(Bloomberg) -- Washington officials are preparing for the week's largest demonstration after an 11th day of protests across the U.S. ended relatively peacefully.
Almost a dozen demonstrations are planned in the U.S. capital today, the Washington Post reported. The Trump administration said it would withdraw active-duty troops from the area after D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said they were inflaming tensions. She also renamed a street near the White House “Black Lives Matter Plaza.”
Authorities in Minneapolis, where Floyd's death sparked national unrest, agreed to ban chokeholds by police. The Los Angeles police department faced a lawsuit on how it handled protesters, while Denver's police got a court order to stop using tear gas, plastic bullets and other “less-than-lethal” force.
Key Developments:
- Trump Assails Twitter After Campaign Video Pulled
- Black Unemployment Rate Rises While White Joblessness Falls
- Michael Jordan Donates $100 Million to Racial-Equality Causes
- Troubled Minneapolis Legacy Fanned Flames Over Floyd's Death
- Atlanta Protests Reveal Divides in Bastion of Black Success
Here's the latest. All times are New York-based:
Portland Police Make Arrests (5 a.m.)
Police in Portland, Oregon, made “multiple arrests” after some people failed to leave a closed downtown area. Bricks and bottles were thrown at officers, police said.
Oregonian photographer David Killen said police crossed a fence to push back a crowd of several thousand and may have fired pepper spray.
Washington Expects Tens of Thousands (4 a.m.)
Tens of thousands of protesters are expected in the nation's capital. Police will close much of downtown to vehicle traffic from 6 a.m., the Washington Post reported. No one organization is leading the events.
With the temperature forecast to rise to 91 degrees Fahrenheit (33 Celsius), some churches and theaters have said they will open their lobbies so people can cool off, the Associated Press said.
Paris Police Ban Protest Over Virus Fear (3:51 a.m.)
Police cited a risk of spreading Covid-19 and fears of public unrest, the Associated Press reported. Social distancing regulations ban gatherings of more than 10 people. Online posts called for people to gather Saturday afternoon near the Eiffel Tower. Paris police had previously also banned two other planned gatherings Saturday outside the U.S. Embassy.
In the U.K., where anti-racism demonstrations are expected in Parliament Square in London and in other cities, people were reminded of rules to stay 2 meters (6.5 feet) apart and gather in groups of no more than six people. The virus outbreak remains a “real threat,” Health Secretary Matt Hancock said Friday.
Denver Police Told to Stop ‘Less-Than-Lethal' Force (1:30 a.m.)
Denver's police were ordered by a U.S. District Court judge to stop using tear gas, plastic bullets and other “less-than-lethal” force such as flash grenades against protesters, Reuters reported.
Denver Police Department earlier launched an investigation of a viral video recording showing officers shooting pepper balls “at a vehicle stopped in traffic” near the state capitol, according to the department's Twitter account.
In the video, the driver stands beside his car shouting “you shot a car with a pregnant woman in it.” The police fire again after the man hurls obscenities and “shoot it again.” The car drives off.
LAPD Sued Over How it Handled Protests (12 a.m.)
A coalition of criminal justice activists and homeless advocates sued the city of Los Angeles over how the police dealt with the recent demonstrations, the Los Angeles Times reported. They accused officers of shooting a homeless man in the eye with rubber bullets and holding others for more than 12 hours for curfew violations.
The suit also accused the police department of violating the right to assemble and for excessive force, the paper said.
Earlier, Mayor Eric Garcetti tried to diffuse tensions with the police force after cutting its budget following the riots. The police union said officers have lost confidence in the mayor's ability to lead after comments he made describing them as “killers,” the paper reported.
“When I talked about killers, I talked about our collective burden in the city,” he said at a briefing. “I absolutely did not say that about the league, about police officers, and I won't have those words distorted.”
He added that social inequality has a stark impact on society -- someone born in Watts, known for one of the worst riots in the city's history, would live 12 years less than someone in Bel Air, one of the wealthiest neighborhoods.
Citibank to Close Some Branches (12:40 a.m.)
Citigroup Inc. said it would “proactively” shut some branches and cut hours at others amid the U.S. protests that have at times turned violent, Reuters reported.
Some branches were damaged during recent demonstrations, Reuters said, citing Head of U.S. Banking Anand Selva's email to customers. “We are actively working on repairs and assessing the situation carefully to re-open these branches,” he said.
Trump Blasts Twitter (9:05 p.m.)
Trump blasted Twitter's decision to remove his campaign's video tribute to George Floyd due to a copyright claim, saying in a post on the social media platform that the company is “fighting hard for the Radical Left Democrats.”
