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George Floyd killing sparks nationwide protests, including in SLO

May 29, 2020

The killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer has sparked nationwide protests, including a small demonstration in San Luis Obispo and mass rioting and the burning of a police station in Minnesota.

About 20 protesters gathered in downtown San Luis Obispo Thursday evening. Chanting and holding signs, the protesters marched through downtown SLO as Cruise night was taking place.

The protesters appeared to be local residents. They remained peaceful throughout the demonstration.

Online comments posted by community members indicate some local residents sympathize with demonstrators protesting in the aftermath of Floyd’s death, while others argue the incident does not justify rioting and looting.

In Minneapolis, rioters have overtaken and burned numerous buildings, including the Minneapolis Police Department’s third precinct building. Rampant looting of businesses has occurred in the city amid the riots, which began Wednesday night.

Major protests have broken out in other cities around the country, with some leading to violence. Gunfire erupted at a protest Thursday night in Louisville over a separate police killing. A total of seven people were shot during the Louisville protest.

Elsewhere in California, on Wednesday evening, Black Lives Matter protesters stormed onto Highway 101 in Los Angeles and smashed the windows of two CHP cars.

On Thursday evening, hundreds of protesters gathered outside the Los Angeles Police Department headquarters. Protesters screamed chants like “fuck the police” and “black lives matter.” At one point, some protesters hurled objects at police cars outside the police headquarters.

Protesters screaming “fuck the police” outside LAPD headquarters

The protesters then marched through the streets of downtown Los Angeles until police blocked their path. A standoff between officers and protesters then ensued, culminating with demonstrators fleeing after police declared the protest an unlawful assembly and ordered the crowd to disperse.

Officers made at least one arrest, which can be seen in video footage of the protest.

On Friday, authorities in Minnesota announced the arrest of now-fired Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin on charges of third-degree murder and manslaughter. A criminal complaint in the case states Chauvin held his knee to the neck of Floyd for eight minutes and 46 seconds. For two minutes and 53 seconds of that time span, Floyd had already passed out.


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Let’s see how many black Americans may see this: In NYC Central Park, Amy Cooper uses society’s racism to threaten, “I’m gonna call 911 and I’m gonna tell them there’s an African American man threatening my life.” Implicitly, knowing how the State views people of color, and how she can use institutional racism to control a black man’s request to have her leash her dog (incidentally, which was required in that park area). Then the follow up, George Floyd, who was unarmed, voluntarily surrendered, handcuffed behind his back, begging for air, pleading for his life, is killed by a police officer in the presence of multiple police officers. All in a backdrop of COVID-19 disproportionately effecting communities of color. Do you see how some black Americans could view themselves as expendable? How the police and the legal system are viewed as a threat? Why the slogan Black Lives Matter resonates?


-13

While i fully agree, from what we can see in video, that woman is disgusting but keep in mind that is not every white woman. And what we all forget, we were not there, we dont have all the facts, and just cause you have an education doesnt mean your a good person that would never hurt another person, we are only seeing parts of video, depicted, that a person wanted to record and others to see. Not everything that transpired between them both before that point, during and after. Again everyones judge jury n excutioner. Smfh..get all your facts do yourself, the world and others a favor, knowledge is power, dont judge one day you could do or say something stupid that someone will videotape and use against you ..


0

Why are minority populations going nuts?

George Floyd may have forged a check………..

Ahmad Arbery perhaps stopped off for a drink of water while running…….

And both are dead as a consequence.

Imagine that ever happening to a white man.


Didn’t think so.


-26

https://youtu.be/WTlo_HMjssc


0

It did happen to a white man, last year b4 george….wheres defending and protesting for his human life. ..n fyi the tuttles who were killed on a no knock warrant, they suffered same exact thing as breyona, not too mention search warrant was illegally obtained based on lies of a black cop.. but yeah wasnt put on blast in media. Thats why your basing your facts off just what you want to see..not truths..goodluck w that..hipocrit


0

Well said aye-carmamba, cameras caught the worst of it , those accountable need to be investigated, tried and prosecuted. Just like the unlawful looting and destruction, cameras caught the worst of it, thousands should be investigated, tried and prosecuted, what gives them (ANY PERSON involved) a free pass. Read the Chicago Sun Times, you can read the names and some information of all the 197 homicide victims in Chicago just for 2020. Is this just acceptable the past 4-5 years.


27

What will be the cost of thousands of investigations, prosecutions and incarcerations? Can we afford your suggestion? Need ideas that will work.


-19

I grieve for our nation. What a terrible tragedy. The life of a fellow American needlessly taken. As we’ve seen through this pandemic, and now this, life is precious. That officer needs to held accountable for his actions along with the three that were there with him. Nothing justifies what happened. The anger and outrage is absolutely understandable, but the actions and the destruction by some we’ve all witnessed the past few days should not be excused, condoned, or justified as some are doing. Nothing justifies the destruction of our cities The rioting, stealing, and anarchy that’s taking place must be brought to justice as well, but the fact is it won’t be. The backbone needed to hold those responsible for their actions as well is not there. I fear we’re sliding down a slop that will tough to stop due to the fact that some want this to happen for sickening reasons that will be far more deadly than what we all have witnessed. I pray I’m proved wrong for the good of our nation. Please know there is only one race. The human race. All lives matter, and life again, is precious. No matter what ethnic group you claim for yourself. Period.


