George Floyd latest: Black Lives Matter protests spread across world

Protests have been held in Australia and across Europe over racism and police brutality. There are concerns that the sheer number of people involved could spark fresh coronavirus outbreaks. Follow DW for the latest. 

Reddit co-founder resigns, requests black board member

Alexis Ohanian, Sr., said he would use future gains from his Reddit stocks to "curb racial hate." He added that he wanted to be answerable to his black daughter.


Alexis Ohanian, Sr., the co-founder of the US social aggregation website Reddit, has resigned from the board of the company and requested the board to fill his vacancy with a black candidate.

While Ohanian did not directly attribute his move to the recent protests in the US to the killing of George Floyd, he said he would use future gains from his Reddit stocks to "curb racial hate," beginning with a $1 million (€885,400) donation to Know Your Rights Camp, a charity founded by former NFL star Colin Kaepernick.


Ohanian said he decision was for himself, his family and the country

In a statement on his blog, Ohanian said, "I'm doing this for me, for my family and for my country." He added that he had taken the step to be answerable to his black daughter. Ohanian is married to US tennis star Serena Williams.

Ohanian co-founded Reddit in 2005. The company does not have a black board member, and only promoted its first female board member last year.

Racism on Reddit

Earlier this week, over 25 popular Reddit threads went private to protest against racist content on its platform. The company's chief executive, Steve Huffman has been criticized by several Reddit moderators for not taking action against hateful comments and threads on the platform.

Huffman recently told Zachary Swanson, a cybersecurity researcher, that Reddit didn't want to be a "thought police" as it was a private entity.

On Tuesday, the former CEO of Reddit, Ellen Pao, criticized the social media platform for not shutting down the thread – the_donald – a subreddit with about 800,000 members that frequently has comments on white supremacy.


am/sms (AP, Reuters)

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Date 05.06.2020
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Keywords Reddit, racism, George Floyd, equality, Donald Trump, online hate
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Twitter, Facebook remove Donald Trump tributes to George Floyd

Facebook, Twitter and Instagram have all taken down a video tribute to George Floyd posted by the US president's campaign team. The clip was removed for infringing the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.




US President Donald Trump courted further controversy with his social media posts on Friday. This time with Twitter, Instagram and Facebook all disabled a video tribute to George Floyd over copyright issues.

Trump's campaign team posted a clip showing images and video footage of protest marches along with examples of violence in the aftermath of Floyd's death, with Trump speaking in the background.

As a result, a number of complaints were submitted and a Twitter representative said: "We respond to valid copyright complaints sent to us by a copyright owner or their authorized representatives."

Floyd was killed when a police officer pressed his knee against Floyd's neck for almost nine minutes. Floyd pleaded for mercy as he was struggling for breath, but to no avail.

Turbulent protests against racism and police brutality, both in the United States and across the globe, followed Floyd's death.

Trump has made a series of public remarks on the issue but on this occasion, it appears he has fallen foul of copyright. Facebook, which owns Instagram, said it took down the video after receiving the creator's complaint under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.

"Organizations that use original art shared on Instagram are expected to have the right to do so," Facebook said via an official statement.

Trump criticized the removal by Twitter. "They are fighting hard for the Radical Left Democrats. A one sided battle. Illegal," he wrote in a post on Twitter.

Trump's social media dispute

It is not the first time Trump has landed himself in hot water with social media giants. Last week Twitter hid and attached a disclaimer to a tweet posted by the president, accusing him of "glorifying violence," and said his post had violated their policies. In reference to the unrest sparked by the May 25 killing of George Floyd, Trump tweeted: "Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts."

Read more: Twitter hides tweet for 'glorifying violence'

Since then, Trump has escalated the dispute by pledging to introduce legislation that may scrap or weaken a law that protects social media firms from liability for content posted by their users.

In this latest episode for which Trump and his team have been accused of copyright infringement, a three-minute 45-second video was posted on Twitter by his campaign on June 3. It was also uploaded on the president's YouTube channel and his campaign's Facebook page. The clip has received more than 1.4 million views on YouTube and Facebook combined.

