This live coverage has now ended. Continue reading June 2 coverage of George Floyd's death and the nationwide protests.
After a weekend of protests over the killing of George Floyd in Minnesota, Americans on Monday began the process of cleaning up after riots left damage in major cities, including Chicago and Philadelphia.
President Donald Trump expressed his ire over the protests to governors during a White House videoconference, telling them that “most of you are weak” and calling them "fools." He announced from the Rose Garden on Monday that he would use the U.S. military to stop the riots as sirens wailed and flash-bang grenades popped just across the street.
Floyd's younger brother, Terrence, cried and knelt in prayer at the site of the man's death, along with expressing hope that protests would continue peacefully.
"If I’m not over here wilin’ out, if I’m not over here blowing up stuff, if I’m not over here messing up my community — then what are y’all doing? Nothing, because that’s not going to bring my brother back at all," he said.
An independent autopsy requested by Floyd's family declared his cause of death to be mechanical asphyxia, contradicting a report Hennepin County medical examiner. The county's report said Monday that his cause of death was “cardiopulmonary arrest complicating law enforcement subdual, restraint, and neck compression."
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Sacramento mayor estimates at least $10 million in damage
Sacramento has imposed a curfew for the city, from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.
Mayor Darrell Steinberg said 500 members of the National Guard will also be deployed to the city Monday night to protect critical infrastructure.
Steinberg said that protesters and looters have caused at least $10 million in damages.
He said the city is expecting more trouble Monday night.
NYPD top cop takes a knee with protesters
New York City’s top uniformed member of the force, Chief of Department Terrence Monahan, stepped into a crowd of protesters after items were thrown at police, and at the encouragement of protesters who urged the crowd to stop and delivered a message.
“Everyone, this has got to end, we all know Minnesota was wrong, they were arrested which they should be. There’s not a police officer over here that thinks Minnesota was justified. We stand with you on that.”
“But this is our city, our city, do not let people not from this city have you come here and screw-up your city. We cannot be fighting. We have to live here. This is our home.”
Then the protesters and Monahan kneeled.
Empire State Building going dark to honor Floyd
Matt Gaetz tweet on hunting antifa hit with warning from Twitter for glorifying violence
Twitter placed a notice on a tweet from Rep. Matt Gaetz after the Florida Republican tweeted about hunting “antifa" on Monday, but the social media platform did not take down the statement.
The congressman’s tweet was hidden with a notice that it violated Twitter’s rules for glorifying violence, similar to a notice that was placed on a tweet from President Donald Trump last week. Gaetz posed a question about hunting Antifa in reference to Trump’s decision Sunday to label the group as domestic terrorists.
“Now that we clearly see Antifa as terrorists, can we hunt them down like we do those in the Middle East?” Gaetz tweeted.
Trump stands in front church, holds Bible after threatening military action against protesters
President Donald Trump walked from the White House, crossed Lafayette Square, and stood in front of St. John's Church holding a Bible moments after telling reporters he would deploy the military if state officials could not contain protests across the nation.
As protests sweep nation, research finds social distancing most effective at slowing coronavirus spread
Social distancing is the most effective way to slow the spread of the coronavirus — more so than face coverings and eye protection — according to a meta-analysis published Monday in The Lancet.
The findings have new significance as thousands of Americans are gathering alongside strangers in the midst of the pandemic, demonstrating against the death of George Floyd and demanding an end to social injustice.
"We just spent 93 days limiting behavior, closing down, no school, no business, thousands of small businesses destroyed," New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday, "And now? Mass gatherings, with thousands of people, in close proximity?"
"What sense does this make?"
Trump says he will deploy military if state officials can't contain protest violence
WASHINGTON — As the sound of sirens wailed and flash bangs popped across the street, President Donald Trump announced from the Rose Garden that he would use the U.S. military to stop the riots across the county that have been sparked by the death of George Floyd.
