According to Fortune, the economic impact of the protests has exacerbated the COVID-19 recession by sharply curtailing consumer confidence, straining local businesses, and overwhelming public infrastructure with large-scale property damage. [472], The week of June 24, 2020, several animated series that had black, mixed or non-white characters voiced by white actors, including Big Mouth, Central Park, Family Guy and The Simpsons, announced those characters would be recast with people of color. The victims include a 77-year-old man who was a retired St. Louis police captain and a 22-year-old woman from Davenport, Iowa. "[239], On July 20, 2020, the Chicago Tribune reported that the Department of Homeland Security was preparing to send 150 federal agents to Chicago. [496][497][498] Epidemiologists and other researchers attributed this to the location of the demonstrations outdoors (where the virus is less likely to spread as compared to indoors);[496][498] because many protesters wore masks;[498] and because persons who demonstrated made up a small portion of the overall U.S. population (about 6% of adults). He later criticized their use of the word "fury" to describe his comments. Frustrated by the lack of media coverage over the deaths of Nina Pop, who was stabbed in Sikeston, Missouri, on May 3 and Tony McDade, who was shot by police in Tallahassee, Florida, on May 27, artist and drag performer West Dakota and her mentor, drag queen Merrie Cherry, decided to organize a silent rally inspired by the 1917 NAACP Silent Parade. [4] By June 8, 2020, at least 19 people had died during the protests. Multiple People Shot Dead in Protests Following George Floyd ... - Insider This piece was originally published on PolitiFact.com on August 7, 2020, Facebook posts: Black Lives Matter "injures 1000 police officers kills 36 people and does $8 billion in damage.". The new data highlights the danger of the presence of guns during politically charged protests, and raises concerns about continued violence during and after election day, when many Americans anticipate delays, confusion and protests before the winner of the presidential race is confirmed. Fact-checking claim about deaths, damage from Black Lives Matter protests [203][204], Floyd's murder came as the global Black Lives Matter movement had been slowly building for years, but outrage over what was captured in a bystander's video and Floyd's dying words, "I can't breathe", resulted in solidarity protests in more than 50 countries and led to what was described as a "social awaking" on issues of racial injustice and brought renewed attention on past police brutality cases. [459] In August, the review of another proposal to dismantle the department was delayed by 90 days, meaning it wouldn't be voted on in the November ballot because it passed the statutory deadline of August 21. Other law enforcement officers have been injured in non-fatal shootings this year, including two Los Angeles sheriff’s deputies shot in Compton while sitting in their patrol car in mid-September, and two Louisville police officers shot in late September during a protest over the lack of serious charges against police officers in Breonna Taylor’s killing. [166], Solidarity protests over Floyd's murder quickly spread worldwide. [415] Protesters in Belgium have vandalized statues of King Leopold II of Belgium. [289], The majority of protests in the aftermath of Floyd's murder were peaceful;[290][291][292] among the 14,000 arrests made, most were for minor offenses such as alleged curfew violations or blocking a roadway. Senator Johnson Distorts Report on Violence in Defense of His Remarks ... Officials initially provided few details to the public about the claims. [489][490], The protests occurred during the global COVID-19 pandemic, leading officials and experts to express concerns that the demonstrations could lead to further spread of SARS-CoV-2. The law also made it a felony to destroy historically commemorative objects and structures, and in response to calls to "defund the police" requires police departments to justify budget reductions. The situation escalated the nights of May 27 to 29 where widespread arson, rioting, and looting took place, which were noted as a contrast to daytime protests that were characterized as mostly peaceful events. The new data on fatalities and violence at American protests comes from a database created by the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data project (ACLED), a non-profit, working in collaboration with a group of researchers at Princeton. [399], On June 5, making specific reference to events in Charlottesville in 2017, the United States Marine Corps banned the display of the Confederate Battle Flag at their installations. [26] Protests in the aftermath of Floyd's murder were then considered the largest in United States history. Las Vegas police officer Shay Mikalonis was shot in the