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One dead after shooting at protesters in Detroit during Floyd rally

Protesters hold signs as they gather outside the White House in Washington, DC, on May 29, 2020 in a demonstration over the death of George Floyd.

One person was killed in Detroit, Michigan, after someone in a vehicle fired shots into a crowd of demonstrators protesting the death of George Floyd, an African American man who died after a white police officer knelt on his neck while he was handcuffed.

The shooting occurred near Detroit’s Greektown entertainment district as officers were confronted with dozens of protesters., said Detroit police department spokeswoman Nicole Kirkwood.

The victim was a 19-year-old man, who was pronounced dead at the hospital, Kirkwood said.

The shooting took place after President Donald Trump fueled racial tensions with his provocative comments criticizing the massive protests in Minneapolis.  

Twitter accused Trump of “glorifying violence” on Thursday after he tweeted: “When the looting starts, the shooting starts.”

White House placed on lockdown 

The White House was placed on lockdown after demonstrators gathered outside the building to protest Floyd's death.

The US Secret Service ordered the lockdown on Friday evening as over 100 people gathered outside the building's gates, with reports of some burning American flags.

The measure was taken while a dozen reporters were still inside the White House, according to NBC News.

In a separate rally in the US capital, over 2,000 protestors moved to the Trump International Hotel, chanting "we can't breathe" and "no justice, no peace" as well as carrying a variety of signs.

Others gathered near 14th and U streets in Northwest, temporarily blocking an intersection before heading to the White House. 

Around 9:30 pm local time, a group of diverse protesters moved towards Congress and blocked nearby traffic at the 395/695 interchange.

Several US flags were seen set on fire and burned throughout the night. Others decorated N95 masks with anti-police brutality messages, some saying "We all can't breathe" and others "America is suffocating."

Large demonstrations were also held on Friday in cities including New York, Atlanta, Detroit, Denver and Houston, as well as Minneapolis, Minnesota’s largest city, where Floyd was killed by the hands of police.

Dozens of buildings were razed to the ground Minneapolis, Minnesota, during four night of unrest, which has left the city looking like a war zone.

Floyd's death has sparked outrage around the world, and his brother Philonise Floyd has branded it an "execution".

"These guys need to be arrested, convicted of murder, and given the death penalty," he told CNN. "They need to. They took my brother's life."

“We are not seeing officers held accountable at the rates they should be. The number of shootings of unarmed African-Americans far exceed the number of officers being held accountable,” said Kristen Clarke, president of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.

US police killings rarely lead to justice for victims

Officer Derek Chauvin, 44, was charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Chauvin had his knee on Floyd’s neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, according to an autopsy report.

Chauvin, 44, was charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. He faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted.

Despite the arrest, the sporadic nature of criminal charges against officers in such incidents frustrates civil rights activists.

“We are not seeing officers held accountable at the rates they should be. The number of shootings of unarmed African-Americans far exceed the number of officers being held accountable,” said Kristen Clarke, president of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.


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