US protests escalated into riots: there are casualties

In several American cities, protests took place over the weekend, which escalated into violence. Demonstrators clashed with federal agents outside a courthouse in Portland, Oregon, police were forced to retreat to the precinct in Seattle, Washington, and cars were set on fire in California and Virginia. Writes about it "Voice of America".

Photo: Shutterstock

A protest against police violence in Austin, Texas, was fatal when, police say, one of the participants was shot and killed by a man who drove into a crowd of demonstrators. In Aurora, Colorado, a man was shot and wounded when a car drove into protesters, authorities said.

The riots on Saturday, July 25 and Sunday night, July 26, followed weeks of protests against racial injustice and police treatment of non-whites that began after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25. Black Floyd died while handcuffed after a white police officer used a chokehold for about eight minutes, despite Floyd's words that he could not breathe.

In Seattle, police were forced to retreat to the police station, hours after major demonstrations in the Capitol Hill area. Some of the demonstrators lingered after the police entered the precinct at about XNUMX am, but most left soon after.

I feel like I am watching a video of North Korea or another fascist regime. Why is Trump sending troops to America attack citizens - his Gestapo.

99 days until we throw Trump and his Republican enablers out! pic.twitter.com/ULYBJrqI0s

—Amy Siskind ?️‍? (@Amy_Siskind) July 27, 2020

At a late-night press conference, Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best called for peace. During the weekend riots, stones, bottles and fireworks were thrown at police officers. Police reported the arrest of 45 people for assaulting officers, obstructing their activities and refusing to disperse. The clashes injured 21 officers, but in most cases the injuries were minor, police said.

In Portland, thousands gathered on Saturday, July 25, the evening for another night of protests against the assassination of George Floyd and the presence of federal agents recently sent to the city by US President Donald Trump. Demonstrators broke through the fence around the federal courthouse where the agents were stationed.

Police qualified the incident as civil unrest and at around 01:20 am ordered people to leave the area around the court under threat of arrest, saying on Twitter that the violence posed a "serious threat" to the public. Approximately 20 minutes later, federal officers and local police attempted to clear the area and fired tear gas, but the demonstrators remained in place after 02:30, forming lines at intersections and holding makeshift shields while police patrolled and closed off neighborhoods. There have been numerous arrests, but the exact number is still unknown.

On the subject: 10 most devastating riots in US history

In the Texas capital Austin, 28-year-old Garrett Foster was shot and killed Saturday night, July 25, by a man who drove into a march against police violence.

Austin Police Chief Brian Manley said the car turned into the street where the demonstrators were standing and honked. The driver and several eyewitnesses reported that Foster approached the driver and pointed a machine gun at him.

In the video, which was broadcast on Facebook, a car horn is heard, after which several shots are heard, the demonstrators begin to scream and scatter in search of cover. After that, it can be seen that the police are trying to help the person lying on the street.

Manley said the driver himself called 911 to report the incident and was detained but then released. The police did not provide the driver's name.

Garrett's mother, Sheila Foster, said her son was transporting his fiancée in a wheelchair across the intersection as the suspect rode “randomly” through the crowd. According to her, the driver shot her son three times.

Meanwhile, in Aurora, a suburb of Denver, a protester injured a man after a car drove into a demonstration on a freeway. The wounded man was taken to hospital and is in stable condition. The police did not disclose many details regarding the shooting. In particular, it is unclear whether the victim was in the car. Police said on Twitter that the demonstrators also caused "serious damage" to the courthouse.

Once again - thousands of people gathered to protest in Portland, Oregon. The city has now become a flashpoint between #BlackLivesMatter protesters and federal agents sent by the White House to quell #demonstrations... My report on #F24 #FedsOutOfPortland #FedsGoHome pic.twitter.com/VYbz0KkIrY

- catherine viette (@cathyruthi) July 25, 2020

Demonstrators in Oakland, California set fire to a courthouse, damaged a police station, smashed windows, painted graffiti, fired fireworks at police officers and blinded police officers with lasers after a peaceful demonstration on Saturday, July 25, escalated into riots in the evening.

In the Virginia capital of Richmond, a garbage truck was set on fire Saturday night during clashes between demonstrators and police. At about 23:00 pm, the police classified the event as an "illegal gathering" and apparently fired tear gas to disperse the crowd. Five people were arrested and charged with an illegal assembly. Another person was arrested and charged with rioting and assaulting a law enforcement officer.

In downtown Atlanta, Georgia, on Saturday evening, July 25, the windows of the Immigration and Customs Office building were smashed. No arrests were made.

In Baltimore, Maryland, a group of nearly 100 people put antipolice graffiti on the Brotherhood Order of Police building and adjacent sidewalks.

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