Facebook change of tack

Meanwhile, Facebook has also joined in with the debate over the "looting starts, the shooting starts" comment from Trump.

At the time Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg seemed to be in favor of Trump's right to post whatever he liked, but after a number of staff members walked off the job and numerous others objected, Zuckerberg has vowed to review that policy.

"I know many of you think we should have labeled the president's posts in some way last week," Zuckerberg wrote, referring to his decision not to take down Trump's message.

"We're going to review our policies allowing discussion and threats of state use of force to see if there are any amendments we should adopt," he wrote. "We're going to review potential options for handling violating or partially-violating content aside from the binary leave-it-up or take-it-down decisions."


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Turning Fake News into Hard Cash

jsi/sms (Reuters, AP)

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Date 05.06.2020
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Keywords United States, Donald Trump, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, copyright

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ABOUT TIME
NFL says players' protests during national anthem should be allowed

DOES KAPERNICK GET HIS JOB BACK?!Image copyrightGETTY IMAGESImage captionColin Kaepernick (centre) and two other players kneel during the national anthem in 2016

The National Football League has said players should be allowed to protest during the national anthem as rallies against racial discrimination continue.

"We were wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier and encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said.

The NFL had previously banned players from dropping to one knee, a practice started by Colin Kaepernick in 2016.

Meanwhile, a large protest is expected in Washington DC on Saturday.

The demonstration is the latest in a series against police brutality and racism that have been held across the US following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis on 25 May.

Mr Floyd, an unarmed black man in handcuffs, died after a white policeman knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes. The officer has been charged with murder while three colleagues stand accused of aiding and abetting.

'Pandemic of racism' led to Floyd's death, memorial told
DC mayor names plaza 'Black Lives Matter'
Biden: Trump 'despicable' for invoking Floyd

On Friday, Minneapolis officials said police would be banned from using neck restraints and California pledged to follow suit.
What did the NFL commissioner say?

In a video, Mr Goodell denounced racism in the US in comments that came shortly after a number of players urged the NFL to take a stronger stance on racism and police brutality in the country.

WATCH: 'I remember George Floyd as me' AT THE END OF THIS ARTICLE

"We, the National Football League, believe black lives matter. Protests around the country are emblematic of the centuries of silence, inequality and oppression of black players, coaches, fans and staff," he said.

"I will be reaching out to players who have raised their voices and others on how we can improve."

President Donald Trump has stridently opposed kneeling during the national anthem, and on Friday again voiced his opposition to such protests, saying on Twitter: "We should be standing up straight and tall, ideally with a salute, or a hand on heart. There are other things you can protest, but not our Great American Flag - NO KNEELING!"

He criticised New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees for dropping his opposition to NFL kneeling protests.

Brees responded on Saturday by saying: "We must stop talking about the flag and shift our attention to the real issues of systemic racial injustice, economic oppression, police brutality, and judicial & prison reform."

More on George Floyd's deathVIEWPOINT: Tipping point for racially divided nationWATCH: 'This is why we are protesting'TIMELINE: Recent black deaths at hands of policeBACKGROUND: Five pieces of context to understand the protestsCRIME AND JUSTICE: How are African Americans treated?

What's the story behind Kaepernick's kneeling?

The practice of kneeling during the customary pre-game playing of the national anthem was started by black player Colin Kaepernick in 2016 in protest against racial injustice.

A number of other players soon joined Kaepernick, who was a quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers at the time.

He became a free agent after the 2016 season and remains unsigned. Kaepernick filed a grievance against NFL owners in October 2017, believing they were conspiring not to hire him because of his kneeling protests.

The two sides resolved the grievance in February under a confidentiality agreement.
What else is happening in the US?

On Friday, the Minneapolis City Council and the Minnesota Department of Human Rights agreed to ban police neck restraints and chokeholds.

The new policy, which will be enforceable in court, requires any officer regardless of rank to verbally and physically intervene if they witness a colleague using such unauthorised force.

