Climbing continues in the United States. Clashes between protesters and police shook Saturday evening, May 30, several large cities, under curfew to try to calm the anger that has gripped the country since the death of George Floyd.

President Donald Trump has promised to "stop collective violence" after several nights of riots in Minneapolis, where the 46-year-old black American died on Monday at the hands of the police.

In this northern Minnesota town, riot police loaded the protesters who defied the curfew, repelling them with smoke bombs and stun grenades.

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Shortly before, the demonstrators announced their determination to stay put. "They don't give us a choice, there is so much anger," said Deka Jama, a 24-year-old woman who came to "demand justice" for George Floyd.

Clashes have also taken place in New York, Philadelphia, Los Angeles and Atlanta, leading officials from the latter two cities, as well as officials from Miami and Chicago, to announce a curfew.

The 13,000 Minnesota National Guard soldiers mobilized

Donald Trump, who has repeatedly denounced the "tragic" death of George Floyd, said the rioters dishonored his memory. "We must not let a small group of criminals and vandals destroy our cities," he said, attributing the spillovers to "radical far left groups" and notably "Antifa" (antifascists).  

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz also denounced elements outside of his state that he said could be anarchists but also white supremacists or drug traffickers.

To regain control of the situation, he announced the mobilization of the 13,000 soldiers of the State National Guard, a first, and requested assistance from the Ministry of Defense.

>> Read: George Floyd: a case of racism, "but also of violence and politics"

Military police units have been put on alert so that they can intervene in Minneapolis within four hours, the Pentagon said. The military police can only legally intervene on American territory in the event of an insurrection.

During the day, the inhabitants, armed with brooms, tried to give another image of their city. Minneapolis "hurts, burns," said 28-year-old Kyle Johnson. "All I can do is clean up."

Others had prepared for new spills, by caulking their businesses with large wooden signs. "We install them, we cross our fingers and we hope it will be alright," said Nicole Crust, owner of a beauty salon already vandalized the previous night.

Molotov cocktail launched in New York police car

But in Minneapolis, as elsewhere, the tension quickly increased. Crowds of protesters gathered in Dallas, Las Vegas, Seattle, Memphis, etc. And even in Washington under President Trump's windows, where tear gas and fires have clouded the horizon.

In New York, more than 200 people were arrested after scuffles that injured several people in the police force. A Molotov cocktail was launched inside an occupied police car. "It is a miracle that no police officer was killed," said police chief Dermot Shea.

>> See: Death of George Floyd: "Don't shoot, our hands are in the air", protesters protest in Minneapolis

In Atlanta and Miami, police patrol vehicles were burned. In Los Angeles, five police officers were injured and several hundred people arrested when a peaceful demonstration degenerated, again with burnt shops and looting, especially in the luxury stores of Beverly Hills.

Protesters everywhere denounced the police blunders that hit blacks disproportionately. In Houston, the home town of George Floyd where he is to be buried, Chavon Allen said he was "tired, disgusted" to see his "brothers and sisters die at the hands of the police". "My brother was shot, by mistake, by the Houston police and justice has never been done," said the mother.

>> Read: George Floyd dies in Minneapolis: police charged with manslaughter

Protesters want the police to be held accountable for the deadly arrest of George Floyd, whose distressing images have been seen around the world.

White policeman Derek Chauvin who, on this video, keeps his knee for long minutes on the neck of the forties, was arrested Friday and charged with "manslaughter". But for many Americans, it is not enough: they are demanding his indictment for intentional homicide and the arrest of the three other agents involved in the drama.

With AFP

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