US Secret Service closes streets around the White House
Protests flared in many cities in the United States over the killing of George Floyd, a black man who died this week after being pinned down by the neck by a white police officer in Minneapolis
Cuomo: 'The protesters are separate from the looters'
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo urged people to recognize the difference between protestors outraged over the death of George Floyd and looters that have struck some areas.
"The protesters are separate from the looters," Cuomo said, adding that curfews implemented across the stare are to help law enforcement "deal with the looters," reports the CNN.
"The curfew is not about the protestors," Cuomo said. "The curfew is not to harass protesters" Designed to help police "deal with the looters"
Cuomo said that many issues — the coronavirus pandemic, the protests and the looting — are "getting blurred" and each needs to be addressed separately.
"We can't blur the line between these problems," he said.
He stressed his support for protesters, adding that they want a "better America."
NYPD commissioner on city's unrest: 'We will control this'
Following a night of unrest in the city, New York Police Department Commissioner Dermot Shea thanked the police force for their work, and said NYPD will "make sure criminals do not run" the city.
“The NYC Police Department will be there to protect you and make sure criminals do not run New York City. We will control this. We have this and you can faith in that," Shea said, reports the CNN.
Shea acknowledged that this is a story bigger than New York City and encouraged peaceful protests.
“We understand the concerns, and we’ll get through this together, but we also know that we cannot allow what has happened," he said.
There were about 700 arrests Monday night for looting and other offenses, including attacks on officers, Shea said.
Shea asked for more leaders to step up in communities to stand together with police “and condemn these senseless acts of violence.”
New York City curfew will stay in place for the rest of the week
New York City's 8 pm ET curfew will start tonight and will remain in place for the rest of the week, according to Mayor Bill de Blasio.
The curfew will remain until 5 am ET the next morning each day through Sunday, reports the CNN.
“We will not tolerate violence of any kind. We will not tolerate attacks on police officers. We will not tolerate hatred being created,” de Blasio said.
The mayor asked residents to stand up for their communities.
“When people come to a swath of midtown Manhattan to attack luxury stores, that does not represent the values of New York City. We won’t accept that, it doesn’t speak for us and therefore we will stop it,” de Blasio said.
“I know we can overcome this, I know we can,” he added.
Reopening after the pandemic will move forward on Monday.
Pelosi: Trump 'has the responsibility to heal'
US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday addressed President Trump’s photo opportunity with a Bible outside of St John’s church, which came after law enforcement forcibly cleared peaceful protesters away from the White House using tear gas and riot shields.
Holding a Bible, Pelosi turned to the book of Ecclesiastes and read about time for healing, reports the CNN.
She said the President “has the responsibility to heal.”
She also read statements from previous presidents about police brutality.
“This is not a single incident. We know it is a pattern of behavior. We also know the history that takes us to this sad place,” Pelosi said of George Floyd’s death.
“We would hope that the President of the United States would follow the lead of so many presidents before him to be a healer-in-chief and not a fanner of the flame,” Pelosi added.
She said the administration's treatment of the protesters was a “most unfortunate situation.”
“What is that?” she asked. “That has no place, and it’s time for us to do away with that. A time to heal. The book of Ecclesiastes.”
We won't 'allow any president to quiet our voice' : Biden
Former Vice President and presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden blasted President Trump for walking to a church near the White House as protesters were dispersed with tear gas, flash grenades and rubber bullets, reports the CNN.
“When peaceful protestors disbursed in order for a President, a President, from the doorstep of the people's house, the White House, using tear gas and flash grenades in order to stage a photo op — a photo op — on one of the most historic churches in the country, or at least in Washington, DC, we can be forgiven for believing the President is more interested in power than in principle, more interested in serving the passions of his base the the needs of the people in his care,” Biden said in an address in Philadelphia.
Trump yesterday held up the Bible in front of a boarded-up St. John’s Episcopal Church and declared “we have the greatest country in the world" while surrounded by aides.
“The President held up the Bible at St. John's church yesterday. I just wish he opened it once in a while instead of brandishing it. If he opened it, he could have learned something. We are all called to love one another as we love ourselves. It's really hard work, but it's the work of America,” Biden said.
Biden referenced the Constitution's First Amendment, guaranteeing freedom to assemble and freedom of speech, for the protesters.