Meanwhile, California's Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom said he would move to end state police training in the use of the "carotid restraint".

San Diego police banned the technique this week. Officials in New York, San Francisco, Chicago and Los Angeles have all previously taken steps to ban or limit the use of chokeholds by members of their police departments.

Meanwhile, a federal judge in Denver has ordered police to stop the use of tear gas, plastic bullets and other non-lethal force on peaceful protesters. The order came after four protesters filed a lawsuit against aggressive police action

Trump: 'Hopefully George is looking down right now and saying this is a great thing that’s happening' In a separate development, President Trump was condemned by his Democratic challenger Joe Biden for invoking Floyd's name in a speech to mark a surprise US jobs rebound.

George Floyd death: Australians defy virus in mass anti-racism rallies

INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS FACE DUAL DISCRIMINATION AS ABORIGINAL PEOPLES AND AS BLACK FOLKS




Media captionProtesters in Australia are also highlighting the mistreatment of Aboriginal people

Tens of thousands of people have protested across Australia in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Rallies were held despite warnings from officials over the coronavirus.

A ban in Sydney was lifted only at the last minute and some organisers have been fined for breaking health rules.

The marches were inspired by the death of African American George Floyd in police custody but also highlighted the mistreatment and marginalisation of Australia's Aboriginal people.

Rallies were organised in Brisbane, Melbourne, Hobart, Adelaide and elsewhere.

They were held in high spirits with no reports of major unrest.

There were a few tense scenes later in the evening at Sydney's Central Station, with police using pepper spray, but there were only three arrests in the city overall, among a total of 20,000 protesters, police said.

Why Australians are seizing on US protests

Australia admits failings on indigenous equality

Although the rallies were sparked by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, many in Australia were also protesting against the treatment of its indigenous population by police.

Banners reading "I can't breathe" remembered the words of Floyd before his death, while another said: "Same story, different soil."
EPA Thousands protest in Sydney. Organisers urged attendees to try to observe social distancing

REUTERS There were massive crowds too in Brisbane

The Sydney protest had been ruled unlawful on Friday by the New South Wales Supreme Court under coronavirus social distancing rules.

NSW Police Minister David Elliott had said: "Freedom of speech isn't as free as we would like it to be at the moment. Rules at the moment are clear."

But organisers took the case to the state court of appeal and it overturned the ban on Saturday afternoon, just 15 minutes before the scheduled start.

The protest was authorised for 5,000 people. Health ministry directions would normally prohibit public gatherings of more than 10 people.Image copyright
GETTY 
Resounding success for indigenous Australia

Frances Mao, BBC News, Sydney

I've covered so many protests in my home city in the past decade. Outside of climate change rallies at the start of the year, I can't recall a larger turnout, particularly for a rally about race.

They turned up even when it was initially illegal and despite the health fears. They were angry, they were passionate, they knew there were risks but they donned masks and carried signs anyway.

This is a resounding success for indigenous Australia.

Back in January people were struggling to breathe due to smoke from the bushfires. Today they were chanting "I can't breathe" - the choked words of George Floyd, but also David Dungay- an Aboriginal man who was fatally pinned down by five police officers in 2015.

For many Australians, the US protests have ignited fierce introspection of their country's own record of black deaths in custody. Aboriginal people remain the most incarcerated in the world by percentage of population - they make up just 3% of the nation's people but almost 30% of those in jail.

This has been the rate for decades - in fact it's become worse - but only now does there appear to be a large demand in the mainstream for change.

Organisers across Australia encouraged those attending rallies to use hand sanitisers and observe social distancing.

Images showed that although the majority of demonstrators have been wearing face coverings, many of the protesters have been close together.

The chief health official in the state of Victoria said it was "not the time to be having large gatherings".

Victoria police said on Saturday they would be fining organisers A$1,652 ($1,150; £900) each for breaking health rules. It was unclear if Melbourne's attending protesters would be fined.

GETTY IMAGES

Protesters chanted: "Always was, always will be Aboriginal land" and "Too many coppers not enough justice".

