George Floyd death: Protesters use curfew lifting to demonstrate against police brutality for 11th night
Protests were generally peaceful, with some cities banning police use of chokeholds and neck restraints.
Saturday 6 June 2020 09:58, UK
Protesters across the United States used the lifting of curfews to demonstrate against police brutality towards black people for the 11th night.
Some cities, including New York and Buffalo, stuck to evening curfews, but thousands still marched in support of Black Lives Matter following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis after a police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes on 25 May.
Officer Derek Chauvin, who can be seen in a video placing his knee on Mr Floyd's neck, had his charge upgraded to second-degree murder, while three other officers appeared in court on Thursday charged with aiding and abetting murder and aiding and abetting manslaughter.
Most of Friday night's protests were peaceful, with Minneapolis and St Paul no longer under curfew and the state of Minnesota planning to start sending state troopers and National Guard members back home on Saturday.
The two cities had seen violent protests and looting last week as anger over another black person being killed in police custody boiled over but protests have largely remained peaceful this week.
Minneapolis also agreed on Friday to ban police using chokeholds and neck restraints, with several other cities and states following suit, including California whose governor ordered the teaching of chokeholds to be halted.
Seattle's mayor placed a ban on police using one type of tear gas, CS gas, for 30 days after concerns were raised that its use could help spread coronavirus.
In Washington DC, a street in front of the White House was renamed "Black Lives Matter Plaza" and the slogan painted in huge yellow letters on the road after the mayor approved the plan in an apparent rebuke of Donald Trump's militaristic response to the protests.
In Salem, Oregon, the police chief apologised on Friday after video showed a police officer speaking to armed men about curfews that critics say showed authorities treating the men with weapons differently to other protesters.
The officer could be seen telling the armed group to get off the pavement before police started to enforce the curfew, saying they could be inside a business or their car so "it doesn't look like we are playing favourites".
Meanwhile, National Football League Commissioner Roger Goodell said the NFL had made mistakes in not listening to players.
In a videotaped message, he said: "We, the National Football League, condemn racism and the systematic oppression of black people. We, the National Football League admit we were wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier and encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest. We, the National Football League, believe black lives matter.
"I personally protest with you and want to be part of the much needed change in this country. Without black players, there would be no National Football League."
The NFL has been locked in a debate with players over kneeling protests during the national anthem before games, a practice made popular by quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who is black, in 2016 to protest against racial injustice and police brutality.
Mr Trump, who derided the kneeling players as "sons of bitches" in 2017, criticised their actions again on Twitter earlier on Friday.
In Buffalo, New York, all 57 members of a police tactical unit resigned in protest after two colleagues were suspended for pushing a 75-year-old protester to the ground.
They said the officers were "simply following orders" to clear the square. The man hit his head and remains in a stable but serious condition in hospital.
And in Las Vegas a 20-year-old protester was accused of shooting and gravely injuring a police officer during a demonstration on the Strip.
A judge set bail on Friday at $1m (£770,000) for Edgar Samaniego, saying police video shows the shooting and the officer, Shay Mikalonis remains in hospital in a critical condition after surgery for a head wound.
Samaniego's lawyer said he will plead not guilty to attempted murder and other charges when he appears in court again on 30 July.
As the protests continue, several celebrities and large organisations, including basketball legend Michael Jordan and the Jordan Brand, announced a $100m (£77.3m) donation to racial equality and social justice organisations.
The money will be paid over 10 years with the goal of "ensuring racial equality, social justice and greater access to education", a joint statement said.
Facebook said it has removed nearly 200 accounts linked to white supremacy groups that were planning to encourage members to attend the protests - in some cases with weapons.
The Facebook and Instagram accounts were tied to the Proud Boys and the American Guard, two hate groups already banned on the platforms.
Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian resigned from the discussion website on Friday and said his spot should be filled by a black candidate.
Ohanian, who is married to tennis legend Serena Williams, said he wanted to be able to tell their two-year-old daughter what he did to show support to the black community in the US.
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Around the world, from California to Indonesia, Australia and Senegal, black female surfers floated on surfboards to pay tribute to Mr Floyd.
The "Solidarity in Surfing" events in more than 100 locations were organised by Black Girls Surf, a group founded in 2014 to teach the sport to girls of colour.