Several cities re-established curfews for Tuesday night in an attempt to stop the after-hours violence and looting of businesses.

Instances of police support during protests in US over George Flyod's death

<p>For the eighth consecutive day, protests over the death of George Gloyd have raged unabated in the United States.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>The demonstrators are still defying curfews, arsonists are still fuelling anarchy, and the policemen are still tear-gassing the unarmed.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/my-administration-has-done-more-for-blacks-than-any-president-since-abraham-lincoln-trump-303007" hreflang="en">My administration has done more for blacks than any president since Abraham Lincoln: Trump</a></p>

<p>The US President, Donald Trump, meanwhile is tweeting and posing for cameras.</p>

<p>In Portland, Oregon, thousands of protesters were seen lying on a bridge as far as the eye can see.</p>

<p><img alt="Protesters hold a die-in as they gather peacefully to protest the death of George Floyd at the State Capital building in downtown Columbus, Ohio, on June 1,2020. " data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d1520804-bfba-4700-804e-8cca65374e04" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design-2_21.jpg" /></p>

<p>These people are re-enacting the last moments of George Floyd, with “silence is violence” as their collective war cry.</p>

<p>Aerial images from New York show the trail of destruction left in the aftermath of violent clashes. Looted stores, smashed windows, grafitti on the walls, and debris on the streets. “No justice, no peace” is the war cry here.</p>

<p>Oakley, California, police officers bent the knee in solidarity with the protesters who greeted them with praise. “Diversity is the greatest force”, their message to the world.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/situation-relatively-calm-after-protesters-defy-curfew-for-eighth-consecutive-day-in-us-303008" hreflang="en">Situation relatively calm after protesters defy curfew for eighth consecutive day in US</a></p>

<p>On Tuesday, the White House resembled a war zone. Policemen on horseback marched towards unarmed protesters, who were tear-gassed to make way from Trump’s photo-op.</p>

<p>Minutes after they were driven back, President Trump emerged with security officials and cameras. He stopped at a damaged church and posed with a Bible. “America will be greater than ever before” is the US President's war cry.</p>

<p>The world is also responding to the American call. In London, the crowd at Central Park continues to swell by the hour. In Bethlehem - Israelis and Palestinians have come together to light candles in Floyd’s memory. In Paris, there are calls for justice for the murder of a black frenchman.</p>

<p>Black lives matter, and the movement is now global!</p>


For the eighth consecutive day, protests over the death of George Gloyd have raged unabated in the United States. The demonstrators are still defying curfews, arsonists are still fuelling anarchy, and the policemen are still tear-gassing the unarmed.

For the eighth consecutive day, protests over the death of George Gloyd have raged unabated in the United States. The demonstrators are still defying curfews, arsonists are still fuelling anarchy, and the policemen are still tear-gassing the unarmed. Also read: My administration has done more for blacks than any president since Abraham Lincoln: Trump The US President, Donald Trump, meanwhile is tweeting and posing for cameras. In Portland, Oregon, thousands of protesters were seen lying on a bridge as far as the eye can see. These people are re-enacting the last moments of George Floyd, with “silence is violence” as their collective war cry. Aerial images from New York show the trail of destruction left in the aftermath of violent clashes. Looted stores, smashed windows, grafitti on the walls, and debris on the streets. “No justice, no peace” is the war cry here. Oakley, California, police officers bent the knee in solidarity with the protesters who greeted them with praise. “Diversity is the greatest force”, their message to the world. Also read: Situation relatively calm after protesters defy curfew for eighth consecutive day in US On Tuesday, the White House resembled a war zone. Policemen on horseback marched towards unarmed protesters, who were tear-gassed to make way from Trump’s photo-op. Minutes after they were driven back, President Trump emerged with security officials and cameras. He stopped at a damaged church and posed with a Bible. “America will be greater than ever before” is the US President's war cry. The world is also responding to the American call. In London, the crowd at Central Park continues to swell by the hour. In Bethlehem - Israelis and Palestinians have come together to light candles in Floyd’s memory. In Paris, there are calls for justice for the murder of a black frenchman. Black lives matter, and the movement is now global!