Leon Saunders, 77, demonstrating in Sydney, said: "The raw deal Aborigines have been getting in this country for my lifetime and many lifetimes before that is just not right.

"We can look at America and say what terrible things are happening over there but, right here on our home soil, there are just as bad things happening and they need to be improved."

A 1991 inquiry reported on 99 deaths of Aboriginal people in police custody, but a Guardian study found that at least 432 had died in custody since then.

Another protester in Sydney, Sarah Keating, said: "I thought Australians were resting on their laurels - just because we're not as bad as America doesn't mean we're good enough... 432 Aboriginal deaths in custody is atrocious. That number should never have gotten that high. It should just be zero."

Media caption Donors pay debts of jailed Aboriginal women

No police officer has ever been held criminally responsible for an Aboriginal death in custody.

Many of the demonstrators in Brisbane were wrapped in indigenous flags.

German neo-Nazis trained at Russian camps: report

Militant right-wing extremists in Germany are receiving combat training in Russia, a German news magazine has reported. Officials say they cannot prevent them from going.

JUST LIKE GERMAN NEO NAZI'S AND EX EAST GERMAN STASI TRAINED CROATIAN AND SERBIAN NATIONALISTS AT THE FALL OF YUGOSLAVIA

RUSSIAN NATIONALISTS ARE WHITE POWER NATIONALISTS, RUSSIAN CHAUVINISTIC NATIONALISTS. THEY ARE FIGHTING IN UKRAINE AND TOOK OVER CRIMEA

THEY ARE NOW A MERCENARY ARMY FOR PUTIN.

UKRAINIAN NATIONALISTS FIGHTING THEM ARE ALSO WHITE POWER ADVOCATES, ANTI-SEMITIC AND RACIST. NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THEM.

Right-wing extremists in Germany are participating in paramilitary training at a special camp near city of Saint Petersburg in Russia, German news magazine Focus reported Friday.

Members of the youth wing of Germany's extreme-right National Democratic Party (NPD) and the minor right-wing party The Third Way have completed the training, the report said, citing German intelligence sources.

The participants received training in how to use weapons and explosives. They were also trained in close combat, the magazine said.

Swedish and Finnish nationals are also among the trainees. Participants go on to join Russian militias active in eastern Ukraine.

Read more: Right-wing terror in Germany: A timeline

Watch video
https://www.dw.com/en/german-neo-nazis-trained-at-russian-camps-report/a-53692907
A look inside Russia's military summer camps

Run by 'terrorist' organization

The "Partizan" camp is run by followers of Russia's right-wing extremist Russian Imperial Movement (RIM). German intelligence believes RIM has two camps close to Saint Petersburg. The organization seeks the restoration of the Russian Empire.

The US recently added RIM to its list of global terrorist groups. The group had "provided paramilitary-style training to white supremacists and neo-Nazis in Europe," the US said.

Russia responded at the time saying that adding the group to the list did not help fight terrorism and that the US had not provided any details.

Moscow also considers the movement of the ultra-right-wing Christian Orthodox Russians to be extremist. However, the group is not banned in Russia.

German intelligence is aware that extremists from Germany are attending the camps. For legal reasons however, they cannot prohibit the travel to Russia, Focus reported.

Officials assume that Russian President Vladimir Putin is aware of the existence of the camps.

Watch video 03:42 https://p.dw.com/p/3dHyd
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YOUNG BLACK LIVES MATTER PROTESTERS: 'ENOUGH IS ENOUGH'
THE MASS PROTESTS ARE DRIVEN BY MILLENIALS! NO LONGER
ACCEPTING WHITE SUPERMACY AND DEMANDING BLACK LIVES MATTER

Nathan (16), Sammy (17), Matthew (15), Noel (18)

These schoolboys are taking part in a "big movement," as Noel puts it, for the first time. Noel adds: "The last time we were just a bit too young. But now that we're old enough to understand what's happening, we're out here just doing what we can for the community." Sammy says: "We want to make America a better place for black people."