head during the same protest, and reportedly remains paralyzed from the injury. [126], Following Chauvin's verdict, many activists in Minneapolis did not perceive that "Justice for Floyd" was final as J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao still awaited trial, and issues of systemic racism and police reform had not been addressed satisfactorily. [464] The television network A&E canceled a similar show, Live PD, which was also found to have destroyed footage documenting the police killing of Javier Ambler in Austin, Texas, in 2019. [455], Nine members of the Minneapolis City Council — a veto-proof majority — pledged on June 7 to dismantle the Minneapolis Police Department, despite opposition from Mayor Jacob Frey. [196] Several street protests were held in many locations in the United States to mark the anniversary. He didn’t even have a weapon.”, America's protest crackdown: five months after George Floyd, hundreds face trials and prison, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, © 2023 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. [273] By June 21, at least 20 people had suffered serious eye injuries. [460] The budget for the department was passed in December and the funding was reduced by $7.7 million. [181], People in many cities in the United States reacted to Chauvin's murder conviction on April 20, 2021, with largely peaceful demonstrations. [461], In the media industry, the protests have spurred scrutiny for cop shows and led to the cancellation of popular television shows referred to by critics as copaganda. [443] As a result, the department has limited new retirement applications to 40 a day. Officials believed Teeter traveled to Minneapolis in the days after Floyd's murder to participate in rioting and looting and that he also had plans to destroy a courthouse with Solomon. George Floyd dies in police custody. 27408: Black Lives Matter Protests, Social Distancing, and COVID-19", "Did Floyd Protests Lead to a Virus Surge? [242] Following the executive order, the Department of Homeland Security sent officers from Customs and Border Protection to Portland, Oregon, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. On April 20, 2021, Derek Chauvin was found guilty of murdering George Floyd. a false claim about a communications blackout during protests in Washington, D.C. As the New York Times reported July 3, four recent polls "suggest that about 15 million to 26 million people in the United States have participated in demonstrations over the death of George Floyd and others in recent weeks. In 2020, the Black Lives Matter movement shook the world [197][166] A rally in Portland, Oregon, was peaceful in the afternoon, but at night, 150 demonstrators set fire to a dumpster outside the Multnomah County Justice Center and damaged other property. [289], Large-scale property damage stemming from the protests has led to increased insurance claims, bankruptcies, and curbed economic activity among small businesses and state governments. Three to go! Gaslighting Last Summer's Riots and the Law Enforcement Response [63][64], Protests outside the Minneapolis area were first reported on May 27 in Memphis and Los Angeles. Fox removed the images and issued an apology, stating the digitally altered image was a collage that "did not clearly delineate" splicing. [282][283][284] According to a Justice Department spokesperson, Barr came to this conclusion after being provided with information from state and local law enforcement agencies. A mapping project of protest art after Floyd's death had by May 19, 2021, documented 2,100 entries of George Floyd-related and anti-racism art around the world, though much of it was from the Minneapolis and Saint Paul area. [70] In August 2019, Elijah McClain died after Aurora police ordered paramedics to administer ketamine under dubious circumstances. Fact check: Thousands of Black Lives Matter protesters arrested in 2020 "[122], According to the American Political Science Review, the George Floyd protests led to a reduction in favorability toward the police among politically liberal Americans, and further exacerbated racial and political tensions and attitudes regarding the "race and law enforcement" debate in the U.S.[378], The Property Claim Services (PCS) of the U.S. Insurance industry states that in the "unrest that took place from May 26 to June 8" 2020 in 140 U.S. cities in 20 states was "the costliest civil unrest in U.S. history", and that insured losses are "estimated at over $2 billion". MPD Officers Thomas K. Lane and J. Alexander Kueng arrived with their body cameras turned on. Chauvin does not remove his knee until an ambulance arrives. [334][335] According to Bloomberg, the video was initially posted on an unconfirmed Anonymous Facebook page. [171], To mark what would have been Floyd's 47th birthday, groups across the United States staged protest events on October 14, 2020.