This is a list of protests and unrest in the United States related to the murder of George Floyd. The protests began in Minneapolis on May 26, 2020, the day after George Floyd, an African-American man, was murdered by Derek Chauvin during a police arrest. On June 6, an estimated half a million people joined protests in 550 places across the country.[1] Protests continued through the weekend of June 19, overlapping with and bringing awareness to observations of Juneteenth.[2][3] Protests had continued throughout the entire month of June in many cities, with protests occurring in over 40% of counties in the United States.[1] Polls estimate between 15 million and 26 million people participated in the United States, making these protests potentially the largest movement in terms of participation in U.S. history.[1]
The protests spread to over 2,000 cities and towns in all 50 states[4] and all 5 permanently-inhabited territories,[5][6][7][8][9] as well as in over 60 other countries, with demonstrators supporting those seeking justice for Floyd and the wider Black Lives Matter movement, and speaking out against police brutality. Many protests were accompanied by violence with some large cities seeing large scale rioting, looting, and burning of businesses and police cars.[10][11][12] There were also many instances of police brutality.[13] The wave of protests and unrest has been compared to the long, hot summer of 1967 and the King assassination riots, both of which saw riots in over 10 cities across the United States.[14]
The protests resulted in police reforms being proposed on the federal level in the United States and in jurisdictions in over 20 states. The protests were also associated with the removal of numerous monuments and statues of figures with controversial legacies. In response, the Trump administrationdeployed federal law enforcement to several cities across the country.
Through June 15, protests occurred in at least 171 cities in California. Protests happened in dozens of towns throughout both Northern and Southern California, with major multi-day protests occurring in Oakland, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Diego County, and Los Angeles.[23]
On May 29, hundreds of people protested in front of the Connecticut State Capitol.[26] On May 30, more than 1,000 people marched to the Hartford Police Department and the Capitol.[27] On June 6, hundreds of protesters attended multiple events in Hartford. The first one, called "No Lives Matter Until Black Lives Matter: Protest for Our Future", marched from Pope Park to the Capitol Building. A second protest was held at the Global Communications Academy, while another group marched from Bushnell Park to the Connecticut Supreme Court, where a silent sit-in was held.[28] Protests in Connecticut also took place in more than thirty other communities.
Protesters in Washington, D.C. gathered around the White House the evening of May 29, which went under lockdown. President Trump was escorted to hide in an underground bunker, where he stayed for almost an hour. Outside, the historic St. John's Church was set on fire.[31] Trump reacted by threatening protesters with "the most vicious dogs, and most ominous weapons" if they crossed the White House fence.[32] Rubber bullets, pepper spray, smoke canisters, and stun grenades were used on the protesters.[33]
On May 30 and 31 there was looting and vandalism with several monuments being defaced.[34][35] On June 1, tear gas and rubber bullets were used to forcefully clear protesters from Lafayette Square so that President Trump could have his picture taken at St. John's, which had survived the fire.[36] Police said the protesters were throwing bricks and other projectiles, although journalists at the scene said the protesters were peaceful.[37] In addition, millions fell for a hoax claiming that communication channels had been severed in the area.[38]
By June 3 thousands of National Guard troops from ten states, as well as law enforcement personnel from a dozen federal agencies, were ordered to the city and deployed on the streets.[39] On June 7, U.S. Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) joined the protests.[40][41]
On June 22, a crowd of rioters unsuccessfully attempted to topple Clark Mills' 1852 bronze equestrian statue of Andrew Jackson in Lafayette Square in President's Park, directly north of the White House.[42] A few days later, the United States Department of Justice charged four men with destruction of federal property for allegedly trying to bring down the statue. The Justice Department alleged that a video showed one of the men breaking off and destroying the wheels of the cannons located at the base of the statue as well as pulling on ropes trying to bring down the statue.[43]
In Honolulu, protests began on May 30, when more than 100 protesters gathered in front of the Hawaii State Capitol.[52] On June 3, almost 200 more people protested at the Capitol,[53] and on June 5, over 1,000 protesters walked from Ala Moana beach to Duke Paoa Kahanamoku's statue.[54] Additional protests, including paddle-outs, occurred in Hanalei, Hilo, Kaanapali, Kahului, Kailua-Kona, Launiupoko, Lihue, and Nanakuli.
On Sunday, May 31, three large protests were held in Boston, with the total number of protesters being in the thousands. Though all three began peacefully, violence broke out by nightfall, with police driving squad cars through crowds and firing tear gas without dispersal instruction.[88] Some protesters threw plastic water bottles and set off fireworks, while police used pepper spray and batons to keep crowds away from Boston Common.[87] Some stores in Downtown Crossing were damaged and had goods stolen, twenty-one police cruisers were burned or damaged, seven officers were hospitalized (with more being treated for injuries in the streets), and over forty arrests were made.[89][90]
Protests broke out in Detroit on the night of May 29. Some protesters were seen throwing items at police officers and taunting them.[102] At least 61 people were arrested.[103] In Grand Rapids, protests began on May 30 and escalated into incidents of looting and arson, leading to the first riot charges in the history of Kent County.[104][105] Protests of varying sizes occurred in at least twenty other communities in Michigan.
The murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis led to the first protests there and in neighboring St. Paul, as well as the first protests to result in clashes with police and extensive property damage. Protests continued during the entire month of June. Protests of varying sizes also occurred elsewhere in Minnesota, such as Albert Lea, Austin, Bemidji, Brainerd, Duluth, Ely, Mankato, Owatonna, Rochester, St. Cloud, and Woodbury.
On the evening of May 29, thousands of protesters in Omaha shut down the traffic-heavy 72nd and Dodge Street intersection. Police began firing tear gas on non law abiding protesters at 8:00 pm and made arrests when the crowd failed to disperse. Further violence occurred downtown as several buildings and cruisers were damaged. Tear gas and pepper balls were used by police.[109] Protests in Nebraska were also held in at least eight other communities, including Bellevue, Chadron, Grand Island, Harvard, Kearney, Lincoln, Norfolk, and Scottsbluff.
On May 29, 2020, hundreds of protesters gathered on the Las Vegas Strip, leading to the police arresting 80 people, including two journalists.[110] Some protesters threw water bottles and rocks at police.[111][112][113] 12 police officers were injured during the gathering.[114] On June 2, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police announced investigations into two separate shootings involving officers at the 2800 block of Las Vegas Boulevard South and the federal courthouse.[115] Protests also occurred in Boulder City, Carson City, Elko, Fallon, Mesquite, Minden, North Las Vegas, Reno, and Winnemucca.
On May 30, approximately 800 people rallied in downtown Manchester, beginning their protest at Veterans Park, marching down Elm Street, and ending their march back at the park.[116][117][118] Although the protests were peaceful, a tense moment happened at around 1:30 PM when two men in a pickup truck with a blue Trump 2020 flag attached to it drove up to and argued with protesters, with one of the men exiting the truck and brandishing a handgun.[116][117][118] Shortly thereafter, the two men—aged 43 and 19—were arrested and charged with felony riot and felony criminal threatening.[116][117][118] Protests in New Hampshire were also held in Bristol, Concord, Conway, Dover, Dublin, Hanover, Keene, Nashua, and Peterborough.
Multiple organizations such as Black Lives Matter congregated at the New Jersey Statehouse in Trenton on May 30, 2020. That night, theft took place in Downtown Trenton when businesses were broken into and police vehicles were inflamed or stolen.[119] Protests in New Jersey also took place in more than fifty other communities.
On May 28, hundreds of people protested in Albuquerque, and tear gas was deployed, but no one was injured.[120] Part of the city was shut down. Several shots were fired from a vehicle in the area of Wisconsin and Central, while a female sergeant was approached by several people and had her vehicle damaged. Four people were taken into custody.[121] Protests in New Mexico also occurred in Carlsbad, Clovis, Farmington, Gallup, Las Cruces, Los Alamos, Rio Rancho, Roswell, and Santa Fe.
Demonstrations were held in dozens of cities and towns throughout New York beginning on May 28. In New York City, while most events were peaceful, some where marred by violent clashes with police and looting. As a result, and amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the city was put under a curfew starting on June 1. The curfew was moved from up 11:00 pm to 8:00 pm the following day. Fewer arrests were made since the curfew was implemented, apart from forceful policing of even peaceful protests after 8:00. There were several high-profile incidents throughout the protests, including a police vehicle driving through a group of protesters, several instances of excessive force, and widespread looting in the SoHo neighborhood of Manhattan. Several police and protesters were injured, several police were suspended, and thousands of protesters were arrested, mostly on minor charges.[122] District attorneys for Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the Bronx announced plans to decline prosecuting certain low-level offenses.[122]
Smaller protests took place outside New York City. In Buffalo, video footage circulated on the Internet of police shoving an elderly man which caused him to fall to the ground and walk away as he bled from the head. This led to two officer suspensions.[123] On June 6, there was a large number of protests across the North Country, along with dozens of other cities across the country, attracting thousands of local protesters, with all the protests remaining peaceful. At the June 6th protests, the participants all took a knee for nine minutes, in silence, in respect for George Floyd. The period of time was equivalent to about the same amount of time that Derek Chauvin had his knee in Floyd's neck.[124][125]
On May 30, a protest in Raleigh named "A National Day of Action — Justice for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and lives cut short by Raleigh and Durham police departments," was created.[126][127] On May 30, protesters in Charlotte blocked traffic on Interstate 277. The police fired tear gas and rubber bullets into the crowds. The city was also placed under a State of Emergency.[128] Protests also occurred in over twenty other communities in North Carolina.
On May 30, Black Lives Matter protesters in Fargo marched from Island Park, City Hall, the 25th St Police Station, and then south on 25th Street. The protests began peacefully but became violent after 6:00 PM. Several businesses in downtown Fargo were damaged including the historic Hotel Donaldson.[129] Protests were also held in at least eight other communities throughout North Dakota, including Bismarck, Dickinson, Grand Forks, Jamestown, Minot, Rugby, Valley City, and Williston.
