June 1 George Floyd protest news

By Jessie Yeung, Steve George, Nick Thompson, Melissa Macaya, Meg Wagner, Mike Hayes and Daniella Diaz, CNN

Updated 2:10 a.m. ET, June 2, 2020
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7:12 a.m. ET, June 1, 2020

Hundreds of arrests overnight as police clash with protesters

From CNN’s Brynn Gingras, Carma Hassan and Tina Burnside

Police arrest a man during protests in New York early on Monday, June 1.
Police arrest a man during protests in New York early on Monday, June 1. Wong Maye-E/AP

Hundreds of people have been arrested overnight after taking part in protests across America.

The New York Police department arrested more than 200 during protests overnight, the department’s press office told CNN early Monday morning, adding most of the arrests were made in Manhattan and Brooklyn.

At least seven officers were injured and about a dozen vehicles were damaged during the protests, the NYPD said.

Hundreds of people were also arrested in the Los Angeles area on Sunday, according to officials there.

There were at least nine fires in the city of Santa Monica, and the police and fire department responded to over 1,000 9-1-1 calls since 12 p.m (local), according to a news release from the City of Santa Monica.

The city said in a tweet, “On the average day, the City responds to 200 emergency calls.”

The San Diego Police Department tweeted that “over 100 people were arrested & booked in to jail for charges ranging from failure to disperse, burglary, assaulting officers & vandalism” from May 31 to June 1. 

San Diego Police Sgt. Clinton Leisz said protests had “calmed down quite a bit," but told CNN Leisz that several businesses had been vandalized or looted.

Peaceful demonstrations will be facilitated. Violent & destructive acts will be addressed,” police said in their tweet.

Protests in Charlotte, North Carolina, overnight led to the arrests of 15 people, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police tweeted. 

One of the protesters was arrested for hitting an officer in the face with a rock, the police department said. Three others were arrested on illegal weapon charges. 

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6:49 a.m. ET, June 1, 2020

China gifted propaganda win as Trump's protest response undermines US efforts on Hong Kong

Analysis from CNN's James Griffiths in Hong Kong

Protesters running amok. Innocent citizens under siege. Outside actors engaging in terrorist acts. Police struggling to maintain control and in desperate need of reinforcements.

That was how Chinese state media portrayed anti-government protests in Hong Kong last year, dismissing calls for greater democracy and an investigation into police brutality by focusing on individual acts of violence and property damage. The widespread unrest, and the prospect of more this year, has been used to justify a new national security bill that will be imposed upon the city by Beijing in coming months.

Washington has fiercely criticized that bill, moving to strip Hong Kong of its special trading status with the United States and threatening sanctions against officials involved in implementing the legislation. Throughout the protests in Hong Kong last year, the US was consistent in its support of people's right to take to the streets and have their voice heard, and that sporadic violence or illegality did not undermine the core demands or legitimacy of the movement. 

Back in the US: Facing widespread unrest and public anger at home in the wake of the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, at the hands of a police officer in Minneapolis, the reaction from US President Donald Trump appeared markedly different.

In a barrage of tweets over the weekend, Trump called protesters "thugs," accused "organized groups" of being behind the violence, blamed the media for fomenting unrest, called for the military to be deployed, and retweeted claims that those behind the unrest were "domestic terrorists."

It was a response that might not have appeared out of place on the pages of China's own government-controlled newspapers, and did not go unnoticed by state media pundits and officials in Beijingsome of whom have publicly delighted in watching the unrest unfold in the US, sarcastically calling for solidarity with protesters and pointing out the alleged hypocrisy of their American counterparts. 

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6:38 a.m. ET, June 1, 2020

Man dead in Kentucky after authorities fired at crowd as they cleared parking lot

From CNN's Tina Burnside and Jennifer Henderson

Protests in Louisville, Kentucky turned fatal early this morning after at least one person was killed, police said.

At around 12:15 a.m ET, the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) and National Guard units were dispatched to Dino’s Food Market to clear a large crowd in the parking lot, the police chief said during an early morning presser.  

