The United States has to lock down many cities and mobilize the National Guard to deal with protesters.
Protests spread following the death of George Floyd, forcing many US cities to issue curfews, lockdowns and mobilize the National Guard.
Protests have erupted in cities across the United States in response to the death of George Floyd, a black man, at the hands of a white Minneapolis police officer. Major cities such as Minneapolis, Atlanta, Seattle, Los Angeles, Columbus and others have imposed curfews in response to growing unrest caused by the protests. Governors in Minnesota, Georgia, Ohio and Kentucky have also mobilized the National Guard to help stabilize the situation.
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| Protests in Atlanta, Georgia, USA on May 29 following the death of George Floyd. Photo: Anadolu Agency |
US President Donald Trump and the Pentagon said federal forces are ready to be deployed to Minnesota if requested.
Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan announced late on May 30 (local time) that she would sign an emergency order to impose a curfew in the city starting at 5 p.m. after protests turned violent in the city. The curfew will be in effect until 5 a.m.
Images on social media showed burned cars, broken windows and chaotic scenes in parts of Seattle as protesters clashed with police.
Protests also escalated for a fourth day in Los Angeles, where protesters set police cars on fire in protest of Floyd's death. Mayor Eric Garcetti announced a mandatory curfew from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Atlanta Mayor Keisha Bottoms followed suit, imposing a 9 p.m. curfew after violent clashes between police and protesters. The Atlanta Police Department said 70 people were arrested, 20 department vehicles were damaged and three officers were injured.
A day earlier, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency in Fulton County and mobilized 500 National Guardsmen at the request of the area's mayor.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine also called in the National Guard to “help protect the citizens of Ohio” after clashes in Columbus. Columbus police have closed streets in the city indefinitely. Residents will be required to show identification if they go outside. A curfew has also been imposed from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. starting the night of May 30.
President Trump has called the death of George Floyd a "grave tragedy" that has "filled Americans across this country with horror, anger and grief".
Mr Trump said he had asked Attorney General William Barr to conduct a civil rights investigation into Mr Floyd’s death. State and federal authorities are also investigating criminal charges against three police officers involved in the man’s death.
Earlier, the US leader said the federal government could intervene using what he called "unlimited military power". The president also made a controversial statement earlier when he wrote: "When the looting starts, the shooting starts". Twitter posted a public notice on this tweet of Mr. Trump, saying that the above statement violated the regulations of the social networking site because it encouraged violence./.