Floyd family says public memorial service will be held in Houston on Monday
George Floyd's family says the memorial and celebration of life services will be held on Monday and Tuesday next week, according to a release from the Fort Bend Memorial Planning Center.
"Floyd, a 46-year-old man who was raised in Houston’s Third Ward, was killed during an encounter with Minneapolis police officers," the statement said, reports the CNN.
The public memorial for Floyd will take place on Monday at The Fountain of Praise Church in Houston, the statement said.
There will be a private service at an undisclosed location on June 9, according to the statement.
The statement said former professional boxer Floyd Mayweather will pay for the services. The statement also noted that other notable guests are expected at the private service, but does not detail who those guests will be.
Trump slams New York governor's response to unrest
The President has tweeted about last night’s protests in New York after a night of unrest and widespread looting.
On Monday, Govornor Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio ordered a curfew from 11 pm until 5 am, and an 8 pm curfew for Tuesday, reports the CNN.
“New York was lost to the looters, thugs, Radical Left, and all others forms of Lowlife & Scum. The Governor refuses to accept my offer of a dominating National Guard. NYC was ripped to pieces,” he tweeted.
More than 20,000 National Guard members activated across US to respond to unrest
A little over 20,000 National Guard have now been activated to support civil unrest response, according to a Defense Department official.
At least 28 states and Washington, DC, have activated their National Guard forces, reports the CNN.
Secret Service closes streets around the White House
The US Secret Service has closed several streets surrounding the White House to any vehicular traffic — another sign of the increased security in the area.
Late last night a 8-foot tall metal fencing was erected around Lafayette Park, reports the CNN.
The barrier looked like the almost impenetrable fencing put up during high-level security events like political conventions and inaugurations.
Australian prime minister calls for investigation into assault of journalists at DC protest
Australian journalists from CNN affiliate Channel 7 news were attacked by riot police in Washington, DC, on Monday, prompting Prime Minister Scott Morrison to ask for an investigation into the "troubling incident."
During a live morning newscast on the program Sunrise on Tuesday in Australia, riot police used their shields to clear 7NEWS US correspondent Amelia Brace and cameraman Tim Myers from the scene., reports the CNN.
The video shows riot police hitting Myers and punching his camera, another officer then directs the pair, who was trapped against a wall, to move on, before appearing to smack Brace in the back with a baton.
Australia's Minister for Foreign Affairs Marise Payne said that Morrison had "contacted the Australian Embassy in Washington, DC on Tuesday instructing them to investigate the 'troubling' incident and provide further advice on registering the Australian government's concern."
Payne added in an interview with Radio National on Tuesday that "I want to get further advice on how we would go about registering Australia's strong concerns with the responsible local authorities in Washington."
US reaction to the protest is 'oppressive' - Iran
Iran has criticized the reactions of the US administration and US police to the protests which have broken out following the death of George Floyd.
The Iranian governmental issued statements regarding the protests on Iran’s state news agency IRNA, reports the CNN.
On Tuesday, Iran’s judiciary chief, Hojjatoleslam Raeesi, said "US leaders should stand trial before the international courts on charge of deliberate homicide and racial discrimination."
Iranian government spokesman, Abbas Mousavi held a news conference in English on Monday to "urge" the US to "stop oppression and aggressive conducts against its people and let them breathe."
"To the American people: The world has heard your outcry over the state of oppression … the world is standing with you," Mousavi said, according to IRNA.
Iran's foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, posted a photo of people paying respect at a Floyd mural and an Iranian stamp showing Malcom X on Twitter, writing: "The 'knee-on-neck' technique is nothing new: Same cabal—who've admitted to habitually 'lie, cheat, steal' — have been employing it on 80M Iranians for 2 yrs (sic), calling it 'maximum pressure.'"
US officials have previously criticized Iran’s violent handling of civilian protests against the Iranian government, with US President Donald Trump repeatedly tweeting in support of Iranian demonstrators protesting against the government in 2019 and 2020.
Suspect who intentionally drove car into Denver police officers during weekend protests arrested
A man has been arrested on suspicion of intentionally driving his car into three Denver police officers during protests on Saturday nights.
The officers were seriously injured after they were struck by a fast-moving vehicle, according to Denver Police, reports the cnn.