“I am mobilizing all federal and local resources, civilian and military, to protect the rights of law abiding Americans,” Trump said in the extraordinary address, which was delivered as police fired tear gas outside to push protesters back from the White House.
"If a city or state refuses to take the actions 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," Trump said, referring to himself as "your president of law and order and an ally of all peaceful protesters.”
Omaha prosector says white bar owner killed black protester in self-defense
The white Omaha bar owner who shot and killed a 22-year-old black protester on Saturday night will not be charged, the Douglas County Attorney announced on Monday.
James Scurlock, 22, was shot by local bar owner Jacob Gardner, while protesting the police custody death of George Floyd on Saturday, according to the prosecutor Don Kleine and NBC Ohama affiliate WOWT.
Protest outside White House broken up with flash bangs by mounted police
Mounted police used flashbangs to clear the protest from Lafayette Park near the White House that MSNBC’s Garrett Haake said had been “100 percent peaceful” up to that point.
ViacomCBS channels air almost nine minutes of 'I can't breathe' video
Many of the ViacomCBS-owned TV channels observed eight minutes and 46 seconds of silence on Monday to recognize the importance of the protest movement sparked by the death of George Floyd.
The channels included Comedy Central, Nickelodeon and MTV, which aired a video showing the words "I can't breathe" on the screen with a haunting audio of someone breathing. The moment was observed at 5 p.m. ET. The networks previously observed a period of silence in 2018 to mark the mass school shootings at Parkland.
NYPD officer appears to brandish gun at protesters; mayor calls it 'absolutely unacceptable'
A New York police officer appeared to brandish his gun during protests Sunday night in downtown Manhattan, sending demonstrators scrambling, and a video of the incident is being investigated by the department.
Mayor Bill de Blasio called the officer's actions "absolutely unacceptable," and said that while claims of police use of excessive force are "rare," they "must be addressed in every instance."
George Floyd death ruled a homicide by medical examiner
Authorities in Minnesota said Monday that George Floyd’s death was a homicide that occurred while he was being restrained by law enforcement.
In an autopsy, the Hennepin County Medical Examiner listed Floyd’s cause of death as a “cardiopulmonary arrest complicating law enforcement subdual, restraint, and neck compression.”
The autopsy listed other "significant" conditions, including hypertensive heart disease, fentanyl intoxication and recent methamphetamine use.
Officers cut off blood and air flow to George Floyd's brain, causing his death, independent autopsy says
Police officers, pressing on George Floyd's neck and body, cut blood and air flow to the Minneapolis man's brain, causing him to die by mechanical asphyxia, pathologists hired by the family said Monday.
Floyd's death, which was videotaped by passersby last week, led to the arrest of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin and set off protests across the nation.
"He couldn't breathe — asphyxia due to compression of the neck and the back," Dr. Michael Baden, the former chief medical examiner of New York City, told reporters in a video conference. "And that's homicidal."
'That's not going to bring my brother back': George Floyd's brother calls for end to violence
MINNEAPOLIS — After a week of mushrooming protests and looting and violent clashes with police in some cities, the younger brother of George Floyd arrived Monday at the Minneapolis intersection where Floyd's life came to an end a week ago.
Terrence Floyd cried and knelt in prayer. He offered the crowd amassed around him the family’s hopes for peaceful protests and additional arrests in connection with his brother’s death. And he ultimately led the crowd through a series of chants, including "Peace on the left, justice on the right," as if to say the two must go hand in hand.
Floyd arrived at the intersection around 1 p.m., the first time a member of his family had visited the spot where George Floyd died after a police officer kept a knee on his neck for more than eight minutes.
Louisville police chief fired after officer bodycams found to be off during fatal shooting
Louisville Metro Police Chief Steve Conrad has been relieved of duty after it was revealed that the officers involved in a shooting that killed a local business owner early Monday did not activate their body cameras.
Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer announced the decision to relieve Conrad during a Monday afternoon press conference, where the deceased was identified as David McAtee. Conrad was set to retire later this month.