Protesters in Washington DC hold up signs reading Black Lives Matter and police the police (DW/C. Bleiker)

Celeste, 21

"Black lives matter," the student chants, adding "they really don't matter here." Celeste demands more stringent checks on police officers. Her complaint does not just refer to the killing of George Floyd, however: "Protesters have been treated terribly, it's police brutality."

A young woman sits on the street in front of a row of police (DW/C. Bleiker.)

Deborah, 18

"I want justice for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and everyone killed by police every day. There is no accountability, nothing happens," the schoolgirl says. But will she and her fellow protesters be able to bring about change? "We have to! We have no other choice."

Addie (23), Mary (24)

"We promote human rights across the globe, but I think that we're not capable of promoting human rights across the globe as a country when we have so many human rights violations of our own in our own country," says Addie, who works for a think tank. "It's not enough to be neutral," legal trainee Mary adds: "Silence is betrayal."

Mya, 21
"This form of oppression, the killing of black people, has been happening in our society for over 400 years. Enough is enough. We are tired," the student says. "But we were tired when Trayvon Martin happened, when Eric Garner happened. I'm 21, I'm finally at the age where I can get involved. I've got to make it count."

Kayla, 21
"History is repeating itself. So it's time for a change," the student says. "I feel like we deserve our say now. We've waited long enough. I don't feel like the military should be involved. If anything, the government should be doing something to make us feel more safe, not us having to go and do it ourselves."

Bryan, 25
"I'm tired of the systematic racism, the oppression. I'm tired of seeing my people die. I'm just sick of it," says the student tearfully. Bryan, who also has a part-time job at the House of Representatives, adds: "The first thing is to get Trump out of office. There's no reason why a president should be promoting the violence and the destruction and the killings of his own citizens."

Author: Carla Bleiker (Washington, D.C.)

WHAT IS SURPRISING EVERYONE IS NOT ONLY ARE THESE MILLENNIAL PROTESTS THEY ARE WHITE FOLKS PROTESTING WHITE VIOLENCE AND WHITE SILENCE
A FIRST FOR THE BLACK POWER BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENTS

#GEORGEFLOYD

Mayor inaugurates 'Black Lives Matter Plaza' in DC with giant yellow letters

Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser declared part of a street that runs near the White House "Black Lives Matter Plaza" on Friday, inaugurating the new plaza with giant yellow letters and a brand-new street sign.



The city of Washington capped nearly a week of demonstrations against police brutality Friday by painting the words Black Lives Matter in enormous bright yellow letters on the street leading to the White House, a highly visible display of the local government's embrace of a protest movement that has put it even further at odds with President Donald Trump.

Mayor Muriel Bowser said the painting by city workers and local artists that spans two blocks is intended to send a message of support and solidarity to Americans outraged over the killing of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis.

It comes as the mayor has sparred with Trump over the response to the protests and as D.C. prepared for a demonstration on Saturday that was expected to bring tens of thousands of people into a city still under coronavirus restrictions.

“We know what’s going on in our country. There is a lot of anger. There is a lot of distrust of police and the government," the mayor said at a news conference. “There are people who are craving to be heard and to be seen and to have their humanity recognized. We had the opportunity to send that message loud and clear on a very important street in our city.”


The letters and an image of the city's flag stretch across the entire width of 16th Street to the north of Lafayette Square. The mural ends near St. John's Episcopal Church, where Trump staged a photo-op on Monday after officers in riot gear fired tear gas and charged demonstrators to make way for the president and his entourage.

A sign now identifies that section of 16th Street near the White House as “Black Lives Matter Plaza.”

Bowser has complained about the heavy-handed federal response to the protests and called for the removal of out-of-state National Guard troops.

She says the differences with the Trump administration highlight the need for the District of Columbia to be a state and have more control over its affairs. They may also reflect the fact that Trump is deeply unpopular in the district, where Hillary Clinton won about 90% of the vote in the 2016 presidential election.

While not addressing the painted mural, Trump continued his attacks on Bowser in tweets Friday.