Anthony Knapp, 37, was arrested the following day and is being held for first-degree assault and attempted first-degree assault. He was tracked down by detectives tracing scattered pieces of his car and posting a Crime Stoppers bulletin.
The ongoing investigation is among the first to be opened involving attacks against police during protests across the US.
The Denver Police sent their Statement of Probable Cause saying the officers were in full uniform standing next to a fully marked Denver Police vehicle, when a dark sedan traveling at a "high rate of speed, swerved toward the officers and as a result, struck three of the officers with the car."
The officers were transported to the Denver Health Medical Center in an ambulance, according to the statement. One sustained a fractured leg and the other two sustained "substantial risk of protracted loss or impairment of the function of any part or organ of the body."
US lawmaker prepares bill aiming to end court protection for police
With cities across America in turmoil over the death of George Floyd, a US lawmaker plans to introduce legislation this week that he hopes will end a pattern of police violence by allowing victims to sue officers for illegal and unconstitutional acts.
US Representative Justin Amash, a conservative independent from Michigan, won support from a Minneapolis Democrat on Monday for his “Ending Qualified Immunity Act,” which would allow civil lawsuits against police, a recourse that the Supreme Court has all but done away with.
The high court's adoption of the qualified immunity doctrine has largely shielded police from financial settlements for victims or grieving families. The doctrine protects cops even when courts determine that officers violate civil rights, a Reuters investigation showed.
“The brutal killing of George Floyd is merely the latest in a long line of incidents of egregious police misconduct,” Amash told colleagues in a letter. “This pattern continues because police are legally, politically and culturally insulated ... That must change so that these incidents stop happening.”
Kremlin: Trump, Putin did not discuss US unrest in phone call
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov on Tuesday said President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin did not discuss the unrest sweeping the US in a phone call Monday.
Asked in a conference call with reporters if the issue was raised during the conversation, reports the CNN.
Peskov said: "No, this is not a question of bilateral Russian-American relations."
Pressed on whether protests over police violence in the US might bring attention to similar incidents in Russia, Peskov said he saw no parallels between the two countries.
"I do not agree with you that the issues now at the forefront in the United States are relevant to our agenda. We have our own agenda and, thank God, what is happening in America is not happening in our country. Thank God, I repeat."
George Floyd's death is 'abuse of power,' says top EU diplomat
George Floyd's death was an abuse of power and must be renounced, a top EU diplomat said at a briefing in Belgium.
Josep Borell, High Representative of the European Union, said all societies should remain vigilant against the use of excess force and deal with such incidents quickly, reports the CNN.
"We here in Europe, like the people of the United States, we are shocked and appalled by the death of George Floyd. And I think all societies must remain vigilant against the excess of use of force and ensure that all such incidents are addressed swiftly, effectively and in full respect of the rule of law and human rights," Borell said.
“We have to be sure everywhere, especially in societies which are based on the rule of law, democratic representation and respect for freedoms and liberties, that people who are in charge of taking care of the order are not using their capacities in the way that has been used in this very, very unhappy death of George Floyd."
"It is an abuse of power and this has to be renounced as we combat [this] in the States and everywhere."
He added: "We support the right to peaceful protest, and also we condemn violence and racism of any kind, and for sure we call for a de-escalation of tensions.”
Minneapolis site of Floyd's death treated as memorial after family calls for calm
Hours after George Floyd's brother asked protesters to abstain from violence, the Minneapolis site where Floyd died last week was being treated as a sacred memorial.
The subdued scene was in a sharp contrast with what was taking place in other cities across the country overnight where protesters were undeterred by curfews, reports the CNN.
Curfews were enforced in an effort to curb the unrest that has erupted in the week since Floyd's death in police custody.
"Our cities are boiling over because people are in pain," Louisville Urban League President Sadiqa said Monday night.
"It's about years and years and years of a lack of access to justice. It's a lack of accountability on the part of the police departments. It's about the good officers not calling out the bad ones."
Floyd's family as well as many mayors and governors support the protests but have condemned the looting and violence that has led to hundreds of arrests nationwide.
Protesters have also been met with tear gas and rubber bullets by some police departments, though there have been examples of police joining demonstrators.
Floyd's brother, Terrence Floyd, spoke to those gathered in support of his brother Monday, delivering a simple message for those committing violence.
"He would not want y'all to be doing this," he said.