22

T’was a CCN commenter who wanted a fight.

But the Ham in his can was crammed much too tight.

Was the knee on his nape?

Let’s debate the tape!

Aye-Caramba! Turns out y’all too white.


-31

This rioting in Minneapolis will give Trump the chance to look like the law and order president and if he does it right it will get him support among swing voters.

The media will fan the flames of the violence with 24/7 coverage and play right into the president’s hands.


37

I don’t think so.


-39

So much for social distancing and masks


47

They only lob that barb at protestors wanting to open up the economy.


1

A very, very bad thing happened… Cameras caught the worst of it. Very awful. An arrest got out of control and a person died. Those accountable need to be investigated, tried and prosecuted. Now what does that have to do with looting an Autozone and Target, destroying a Charter school and throwing rocks and tantruming. Everyone loses with the stupidity of the aftermath. Justice YES, dumb violent stupid destruction and theft , NO


78

Autopsy shows he died from his heart condition, not from asphyxiation.


-33

They said the same thing about Mama Cass. Didn’t they Ham?

But we all know she died with a Ham sandwich stuffed in her mouth.


What BS are you trying to stuff, Ham? By your logic; because he may have had an underlying condition—he had it coming? Absurd.


BTW-when blood flow, which carries oxygen, is interrupted the heart responds to this by regulating its natural rhythm. It is called arrhythmia and can induce heart failure.


This is true for healthy people as well as those with underlying conditions.


Stating I can’t breathe would be one indicator that one’s underlying health was in danger. Not moving for 2 and a half minutes would be another. They did nothing in response to those cues. And you defend it.


Protect and serve is their motto. I expect them to live up to it. Why don’t you?


18

Hehe…see what you did there with the Ham sandwich. You display a unique knowledge of Mama Cass’s death. I would guess she at least died in the act of something she enjoyed.


Regarding the disgusting murder of George Floyd, I concur with all your points. I would also suggest that the behavior of all four officers were astonishing and criminal. The situation makes one wonder how four officers could all participate in such an aggressive act of violence. Is this behavior condoned by the superiors?


In the business world the CEO can rightfully be held to account for creating an environment that condones illegal actions of subordinates. We should not only look to prosecute those directly involved in the criminal act, but also those that create the environment that would allow such behavior to flourish.


I have heard, but not confirmed that the Minneapolis Police Department training manual condones the the use of knee-to-neck restraint. If this is true it is appalling and would indicate serious need for reform.


In any case, I would hope to see not only the firing and prosecution of all four officers involved, but repercussions for senior officers and departmental management. Why should only ignorant line criminals be subject to judgement?


George Floyd did not deserve to die. Why did he?


5

Perfectly said. Thank you.


-9

One of the guys “caught on camera” and figuring prominently on social media today is an actual white cop who was going around (footage of this) breaking windows with a hammer and encouraging looting. He was identified several times by people who know him. Trying to pretend that these people were not justifiably angry is not going to fly. Not this time. They were not just waiting around to riot. They have been living with this for generations and trying to dismiss them is showing how complicit you are all willing to be.


-33

So this guy did all the damage? Set all the fires? It all would have remained a peaceful protest if he hadn’t stuck his two cents in? He’s pretty amazing! How did he get around to all the different cities where riots took place?


-5

Here’s the video link of “umbrella man”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vurPRZbLvc

The twitter claim that a police officer started the Saint Paul riot.

https://twitter.com/dyllyp/status/1266166402521522176

Saint Paul Police Department, “So we also want to be perfectly clear about this: The person in the video is not our officer.”

https://twitter.com/sppdmn/status/1266202226386747392


1

I see five white folks dressed primarily in black early in the video.


0

The answer is Antifa!, Antifa!, Antifa! They almost are always dressed in black, with police style mask, earpiece communication and usually have backpacks. They are mostly a white far-left extremist domestic terrorist group that are well funded by men like George Soros. They don’t care about the victims, cities, or the citizens of those cities. Their goal is to take advantage of situations like this and come in from other areas to quickly start and spread riots, terror and destruction. They will help to stoke, lead, and encourage the anarchy that we see before falling back into the fringes of the crowd. By the way, they are also liked by the left-wing media and are rarely identified as they should be. They are more often than not, aligned with the far left Democrat/Progressive/Socialist Parties. Kind of hard to tell the difference to be honest. Prove me wrong.


14

See above


-3

Autopsy already revealed that asphyxiation was not his cause of death. The guy had coronary artery disease, hypertensive heart disease, and was very likely under the influence of narcotics.