“The incompetent Mayor of Washington, D.C., @MayorBowser, who's budget is totally out of control and is constantly coming back to us for ‘handouts,' is now fighting with the National Guard, who saved her from great embarrassment over the last number of nights," he tweeted. "If she doesn't treat these men and women well, then we'll bring in a different group of men and women!”

She shrugged off his criticism. “You know that thing about the pot and the kettle,” the mayor said at a news conference.

The local chapter of Black Lives Matter said it did not support painting the street and took a swipe at Bowser, who they see as insufficiently supportive of their efforts to combat abuses by the police.

“This is performative and a distraction from her active counter organizing to our demands to decrease the police budget and invest in the community,” it said on Twitter.

D.C. officials have longstanding grievances against the federal government.

Bowser and the D.C. Council have long resented Congress, which retains the right to alter and even reverse any city law. It was Congress, not Trump, that cost the District of Columbia more than $700 million in federal funding earlier this year by classifying it as a territory rather than a state in the first big coronavirus relief package.

But with Trump in office, Bowser’s relations with the White House seem to have eroded steadily over the past few years, finally developing into open public antipathy over the handling of the current protests.

Trump criticized Bowser and Washington’s Metropolitan Police Department for taking a soft touch with the protesters. He warned after the first night of protests that the Secret Service was ready to unleash “the most vicious dogs and the most ominous weapons I have ever seen” if protesters had managed to breach the security fence around the White House.

Bowser called Trump’s remarks “gross” and said the reference to attack dogs conjures up the worst memories of the nation’s fight against segregation.


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The public feud has escalated from there, with Trump essentially usurping Bowser’s authority by ordering multiple federal agencies and the entire 1,700-member D.C. National Guard contingent into the streets.

On Thursday, as the protests remained peaceful, Bowser ended a curfew imposed after people damaged buildings and broke into businesses over the weekend and Monday.

In recent days, thousands of demonstrators have marched peacefully between the White House, Capitol and Lincoln Memorial. Volunteers make their way through the mostly masked crowds offering spritzes of hand sanitizer, free water and snacks.

Metropolitan Police Department Chief Peter Newsham said there had been no arrests on Thursday and Friday related to the demonstrations. Bowser said she would decide Saturday morning if they would reinstate the curfew for the weekend demonstrations.

(AP)


Protests against the death of George Floyd in police custody on May 25 have erupted across the United States and around the world. But it is in South Carolina that George Floyd was born and where much of his family has lived for generations. His uncle Roger Floyd agreed to sit down with FRANCE 24 in a quiet hotel room away from the protests.

"It was just total disbelief to absorb that," Floyd said of his nephew's death. "And it was just so devastating."

George was "a good kid", he continued. Sometimes known as "Big Floyd", George had a "big heart". 

Despite his family's grief and shock, Floyd expressed hope that his nephew's death might lead to lasting change.

"We need to come together as a united front and demand change," he said. "And I think we are in a posture now to make that happen."

"Every day going forward, I am going to speak his name." 





Minneapolis bans police use of chokeholds following death of George Floyd

Issued on: 06/06/2020 - 10:46Modified: 06/06/2020 - 10:46

Demonstrators protest the death of George Floyd on June 5, 2020, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. © Scott Olson, Getty Images via AFP
Text by:NEWS WIRES|
Video by:Andrew HILLIAR

Minneapolis agreed Friday to ban chokeholds and neck restraints by police and to require officers to try to stop any other officers they see using improper force, in the first concrete steps to remake the city's police force since George Floyd's death.

The changes are part of a stipulation between the city and the Minnesota Department of Human Rights, which launched a civil rights investigation this week in response to the death of Floyd. The City Council approved the agreement 12-0.

Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero said the changes are necessary to stop ongoing harm to people of color “who have suffered generational pain and trauma as a result of systemic and institutional racism.”

“This is just a start," Lucero said. "There is a lot more work to do here, and that work must and will be done with speed and community engagement.”

Floyd's death is prompting reexamination of police techniques elsewhere. California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday ordered the state’s police training program to stop teaching officers how to use a neck hold that blocks the flow of blood to the brain.