Some police officers are showing solidarity with protesters by taking a knee or embracing them
Americans have been protesting the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police for days on end in dozens of cities throughout the United States.
While tensions between police and demonstrators have heated up in many places, some officers have shown solidarity with the movement by hugging protesters, praying with them, mourning with them, and taking a knee to honor Floyd, reports the CNN.
In Atlanta, Georgia, a line of police officers holding shields during a protest Monday near Centennial Olympic park kneeled in front of demonstrators.
In another image, an officer wearing a gas mask, helmet and vest was seen embracing a demonstrator in a hug on the fourth day of protests in the southern city.
The Denver Chief of Police Paul Pazen joined in with demonstrators Monday, linking arms with attendees.
In New York, Chief of Department of the New York City Police, Terence Monahan, embraced a demonstrator during a protest in his city Monday.
On the west coast, protestor Kevin Welbeck of Cre8 The Change shook hands with a California Highway Patrol officer during a protest in the Van Nuys area of Los Angeles.
'Man with bats' beat Philadelphia reporter
A radio producer in Philadelphia took to Twitter to document his violent encounter with what he called "a huge congregation of agitated white people with bats, golf clubs and billy clubs”.
In a series of tweets over several hours, Jon Ehrens described and filmed what he saw - a man with an axe, and another with a sledgehammer, and what he heard - N-words flying" - on the city's Girard avenue, reports the BBC.
He later tweeted a selfie in which his face is bloodied - he said the men beat him up for recording them. His thread ended with a selfie of him in a hospital, saying he's fine.
Although the situation was tense, police arrived to disperse protesters on both sides. Monday was the third day of unrest in Philadelphia, which saw both peaceful marches, tear-gassing of crowds, as well as police officers taking a knee in a show of solidarity - all in one day.
Mayweather offers to cover funeral costs for George Floyd
Boxing great Floyd Mayweather has offered to cover the funeral expenses for George Floyd, the 46-year-old African-American man whose death while in police custody in Minneapolis prompted protests across the United States.
The former five-division world champion’s promotional company, Mayweather Productions, confirmed on Twitter that he had made the offer, and several local media reports have said the family have accepted, reports Reuters.
Mayweather Productions and the boxer’s agency have yet to respond to a request for comment.
Steve Bisciotti, the owner of the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens, pledged $1 million for social justice reform and said a group of former and current players would decide which organisations benefit.
"We must all discover new ways to unite. We must all work to break the cycle of systematic racial injustice," Bisciotti said in a statement.
Police officer shot in Las Vegas
A Las Vegas police officer was among two people shot following protests in the city on Monday, reports BBC.
A report in the Las Vegas Review-Journal says the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department has confirmed an officer was shot near hotel and casino Circus Circus.
It added there was an officer-involved shooting near the 300 block of Las Vegas Boulevard.
"My office has been notified that the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department is currently working two separate incidents in Las Vegas. The State is in contact with local law enforcement and continues to monitor the situation," said Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak.
'Keep your mouth shut': Houston police chief responds to Trump
Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo has told Donald Trump to keep quiet, and not put people's lives at risk.
A leaked call from US President Donald Trump's situation room was uncovered by CNN where Trump advised all the governors to "dominate" the ongoing protests over the killing of George Floyd. Responding to Trump's comments, Art Acevedo came up with the remark, reportsThe Quint.
Four officers struck by gunfire in St Louis, say police
Four police officers in St Louis have been struck by gunfire, according to the city's metropolitan police department.
"All have been transported to an area hospital. All are conscious and breathing. Their injuries are believed to be non-life threatening," it added on Twitter, reports BBC.
"Officers are still taking gunfire downtown and we will share more info as it available."
Violence erupts at LA, NY protests after Trump vows to bring in military
President Donald Trump on Monday vowed to use the US military to halt protests over the death of a black man in police custody, before law enforcement officers fired rubber bullets and tear gas to clear demonstrators and allow the president to walk to a church and pose for pictures.
But as darkness fell hours after the president's remarks in the Rose Garden of the White House, violence erupted for a seventh night. Demonstrators set fire to a strip mall in Los Angeles and looted stores in New York City, reports Reuters
"Mayors and governors must establish an overwhelming law enforcement presence until the violence has been quelled," Trump said. "If a city or state refuses to take the actions that are necessary to defend the life and property of their residents, then I will deploy the United States military and quickly solve the problem for them."
