Thousands of protesters streamed into the nation’s capital Saturday for what was expected to be the city’s largest demonstration yet against police brutality while George Floyd was remembered in his North Carolina hometown, where hundreds of mourners lined up to pay their respects.
Thousands of protesters streamed into the nation’s capital Saturday for what was expected to be the city’s largest demonstration yet against police brutality while George Floyd was remembered in his North Carolina hometown, where hundreds of mourners lined up to pay their respects.
Military vehicles and officers in fatigues closed off much of downtown Washington to traffic ahead of the planned march, which authorities estimated would attract up to 200,000 people outraged by Floyd’s death 12 days ago at the hands of police in Minneapolis.
Large protests also took place across the U. S. and in major cities overseas, including London, Paris, Berlin and Sydney, Australia.
On a hot, humid day in Washington, throngs of protesters gathered at the Capitol, on the National Mall and in residential neighborhoods. Many groups headed toward the White House, where President Donald Trump was.
The crowd erupted in applause as Mayor Muriel Bowser walked along the portion of 16th Street that she renamed Black Lives Matter Plaza.
Art Lindy, a fifth-generation Washingtonian, shouted “Vice President Bowser” as the mayor strolled by. He was referring to her defiant response to Trump’s taunts.
Bowser “has done an incredible job standing up to the face of federal power,” the 56-year-old construction manager said.
Washington has seen daily protests for the past week — largely peaceful. The White House has been fortified with new fencing and extra security precautions. The faint sound of protesters could be heard Saturday from the executive mansion. Trump had no public events on his daily schedule.
The protests extended to his golf resort in Doral, Florida, just outside Miami, where about 100 protesters gathered. The demonstration was organized by Latinos for Black Lives Matter.
In Raeford, North Carolina, a small town near Floyd’s birthplace of Fayetteville, a long line of people formed outside a Free Will Baptist church, waiting to enter in small groups for a chance to look at his coffin.