The decision on whether to use the hold is up to each law enforcement agency, and Newsom said he will support legislation to outlaw the method. The San Diego Police Department and San Diego County Sheriff’s Department are among the agencies that announced this week that they would stop using the hold, known as a carotid hold or sleeper hold.

“We train techniques on strangleholds that put people’s lives at risk,” Newsom said. “That has no place any longer in 21st-century practices and policing.”

The Minneapolis agreement requires court approval and would become enforceable in court, unlike the department's current policies, which already cite the duty of sworn employees to stop or try to stop inappropriate force or force no longer needed. The agreement would also require officers to immediately report to their superiors when they see use of any neck restraint or chokehold.

Floyd died after Officer Derek Chauvin pressed his knee on the handcuffed black man's neck, ignoring his “I can't breathe” cries and bystander shouts even after Floyd stopped moving. His death has set off protests around the world.

Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder. Three other officers are charged with aiding and abetting. All have been fired.

Lucero said the changes go further than the department's current policies. Any officer who doesn't try to stop the improper use of force would face the same discipline as if they had used improper force.The agreement also would require authorization from the police chief or a deputy chief to use crowd control weapons such as tear gas, rubber bullets and flash-bang grenades. Such tactics have been used in Minneapolis and other cities in the past week to disperse protesters.

The stipulation also sets a process for the city and state to negotiate longer-term changes, such as changing state laws that make it difficult to fire problem officers.

Minneapolis police Chief Medaria Arradondo said in a statement that he “will continue to work on efforts to improve public trust, public safety and transformational culture change” of the poliice force.

“I will be bringing forth substantive policy changes,” said Arradondo, whose statement did not provide details.

Meanwhile, a man who was with Floyd on the night he died told The New York Times that his longtime friend didn't resist arrest and instead tried to defuse the situation before he ended up handcuffed on the ground.

Maurice Lester Hall was a passenger in Floyd's car when police approached him May 25 as they responded to a call about someone using a forged bill at a shop. Hall told the newspaper that Floyd was trying to show he was not resisting.

“I could hear him pleading, ‘Please, officer, what’s all this for?’” Hall told the Times.


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Authorities say Hall, whose name is spelled Morries Lester Hall in court records, is a key witness in the state’s investigation into the four officers who apprehended Floyd. Hall's identity wasn't made public until the Times' report. Bruce Gordon, spokesman for the Department of Public Safety, said Hall initially gave a false name to officers at the scene.

Hall told ABC's “Good Morning America” that the situation escalated quickly and police grabbed Floyd, put him in a squad car, dragged him back out and then “jumped on the back of the neck.” He said Floyd was put in an ambulance and that he didn’t know his friend had died until the next day, when he saw bystander video on Facebook.

“I’m going to always remember seeing the fear in Floyd’s face because he’s such a king," Hall told the Times. “That’s what sticks with me, seeing a grown man cry, before seeing a grown man die.”

Hall’s attorney, Ashlee McFarlane, told The Associated Press that Hall would not be doing any more interviews. She declined further comment.

(AP)

ON THE ANNIVERSARY OF TIANANMEN SQUARE JUNE 5

Bramhall's World: Nov. 3, 2020

Bill Bramhall’s editorial cartoon for June 5, 2020. (Bill Bramhall/New York Daily News)

GLOBAL SOLIDARITY WITH GEORGE FLOYD

MASS MARCHES AGAINST RACISM ANTI BLACK VIOLENCE

UNLESS YOU ARE AFRICAN THE PEOPLE OF AFRICA FACE

THE CONTINUED OPPRESSION OF SLAVERY AS THEIR HISTORY

South Korean activists gather to mourn

 the death of George Floyd and show 

solidarity with the Black Lives Matter 

movement near the U.S. embassy on June 

5, 2020 in Seoul, South Korea.

 (Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)

Anger in US over police violence resonates across globe

US protesters angry over the killing of George Floyd are being joined by people around the world who are taking to the streets in solidarity — and in protest at racism and police violence in their own countries.