This archive report was first published on 7 June 2020.
Anti-Racism Protests Erupt Across the US ¶
On June 6, 2020, tens of thousands of peaceful protesters rallied across the United States for racial justice following the death of George Floyd at the hands of police.
Protests took place in cities from New York to Los Angeles, but Washington was at the epicenter, with thousands of people flooding downtown streets surrounding the White House, which was barricaded with black metal fencing.
"This fight has been happening for many, many decades, hundreds of years, and at this point it's time for a change," said Washington native Christine Montgomery.
Many protesters wore masks due to the coronavirus pandemic, and volunteers handed out water, hand sanitizer, and other supplies as the area took on a block party vibe, with music, mural painting, food trucks, and vendors selling Black Lives Matter T-shirts.
Despite the festive atmosphere, the pain and anger driving the protests were never far below the surface, with some protesters yelling "This ain't no party!"
Helicopters circled overhead as protesters marched by, with military personnel and police watching over the gathering. However, there appeared to be fewer police than on previous days, and some gave protesters small smiles and waves.
On the National Mall, fencing and uniformed guards blocked protesters from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, where civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. famously delivered his "I have a dream" speech in 1963.
The protests were ignited by videos of a police officer kneeling on Floyd's neck for almost nine minutes as he pleaded for his life. The officer, Derek Chauvin, has been charged with second-degree murder.
The rage since Floyd's death in Minneapolis on May 25 has exploded into the most serious civil unrest in America since King was assassinated in 1968.
Peaceful protests swelled in other US cities, including New York City, Philadelphia, Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, where thousands marched across the Golden Gate Bridge, briefly stopping traffic.
"Today, the pain is so raw it can be hard to keep faith," tweeted Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden.
A remembrance for Floyd was held in North Carolina, the state where he was born, following a memorial service in Minneapolis on Thursday.
"I can't go in, see him laying in a coffin, it would drive me crazy forever," said LaTonya Floyd, George's sister, through tears.
"It's about time that they are tired too," said Jackie Maddox, 59, who remembered her own parents marching in Washington for their rights decades ago.
"It is time to burn down institutional racism," one speaker shouted through a megaphone at a hooting crowd of thousands outside the parliament building in London.
Back in Washington, many black protesters hailed the multiracial, multi-ethnic nature of the demonstrations, calling the change "invigorating."
The days of demonstrations in the US have seen new police abuses, some captured on camera, including two policemen in Buffalo, New York, who were charged with felony assault after shoving a 75-year-old protester who fell, hit his head, and began bleeding.
However, there were also signs of change, with authorities announcing a temporary ban on tear gas in Seattle, a federal judge forbidding the use of chemical agents and projectiles like rubber bullets against peaceful protesters in Denver, and police marching in solidarity with protesters in Dallas.
The unrest has handed US President Donald Trump one of the greatest challenges of his tumultuous presidency, with the president condemning Floyd's death but adopting a tough stance toward protesters, calling them "thugs" or "terrorists" and threatening a military crackdown.
