Updated at 3 a.m. ET Friday
Protesters poured into streets again across the nation to honor George Floyd following a memorial service in Minneapolis. Demonstrations have taken place every day since Floyd's death last week after a police officer pressed a knee into his neck while detaining him.
"When I stood at that spot, the reason it got to me is that George Floyd's story has been the story of black folks," the Rev. Al Sharpton, who delivered Floyd's eulogy, said. "Because ever since 401 years ago, the reason we could never be who we wanted and dreamed of being is you kept your knee on our neck."
Sharpton said he and Floyd's family will organize a march in the nation's capital in August to demand equality in policing.
Floyd's memorial came one day after new charges were brought against Derek Chauvin, the now-former police officer who was videotaped pinning Floyd to the ground, and three other officers who were present. Chauvin was charged with second-degree murder. The other three were charged with aiding and abetting murder. A judge set bail at $1 million each for the three officers.
New York
In Buffalo, two officers, in a line of dozens walking to clear demonstrators near City Hall after curfew, shoved an unidentified man in an incident caught in a graphic video.
The man lost his balance and fell, hitting his head on the ground and bleeding while officers marched by, until medics took him to an ambulance.
The full extent of the man's injuries was still unclear on Thursday night.
Erie County executive Mark Poloncarz said in a tweet that the 75-year-old man, whose name was not released, was in stable condition.
Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown issued a statement saying the two officers had been suspended without pay.
GRAPHIC VIDEO: Buffalo police officers violently shove man onto ground https://t.co/y8x7iC922E pic.twitter.com/t6aJ7MOguQ
— WBFO (@WBFO) June 5, 2020
The incident took place after an hours-long standoff in Niagara Square between protesters and police officers in tactical gear ended, according to local reports.
Five people were arrested at the Buffalo demonstration Thursday.
Further update on tonight's incident. I've confirmed the 75 year old man injured tonight is in serious but stable condition @ECMCBuffalo. While it is early, thankfully he is expected to recover. Simply put, the officers must be held responsible for their actions, not just fired.
— Mark Poloncarz (@markpoloncarz) June 5, 2020
In Brooklyn, Manhattan and the Bronx, peaceful protesters were still demonstrating at New York City's 8 p.m. curfew.
In Manhattan and the Bronx, police officers moved aggressively as night fell, wielding batons and making arrests.
The New York Times reports that at least 10 demonstrators were arrested in Manhattan.
Washington, D.C.
A thunderstorm in the nation's capital deterred some protesters, but many remained on the streets for a seventh consecutive day.
A line of detainees getting loaded onto a corrections bus. China Williams says he’s a janitor at an HRA building nearby who was leaving work when he was “bum-rushed” pic.twitter.com/3EFPGsVfRr
— Jake Offenhartz (@jangelooff) June 5, 2020
It was the first night since Saturday that a curfew was not imposed on the city. D.C. Police reported no arrests Thursday evening in relation to the protests.
Two military personnel were taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries after it was reported they "felt the effects" of a lightning strike, according to a spokesman for D.C. Fire and EMS.
Hundreds of protesters knelt with their fists in the air at the Lincoln Memorial earlier in the day.
What a scene: hundreds of people, kneeling, with black power salutes, at the seat of the Lincoln Memorial, where the March on Washington happened 57 years ago this summer. Hard to not see the impact of Colin Kaepernick right before us, years after his NFL Exile #DCProtests pic.twitter.com/8ozL6njWhK
— Tyler R. Tynes (@TylerRickyTynes) June 4, 2020
Chicago
Kanye West joined marchers on the city's South Side as they headed toward Chicago Police Department headquarters. Photos show the rapper in a black hoodie and mask surrounded by protesters. The march was led by youth organizers calling for the removal of police from schools.
A representative for the rapper told Variety that West had donated $2 million to charities associated with Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd and that he has established a college fund for Floyd's daughter, Gianna.
Arbery was followed and fatally shot by white men while jogging in a Georgia neighborhood in February. Taylor was killed in her own apartment by police executing a no-knock warrant in March in Kentucky.
Kanye was at the South Side Chicago protest briefly, in a black hoodie and face mask, and never formally spoke to the crowd. Organizers never mentioned him by name but earlier referenced a “special guest”
— Grace Hauck (@grace_hauck) June 5, 2020
who had called yesterday asking to join a protest. pic.twitter.com/aeGNZ8w6q6
Chicago's Civilian Office of Police Accountability has launched an investigation after a woman said officers dragged her out of a car and placed a knee on her.
Mia Wright said she and her family were shopping for a birthday party when the incident took place Sunday at Brickyard Mall.
Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx released a statement, saying a "thorough, independent review" of the incident was underway.
Nonviolent protests were taking place at the mall on Sunday, according to police. In a statement to the Chicago Sun-Times, police said Wright "was observed by responding officers assembled with 3 or more persons for the purpose of using force or violence to disturb the peace."
California
Counties across California including Los Angeles, Oakland and Alameda have lifted curfews as peaceful protests continue.
L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villaneuva cited "current situational awareness and the recent pattern of peaceful actions by protesters" behind the agency's decision. He said cities within the county could individually enforce curfews.
A large caravan drove through San Francisco in a demonstration against police violence. One witness said he observed more than 300 cars taking part in the demonstration.
Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. 9(MDA4MzU1MzUzMDEzMTkyMzAwMzY5MjY1Mw004))
