for Floyd, they decided to sit down in the intersection.
Tesfa says the action is meant to be a peaceful protest. In his words, “We want to show them that we’re not the ones destroying things.”
Most of the protesters are holding signs and wearing masks.
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PHILADELPHIA — Authorities in Philadelphia say a peaceful demonstration protesting the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis later turned violence, and at least 13 police officers have been injured amid incidents of arson and store break-ins in the city’s downtown.
Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw says at least four police vehicles were set ablaze and other fires were set throughout downtown Saturday afternoon. Protesters smashed windows and stole merchandise from stores as police tried to worked to corral the crowd, which Outlaw estimates numbered about 3,000.
Protesters also sprayed graffiti on a statue of former Philadelphia Mayor Frank Rizzo, tried to topple it and set a fire at its base. Rizzo was Philadelphia’s mayor from 1972 to 1980 and was praised by supporters as tough on crime but accused by critics of discriminating against minorities.
Authorities in Philadelphia have ordered a citywide curfew has been implemented from 8 p.m. Saturday to 7 a.m. Sunday.
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SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Gov. Gary Herbert has activated the Utah National Guard after protesters angry over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis turned violent during a demonstration at which some participants carried rifles in Salt Lake City.
Herbert says in a tweet that the Guard will help control “the escalating situation” in the downtown area following the unrest Saturday afternoon.
The protest started out peacefully, but degenerated into violence. A group of people flipped over a police car and lit it on fire. Some demonstrators smashed eggs and wrote graffiti on the walls of the Salt Lake City police station. Others marched through downtown to the state Capitol.
Some people in the protest openly carried rifles, which is legal in Utah.
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LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has imposed a downtown curfew for Saturday night after some protests over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis turned violent.
With protesters were back out Saturday, Garcetti said everyone must be off down town streets by 8 p.m. and stay away until 5:30 a.m.
Several police cars were torched Saturday afternoon as some protesters ignored authorities’ call for peaceful demonstrations.
That followed a night of violence during which people smashed windows, robbed stores and set fires. Los Angeles police reported arresting 533 people during the night.
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SEATTLE — The Washington State Patrol has closed Interstate 5 in both directions through downtown Seattle after a protest over the death of George Floyd spilled onto the freeway.
Thousands of people gathered in the downtown area Saturday for a largely peaceful demonstration, but some protesters turned rowdier as the afternoon worn on. Police used pepper spray on the demonstrators and deployed flash bang devices.
Police said arrests were made but an exact figure wasn’t available.
State patrol Chief John Batiste said in a statement that ”the freeway is not a safe or appropriate place for demonstration.”
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ATLANTA — A crowd has gathered in Atlanta to protest the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis and some people have started throwing objects at officers guarding the Georgia governor’s mansion.
Hundreds of people stood on a residential sidewalk Saturday evening across the street from the mansion in the city’s affluent Buckhead neighborhood. Cars and motorcyclists continued to sporadically drive by in front of the demonstrators.
Authorities responded by taking at least one person into custody.
Gov. Brian Kemp was not inside the home Saturday evening.
Earlier in the day, Atlanta’s mayor announced a curfew will be in effect in the city from 9 p.m. Saturday to sunrise Sunday. That order followed a night of violence that erupted in the city during demonstrations over Floyd’s death.
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MINNEAPOLIS — Several Minneapolis City Council members are asking Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to appoint the state’s attorney general as a special prosecutor in the death of George Floyd.
Six of the council’s 13 members say they support a call from Floyd’s family for Attorney General Keith Ellison to handle the prosecution of the police officer who held his knee on Floyd’s neck Monday. The council members say they don’t think Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman has the public trust necessary for the job.
Freeman on Friday charged now-fired officer Derek Chauvin with third-degree murder in Floyd’s death. Chauvin is white; Floyd was black.
The council members say Freeman waited too long in bringing charge. They say Ellison, who is black, is best qualified to handle the case. They also cite a working group he helped lead on deaths involving police.
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WASHINGTON — Several hundred people shouting “Black Lives Matter” and “I can’t breathe” have converged on the White House for a second straight day to protest the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis and President Donald Trump’s response.
Trump earlier on Saturday belittled the protesters and he pledged to “stop mob violence.”
Speaking in Florida after watching the launch of a SpaceX rocket, the president said: “I stand before you as a friend and ally to every American seeking justice and peace, and I stand before you in firm opposition to anyone exploiting this tragedy to loot, rob, attack and menace. Healing, not hatred, justice, not chaos are the missions at hand.”
Three lines of barricades separate protesters from a loose line of uniformed police officers at Lafayette Park, across from the White House. At one point, the protesters left the park, chanting as they marched up a nearby street. A block from the White House, they held a moment of silence and brief sit-in.
