Following the police killing of George Floyd on May 25, more than 10,000 protesters across the country have been arrested.
The count has grown by the hundreds each day as protesters spilled into the streets and encountered a heavy police presence and curfews that give law enforcement stepped-up arrest powers.
Los Angeles has had more than a quarter of the national arrests, followed by New York, Dallas and Philadelphia. Many of the arrests have been for low-level offenses such as curfew violations and failure to disperse. Hundreds were arrested on burglary and looting charges.
Associated Press
In some cities, police have arrested or assaulted anyone for being outside, even if they were not participating in nearby protests.
Police are using teargas, batons, rubber bullets, and other weapons under the guise of stopping destructive rioters, but their assaults target journalists, bystanders, and peaceful protesters, too.
Jarah Gibson was arrested while non-violently protesting in Atlanta, Georgia, on 1 June.
“The police were there from the jump and literally escorted us the whole march,” said Gibson.
She said around 7.30pm, ahead of Atlanta’s 9pm city-wide curfew, police began boxing in protesters. While protesterswere attempting to leave, Gibson tried to video-record a person on a bicycle who appeared to be hit by a police car and was arrested by police. She was given a citation for “pedestrian in a roadway,” and “refusing to comply when asked to leave”.
“The police are instigating everything and they are criminalizing us. Now I have my mugshot taken, my fingerprints taken and my eyes scanned. Now I’m a criminal over an illegal arrest,” added Gibson. “I want to be heard and I want the police to just abide by basic human decency.”
The Guardian
In at least two cities, members of white supremacist groups were caught on film starting destruction themselves to incite riots and looting.
Sources
https://apnews.com/article/bb2404f9b13c8b53b94c73f818f6a0b7
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jun/08/george-floyd-killing-police-arrest-non-violent-protesters
https://www.salon.com/2020/07/29/minneapolis-umbrella-man-is-white-supremacist-who-tried-to-incite-riot-after-floyd-killing-police/
Photo: Ken Fager