Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is calling on Canadians to stand together in solidarity against racism as protesters in several U.S. cities take to the streets in anger over the death of a 46-year-old black man in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Monday night.
"Anti-black racism, racism is real. It's in the United States, but it's also in Canada, and we know people are facing systemic discrimination, unconscious bias and anti-black racism every single day," said Trudeau. "We need as a society to stand together... but understand we have work to do in Canada."
Following the circulation of a video showing a police officer kneeling on the neck of George Floyd, demonstrators protested Tuesday night peacefully. Since then, police have cracked down on the protests, which have turned increasingly violent.
As of Friday, they had spread to several U.S. cities.
ABC News reported on Friday afternoon that the officer, who had since been fired, was arrested by Minneapolis police and charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter in Floyd's death.
In Detroit, the Detroit Metro News reported a protest is planned for 4 p.m. Friday outside the Public Safety Headquarters on Third Street.
In New York City, police arrested 72 protesters.
I’ve seen the video. I am horrified. George Floyd was murdered in broad daylight and the man who killed him was a police officer — and that officer didn't seem to care at all that he was taking a man's life.
If George was white, he would be alive right now.— Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) May 28, 2020
In Ohio, CNN reported the State House was broken into and damaged when hundreds of protesters gathered in downtown Columbus.
I respect peaceful protests and ask residents to remain peaceful in their actions tonight and every night.
— Mayor Andrew Ginther (@MayorGinther) May 29, 2020
Michael B. Hancock, the Mayor of Denver, Colorado, also appealed for peace, but sympathized with the protesters and called for change.
The road to recovery is before us, and all of us – black, Latino, Asian, white – all of us must recover together. That doesn’t mean we stand silent when injustice occurs – whether in Minneapolis or in Georgia or in our nation’s capital. We do not stand silent.
— Michael B. Hancock (@MayorHancock) May 29, 2020
Minnesota's Governor asked for help from the National Guard Thursday night after the third night of violent protests. Several fires burned in the city, including one at a police precinct.
The four officers involved in Floyd's death had worked at the precinct. They were fired soon after the incident, and CNN quotes the state's Attorney General, who said criminal charges are likely.
That after the County prosecutor said earlier, "there is other evidence that does not support a criminal charge."
Overnight, the Mayor of Minneapolis, Jacob Frey, made an emotional plea for calm.
.@MayorFrey is providing an update on the #minneapolisriots on Facebook Live: https://t.co/FVQZAWXfty
— City of Minneapolis (@CityMinneapolis) May 29, 2020
About 500 soldiers in riot gear and Minneapolis Police are on the streets of Minneapolis and St. Paul.
Shortly after Minnesota Governor Tim Walz made the request, U.S. President Donald Trump took to Twitter, not to appeal for the better nature of the protesters, but to make an ominous statement.
A screen shot of a tweet sent out Friday morning by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Twitter earmarked the tweet for glorifying violence.
The President did not glorify violence. He clearly condemned it.@Jack and Twitter's biased, bad-faith "fact-checkers" have made it clear: Twitter is a publisher, not a platform. https://t.co/lTm3Pxxaqg
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) May 29, 2020
The White House official Twitter account retweeted it, but it has been hidden.