Floyd’s death is just the long awaited excuse to wreak havoc and destroy things. The chaos won’t end now that his real cause of death is known, they will just look for another excuse to keep acting like savages.


-29

Long awaited excuse to wreck havoc and destroy things? I think you’ve entirely missed the point. Black people have been oppressed for far too long. You may not see it in this county, but it is in the rest of America. Floyd’s death is just the icebreaker. Wait to see what happens when millions of unemployed Americans actually have the chance to protest.


-20

Seriously???? You’re going with that? Do you imagine that there is a chance in hell that man would have died at that time if the officer had not had him pinned to the sidewalk by the neck despite the fact that he was not resisting in any way??? Try thinking about this incident if the races were reversed and the individual on the ground were a family member you actually care about. Assuming there is one.


16

Why do you think the family is asking for a second autopsy? The cop is a moron and should have been fired a long time ago but he did not have his knee on the trachea…it was on the nape of his neck and could not possibly have asphixiated him.


7

Yep


-9

“Floyd’s death is just the long awaited excuse to wreak havoc and destroy things.”


No, it is the last straw following on the heels of Ahmed Arbury, Breonna Taylor, Philande Castillo, Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, Michael Brown and tens of thousands of other African-American men and women who have been the innocent victims of white brutality over the last 400 years.


I would have thought this crap would have been over long ago, but when the American people elect a man who finds “some fine people” among a group of white supremacists, then we are no further toward racial harmony than when Bull Conner and George Wallace terrorized African-American citizens in Alabama a half-century ago.


-19

A portion of your comments are the last straw for me, so I must respond to you and others who want to play the “selective race card”. Within my family there is blend black and white ethnics. I have several nephews who have had to deal with racial hatred within a part of their families. I can honestly state as fact, that the racism DID NOT come from the so called “white side” of this family. I’ve seen how it has effected their lives because of the rejection form the other side because quote, “I want nothing to do with you because you chose to be raised by the white family”. They didn’t choose. They never had a choice, due to the fact the rejecter’s were never there for them to have a choice. “Supremist” as you put it, are on both sides of the equation with the issue that is before our nation today including this blended family that I am blessed to be a part of. Never once have I looked at them as any more than members of my family that I love dearly and would die for. They are good hard working men who have done well for themselves despite the “black supremist” racism they had to live through. It goes both ways, unfortunately the “selective race card” is played deceitfully one-sided the majority of the time.


By the way sir, where is all the protest, rage, and destruction for the precious black lives that are viciously murdered in Chicago, Baltimore, Oakland and many other communities. Don’t those black lives matter? Where is Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, Colin Kapernick, Obama, Black Lives Matter, and many politicians regarding these thousands of lives taken yearly. Why aren’t “some of those fine people” called out as well? Where is the outrage over this black brutality? Why do black Americans keep electing, following and endorse the actions of these black supremist? Why do they get a pass? Aren’t they also in a way putting their knee on the neck the these lives they say they care for. Are you okay with them slowly taking the life out of them in a different way but with the same ending? The whole thing is a tragedy on our nation, but we must look at both sides of the coin and be honest that both sides are at fault. Until then, nothing will change.


14

Sorry, you lost me in your first paragraph but in your second paragraph, I would emphatically say no, we don’t have to look at both sides. White America is clearly and absolutely far more privileged than black America. If whites and blacks held equal wealth, then I would definitely decry “black brutality” or “black supremacists.”


But, white Americans hold ten times more wealth than their black counterparts. And, since this is essentially a materialistic society, that gives whites ten times more power. Add to that the fact that there are only four black CEO’s among Fortune 500 companies and I hope you get my point.


Unfortunately, within poverty and second or third class citizenship, there will always be violence, most of it perpetrated on those who are closest. Blacks rarely dare to commit violence on whites because they know vengeance will be swift and harsh. Not incidentally, notice that these black protesters are burning down their own neighborhoods.


Before white Europeans began taking black slaves out of Africa they produced such glorious works of art as Michelangelo’s David, Raphael’s School of Athens and Shakespeare’s King Lear. For me, it is unconscionable that my white forebears would have committed the types of atrocities that were committed on blacks over the centuries when at the same time they were imagining a far different world where, in the words of Thomas Jefferson: “All men are created equal.”


-11

You missed my point all together and the hypocrisy in regards to all lives have value and the using of race as a lens to view things. Sometimes our own inner guilt hinders better judgement and thought. I truly believe that what you win people with, is what you win people to. What we’ve all witnessed in our nation since Monday with the death of George Floyd and all the carnage since, is not what we want to win people to. I don’t view people in various classes as you stated, but as an equal human being no matter what their wealth or ethnic status. Violence against others and destruction of you own communities are never justified. I’m sorry you feel it is. Is that what you want to win them to?


9

Ham, footage showed an officer with his knee on a prone individual for an extended period of time. Stress and panic could have easily led to heart issues. Sorry burger dude, caught on video.


9
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