Protests spread across the US, hundreds arrested

Protests over the police killing of a black man in Minneapolis, Minnesota, continue to spread across the United States. Hundreds of people have been arrested in clashes with police.

Derek Chauvin, the police officer who knelt on the neck of black man George Floyd, causing his death, has been charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. However, the victim's family disagrees and wants to increase the sentence for this police officer.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said the process of charging officer Derek Chauvin has just begun. He said the officer could face additional charges and that others could be charged. The victim's family has asked for first-degree murder charges against Derek Chauvin and for the three other officers at the scene to be arrested.

Speaking to reporters on May 30, US Attorney General William Barr said violent radicals have taken advantage of peaceful protests to cause riots in many cities across the United States.

Mr. William Barr emphasized:“Accountability in this case must be determined and is being determined through the criminal justice system at both the state and federal levels. The state has brought initial charges and that process will continue until justice is served. Radical groups and out-of-state agitators have exploited the situation to pursue their own violent and illegitimate goals. In many places, the violence is being planned, organized, and led by left-wing extremist and anarchist groups using methods similar to Antifa. Many of these individuals have traveled from other places to incite violence.”

Attorney General William Barr said that preventing violence is the responsibility of local and state leaders, but the federal government will continue to support and will take necessary measures to ensure federal law.

President Donald Trump has called on governors and mayors to get tougher with protesters or the federal government will intervene and take necessary measures, including using military force and arresting protesters. Mr. Trump stressed that inciting violence is a federal crime.

Protests have erupted in at least 30 cities across the United States. In Washington, D.C., protesters gathered near the White House, which was briefly locked down on the evening of May 29.

In Minneapolis, where George Floyd was murdered, the top Minnesota National Guard official, Gen. Jon Jensen, said that 2,500 National Guard troops would be mobilized to help ensure security. Gen. Jensen said this was the first full mobilization of the state's National Guard since World War II. Gen. Jensen also said that Minnesota was also asking for additional national resources and that he had spoken with the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Hundreds of protesters have been arrested in other US cities including New York, Oakland, Chicago, Los Angeles and Atlanta. Several cities have imposed curfews and authorized the mobilization of the National Guard to deal with the increasingly violent protests. Protests are expected to continue over the weekend and may spread across the US./.