Protests rock United States over George Floyd’s death

Protests erupted in major cities across the United States in response to the May 25 death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man. Derek Chauvin, a now former police officer, has been charged with third-degree murder after pressing his knee down on Floyd’s neck for an extended period of time. Floyd died a short time later.

While the incident occurred in Minneapolis, outrage could be felt across the country. On May 29, protests unfurled in major cities including New York; Denver; Atlanta; Chicago; Detroit; Houston; Columbus, Ohio; and Washington D.C. 

The protests have resulted in hundreds of arrests and property damaged and destroyed. Chants of “I can’t breathe” were common, echoing the words that Floyd had spoken in a video just before his death. 

RELATED: Minneapolis activists hope arrest of officer in George Floyd's death will help sooth anger

The protests continued into Saturday as well. In Columbus, Ohio, there were reports of arrests and tear gas being deployed. In Tallahassee, Fla., as dozens of protesters took to the streets, one reporter tweeted about how a non-police vehicle could be heard running over a person. In Tallahassee, Fla., dozens of protestors could be seen gathering.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who has received national attention amid the COVID-19 pandemic, said on Saturday that “people do deserve answers, people do deserve accountability” while noting that he would be asking for a review of the Friday night protests.

“If someone did something wrong, they should be held accountable,” the governor said. 

On Saturday, President Donald Trump tweeted repeatedly about the protests. 

The posts came just a day after the president had been accused of inciting violence in a tweet that contained the message, “when the looting starts, the shooting starts.”

RELATED: Police across US speak out against death of George Floyd

People have gathered in a massive protest early afternoon in Los Angeles. 

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