Following his address Trump walked from the White House through the area that had been cleared for him to nearby St John's Episcopal Church, where he clutched a Bible as he posed for pictures with his daughter, Ivanka, and US Attorney General William Barr.
60 arrested, 2 killed in Cicero
Two killed and 60 people were arrested in the Chicago suburb of Cicero following an afternoon of unrest that began after looters hit various businesses in the town.
Police said more than 100 officers were dispatched to the streets in addition to more than 100 county and state police officers. A curfew has not been put in place, according to a spokeswoman of the township, reports Chicago Tribune.
A group of police marched in riot gear on Cermak and South 50th Avenue on Monday night where police said outside agitators shot at least two people earlier in the day.
Several injuries were reported according to police. Exact numbers of those impacted were not immediately available.
UN chief calls for probe into US police violence
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres urged restraint by US authorities toward protestors and believes allegations of police violence should be investigated, his spokesperson said Monday.
Protests should remain peaceful, while “authorities must show restraint in responding to demonstrators in US as in any other country in the world,” Guterres believes, according to spokesman Stephane Dujarric, reports AFP.
“We have seen over the last few days cases of police violence,” Dujarric told reporters at the United Nations in New York, where protests have been held every night since Wednesday over the death of an African American, George Floyd, in police hands last week in Minneapolis.
“All cases obviously need to be investigated. Police forces around the world need to have adequate human rights training,” he told reporters.
“There also needs to be an investment in social and psychological support for police so they can do their job properly in terms of protecting the community.”
Dujarric said that Gutteres is also concerned about police attacks on journalists during the protests which have hit dozens of US cities, in many cases turning violent and resulting in arson and looting.
“When journalists are attacked, societies are attacked. No democracy can function without press freedom,” he said.
New York extends curfew to Tuesday
The New York city's mayor Bill de Blasio has announced that a curfew that was due to last from 23:00 on Monday to 05:00 on Tuesday will now resume at 20:00 on Tuesday.
Stores were looted in the city on Monday evening, including in Manhattan's Fifth Avenue, reports BBC.
Kentucky restaurateur killed, police chief fired amid protests
A popular black restaurateur was fatally shot in Kentucky early on Monday as police and National Guard troops fired weapons while dispersing a crowd protesting against police killings of African Americans.
The chief of police in Louisville was fired and two officers placed on administrative leave after authorities learned the officers had fired their weapons without using body cameras to record what happened, Mayor Greg Fischer said at a press briefing on Monday, reports Reuters.
“We had a horrible tragedy last night at 26th and Broadway,” Fischer said. “We lost a wonderful citizen named David McAtee.”
The death of McAtee, who owned YaYa’s BBQ near the site of the shooting, marked the second time Louisville police did not use their body cameras during a shooting incident in which an unarmed black resident was killed.
Details were not immediately available about the circumstances of McAtee’s death, Fischer said.
Kentucky Governor Andy Bashear, a Democrat, promised an exhaustive investigation.
George Floyd’s funeral to be held June 9 in Texas
A funeral for George Floyd, the black man who died in US police custody after a Minneapolis officer knelt on his neck, will be held June 9 in Houston, the family’s lawyer said Monday.
“In Minneapolis, there will be a memorial here Thursday, at 1:00 to 3:00,” said attorney Ben Crump, speaking at a press conference in Minneapolis to report the findings of an independent autopsy. AFP reported.
“On Saturday, there will be a memorial service in North Carolina, where he was born, at 1:00 to 3:00. And then on Tuesday, June the ninth, the funeral will take place in Houston, Texas at 11:00am,” said Crump,who is representing the Floyd family.
Protests hammer US cities still recovering from lockdown
The reopening of America was always going to be fraught, with competing fears of new virus outbreaks and economic meltdown. Now cities across the nation, from New York to Chicago to Los Angeles, are reeling from unrest that could worsen both.
Violence erupted in dozens of cities following the death of George Floyd, a black Minneapolis man who died after a white police officer pressed a knee into his neck for more than eight minutes. Some demonstrators broke off to rampage through shopping districts, including Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills and Michigan Avenue in Chicago, and set fire to police cars and municipal buildings, reports Bloomberg.
