US riots: Fires burn near the White House as George Floyd protests turn violent
Fires broke out near the White House and police clashed with demonstrators across the US last night as riots sparked by the death of George Floyd in police custody raged on.
Troops were deployed in 15 US states and Washington DC as thousands defied curfew and took to the streets amid rising anger about race and policing in the country.
It marked the sixth day of demonstrations since the death of Floyd, an unarmed black man who was killed by a white Minneapolis police officer who knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes.
The police officer, Derek Chauvin, has been charged with third-degree murder.
But the protests have showed no signs of abating and clashes between demonstrators and police have become increasingly violent.
US President Donald Trump, who was last night taken to a secure bunker in the White House, is yet to address the nation but has sent repeated messages over Twitter, often accusing the media of stirring up unrest.
Yesterday Trump said the country would be designating the anti-fascist group Antifa a terrorist organisation after accusing them of starting riots.
Authorities have implemented curfews across dozens of US cities — the most since 1968 in the aftermath of Martin Luther King Jr’s assassination.
Many of the protests are reported to have started peacefully before descending into violence as the curfew approached and tensions with police rose.
In California there was widespread looting and vandalism, while violence broke out in Boston as protesters threw bottles at police officers and set a police car on fire.
In New York City police arrested roughly 350 people and 30 officers suffered minor injuries during the clashes.
Mayor Bill de Blasio, whose daughter was arrested during the protests, said police conduct was being investigated after videos showed police trucks driving into crowds.
The demonstrations have also spread across the globe, with thousands gathering in Trafalgar Square and outside the US embassy in Battersea yesterday to protest.
In a tweet yesterday Trump said: “Get tough Democrat Mayors and Governors. These people are ANARCHISTS. Call in our National Guard NOW.”