“A one sided battle. Illegal. Section 230!” Trump says, referring to provisions he has asked federal regulators to look at in the 1996 Communications Decency Act that insulate companies from liability for content posted by users.
Texas Governor Rejects Conspiracy Theories (8:45 p.m.)
Texas Governor Greg Abbott and the state's Republican leaders are pledging to tackle racial injustice following a series of racist and conspiracy theory posts around Floyd's death that were circulated by the party's organizers including those in Houston, where the funeral is set to take place, the Associated Press reported.
Abbott has denounced the posts and called for resignations, AP said. “The narrow point is this, and that is the death of George Floyd is a travesty and is a result of a criminal act,” Abbott was cited as saying. “It should not be the subject of any of these conspiracy theories. And it's irresponsible for anyone to promote some conspiracy theory of what is otherwise a brutal act of police violence.”
Floyd spent most of his life in Texas.
Barr Didn't Give Order to Clear Protesters (8:05 p.m.)
U.S. Attorney General William Barr tells AP that law-enforcement officers were already working to push back protesters from a park in front of the White House when he arrived there Monday night, and that he didn't give an order to disperse the crowd, though he supported the decision.
Jeff Bezos Says He Supports Black Lives Matter (7:55 p.m.)
Amazon.com Inc. CEO Jeff Bezos used an Instagram post on Friday to share an emailed response to a customer and express his support for the Black Lives Matter movement.
“No, Macy, I have to disagree with you,” he wrote to the customer who had emailed him with a complaint about a banner featured on the Amazon.com website. “Black lives matter speaks to racism and the disproportionate risk that Black people face” in the “law and enforcement and justice system.”
NFL Apologizes for Not Listening to Players on Racism (7 p.m.)
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell apologized in a video message for not listening to players earlier when they spoke out about racism.
“We, the National Football League, condemn racism and the systematic oppression of black people,” he said. “We, the National Football League, admit we were wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier, and encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest. We, the National Football League, believe Black Lives Matter”
The commissioner didn't specifically mention former NFL player Colin Kaepernick, the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback who in 2016 began kneeling during the national anthem in protest of police brutality and racial inequality. He hasn't played since the 2016 season.
Seattle Bans Most Tear Gas Use (6:35 p.m)
Amid concerns about police treatment of protesters and fears coughing could promote the spread of Covid-19, Seattle is halting the use of tear gas -- except for by SWAT teams in extreme circumstances -- for the next 30 days, Mayor Jenny Durkan and Police Chief Carmen Best announced at a press conference Friday afternoon.
Durkan also said she is asking for a review of police crowd control tactics and announced that protesters will be able to get virus tests through a city program that is making free tests available.
Trump Withdraws Troops From D.C. (5:25 p.m)
The Trump administration announced it's withdrawing active duty troops from the Washington region, as violent protests subside. The capital's mayor said earlier the “extraordinary” federal law enforcement footprint had inflamed tensions.
Defense Secretary Mark Esper gave a verbal order for remaining active-duty units in the region to return to their homes bases.
The federal plan to respond to protests in the nation's capital called for about 7,600 civilian law enforcement, National Guard and active-duty Army personnel, according to an internal document compiled for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, obtained by Bloomberg News.
Read the full story here
Peaceful Manhattan Protesters Won't Be Prosecuted, D.A. Says (5:22 p.m.)
Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. said his office won't prosecute those arrested for unlawful assembly or disorderly conduct associated with the Floyd protests. Vance said his office will charge those accused of violence against police officers or looting.
The office's policy “is designed to minimize unnecessary interactions with the criminal justice system, reduce racial disparities and collateral consequences in low-level offense prosecutions, and enable the office and court system to preserve resources for the prosecution of serious crimes,” according to a statement Friday. Previously, such charges could be dismissed within six months.
Citywide, roughly 2,500 protesters have been arrested since May 28, NYPD Director of Media Relations Al Baker said.
California Bans Chokehold Training (5:10 p.m.)
California Governor Gavin Newsom said he will end police training in the use of the carotid hold, also known as the chokehold, the day Minneapolis banned it outright.
Newsom said the controversial technique puts people's lives at risk and has “no place any longer in 21st century practices and policing.” He pledged to sign a bill introduced this week for a full ban.
Newsom also called for new statewide standards for police use of force during demonstrations. “I don't want to go back to normalcy,” he said. “I want something better. We deserve something more.”
NYC Protesters Rally Again (5:05 p.m.)
