Police officers and protesters clash on Friday near CNN Center in Atlanta, in response to George Floyd's death in police custody in Minneapolis on Memorial Day. Mike Stewart/AP hide caption
Updated at 12:43 a.m. ET
Angry protests nationwide on Friday followed the death of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis. Clashes erupted between activists and law enforcement in many of locations.
In most cases the demonstrations began peacefully, but as the day unfolded and night fell, they became increasingly violent.
"They are telling our stories and you are disgracing their building"
That was true in Atlanta, where a crowd of protesters outside of an entrance to CNN's headquarters on Friday evening repeatedly threw rocks at officers attempting to keep them from rushing into the building.
Armed with riot gear, more than a dozen officers braced as they endured attacks from protesters with rocks, smoke grenades, and apparently BB rounds. At one point protesters threw a flashbang that detonated in a small lobby.
.@CNNValencia and crew take cover after an explosion takes place in the space between protesters and police at the CNN Center in Atlanta. https://t.co/mHZFrcOZj7 pic.twitter.com/HLPzyoKgn9
— CNN (@CNN) May 30, 2020
In response, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp issued a state of emergency around midnight.
"At the request of Mayor [Keisha Lance Bottoms] & in consultation with public safety & emergency preparedness officials, I have issued a State of Emergency for Fulton County to activate as many as 500 [Georgia National Guard] troops to protect people & property in Atlanta," Kemp announced in a tweet.
Earlier in the day a police vehicle was set on fire. An act of vandalism reporters have cited as a turning point in the day's activities.
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms pleaded with those marching in the streets to stop rioting.
"You are burning cars, you have defaced the CNN building. Ted Turner started CNN in Atlanta 40 years ago because he believed in who we are as a city. ... They are telling our stories and you are disgracing their building," Bottoms said in a televised interview.
Others who had surrounded CNN's headquarters, smashed the building's windows and sprayed graffiti on the network's logo.
The messages scrawled on the building included insults to Trump, along with #Love and "no cops."
Los Angeles crowd descends on uniformed officer
In Los Angeles, an angry crowd rushed into the streets amid oncoming traffic.
At one point, an officer grabbed a male activist in an attempt to restrain him. But after a brief tussle, a throng of protesters pulled the officer to the ground. They descended on the uniformed officer, kicking and hitting him with protest signs. Eventually, a man in civilian clothing pulled him out of the melee.
Dozens of people later marched onto the 110 Freeway blocking all of the northbound lanes.
#BREAKING: Protestors have entered the NB 110 Freeway in Downtown Los Angeles. @NBCLA @gil_leyvas pic.twitter.com/h6mDkBljLE
— Kenny Holmes (@KHOLMESlive) May 30, 2020
White House on lockdown
On Friday afternoon the U.S. Secret Service temporarily locked down the White House, after demonstrators gathered in protest outside the gates. Many took a knee while others chanted, "Don't Shoot."
Shortly afterward, Secret Service officials said "personnel are currently assisting other law enforcement agencies during a demonstration" in the park across from the White House. Law enforcement struggled with protesters over metal barricades that form one of the layers of protection around the White House.
New York Protests Turn Violent
More protests broke out in New York, peacefully at first, in lower Manhattan area and then with spurts of violence at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Protesters threw water bottles and chanted insults at police.
In a video captured by a local reporter, police can be seen wielding batons and beating several protesters to the ground, at one point spraying a crowd with a repellent, and making arrests.
"Our police officers have been given a very clear instruction: as always, respect peaceful protest. We in this city have a long history of respecting every kind of viewpoint, that is the essence of New York City," NYC mayor Bill de Blasio said in a press conference Friday.
The AP reports in Brooklyn, at least one NYPD van was set on fire by demonstrators two separate times.
At least 200 demonstrators were arrested Friday and a dozen NYPD officers injured, according to local reports. Seventy protesters were taken into custody on Thursday.
This is a developing story. Some things reported by the media will later turn out to be wrong. We will focus on reports from officials and other authorities, credible news outlets and reporters who are at the scene. We will update as the situation develops.
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