The two officers involved, who were either not wearing or did not have their cameras activated, have been placed on administrative leave.
New York City will be under curfew, NYPD to double its presence
Following a weekend of protests that have at times turned violent, a curfew will be imposed on New York City beginning at 11 p.m on Monday night, Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a joint statement.
The NYPD will also be doubling its presence in the city during the curfew, focusing on areas in lower Manhattan and downtown Brooklyn "where violence and property damage occurred," the statement said.
The curfew will run from 11 p.m. Monday to 5 a.m. Tuesday.
"I stand behind the protestors and their message, but unfortunately there are people who are looking to distract and discredit this moment," Cuomo said. "The violence and the looting has been bad for the city, the state and this entire national movement, undermining and distracting from this righteous cause."
"We can't let violence undermine the message of this moment," de Blasio added. "It is too important and the message must be heard. Tonight, to protect against violence and property damage, the Governor and I have decided to implement a citywide curfew."
Image: 'Stop killing us'
5-year-old Michael Veteri stands at an intersection in Tampa, Florida, where the road remained closed during a protest over the death of George Floyd on May 31, 2020.
Minnesota governor: 'I was breathless' watching truck drive into protest
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz gave additional information on what happened when a truck drove into a Minneapolis protest for George Floyd and how the protesters responded.
Nearly 67,000 National Guard soldiers, airmen activated in U.S. to respond to Floyd protests, COVID-19
As of Monday morning there are 66,722 National Guard soldiers and airmen activated in the U.S. for COVID-19 response and George Floyd protests, say officials.
The majority — about 45,000 — are on COVID duty in all 50 states, three territories, and D.C.
Just over 17,000 National Guardsmen are activated in 23 states and D.C. to respond to civil unrest. That number has more than tripled since Sunday morning, when 5,000 had been to respond to unrest in 15 states and D.C.
Corporate America grapples with what to say — or whether to say anything at all
Corporate America has been grappling with what to say about the coast-to-coast social justice protests that rocked the nation this weekend — and whether it might be better to say nothing at all.
In response to the death of George Floyd and other African Americans such as Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery, corporations large and small shared messages of empathy, with some even throwing their support behind the Black Lives Matter movement.
Amazon, Apple, Disney, Netflix, Nike, Target and BlackRock, as well as some smaller companies such as Peloton and Blue Bottle Coffee, delivered messages to their employees and the public over the weekend.
Prayer circle forms at George Floyd memorial in Minneapolis
'You have to dominate': Trump lashes out at 'weak' governors, urges stronger police tactics
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Monday lashed out at governors during a White House videoconference, telling them that “most of you are weak” after states grappled with another night of anger and unrest following the killing of George Floyd last week.
According to a source on the call, Trump was “annoyed” with the governors for their response to the protests and urged law enforcement to crack down and make more arrests. "You’ve got to arrest people, you have to track people, you have to put them in jail for 10 years and you’ll never see this stuff again,” Trump said, according to the source.
Trump was described by one person on the call as “losing it,” with another saying the president called the governors “fools” and expressed anger with Democratic mayors in particular over the protests and unrest ravaging cities nationwide.
Video shows El Paso officers taking a knee with protesters
After night of 'significant damage,' D.C. Mayor Bowser imposes earlier curfew
District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser announced that she is putting the nation's capital under an earlier curfew Monday night, moving the start time to 7 p.m. ET from 11 p.m. ET as it had been on Sunday.
"Tonight, I'm ordering another curfew in Washington, D.C. We want your voices to be heard, but we also want to protect the safety of everyone in our city," Bowser said at a morning press conference. The curfew will last until Tuesday morning but a specific time that it will be lifted was not provided.
Bowser's announcement of the earlier curfew Monday and Tuesday comes hours after a chaotic night of violent protests in downtown D.C., in which people started fires, including to the basement of the historic St. John's church near the White House, looted businesses across the city and vandalized numerous buildings.