Black lives matter: The world responds to America's war cry!

Hackers and activists have once again taken to protests but this time after the brutal death of George Floyd due to police brutality. An online collective group by the name of 'Anonymous' has surged once again as protests are spreading across US.

Who are the 'Anonymous' and what have they done so far?

<p>Like many celebrities across the world, 'Harry Potter' star Emma Watson too paid tribute to George Floyd and posted a black box on her social media page to observe #BalckoutTuesday. The post though received criticism as Watson's post had a white border around the black box and many accused her paying attention to aesthetics on Instagram over the usual cause.<br />
<br />
The actress, in the early hours of Wednesday, has clarified and expressed support in the fight against social injustice and racism.</p>

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<p>`Little Women` actor shared her thoughts in a written statement on Instagram, where she opened up about the discrimination, one race's supremacy, and the ways she is trying to deal with the situation.</p>

<p>"There is so much racism, both in our past and present, that is acknowledged nor accounted for."White supremacy is one of the systems of hierarchy and dominance, of exploitation and oppression, that is tightly scheduled into society. As a white person, I have benefited from this," the 30-year-old actor wrote.<br />
<br />
Watson emphasized on the importance of working even harder internally and externally to tackle the "structural and institutional racism."</p>

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<p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CA81CigphAR/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">I stand with you.</a></p>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/emmawatson/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> Emma Watson</a> (@emmawatson) on <time datetime="2020-06-02T23:03:22+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Jun 2, 2020 at 4:03pm PDT</time></p>
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<p>Watson noted that she is still learning, figuring about the ways she "unconsciously" lend support to a system that is structurally racist."I see your anger, sadness, and pain. I cannot know what this feels like for you but it doesn`t mean I won`t try to," she concluded.<br />
<br />
'Black Lives Matter` protests have intensified across the US after Floyd, passed away after having a knee pressed into his neck by a police officer identified as Derek Chauvin.</p>


Like many celebrities across the world, 'Harry Potter' star Emma Watson too paid tribute to George Floyd and posted a black box on her social media page to observe #BalckoutTuesday.

Like many celebrities across the world, 'Harry Potter' star Emma Watson too paid tribute to George Floyd and posted a black box on her social media page to observe #BalckoutTuesday. The post though received criticism as Watson's post had a white border around the black box and many accused her paying attention to aesthetics on Instagram over the usual cause. The actress, in the early hours of Wednesday, has clarified and expressed support in the fight against social injustice and racism. View this post on Instagram #blackouttuesday #theshowmustbepaused #amplifymelanatedvoices #amplifyblackvoices A post shared by Emma Watson (@emmawatson) on Jun 2, 2020 at 11:08am PDT × `Little Women` actor shared her thoughts in a written statement on Instagram, where she opened up about the discrimination, one race's supremacy, and the ways she is trying to deal with the situation. "There is so much racism, both in our past and present, that is acknowledged nor accounted for."White supremacy is one of the systems of hierarchy and dominance, of exploitation and oppression, that is tightly scheduled into society. As a white person, I have benefited from this," the 30-year-old actor wrote. Watson emphasized on the importance of working even harder internally and externally to tackle the "structural and institutional racism." View this post on Instagram I stand with you. A post shared by Emma Watson (@emmawatson) on Jun 2, 2020 at 4:03pm PDT × Watson noted that she is still learning, figuring about the ways she "unconsciously" lend support to a system that is structurally racist."I see your anger, sadness, and pain. I cannot know what this feels like for you but it doesn`t mean I won`t try to," she concluded. 'Black Lives Matter` protests have intensified across the US after Floyd, passed away after having a knee pressed into his neck by a police officer identified as Derek Chauvin.

