Tear gas fired as clashes erupt outside White House

The protests over the death of George Floyd, an African American man, escalated on Sunday as the police and protestors clashed outside the White House, reported AP. While the police fired tear gas to disperse the 1,000-plus crowd during the sixth night of nationwide demonstrations, protestors lit fire on piled up road signs and plastic barriers.

Derek Chauvin, a former white Minneapolis police officer, and three other officials had detained Floyd on Monday after he allegedly used a counterfeit bill at a store. Outrage grew after a widely shared video showed Chauvin kneeling on Floyd’s neck. The 46-year-old restaurant worker was seen gasping for breath and pleading with the officials saying, “I can’t breathe”. All four officers were fired this week over Floyd’s death. Chauvin has been arrested and charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter.

Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser extended the night curfew till 6 am on Monday. She added that the National Guard has been activated to support the police. Other major cities like Los Angeles, Houston and Minneapolis, which has been the epicenter of the unrest, have also imposed night curfews to control the civil protest. More than 1,300 people have been arrested in 16 cities since Thursday, including over 500 on Friday in Los Angeles, according to AP.