Washington police made 88 arrests Sunday night — half for felony rioting
Police officer charged in George Floyd's death moved to facility outside Minneapolis
Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer charged in the death of George Floyd, has been moved to a new holding facility.
The Minnesota Department of Corrections said in a news release Monday that Chauvin was moved "out of an abundance of caution to ensure he is safely held and after concern about space in the jail due to large numbers of arrests related to the unrest over the last few nights."
He is now being held at a facility in Stillwater, Minnesota, east of the city of Minneapolis.
NYC mayor defends daughter, 25, who was arrested
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio defended his daughter on Monday following her arrest during weekend protests, and insisted she would not "commit any violence."
Chiara de Blasio, 25, was taken into custody late Saturday night at East 12th Street and Broadway in Manhattan for alleged unlawful assembly,
"I trust my daughter, I've known her her her whole life. She's an incredibly good human being," de Blasio told reporters, while not offering specifics on the arrest. "This is not someone who would ever commit any violence ... she was very clear she believes she was following the instructions of police officers and doing what they were asking. I'm going to let her speak for herself."
The mayor lashed out at the Sergeants Benevolent Association, the NYPD union that has been a constant critic of de Blasio, for tweeting out an image of Chiara de Blasio's arrest information, which included her home address and ID number: "The SBA did something unconscionable and it's not just because it's my daughter."
Obama praises peaceful protesters, condemns violence at George Floyd protests
Former President Barack Obama on Monday addressed the nationwide protests in the aftermath of George Floyd's death in Minneapolis police custody.
In a Medium post, Obama praised peaceful demonstrations, condemned violence at the demonstrations and pushed protesters to vote in upcoming elections, particularly in down-ballot races that hold great influence over local policing and the criminal justice system.
"First, the waves of protests across the country represent a genuine and legitimate frustration over a decades-long failure to reform police practices and the broader criminal justice system in the United States," Obama wrote. "The overwhelming majority of participants have been peaceful, courageous, responsible, and inspiring. They deserve our respect and support, not condemnation — something that police in cities like Camden and Flint have commendably understood."
"On the other hand, the small minority of folks who’ve resorted to violence in various forms, whether out of genuine anger or mere opportunism, are putting innocent people at risk, compounding the destruction of neighborhoods that are often already short on services and investment and detracting from the larger cause," he continued, adding, "So let’s not excuse violence, or rationalize it, or participate in it. If we want our criminal justice system, and American society at large, to operate on a higher ethical code, then we have to model that code ourselves."
Obama also called on protesters to make very specific demands of the criminal justice system and for police reform, pointing to a report and toolkit developed during his administration.
Facebook employees go public with disagreement over Zuckerberg's handling of Trump
Facebook employees are speaking out on social media in opposition to the company's handling of posts from President Donald Trump that have been widely condemned as attempts to incite violence.
Facebook and its CEO Mark Zuckerberg have been at the center of a heated debate over how technology companies should handle some of the president's recent statements about protesters and rioting, including "when the looting starts, the shooting starts."
Twitter put a warning on a tweet from the president with that language, but Facebook did not take action. Zuckerberg has repeatedly defended the company's policies to take a hands-off approach with statements from politicians.
That has led to widespread criticism from outside the company, and reports of growing unrest inside the company.
Biden visits Delaware church to talk with community leaders
'No major incidents' on Sunday night, Atlanta police say
Communities look to clean up after Sunday protests
A weekend of protest across America
Emotions run high at scene of Louisville shooting
Warning: This video contains explicit language.
Chicago limits access to parts of city center as protest cleanup begins
Parts of central Chicago will be closed off Monday to everyone except workers whose businesses are located in the area, residents and essential workers in order to maintain public safety after protests turned violent over the weekend, officials said.
A statement from the Chicago mayor's office said train and bus services would bypass stops in the Loop area and central business district while some roads would also be closed. Essential workers were advised to take taxis or ride-share vehicles rather than drive themselves to reduce the number of vehicles in the area.