Emma Watson draws criticism for her #BlackOutTuesday post, clarifies later

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<p>Amid raging protests across the United States over the death of 46-year-old African-American George Floyd in Minneapolis, a video of a group of white people kneeling down to pray and apologise for the incident at victim's&nbsp;hometown of Houston has gone viral on social media.</p>

<p>'Father God we asked for forgiveness from our black brothers and sisters for years and years of racism,' one man is heard saying on Sunday.&nbsp;</p>

<p>'Pray for my white, black and brown brothers and sisters who have had the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/mother-of-george-floyds-daughter-demands-justice-minneapolis-police-faces-probe-302863">courage to expose</a> blatant racism in my own heart,' a parishioner says on the video.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The event ended with both black and white attendees praying together.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">White neighbours kneel down and ask for forgiveness on behalf of the whites. All races are equal before God. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GeorgeFloydProtests?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GeorgeFloydProtests</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BlackLivesMatter?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BlackLivesMatter</a> This is a very powerful moment! 😢😢 <a href="https://t.co/scVNvH1KAg">pic.twitter.com/scVNvH1KAg</a></p>
— Dj Soxxy 🇰🇪 (@DjSoxxy) <a href="https://twitter.com/DjSoxxy/status/1267485610350202881?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 1, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>George Floyd was killed last Monday while in police custody and his death has inspired protests as part of the Black Lives Matter movement&nbsp;</p>

<p>Organizer, Johnny Gentry said: 'Here we are today when police kneel on a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/george-floyd-a-gentle-giant-remembered-in-hometown-houston-march-302794">black man's neck</a> - which do we prefer? That or for us to kneel in peace and solidarity'</p>

<p>Protests and vigils have taken across the country in the past as outraged viewers of video that captured his death at the hands of police in Minneapolis demand justice.</p>

<p>Floyd's death at 46 has also sparked conversation around the numerous killings of African Americans by law enforcement and white people.</p>


Amid raging protests across the United States over the death of 46-year-old African-American George Floyd in Minneapolis, a video of a group of white people kneeling down to pray and apologise for the incident at victim's hometown of Houston has gone viral on social media.

Amid raging protests across the United States over the death of 46-year-old African-American George Floyd in Minneapolis, a video of a group of white people kneeling down to pray and apologise for the incident at victim's hometown of Houston has gone viral on social media. 'Father God we asked for forgiveness from our black brothers and sisters for years and years of racism,' one man is heard saying on Sunday. 'Pray for my white, black and brown brothers and sisters who have had the courage to expose blatant racism in my own heart,' a parishioner says on the video. The event ended with both black and white attendees praying together. White neighbours kneel down and ask for forgiveness on behalf of the whites. All races are equal before God. #GeorgeFloydProtests #BlackLivesMatter This is a very powerful moment! 😢😢 pic.twitter.com/scVNvH1KAg — Dj Soxxy 🇰🇪 (@DjSoxxy) June 1, 2020 × George Floyd was killed last Monday while in police custody and his death has inspired protests as part of the Black Lives Matter movement Organizer, Johnny Gentry said: 'Here we are today when police kneel on a black man's neck - which do we prefer? That or for us to kneel in peace and solidarity' Protests and vigils have taken across the country in the past as outraged viewers of video that captured his death at the hands of police in Minneapolis demand justice. Floyd's death at 46 has also sparked conversation around the numerous killings of African Americans by law enforcement and white people.

White parishioners kneel down, ask for forgiveness in George Floyd's hometown Houston

<p>Protests are currently going on across the United States. The demonstrations began in after a black man, George Floyd was knelt on and killed by a policeman in Minneapolis, a city in the US state of Minnesota. The man died on May 25, raising concerns of race-oriented state brutality in the country.</p>

<p>George Floyd was 46 years old. He was accused of buying cigarettes with a fake 20 dollar bill. 17 minutes after he was arrested, he was lying dead on the ground.</p>

