Roundup: The stories of protesters as told by tweets
June 1, 2020
MINNEAPOLIS — Over the past week, protests sparked by the death of George Floyd, a black man who died after a white Minneapolis police officer pinned a knee to his neck, have involved thousands of people gathered tightly together in large crowds in more than 20 cities nationwide.
The turbulence sparked by Floyd’s death shook not only the streets of Washington, D.C., New York and Los Angeles but also dozens of smaller communities such as Fargo, North Dakota, and Lincoln, Nebraska.
Peaceful protests involving tens of thousands of people have given way, in some places, to rioting, looting and violence, with police vehicles torched, stores emptied and objects hurled at officers. The police response has varied from restrained to aggressive, with officers at times firing tear gas and rubber bullets.
Protesters have taken to Twitter to share what’s happening on the ground in their cities.
In many cities, protests turned violent.
What just happened?!?! pic.twitter.com/308JBKRna3
— Mary McGuire (@mcguirereports) May 31, 2020
The wind said “black lives matter”??
We have gas in Atlanta. Most of it is blowing back onto police.#BlackLivesMatter
pic.twitter.com/yGniXqMnwz— Serial Tweeper? (@serialTweeper) June 1, 2020
not a single weapon. no aggression. no resistance of force. just people sat in the street. YET LOOK AT WHAT THEYRE DOING TO THEM. TEAR GAS. PHYSICAL FORCE. #BLACK_LIVES_MATTER pic.twitter.com/pFELgcnbzL
— nia⁷↺⁰² #BLM (@mrkrokosmos) May 31, 2020
Not one rubber bullet or tear gas canister deployed.
Not one. pic.twitter.com/KtPyaak4wJ
— DoctorJonPaul ?? (@DoctorJonPaul) May 27, 2020
WARNING: DISTRESSING VIDEO! A truck with a trailer driving through a crowd of #BlackLivesMatter protesters blocking I-244 in Tulsa, injuries reported. An otherwise peaceful protest. (PLEASE EXCUSE PROFANITY) Video: Lauryn Foster @KJRH2HD pic.twitter.com/lnopgalWgP
— Travis Guillory (@TGuilloryNews) June 1, 2020
White police officer throws a girl who is already on her hands and knees BUT a BLACK QUEEN officer steps in to check him ✊?#share #protests2020 pic.twitter.com/nKmvF6Oiqu
— WillieL. (@_popaboywillie) June 1, 2020
Cops point blank pepper spray a protester in Kansas City
What a powerful picture #protests2020 pic.twitter.com/NEiaWIyXiD
— Carl Wennerstrom (@WennerstromCarl) June 1, 2020
Cops using the F-slur! Remember gays: STONEWALL WAS A RIOT! pic.twitter.com/WDLirPjdkm
— Griffin (@DiverWhoDives) June 1, 2020
Salt Lake City cops shove down an elderly man with a cane for the crime of standing along the street: pic.twitter.com/PCLkHqQtJg
— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) May 31, 2020
I am heartbroken and disgusted to see one of my family members a young black man w/his hands up peacefully protesting and an NYPD officer pulls down his mask and pepper sprays him. @NYCSpeakerCoJo @BPEricAdams @FarahNLouis @JumaaneWilliams @NewYorkStateAG @NYPDShea cc: @EOsyd pic.twitter.com/tGK5XWS0bt
— Ms. Anju J. Rupchandani (@AJRupchandani) May 31, 2020
New York Police drove the car over the demonstrators #GeorgeFloydprotest #NewYorkprotest pic.twitter.com/vzJKbO0Q7t
— GenMedya News (@GenMedyaNews) May 31, 2020
Still, many protests have been peaceful or started peacefully.
“If I’m not over here messing up my community, then what are you all doing? … You all are doing nothing, because that’s not going to bring my brother back.”
