The dreadful videotaped death of George Floyd last Monday at the hands of police in Minneapolis has ignited the countrywide wave of outrage over law enforcement’s repeated utilization of lethal force against unarmed African Americans.
Floyd had stopped breathing after Derek Chauvin, a Minneapolis police officer, had knelt on his neck for more than eight minutes. As a result of this assault, Chauvin has now been charged with third-degree murder. He has now been asked to make his first appearance in court on Monday. Three other officers with Floyd have also been fired but they now face no charges.
George Floyd’s Death Creates Mayhem in USA
All of Minnesota’s National Guard troops have been mobilized by Governor Tim Walz for restoring order. This is regarded as Minnesota’s biggest mobilization. Police used stun grenades and tear gas for clearing streets of curfew violators on Saturday night in Minneapolis. Walz has also extended a curfew for a third night Sunday. It has also praised police and guardsmen for holding down violence. Walz stated: “They did so in a professional manner. They did so without a single loss of life and minimal property damage.”
Read Also: Where Is The World’s Silence Taking Kashmir Issue?
The U.S. Department of Defense said that nearly 5,000 National Guard troops were mobilized in 15 states and also Washington, with more than 2,000 on standby. The widespread resort to uniformed National Guards units has been rare. It has also evoked disturbing memories for rioting in US cities in 1967 and 1968 in this protest time over economic and racial disparities.
Donald Trump Blames Antifa For Riots And Violence
President Trump has blamed the extreme left for the violence. He said that he had planned to designate a group known as Antifa as a terrorist organization. Attorney Bill Barr also said that U.S. will take strict measures against Antifa. He said that the violence instigated and carried out by Antifa and other similar groups in connection with the rioting is domestic terrorism and will be treated accordingly.
Over the past few days, there have been many confrontations between protestors and police as well as several outbreaks of looting. Violent clashes have repeatedly erupted in a small park next to the White House. Policemen used pepper spray, tear gas and flash bang grenades for the purpose of dispersing crowds that had lit several large fires and damaged property.
Local US leaders have also appealed to their fellow citizens for providing constructive outlet to their rage regarding the brutal killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, while night-time curfews have also been imposed in different cities including Washington, Los Angeles and Houston. One closely watched protest had been outside the state capitol in Minneapolis’ twin city of St Paul, where nearly several thousand individuals had gathered before marching down a highway.
There have been large-scale protests across other cities of USA including New York and Miami. To curb this issue, the mayor of Washington has ordered a curfew from 11:00 pm until 6:00 am. A report in the New York Times stated that President Trump has been rushed by Secret service agents into an underground bunker at the White House on Friday night in the earlier protests.
Looters Plunder Stores
Floyd’s death has resulted in large-scale violence across USA. It has literally devastated many cities across the US as looters plundered stores in a neighborhood of Philadelphia on Sunday. Another looting incident was reported across a Los Angeles suburb of Santa Monica in a popular beachside shopping center. As a result of this, officials in LA imposed a curfew from 4:00 pm Sunday until dawn.
In an interview to CNN, LA’s mayor Eric Garcetti said: “Please, use your discretion and go early, go home, stay home and help us make sure that those who want to change this conversation from being about racial justice to be about burning things and looting things, don’t win the day.”
Mayor of Atlanta, Keisha Lance Bottoms, stated Trump is not taking any measures to resolve this matter. She said: “We are beyond a tipping point in this country, and his rhetoric only enflames that.” Trump’s democratic opponent in November’s presidential election, Joe Biden, visited the scene of one anti-racism protest. Expressing his misery over this incident, Biden tweeted: “We are a nation in pain right now, but we must not allow this pain to destroy us.”
ViralNews 