The chaos, amid otherwise peaceful protests, struck as the economy struggles to emerge from its coronavirus-enforced hibernation. After the Covid-19 deaths of more than 104,000 Americans, unprecedented government intervention and massive disruptions to business and everyday life, the scenes of unrest were a bleak contrast to the recent optimism of the markets. A 36% rally in the S&P 500 since March has pushed valuations to the highest in 20 years.
“I think people are coming to the realization that their jobs may not be coming back or coming back quickly. This is all conflating with the racial tensions and completely boiling over,” said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics. “This highlights the depth of despair in America,” he added, citing 20% unemployment and 50 million workers who’ve lost their jobs or had pay cuts.
The violence prompted Amazon.com Inc to scale back deliveries and shut down delivery stations in a handful of cities including Chicago, Los Angeles and Portland. Target Corp., which had already shuttered 32 stores around its Minneapolis headquarters, said it was closing dozens more around the nation, at least temporarily. Apple Inc. issued a statement saying, “with the health and safety of our teams in mind, we’ve made the decision to keep a number of our stores in the US closed on Sunday.”
The scenes of burning cars, looting, and violent arrests by baton-wielding police could reverse gains that business owners were making to lure back customers already concerned about going out in public.
After spiking in mid-March, the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas’ new Social Distancing Index, which measures the extent of physical distancing and its relationship to economic activity, had started to decline once US states began lifting restrictions on business and consumer interactions.
“The impact of the riots may be greater on the daily and weekly measures of consumer confidence, which were trending slightly upward since mid-April, but which may now post a pull-back into early June,” said Mike Englund, chief economist at Action Economics, which provides financial-market commentary.
Cities hammered by major budget hits from the pandemic can hardly afford the extra costs of police overtime, security measures and damages from the protests. Even before the demonstrations, the Fed and Trump administration have been under mounting pressure to do more for states and municipalities.
Progressive activists have questioned municipalities’ financial support for police departments as other services are cut.
Bishop at DC church outraged by Trump visit
Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington said on Monday that she is "outraged" as President Donald Trump visited her church without advance notice to share "a message antithetical to the teachings of Jesus."
Her pointed comments came after the President walked from the White House to St John's Episcopal Church, a house of worship used by American presidents for more than a century, reports CNN.
Peaceful protesters just outside the White House gates were dispersed with tear gas, flash grenades and rubber bullets. It was all, apparently, so Trump could visit the church.
"I am outraged. The President did not pray when he came to St John's, nor as you just articulated, did he acknowledge the agony of our country right now," Budde told CNN's Anderson Cooper on "AC360."
"And in particular, that of the people of color in our nation, who wonder if anyone ever -- anyone in public power will ever acknowledge their sacred words. And who are rightfully demanding an end to 400 years of systemic racism and white supremacy in our country. And I just want the world to know, that we in the diocese of Washington, following Jesus and his way of love ... we distance ourselves from the incendiary language of this President. We follow someone who lived a life of nonviolence and sacrificial love."
"We align ourselves with those seeking justice for the death of George Floyd and countless others," she continued. "And I just can't believe what my eyes have seen."
Trump remained at the boarded-up building for a matter of minutes before returning inside the White House.
The exterior of the church had been defaced during protests outside the White House Sunday, and there had been a small fire in the parish house basement but church leaders said in a statement that the structure was largely "untouched."
"We have the greatest country in the world," Trump said outside the building.
Beyond using the church as a backdrop, Budde criticised Trump's use of a Bible during the visit, which he held up as he posed for cameras.
"Let me be clear: The President just used a Bible, the most sacred text of the Judeo-Christian tradition, and one of the churches of my diocese, without permission, as a backdrop for a message antithetical to the teachings of Jesus," she said.
Budde said that his presence in front of the church -- and his response to the nationwide protests -- were both unwelcome.
"What I am here to talk about is the abuse of sacred symbols for the people of faith in this country to justify language, rhetoric, an approach to this crisis that is antithetical to everything we stand for."
The Episcopal Church has repeatedly refuted Trump on a range of issues including proposed cuts to social services and the construction of a wall on the US southern border.
State, independent autopsies agree on homicide in George Floyd case, but clash on underlying cause
A medical examiner's office on Monday ruled that the death of George Floyd, the black man whose killing in Minneapolis police custody last week triggered nationwide protests, was a homicide and that he died from asphyxiation.
