Protests Erupt in Over 100 U.S. Cities

By Elvert Barnes from Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Protests and riots are continuing to erupt across the United States in response to the murder of George Floyd who was killed on May 25.

Floyd died in a neighbourhood south of downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota.

While Floyd was handcuffed and lying face down on a city street during an arrest, Derek Chauvin, a white Minneapolis police officer, kept his knee on the right side of Floyd's neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds; 2 minutes and 53 seconds of which occurred after Floyd became unresponsive, according to the criminal complaint filed against Chauvin.

Officers Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng, and Thomas K. Lane participated in Floyd's arrest, with Kueng holding Floyd's back, Lane holding his legs, and Thao looking on as he stood nearby.

The arrest was made after Floyd allegedly attempted to use a $20 bill in a deli, which an employee identified as counterfeit.

There were simultaneous protests in over 100 cities in the United States and internationally, with demonstrators supporting those seeking justice for Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement and speaking out against police brutality.

Across the United States, 8 people have died and over 1,670 people have been arrested. The number of injures is not known.