<p><em><strong>Here we play out what actually happened!</strong></em></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-how-george-floyds-death-unfolded-in-minneapolis-us-riots-302485/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>Near Dragon Wok restaurant, two men enter a shop called Cup Foods. One of these men was George Floyd. They both buy a pack of cigarettes from the shop, but store employee suspects Floyd used a counterfeit $20 bill, after which the store employee calls 911 and reports it.</p>

<h6><img alt="pp" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0e9b4a7e-5c8d-453c-9f0f-64aafe6e42aa" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design-2_11.jpg" /><br />
<em>A protestor lays on the ground mimicking the final moments of George Floyd | AFP</em></h6>

<p><strong>8:08 PM</strong></p>

<p>At around 8:08 pm, two police officers arrive at the scene, and Floyd is seen sitting with two others in a parked car. One officer, Thomas Lane, aims his gun at at Floyd and then restrains him. To this, Floyd resists while being handcuffed.</p>

<p><strong>8:14 PM</strong></p>

<p>The officer then attempts to force Floyd into a squad car. At 8.14 PM, Floyd falls to the ground and pleads to the officers. After this, officer Derek Chauvin arrives with others&nbsp;and further attempts to put him in the police car.</p>

<p><strong>8:19 PM</strong></p>

<p>At 8:19 pm Chauvin is seen pulling Floyd out of the passenger side, after which he falls to the ground, face down,&nbsp; and still in handcuffs. At this point, witnesses starts filming the incident. Officer Chauvin then pins his left knee on Floyd’s neck, to which he can be heard responding to with “I can't breathe… Please, please, please”.</p>

<h6><img alt="pp" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="e782d779-83bd-45d2-a05c-c0258fb00327" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design-3_8.jpg" /><br />
<em>A protestor carries a painting in search of justice for George Flyod | AFP</em></h6>

<p>For <strong>8 minutes and 45 seconds</strong>, the officer keeps his knee on Floyd's neck. After he fell silent, bystanders urge officers to check his pulse. Another officer Ja Kueng is seen checking Floyd's right wrist. Officer Chauvin still doesn’t let go</p>

<p><strong>8:27 PM</strong></p>

<p>At 8:27pm, officer Chauvin removes his knee from Floyd's neck</p>

<p>After this, Floyd is seen lying motionless, after which he has taken away in an ambulance. An hour later, he is pronounced dead.</p>


Protests are currently going on across the United States. The demonstrations began in after a black man, George Floyd was knelt on and killed by a policeman in Minneapolis, a city in the US state of Minnesota.

Protests are currently going on across the United States. The demonstrations began in after a black man, George Floyd was knelt on and killed by a policeman in Minneapolis, a city in the US state of Minnesota. The man died on May 25, raising concerns of race-oriented state brutality in the country. George Floyd was 46 years old. He was accused of buying cigarettes with a fake 20 dollar bill. 17 minutes after he was arrested, he was lying dead on the ground. Here we play out what actually happened! Near Dragon Wok restaurant, two men enter a shop called Cup Foods. One of these men was George Floyd. They both buy a pack of cigarettes from the shop, but store employee suspects Floyd used a counterfeit $20 bill, after which the store employee calls 911 and reports it. A protestor lays on the ground mimicking the final moments of George Floyd | AFP 8:08 PM At around 8:08 pm, two police officers arrive at the scene, and Floyd is seen sitting with two others in a parked car. One officer, Thomas Lane, aims his gun at at Floyd and then restrains him. To this, Floyd resists while being handcuffed. 8:14 PM The officer then attempts to force Floyd into a squad car. At 8.14 PM, Floyd falls to the ground and pleads to the officers. After this, officer Derek Chauvin arrives with others and further attempts to put him in the police car. 8:19 PM At 8:19 pm Chauvin is seen pulling Floyd out of the passenger side, after which he falls to the ground, face down, and still in handcuffs. At this point, witnesses starts filming the incident. Officer Chauvin then pins his left knee on Floyd’s neck, to which he can be heard responding to with “I can't breathe… