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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
World
Chris Baynes, Chris Riotta, Justin Vallejo

George Floyd protests – live: Former Minnesota police officer arrested as president warns National Guard 'fully prepared'

Angry protests continued for a fourth straight night in cities across the US over the death of George Floyd, an African American man who was killed when he was pinned to the ground by Minneapolis police officers and choked with a knee pressed against his throat.

One of the officers involved, Derek Chauvin, was charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter earlier in the day but that action did nothing to prevent fresh scenes of violence and arson erupting across the city as well as in other locations like Atlanta, New York, Los Angeles, Detroit, Chicago, Boston and Dallas.

After the National Guard stepped in to try to seize control of the situation, US president Donald Trump praised his own Secret Service agents for protecting him when activists picketed the White House, threatening “most vicious dogs, and most ominous weapons” would have been used had they become unruly.

Please allow a moment for our liveblog to load

Breaking: Trump blames 'Antifa and the radical left' for protests
 
Rihanna ‘haunted’ by George Floyd’s death

The pop icon is the latest powerful black voice to come forward to express her disgust at the events of the last week. 

Ellie Harrison has this report.
 
Trump and Obama's responses to the George Floyd tragedy compared

I think I know who's going to come out of this one on top.

Here's Greg Evans to do the honours for Indy100
 
Fox News host Tucker Carlson says protests are about 'destroying society'

Interestingly, Governor Walz just said something similiar - although he was referring to very real far-right opportunists and not the phantom anarchists Tucker is conjuring here, hysterically and baselessly, to trigger his viewership.
Minnesota congresswoman: 'People are exploiting our grief and destroying our city'

Progressive Democrat Ilhan Omar follows up on Governor Walz's remark just now suggesting that outsiders are to blame for a high percentage of the violence with a call for community unity.
Why Americans protesting George Floyd's death are wearing white arm bands
Trump puts US army on alert to be deployed in Minneapolis

Alex Woodward has the latest on this.
 
Minnesota governor says 'situation is Minneapolis no longer about the memory of George Floyd'

Tim Walz has been giving a press conference on the violent protests seen over the last few nights and says the arson attacks have nothing to do with the man murdered by city cops and make "a mockery" of his memory.

"It is about attacking civil society, instilling fear and disrupting our great cities," he says.

Governor Walz says he will fully activate the National Guard, something that has never happened in the state's history, and warned that white supremacists from elsewhere are seizing on the matter to spread hate.
 

Also speaking was Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey, who is now being trolled by the president over his abilities as a public speaker (which are completely fine and by no means worthy of ridicule).

Shouldn't he be offfering some words of consolation to a frightened nation? #BeBest.
'This is my city. I’m here to help'

As Trump begins pushing a conspiracy theory about last night's White House demonstrations...

...here's a more positive example of community leadership from the streets of Atlanta this morning.
What sparked the George Floyd protests - and what happens next?

If you're running late to the apocalypse, here's Colin Drury with a very timely refresher.
 
President appears to call for pro-Trump protests at White House

Trump here continues to undermine the demonstrations outside his front door but what does he mean by "MAGA NIGHT"? 

If he is calling for a right-wing counter-protest, as suggested below, that is very disturbing indeed.
Trump hails Secret Service and threatens White House demonstrators with ‘most vicious dogs, most ominous weapons’ day after being accused of glorifying violence

The president's first thoughts today are regarding his own safety, not the national outrage and burning cities sparked by a racist police murder.
Beyoncé says she feels 'broken and disgusted' by George Floyd's death

Perhaps the biggest black superstar of all is adding her voice to the ongoing outcry.

Ellie Harrison has more details.
 
Colin Kaepernick sets up legal defence fund for George Floyd demonstrators

James Crump has this on the NFL star turned civil rights activist - known for his "Take a Knee" national anthem protest - who is leaping to the defence of those arrested while seeking justice.

"When civility leads to death, revolting is the only logical reaction," he says.
 
Wife of police officer charged with George Floyd murder files for divorce

Kellie Chauvin has offered her heartfelt condolences to the Floyd family, according to her lawyer, as she walks out on the husband whose actions have ignited the American tinderbox.

Here's Tom Embury-Dennis's report.
 
New York bus driver refuses to transport arrested protestors

An astonishingly fearless show of civil disobediance here from a New York City bus driver ordered to assist the police department against his will.
'Child militia' spotted in Atlanta

Of all the disturbing and surreal sights seen on American streets in the last few days, this is right up there.

Details on precisely who these kids are is scarce at present but the area in question was one of the worst trouble spots last night, with several businesses set on fire.

This tweet inspired "Hitler Youth" to trend on the social media platform last night.
Protesters commandeer bulldozer in Oakland

In a particularly wild moment from the protests in California, demonstrators "borrowed" some heavy machinery from a nearby contruction site and drove it down the street, forcing the assembled crowd to disperse.
 
‘I am tired of seeing black men die’: Atlanta rapper Killer Mike makes emotional address to demonstrators

"I am the son of an Atlanta police officer… I watched a white police officer assassinate a black man. And I know that tore your heart out,” the hip hop star and political activist told his fellow Georgians in a video yesterday.

Pleading with protesters not to destroy Atlanta and to channel their anger into making political change, he added: "I woke up wanting to see the world burn down yesterday because I am tired of seeing black men die. He casually put his knee on a human being’s neck for nine minutes as he died like a zebra in the clutch of a lion’s jaw.
 
“We don't want to see Targets burning. We want to see the system that sets up for systemic racism burned to the ground."

Ellie Harrison has more on this.
 
Cornel West denounces Floyd killing as 'a lynching at the highest level' and derides 'neo-fascist gangster in the White House who doesn't care'

This is a truly stunning address from the Harvard professor on CNN's Anderson Cooper 360.

Cooper also deserves credit here for calling out the "white weekend warriors" engaged in militia cosplay we've seen brandishing toy bazookas in Subway at recent anti-lockdown protests.
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