Thousands of police and soldiers patrolled major cities in the United States on Sunday, the day after another night of anti-racism protests that escalated into riots, with President Donald Trump accused of stirring up discord. Anger in the country after the death in Minneapolis on Monday of George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, at the hands of a white police officer, caused riots accompanied by looting and arson in this big northern city from the country.
The violence spread to New York, Philadelphia, Dallas, Las Vegas, Seattle, Des Moines, Memphis, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Miami, Portland, Chicago and the capital Washington on Saturday evening. The governors of the states concerned appealed to the National Guard and, for some, declared a curfew.
On Saturday evening, the tension escalated in New York's Brooklyn neighborhood. Two police cars, surrounded by demonstrators and wiping projectile jets, rushed into the crowd, throwing several people on the ground. Captured by people on the scene, images of the scene were posted on Twitter.
“NY's Finest”. Disgusting. #BlackLivesMatter # riots2020 #JusticeForGeorgeFlyod pic.twitter.com/GP5vcXRlqy
- Marco (@ chieffymac11) May 31, 2020“NY's Finest”. Disgusting. #BlackLivesMatter # riots2020 #JusticeForGeorgeFlyod pic.twitter.com/GP5vcXRlqy
- Marco (@ chieffymac11) May 31, 2020An open investigation
New York's Democratic Mayor Bill de Blasio said an investigation was launched after the incident, according to CNN. Although the mayor found the video "disturbing", he did not want to overwhelm the officers involved. He explained that it was because they were surrounded that the police behind the wheel of the two vehicles tried to flee. Denouncing the "unacceptable violence" of a small proportion of protesters, the city council defended the two police officers, declaring that "the NYPD [New York police] acted appropriately".
An incident and a reaction that angered Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, elected Democrat of New York to the American Congress. "Your comments tonight were unacceptable," she tweeted to Bill de Blasio. As mayor, the police are under your direction. This moment demands leadership and responsibility from each of us. Defending and making excuses for the NYPD rushing into the crowd with SUVs was a mistake. Fix it. De-escalation ".
In the aftermath of the events, it is not known at this time if there have been any injuries.
World
Death of George Floyd: Looting and scuffles in the United States despite curfews
World
Death of George Floyd: Protests spread to several cities in the United States
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