Protests flare across US despite arrest of Minneapolis police officer

Kerem Yucel / AFP

Several protests erupted across the US, just hours after a former Minneapolis police officer was arrested and charged for the killing of an unarmed African-American man.

Derek Chauvin, who was dismissed from the police department with three fellow officers, has been charged with murder after a video showed him using his knee to pin down George Floyd on the street as he pleaded for help.

Floyd gradually grows unresponsive and was pronounced dead at a local hospital later.

Hundreds of people were seen ignoring lockdown measures to rally in Minnesota, New York, Denver, Houston, Atlanta, Detroit and Louisville to demand justice for George Floyd.

President Donald Trump has described the incident as "a terrible, terrible thing".

More from International News

News

  • 'Peace is not far away' says Erdogan after Putin meeting

    Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, fresh from a meeting with Russia's Vladimir Putin, said he hopes to discuss a Ukraine-Russia peace plan with US President Donald Trump, adding that "peace is not far away".

  • UAE, Serbia deepen ties with new political agreement

    His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Serbia’s Foreign Minister Marko Đurić. have agreed to deepen political coordination after signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) during talks in Abu Dhabi.

  • UAE strengthens child protection measures

    The UAE has introduced changes to its laws governing the care of children of unknown parentage, expanding custody options and strengthening child protection measures.