Circulated images from the US have featured the National Guard on the streets of Washington DC following days of violent unrest across dozens of American cities, as the president Donald Trump considers additional troop deployments to crack down on the riots.
A number of armored military vehicles and personnel carriers were seen near the White House on Monday evening in videos posted to social media, a little more than an hour before the city’s new 7pm curfew is set to come into effect.
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A protester walks with his hands up while looting after marching against the police killing of George Floyd, in the Manhattan borough of New York City (Reuters)[/caption]
On another hand, New York Mayor Bill De Blasio has extended the city’s curfew order amid ongoing protests and unrest over police brutality, imposing another day of travel restrictions after authorities again failed to stop looting and vandalism.
Announcing the move in a tweet on Monday night, De Blasio said Tuesday will see another curfew, this time beginning at 8pm instead of 11pm, noting that “keeping people safe” is his “first priority.”
“These protests have power and meaning. But as the night wears on we are seeing groups use them to incite violence and destroy property,” the mayor said.
The entire DC National Guard (about 1,700 troops) was called into the nation’s capital late on Sunday to assist police in ending crowds of angry demonstrators voicing anger over the death of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minneapolis. The Guard’s presence in the streets is expected to be heavier on Monday.
Floyd was killed as a white officer knelt on his neck, during an arrest bid last week. The crime was recorded in a video, taken by an onlooker to Monday night’s fatal encounter between police and Floyd, 46, showed him lying face down and handcuffed, gasping for air and groaning for help, repeatedly saying, “I can’t breathe.”
https://youtu.be/lirHz93qJ50
The policeman and three fellow officers who participated in Floyd’s apprehension were dismissed from the police department on Tuesday as the FBI opened an investigation into the incident.
Floyd, allegedly tried to pass counterfeit bills at a corner eatery, was taken by ambulance from the scene of his arrest and declared dead the same night at a hospital.
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