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ATLANTA — Atlanta’s mayor has announced a curfew will be in effect from 9 p.m. Saturday to sunrise Sunday following violence that erupted in the city during demonstrations over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced the curfew during a news conference Saturday evening. She called it a “very unusual and extreme step” after the violence that rocked Atlanta during Friday night.
Several other cities across the nation have order curfews following unrest surrounding demonstrations protesting Floyd’s death.
Georgia’s governor declared a state of emergency early Saturday to activate the state National Guard as violence flared in Atlanta.
In Friday’s protests, some demonstrators smashed police cars and spray-painted the iconic logo sign at CNN headquarters downtown. Police say at least three officers were hurt and there were multiple arrests as protesters shot at officers with BB guns and threw bricks, bottles and knives. Atlanta officials said crews were temporarily unable to reach a fire at a restaurant because of crowds of protesters.
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NEW YORK — Protesters angry over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis have returned to the streets of New York for a third straight day as Mayor Bill de Blasio pleads for calm after a demonstration in Brooklyn the previous night descended into chaos that left people bloodied and vehicles burned.
On Saturday, a large crowd marched through Harlem, chanted outside a police precinct and then blocked traffic on the highway along Manhattan’s East River.
Demonstrations of several thousand at Union Square and outside Brooklyn’s Prospect Park appeared mostly peaceful. Late in the day, protesters in Brooklyn confronted police, who shoved some of the demonstrators and used an irritating chemical spray.
De Blasio expressed solidarity with demonstrators upset over police brutality, but promised an independent review of the Friday night confrontation in which both protesters and police officers engaged in violence.
The mayor said he was upset by videos of the clashes in which “protesters were handled very violently” by police and by reports that a state senator and member of the state Assembly were among the people sprayed with irritating chemicals by officers.
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CHICAGO — Thousands of demonstrators have gathered in downtown Chicago hours after protesters clashed overnight with police during a protest over George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis.
A crowd converged on Chicago’s Loop for Saturday’s protest march, during which at least one flag was burned, and some protesters climbed onto a bus and a light pole and surrounded police officers.
Following the overnight clashes with protesters, Chicago officials are urging that demonstrators remain peaceful. Demonstrations are expected throughout the weekend over Floyd’s death.
Chicago police Superintendent David Brown says peaceful protests that began Friday afternoon turned more confrontational as the night wore on, resulting in 108 arrests. Protesters blocked traffic along major streets, threw bottles and other objects at police vehicles and shattered the windows of downtown businesses.
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COLUMBUS, Ohio — The governor of Ohio is calling out the Ohio National Guard and also asking the highway patrol to help enforce laws in Columbus as the mayors of the state capital and Cleveland both announce 10 p.m. curfews following damage to businesses amid protests over the death in Minneapolis of George Floyd.
Gov. Mike DeWine said Saturday that the vast majority of protesters want “simply to be heard” and focus attention on the death of Floyd, a black man who died after a white officer pressed a knee into his neck.
But the governor adds that sadly the calls for justice and change are “being drowned out by a smaller group of violent individuals.” He says that “acts of violence cannot, and will not, be tolerated.”
Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther says he believes racism “is a public health and safety crisis” and he wants to see a more equitable city, but “we are now at a point that we can no longer tell who is protesting for change and an end to racism and who has only chaos and destruction in mind.”
Ginther says more than 100 public and private properties in Columbus had been damaged and at least 10 robbed of goods. He says five police officers were injured by thrown bricks or rocks and police vehicles have been set afire.
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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla — President Donald Trump says he will not tolerate mob violence during demonstrations over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
The president made the comment as he spoke in Florida after watching the successful launch of a SpaceX rocket Saturday. He turned his attention to the unrest in American cities following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis before he congratulated NASA and others involved in the space mission.
Trump says the rule of law is the crown jewel of the country and that “my administration will stop mob violence and we’ll stop it cold.”
Trump says that “I stand before you as a friend and ally to every American seeking justice and peace, and I stand before you in firm opposition to anyone exploiting this tragedy to loot, rob, attack and menace. Healing, not hatred. Justice not chaos are the missions at hand.”
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AUSTIN, Texas — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has sent more than 1,500 state troopers to various Texas cities to help control protests over the death of Houston native George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Abbott said in a news release Saturday that troopers are being sent to Houston, Dallas, Austin and San Antonio.
Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo says on Twitter that nearly 200 people were arrested Friday and most will be charged with obstructing a roadway as several protesters blocked an interstate and a highway.
Hundreds of protesters gathered in Austin on Saturday outside police headquarters and then marched along Interstate 35.