In Ohio, major cities such as Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Toledo, and Dayton had large protests, as well as numerous smaller cities and small towns including the jurisdictions Bay Village, Brecksville, Centerville, and Chagrin Falls. As a result of rioting and looting, a number of cities such as Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Cincinnati, Toledo, and Springfield imposed curfews of varying times.[130]
Over two hundred people walked the perimeter of the Oregon State Capitol Building in Salem on May 30, 2020. A law enforcement spokesperson stated that the reason for using tear gas to disperse the protest was objects and "explosive devices" that were thrown. Protests continued in Portland daily for over three months.[133][134][135]
Protests were held in over 40 cities in Pennsylvania. The largest protests were in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, which each saw thousands of protesters marching on May 30. Both cities continued to experience protests into the following week.[136][137]
A protest march was held in downtown Sioux Falls on May 31, ending outside the Sioux Falls and Minnehaha County Law Enforcement Center. George Floyd's uncle spoke about the beautiful protest and thanked the protesters for honoring his nephew. The event organizers for the downtown event emphasized nonviolence to honor George Floyd. However, some protesters later traveled to Sioux Empire Mall, and began to throw rocks and break windows. Some protesters asked the rock throwers to stop and even formed a line in front of the police to quell the actions against police, but without success. Gov. Kristi Noem declared a state of emergency, from 10pm on May 31, to 7am on June 1. Seventy members of the National Guard were activated.[143] SWAT and National Guard teams then assisted in enforcing curfew, but rioting and looting continued at the mall and other nearby stores.[144] Protests occurred in at least eight other communities in South Dakota, including Aberdeen, Brookings, Huron, Mitchell, Pierre, Pine Ridge, Rapid City, and Watertown.
Protests were held in at least 41 towns and cities throughout Texas, with major protests in Dallas, Austin and Houston. In George Floyd's hometown of Houston, family members joined a march on June 2, estimated to be 60,000 strong; a video appeared to show a female protester in Houston being trampled by a police officer on a horse.[147] In Dallas, a man with a machete was beaten to near death by protesters after he entered the area to supposedly protect the neighborhood.[148]
On May 29, between one hundred and two hundred protesters congregated downtown at 900 South and State Street in Salt Lake City.[149] On May 30, protests in downtown Salt Lake City became violent as protesters destroyed an SLCPD cruiser and vandalized the Capitol Building. In response, Governor Gary Herbert activated the National Guard to quell the riots.[150]
At least 50 cities in Virginia reported protests and demonstrations beginning May 28. In Richmond, there were major protests since May 28, with clashes with police, defacing of Confederate monuments and a curfew declared on May 31, with tear gas being used by the police on demonstrators on June 1. Several Confederate statues were damaged or torn down, with protesters also tearing down a statue of Christopher Columbus on June 9.
Protests occurred throughout Washington state and in the communities surrounding Puget Sound, with at least 30 towns and cities seeing protests. Major protests were held in Tacoma, Spokane (which saw 1,000 people march on May 31) and Seattle. Seattle saw major protests, and as of June 8 protests had continued for 11 straight days. This includes a demonstration of thousands on the weekend of May 30. Looting and rioting occurred that evening, and continued clashes with police on May 31 and June 6, with police use of tear gas despite a mayoral ban on the use of tear gas announced on June 5. On June 8, the police withdrew from the East Precinct on Capitol Hill, leading to protesters declaring the 6 blocks surrounding the precinct the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone.
On July 19, 2020, a peaceful protest in downtown Seattle turned violent and saw numerous buildings vandalized.[152] On July 22, 2020, 150 protesters who gathered in the Capitol Hill neighborhood burned and looted several businesses.[152] On July 25, 2020, an event which started as a peaceful protest turned into a riot which resulted in more Seattle businesses along 12th Avenue vandalized and areas at a future juvenile detention center were set ablaze and vandalized as well.[153]
Utulei: Around 100 people marched silently from Fatumafuti to Utulei Beach Park, despite stormy weather, in solidarity with Black Lives Matter.[5] Speeches about racism and police brutality were made.[5]
Tamuning: About 125 people protested peacefully at the ITC intersection.[6][160]
Northern Mariana Islands
Saipan: One person protested for two hours on Beach Road across Atkins Kroll in Oleai.[8] After stating that she planned to protest there for an hour in the morning every day for the week, a dozen more people joined her the next day in her peaceful protest.[8][161]
^Lazarick, Len (June 1, 2020). "Floyd protests heat up, Reopen Maryland protests cool down". MarylandReporter.com. In Annapolis Saturday, under a bright, sunny sky, slightly more than a hundred Reopen Maryland protesters gathered on the State House lawn... At almost the same hour, a somewhat larger number of Floyd protesters had marched up nearby Main Street.
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