“Officers and soldiers begin to clear the lot and at some point were shot at. Both LMPD and National Guards members returned fire, we have one man dead at the scene,” Louisville Police Chief Steve Conrad said during a new conference.  

The chief said they have several persons of interest who they are interviewing.  

Authorities are also collecting video from the incident. More information is expected to be released tomorrow, the chief said. 

Protests turning deadly: It is not the first fatality during the protests. At approximately 11:30 p.m. CT Friday night, a 19-year-old male was struck and killed after shots were fired into a crowd protesting, according to the Detroit police department. The victim succumbed to his injuries after being transported to a local hospital.

6:15 a.m. ET, June 1, 2020

Target outlines plans to help Minneapolis/St. Paul community

From CNN’s Jennifer Henderson

Protesters occupy the parking lot of a Target store near the Minneapolis Third Police Precinct on May 28.
Protesters occupy the parking lot of a Target store near the Minneapolis Third Police Precinct on May 28. Kerem Yucel/AFP/Getty Images

Target says it will provide the Minneapolis-St. Paul area with first aid equipment and essentials to help the community.

Target chairman and CEO Brian Cornell said the retailer would be donating "truckloads of first aid equipment and medicine, bottled water, baby formula, diapers and other essentials to help ensure that no one within the areas of heaviest damage and demonstration is cut off from needed supplies,” in a letter to team members, guests and the community. 

Target is working towards reopening affected stores and staff who have been impacted by store closures will be able to work at other locations and will be paid for their scheduled hours up to 14 days.

Target has also vowed to have conversations with community members and officials to learn how to support a community while it heals. 

“We are a community in pain. That pain is not unique to the Twin Cities — it extends across America. The murder of George Floyd has unleashed the pent-up pain of years, as have the killings of Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor,” said Cornell.

“We say their names and hold a too-long list of others in our hearts. As a Target team, we’ve huddled, we’ve consoled, we’ve witnessed horrific scenes similar to what’s playing out now and wept that not enough is changing. And as a team we’ve vowed to face pain with purpose."

6:03 a.m. ET, June 1, 2020

Leaders concerned coronavirus could spread during protests

From CNN's Hollie Silverman

US officials have expressed their concern that coronavirus could rapidly spread during protests over the death of George Floyd.

People across America have taken to the streets to vent their frustrations over the seeming lack of value for the lives of black people in the same week the nation crossed the 100,000 death count from coronavirus.

Sunday alone saw an increase of almost 20,000 cases, according to the CNN count compiled with data from Johns Hopkins University.

As of Monday morning at least 1,790,191 Americans have contracted the virus and 104,383 have died. But some expect a jump in cases following days of demonstrations.

With large groups of people protesting, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said he expects a sharp increase in cases of Covid-19 in his state.

I am deeply concerned about a super-spreader type of incident," Walz said. "We're going to see a spike in Covid-19. It's inevitable." 

Officials in New York shared the governor's worry about a potential for rise in coronavirus among protesters.

"I would still wish that everyone would realize that when people gather it's inherently dangerous in the context of this pandemic, and I'm going to keep urging people not to use that approach and if they do they focus on social distancing and wearing face coverings," New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said Saturday.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said that while people have the right to protest, even during a pandemic, they also have a duty to protect the health of themselves and others.

"You have a right to demonstrate, you have a right to protest, god bless America," Cuomo said at a Saturday news conference. "You don't have a right to infect other people, you don't have a right to act in a way that's going to jeopardize public health."

He told people to "demonstrate with a mask on," and noted how the coronavirus has highlighted longstanding health disparities for the black community.

"The coronavirus crisis has created a depth of pain that still has not been accounted for. So many New Yorkers have lost someone but that is particularly true in communities of color and particularly true in the African American community," Cuomo said. "That loss is being felt so deeply because every knows it's not based on equality ... communities of color lost so much more."

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5:58 a.m. ET, June 1, 2020

China calls racial discrimination in the US a "social ill"

From CNN's Isaac Yee in Hong Kong 

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian is pictured at a media briefing in Beijing in April.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian is pictured at a media briefing in Beijing in April. Greg Baker/AFP/Getty Images

China’s foreign affairs ministry has called on the US to prevent racial discrimination against minorities.