Floyd died after a Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck for several minutes even after he stopped moving and pleading for air.
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COLUMBIA, S.C. — A television news reporter in Columbia, South Carolina, has been injured by rocks thrown during protests outside the city’s police headquarters over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
WIS-TV anchor Judi Gatson tweets that reporter Miranda Parnell was being taken to the hospital to be “checked out” after Saturday’s incident.
The tweet says Parnell reported that “a person wearing a MAGA hat showed up at the rally, protesters confronted that person & then rocks were thrown.”
Several hundred people participated in the demonstration, tearing down the U.S. flag and the South Caroline state flag in front of the police The State newspaper reports that some protesters swarmed a police car, breaking its windows.
Floyd died after a Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck for several minutes even after he stopped moving and pleading for air.
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LAS VEGAS — Police in Las Vegas say 80 protesters were arrested and 12 police officers injured during violence Friday that followed a peaceful protest over the death of George Floyd after he was restrained by Minneapolis police.
According to police, the protest on the Las Vegas Strip began with up to 300 people gathering peacefully. But police say rocks were thrown at police and property was damaged several hours later when officers tried to disperse the crowd as tensions mounted.
Police said the arrests were made when protesters refused to disperse. Police initially said at least 31 people were arrested.
Floyd died after a Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck for several minutes even after he stopped moving and pleading for air.
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DENVER — Denver’s mayor has ordered a nighttime a curfew as demonstrations protesting the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis entered a third day.
Mayor Michael Hancock said Saturday that the Colorado National Guard will help enforce the 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew.
Downtown Denver has been the scene of clashes between protesters and police the past two nights. Some protesters broke windows and police fired tear gas, flash grenades and pepper pellets.
Thousands of people are expected to return Saturday night. A protest organizer is urging people to be safe and not put others in harm’s way.
Floyd died after a Minneapolis police officer pressed a knee on his neck for several minutes, leading to protests in cities across the U.S.
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BOSTON — The mayor of Boston hosted a prayer vigil with clergy and the city’s police commissioner to honor the memory of George Floyd.
Protests, some turning violent, erupted in cities around the country on Friday and Saturday over Floyd’s death. The officer was arrested and charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter.
Boston Mayor Martin Walsh says the prayer vigil, streamed live on the Boston government website, was to honor Floyd and to reflect “on his murder.”
Walsh says, “If there‘s ever a moment to acknowledge injustice and re-commit our nation to eradicating it, it’s right now … This is our moment in time to change as a nation.”
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INDIANAPOLIS — Crowds angered by the death of George Floyd clashed with police in downtown Indianapolis overnight, prompting officers to fire multiple volleys of tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse crowds that shattered storefronts.
Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett says hundreds of city residents peacefully exercised their right to free speech to protest the horror of “the needless killing of George Floyd.” But he was saddened a smaller group turned violent and damaged businesses and caused injuries.
Fires were set in trash cans and a CVS store was set ablaze after protesters broke in and took items. Other stores were ransacked.
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WASHINGTON — Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser lashed out at President Donald Trump for his tweets criticizing her and Washington’s Metropolitan Police Department after protests near the White House on Friday night.
Trump warned in a tweet Saturday that the Secret Service was ready to unleash “the most vicious dogs and the most ominous weapons I have ever seen” if protesters had managed to breach the security lines.
Bowser called Trump’s remark’s “gross,” saying the reference to attack dogs conjures up with the worst memories of the nation’s fight against segregation.
She says, “I call upon our city and our nation to exercise restraint, great restraint even as the president tries to divide us. I feel like these comments are an attack on humanity, an attack on black America, and they make my city less safe.”
Bowser say the MPD stood ready to coordinate with the Secret Service if the protests continue Saturday night.
She says people are desperate for change and “leaders who recognize this pain,” instead of “the glorification of violence against American citizens. What used to be heard in dog whistles, we now hear from a bullhorn.”
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VATICAN CITY — A top Vatican cardinal is calling on U.S. pastors to plead for calm amid violent protests over the death of George Floyd in the United States.
Cardinal Peter Turkson, who is from Ghana, says the death of Floyd was “disgracefully inhuman & sad enough.” In appealing for a message of restraint to be delivered at Sunday services, Turkson tweeted: “Let us not add to it, making it & memory of Floyd ugly with violence.”
Turkson heads the Vatican office responsible for social justice and development issues. He is one of only a handful of African cardinals and one of only two to head a major Vatican department.
The leadership of the U.S. Catholic Church has strongly condemned Floyd’s killing, saying racism is a “real and present danger that must be met head on.” The U.S. bishops conference says while the church always seeks non-violence, “we also stand in passionate support of communities that are understandably outraged.