Protests again erupted around New York City Friday before the 8 p.m. curfew.
In Manhattan's Washington Square Park, protesters held a vigil for Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old African-American woman who was fatally shot in March by police in Louisville.
In Brooklyn, thousands gathered at Barclays Center, a locus for demonstrations, and Grand Army Plaza. VProtests are also planned around Queens, according to social media posts.
The mayor faces calls to an end to New York City's curfew.
Minneapolis Calls Off Curfew for Weekend (4 p.m.)
Minneapolis, the city that set off nationwide protests after Floyd died under police restraint, will not have a curfew this weekend, local media reported.
‘Dear White People,' ‘This Is America' See Surge (3:58 p.m.)
The nationwide protests against police brutality have sent Americans in search of movies, books and podcasts that deal with race. Demand for Netflix Inc.'s series “Dear White People” has surged 329%, research firm Parrot Analytics found. Interest in “When They See Us,” a 2019 documentary about the Central Park Five, has grown 147%, according to the firm.
Childish Gambino's “This Is America,” a 2018 song about race and violence in the U.S., reentered the top 50 on Spotify Technology SA's service.
Read the full story here
57 Buffalo Police Resign From Protest Unit (3:35 p.m.)
The entire police unit in Buffalo that responds to protests resigned Friday in solidarity with two officers filmed pushing a 75-year-old protester to the ground the day before, The Buffalo News reported.
”Our position is these officers were simply following orders from Deputy Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia to clear the square,” the paper quoted Buffalo Police Benevolent Association President John Evans as saying.
The video, which shows the elderly man hitting his head on the ground after being knocked over, sparked outrage, and the two officers involved were suspended. Governor Cuomo denounced the incident earlier in day.
The officers did not quit the force but only resigned from the unit responding to protest and civil unrest, the paper reported.
Trump Pushes Back Against D.C. Mayor (2:20 p.m.)
Trump insulted Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser after she asked him to withdraw troops and other “extraordinary” federal law enforcement from the nation's capital.
“If she doesn't treat these men and women well, then we'll bring in a different group of men and women!” Trump said on Twitter.
In a letter to Trump earlier Friday, Bowser said the troopers were “inflaming demonstrators and adding to the grievances of those who, by and large, are peacefully protesting for change and for reforms to the racist and broken systems that are killing Black Americans.”
Minneapolis to Ban Chokeholds After Floyd's Death (1:15 p.m.)
Minneapolis agreed to ban all chokeholds by police, the Associated Press reported. The move is part of an accord between the city and the Minnesota human-rights department. The City Council was expected to approve the agreement Friday, according to AP.
Read more here
Cuomo Pushes ‘Say Their Name' Police, Race Reform (1:10 p.m.)
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo urged the state Legislature to lead the nation on reform and pass his “Say Their Name” agenda, inspired, he said, by those who have been abused by police officers.
The package would allow the release of police disciplinary records in cases where previous charges of abuse are relevant; ban chokeholds; codify a previous executive order requiring the attorney general to serve as an independent prosecutor for police-related incidents; and make false 911 calls that are based on race a hate crime, he said.
“Reform works for everyone's interest here,” Cuomo said. “Stopping police abuse vindicates the overwhelming majority, 99.9% of police, who are there to do the right thing, and who do the right thing every day. It restores the confidence, the respect, and the trust that you need to make this relationship work.”
State legislative leaders have said they will convene next week to address the unrest happening in communities across the state.
In Buffalo, New York, video has gone viral of an elderly protester lying on the ground with blood pooling near his head after an officer shoved him backward. The city's mayor ordered an investigation and suspended two officers without pay. Cuomo said they should be fired.
Atlanta Has Curfew But Businesses Can Stay Open (1 p.m.)
Trump's Former Top Aide Kelly Sides With Mattis (12:58 p.m.)
Donald Trump's former Chief of Staff John Kelly said Friday he agrees with former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis's criticism of the president's hostility toward protests against police brutality.
Kelly said he sides with Mattis's view that Trump shouldn't have threatened the use of active-duty troops to quell protests that have turned violent in some cities.
Record Number of National Guard Activated (12:50 p.m.)
A record number of nearly 84,000 National Guard members were activated for domestic operations as of Friday, up from 75,000 the day before. That surpassed the number during the 2005 Hurricane Katrina response, according to the National Guard.
The D.C. National Guard is receiving additional support from other states, which are sending in 3,900 members. It is also conducting an investigation into its low-flying helicopters on June 1. Earlier, the D.C. mayor had asked Trump to withdraw troops from the city.
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