The medical examiner's finding that the death was a homicide confirms the same conclusion of the independent autopsy that was also released on Monday, but there are key differences over the cause, reports Reuters.
Former US President Obama condemns violence at protests
Former US President Barack Obama on Monday condemned the use of violence at nationwide protests over racial inequities and excessive police force, while praising the actions of peaceful protesters seeking change
The vast majority of protesters have been peaceful, but a “small minority” were putting people at risk and harming the very communities the protests are intended to help, Obama wrote in an online essay posted on Medium, reports Reuters.
Obama, a Democrat who served two terms as president prior to Republican Donald Trump’s administration, said the violence was “compounding the destruction of neighborhoods that are often already short on services and investment and detracting from the larger cause.”
The United States has been rocked by six straight nights of tumult over the death last week of a black man in Minneapolis, George Floyd, after a white police officer pinned him to the ground by kneeling on his neck.
Obama’s latest remarks came three days after his first comments on the Floyd case, which called for justice but did not mention the violent nature of some protests. His shift in tone on Monday came as some protesters have set fires, smashed windows and looted stores, forcing mayors in large cities to impose nighttime curfews.
On Sunday, presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, who served as Obama’s vice president and will face Trump in the Nov. 3 election, also called for an end to the violence.
“Protesting such brutality is right and necessary,” Biden said in a statement. “But burning down communities and needless destruction is not.”
Obama, who remains perhaps the most popular figure in the Democratic Party, endorsed Biden for president in April and has said he will campaign for him in the months ahead.
Largely avoiding politics since he left office in 2017, Obama recently has been critical of Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
As the first black US president, Obama dealt with civil unrest in cities such as Ferguson, Missouri, and Baltimore, where there were widespread, sometimes violent, protests over the deaths of young black men at the hands of the police.
In both cases, Obama was critical of the violence, saying they hindered efforts to curb police misconduct. In 2015, during the Baltimore protests, he blasted “the criminals and thugs who tore up the place.”
Obama’s Justice Department launched probes into police departments in those cities and others such as Chicago in an effort to bring about internal reforms, a practice the Trump administration has employed much less frequently.
In his Medium essay, Obama urged protesters not to be cynical about politics, arguing that electing new leaders on the national and local levels would bring about change.
“Eventually, aspirations have to be translated into specific laws and institutional practices — and in a democracy, that only happens when we elect government officials who are responsive to our demands,” he said.
Police fire rubber bullets, tear gas to disperse peaceful protest near White House
Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse peaceful demonstrators near the White House on Monday as US President Donald Trump vowed a massive show of force to end violent protests over the death of a black man in police custody.
Law enforcement, including officers on horseback, moved on protesters in Lafayette Park, across the street from the White House as Trump made his remarks from the Rose Garden, reports Reuters.
The president pledged to end six nights of looting and violence in major cities across the nation “now,” saying that he would deploy the US military if state governors refused to call out the National Guard. “Mayors and governors must establish an overwhelming law enforcement presence until the violence has been quelled,” Trump said. “If a city or state refuses to take the actions that are necessary to defend the life and property of their residents, then I will deploy the United States military and quickly solve the problem for them.”
As the police action against protesters gave him safe passage, Trump walked from the White House to nearby St. John’s Episcopal Church along with other officials including US Attorney General William Barr Trump posed for photos holding up a Bible.
The security forces that moved against protesters at the White House included National Guard military police, Secret Service, Department of Homeland Security police as well as District of Columbia police.
Anti-police brutality marches and rallies, which have turned violent after dark each night over the last week, erupted over the death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old African American who died in Minneapolis police custody after being pinned beneath a white officer’s knee for nearly nine minutes.
A second autopsy ordered by Floyd’s family and released on Monday found that his death was a homicide by “mechanical asphyxiation,” meaning that physical force interfered with his oxygen supply. The report says three officers contributed to Floyd’s death.
The Hennepin County Medical Examiner then released details of its autopsy findings that also said Floyd’s death was a homicide caused by asphyxiation. The county report added that Floyd suffered cardiopulmonary arrest while being restrained by police and that he had arteriosclerotic and hypertensive heart disease, fentanyl intoxication and recent methamphetamine use.
Derek Chauvin, the 44-year-old Minneapolis police officer who kneeled on Floyd, was arrested on third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter charges.