Police are manning every street around the Loop area while the city works with neighborhood chambers of commerce and business organizations to ensure that sites that were damaged by looting and unrest are cleaned and boarded up.
NYPD commissioner 'troubled' by video of cop cars driving into protesters
New York Police Commissioner Dermot Shea said he was “troubled” by the video of two NYPD vehicles driving into a crowd of protesters, but said it was a “very difficult situation” for police.
In an exclusive interview with the “TODAY” show on Monday morning, Shea told Savannah Guthrie that “anyone that looks at that has to be troubled by what they saw.”
The footage from Saturday shows people placing a metal barrier in front of one NYPD SUV that had come to a stop on a street. Another vehicle then pulls up and slows down. When protesters began banging on the second vehicle, the police accelerated the vehicle, pushing numerous people in the crowd with it. The first vehicle then drove into the protesters, pushing them forward and knocking them on the ground.
“There will be an investigation,” Shea said of the incident.
Syrian artists paint mural of George Floyd in Idlib province
Trump to meet with Barr, governors after weekend of violent clashes between police, protesters
President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet Monday morning with Attorney General William Barr after yet another night of protests across the country, including a number that turned violent.
Trump is scheduled to meet with Barr privately in the Oval Office at 10:30 a.m. ET, according to the official White House schedule. At 11 a.m., Trump is scheduled to host a video teleconference meeting with governors, law enforcement and national security officials "on keeping American communities safe."
Trump's meetings come after a weekend of violent clashes between protesters and police and rampant looting in major cities across the U.S., with the National Guard deployed to many areas.
China jeers as George Floyd protests sweep U.S.
Violent protests after the police killing of George Floyd continue to sweep the United States.
And China is watching.
"I can't breathe," wrote Hua Chunying, a spokeswoman of China’s Foreign Ministry, in a tweet on Saturday — a reference to final words uttered by Floyd as police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck on a street in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Hua's tweet aimed at her U.S. counterpart, spokesperson for the State Department Morgan Ortagu, has been shared nearly 8,000 times on Twitter.
Seven police officers in Boston taken to hospital after protests
Seven police officers in Boston were taken to the hospital and "many more" were treated on the scene after protests turned violent, the city's police department said in a tweet early Monday.
The department also said that 21 police cruisers were damaged, and about 40 individuals arrested during the protest.
One man dead following shooting at Louisville, Ky., protest
A man died in a supermarket parking lot in Louisville, Ky., early Monday after police, National Guard units and protesters exchanged gunfire, officials said.
Police Chief Steve Conrad told NBC News' local affiliate WAVE that officers and members of the National Guard were dispatched to a gathering in the city's west end just after midnight as "protests once again turned from peaceful to destructive."
While trying to clear the area, officers and soldiers were shot at and returned fire, Conrad said. The incident left one man dead at the scene. The statement did not specify who fired the fatal shot.
"I think it is very clear that many people do not trust police," he said. "That is an issue that we are going to have to work on and work through for a long time." Police did not immediately release details about the victim. Conrad said several persons of interest were being interviewed about the shooting and officers were collecting and reviewing video from the scene.
Protests over death of George Floyd again turn violent in Raleigh, N.C.
Fires near White House extinguished, emergency services say
Fires that broke out near the White House late Sunday were extinguished overnight, according to D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services.
Flames broke out at a small National Park Service building in Lafayette Square Park as well as the 205-year-old St. John's Episcopal Church, known as the Church of the Presidents, across from the White House.
Other fires were set at a White House guardhouse, NBC News verified on Monday, that was later extinguished, as well as at retailers in the nation's capital.
At least 4,400 people arrested in protests nationwide
More than 4,400 people were arrested in relation to protests across the country this weekend, according to a tally by the Associated Press.
The tally from at least 36 cities includes arrests for a range of reasons, from breaking curfews to blocking highways and theft.
Los Angeles had the highest number of arrests at 931, followed by New York City with 790. In Minneapolis, where the death of George Floyd sparked the national violence, the Associated Press reported that 155 people were arrested.