George Floyd’s brother, Terrence, calls for peaceful protests. “Let’s do this another way.” https://t.co/s3tuCEh7UL pic.twitter.com/RCNTmYbshq
— CNN (@CNN) June 1, 2020
George Floyd’s brother arrived at the Minneapolis memorial site and was surrounded by a large crowd that was “peaceful and respectful,” @sarasidnerCNN reports. https://t.co/XjjgPYZfK9 pic.twitter.com/uMxv8MmK3e
— CNN (@CNN) June 1, 2020
Niagara Falls, New York. Protestors fist bumping police after a successful peaceful protest❤️✊ pic.twitter.com/h4GQOhM9ce
— nico (@___neezy) June 1, 2020
Protest in Memphis TN rn, where I am. the police aren’t in swat or using tear gas. they are just letting the people of the city protest, as they should. pic.twitter.com/ItjnoxqRM7
— ً (@proxanite) May 30, 2020
this is all we want, a voice, and police to listen… not to confronted with rubber bullets or tear gas. pic.twitter.com/3QZujakR1G
— Loyal Louis⛈ (@TheLoyalLouis) May 31, 2020
many of you aren’t seeing this side of the Minneapolis protests and it shows!! #blacklivesmatter pic.twitter.com/40BklrrO02
— space ♡ (@spacegirlmaris) June 1, 2020
This made me so happy.#GeorgeFloyd #BlackLivesMatter #BunkerDon #Anonymous #dcblackout pic.twitter.com/HcWEXBzULo
— Micha??? (@xxmichaxyy) June 1, 2020
Incredible scene at Colorado’s Capitol right now. Thousands of protesters are lying face down with their hands behind their backs chanting “I can’t breathe.” They’re doing this for 9 mins. #copolitics #denverprotest #GeorgeFloyd pic.twitter.com/PaABvp8ZoM
— Colorado Times Recorder (@COTimesRecorder) May 30, 2020
the media and the alt-right’s narrative that all protests are “thugs” is FALSE. this was today in West Palm Beach, Fl. protesters were calm and respectful. we shut down I-95 without fire or destruction of property. it was all peaceful until WHITE ANARCHISTS set fire to the outlet pic.twitter.com/m8GqCPfuip
— roberto ??? (@shynewave) June 1, 2020
Germantown Maryland had a peaceful protest today thank you to everyone that came out did that thang. ???‼️ pic.twitter.com/J2jzAsw54v
— Chadwick (@ochoTurner) June 1, 2020
Spokane held a #BlackLivesMatter peaceful protest, we marched to the courthouse and were met with the police. We took a knee and asked them to do so as well, they refused at first but herd our voices and our pleas and finally took a knee in respect. We can and will make a change. pic.twitter.com/30wtO778BO
— Allison? (@allison_manion) June 1, 2020
Beautiful moment of respect in Boston for George Floyd’s life but bet you won’t see this and the peaceful protests we had for hours before all hell broke loose. #bostonprotests #Anonymuos pic.twitter.com/ZXMRMybGSm
— Donatto (@Donatto06_09) June 1, 2020
The death of George Floyd has also sparked international protests.
Protest happening in Amsterdam at the moment #BlackLivesMatter #Amsterdam #BeSafe #GeorgeFloyd pic.twitter.com/vZ8JKsVXKm
— Gideon (@gideon_fm) June 1, 2020
Two #BlackLivesMatter solidarity marches are taking place in Dublin, Ireland right now. About 2,000 are on this one heading to the US embassy right now. This follows yesterdays Dublin demos, see thread /1
#GeorgeFloyd #JusticeForGeorge#EndDirectProvision pic.twitter.com/fpm773dsvm— Workers Solidarity (@WSMIreland) June 1, 2020
They are actually protesting in BERLIN GERMANY… Our Police behavior has become a Global embarrassment.. wow. https://t.co/wYCmtnkJgF
— ICE T (@FINALLEVEL) May 30, 2020
17,118 miles Miles from Minneapolis, Black Lives Matter/Aboriginal lives matter protests have begun here in Australia.
The World is coming together to fight racism, be apart of the change.#BlackLivesMatter #AboriginalLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/N7W1hCAJla
— AKRiley5?? (@AKRileyy5) June 1, 2020