“We are following the latest developments around the death of Mr. Floyd, Black Lives Matter and their human rights should be protected,” said Zhao Lijian, a spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry on Monday.

He added that “the racial discrimination against minorities is a social ill in the United States, what happened again reflects there are serious problems that should be urgently addressed, that is the racial discrimination and violent law enforcement by police.”

Zhao said: “We hope the US government will take concrete measures to fulfil its obligations under the international convention on the elimination of all forms of racial discrimination to uphold the legal rights of ethnic minorities.” 

In response to a question about claims made by US officials stating there was interference from foreign countries including China in current protests Zhao said: “The remarks by [US National Security Adviser Robert] O’Brien and other US officials are just baseless, China does not interfere in other countries domestic affairs.”

Zhao added that he hoped “US politicians can mind their own business.”

Traditionally, Beijing has portrayed racism as a Western problem. But China has come under heavy criticism in recent weeks for its treatment of Africans in the country. 

Last month, many Africans were subject to forced coronavirus testing and arbitrary 14-day self-quarantine in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou, regardless of their recent travel history, and scores were left homeless after being evicted by landlords and rejected by hotels under the guise of various virus containment measures.

The incident caused a rupture in China-Africa relations, with the foreign ministries of several African nations -- and even the African Union -- demanding answers from China.

Yet China's official response stopped short of admitting that the discrimination took place -- or apologizing for it.

5:13 a.m. ET, June 1, 2020

Around 4,000 people have been arrested in the US since George Floyd's death

From CNN’s Joe Sutton 

Police arrest people amid demonstrations and some ransacking in Santa Monica, California, in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death on May 31.
Police arrest people amid demonstrations and some ransacking in Santa Monica, California, in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death on May 31. Mario Tama/Getty Images

There have been around 4,000 people arrested across the United States since the death of George Floyd sparked outrage and nationwide protests, according to CNN’s tally. 

The first arrests began on Tuesday, May 26, the day after Floyd’s death. 

5:10 a.m. ET, June 1, 2020

Thousands around the world march in solidarity with George Floyd protesters

People hold placards as they join a spontaneous Black Lives Matter march at Trafalgar Square in London to protest the death of George Floyd on May 31.
People hold placards as they join a spontaneous Black Lives Matter march at Trafalgar Square in London to protest the death of George Floyd on May 31. Hollie Adams/Getty Images

Protesters around the world have taken to the streets this week in solidarity with those demonstrating in the US against police brutality and racial inequity, following the death of George Floyd at the hands of a white officer in Minneapolis.

In London, crowds gathered in Trafalgar Square on Sunday morning to show their support, despite UK lockdown rules that prohibit large crowds from gathering together. A total of 23 protesters were arrested for a series of offenses including breaches to coronavirus legislation.

In New Zealand, thousands gathered across multiple cities for Black Lives Matter demonstrations and vigils for Floyd, including in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch.

In Berlin, protesters gathered in front of the US embassy on Saturday and Sunday, holding signs that bear slogans of the Black Lives Matter movement like "I can't breathe" and "No justice, no peace."

In Australia, multiple protests are being planned this coming week. One is scheduled in Sydney on Tuesday, one for Brisbane on Saturday, for Melbourne on Saturday, and more. Thousands have marked themselves as attending in each of the protests' Facebook event pages.

5:07 a.m. ET, June 1, 2020

Shots were fired at a police building in Oakland, California

Shortly past midnight local time in Oakland, California, shots were fired at a police administration building, said Oakland police.

Oakland is located just east of San Francisco.

“At 12:09 AM, shots were fired at the Oakland Police Administration Building located at 455-7th Street. No injuries reported," the police department tweeted. Three people have been detained in connection with the shooting.

This comes after an officer died on Friday. On Friday night, two Federal Protective Service officers suffered gunshot wounds amid protests, and one died from his injury.