Washington's Gov. Inslee asks for expanded National Guard presence
Washington State Gov. Jay Inslee has called on the National Guard to expand its presence in the state in response to "destructive protests and looting."
A statement from the governor's office said Spokane County requested support after "a rogue group began looting and damaging property" in the city's downtown core Sunday evening after thousands took part in peaceful protests. Other counties and cities have made similar requests.
“We must not let these illegal and dangerous actions detract from the anger so many feel at the deep injustice laid so ugly and bare by the death of George Floyd,” Inslee said. “But we also will not turn away from our responsibility to protect the residents of our state.”
Already 600 unarmed troops were brought into Seattle and Bellevue earlier in the weekend to curb protests from turning dangerous.
Some police step out to show support for George Floyd demonstrators
The viral video of New York police kneeling with demonstrators Sunday dramatically documented the cracks that have formed in the thin blue line of America's law enforcement agencies as some officers denounced the death of George Floyd and sometimes joined the protests.
A white former Minneapolis police officer is charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter after Floyd, an African American man, died pleading for his life as the officer pinned his neck to the ground for more than 8 minutes. Protests, many of them violent, have convulsed the country for almost a week.
Some police and sheriff's officials across the country have said the behavior of the Minneapolis officers on May 25 was unacceptable. Typical of the responses was one from Art Acevedo, the police chief in Houston, Floyd's hometown, who said two days later that Floyd's death should be "condemned by all in law enforcement and our extended community."
Fire set at D.C.'s historic St. John’s Episcopal Church
A fire was intentionally set at the historic St. John’s Episcopal Church in Washington amid protests Sunday, police said, and the fire in the basement has been extinguished, police and fire officials said.
The fire department had tweeted that there was a fire in the basement and that it was being extinguished, but that firefighters would be checking for any extension. Fire department spokesman Vito Maggiolo later said the fire has been put out.
St. John's Church is known as "the Church of the Presidents" and every president since James Madison has worshipped there on at least one occasion, according to the National Park Service.
Someone tore the flag from the church, built in 1816, amid the protests in Washington Sunday, NBC Washington reported. Police said multiple fires in the District have been set. The fire department was thanked on Twitter, with some calling St. John's Church irreplaceable.
Hundreds of peaceful protesters light candles, call for justice in Pasadena, California
Hundreds of peaceful protesters gathered Sunday evening outside Pasadena City Hall, some 20 minutes north of downtown Los Angeles, to show their solidarity with George Floyd demonstrations that have spread throughout the country. Organizers said they received permission from local authorities to peacefully gather despite a countywide curfew that went into effect at 6 p.m.
Led by more than a dozen faith groups representing black, brown and Asian communities, crowds prayed together and lit candles in Floyd’s memory. Dozens of people gathered around a memorial for Jackie Robinson, the first black player to play Major League Baseball.
“It’s too often that I see white people saying ‘What can I do?’” said 51-year-old Tom Harding. “You can do what everybody else is doing. You go out and represent.”
Orange County teacher Candace Teràn, 30, said she made the hour-plus drive to show solidarity with black communities.
As a Latina “we were taught that it wasn’t just their fight - it’s ours,” she said. “If you don’t fight for justice, then what are you doing?”
Trump dismissing advice to tone down rhetoric, address the nation
President Donald Trump has dismissed advice from his allies urging him to tone down his rhetoric and held back so far on a formal address to the nation as cities across the country faced another night of fiery protests.
Trump’s advisers have been divided over what role the president should take in responding to the most widespread unrest the country has seen in decades.
Some say Trump should focus his message on George Floyd, who died at the hands of Minneapolis police, and urge calm. Others say the top priority is stopping the violence and looting that have taken place in some areas, arguing the best path to that end is strong police tactics, not presidential speeches.
Senior adviser and presidential son-in-law Jared Kushner is not in favor of a high-profile presidential speech at this time, according to a person close to the White House.