US protests latest: umbrellas, flash bangs used in Seattle clash
- Massive, mostly peaceful protests across US demand police reform
- Here’s the latest on the protests, sparked by the killing of George Floyd
Tens of thousands of peaceful protesters rallied for racial justice Saturday in cities across the United States following the death of George Floyd, as the movement triggered by his killing at police hands entered a second weekend.
Protests stretched from New York to Los Angeles but Washington was at the action’s centre, as thousands of people – black, white and brown – flooded downtown streets surrounding the White House, which was barricaded with black metal grates.
Saturday marked the largest demonstration over Floyd’s killing to date. Crowds numbering in the tens of thousands converged on the nation’s capital, despite health risks still posed by the coronavirus, though official estimates of the turnout were unavailable.
Some protesters attached pictures of Floyd and other black Americans killed by police to the tall barrier surrounding the White House.
The protests were sparked by videos of a police officer kneeling on Floyd’s neck for almost nine minutes as he pleaded for his life – the latest case of white law enforcement authorities being blamed for the death of an unarmed black person.
Peaceful protests were held in other US cities: tens of thousands rallied in locations across New York City and Philadelphia; Chicago authorities shut down the iconic Lake Shore Drive to facilitate protests; demonstrators marched in Los Angeles.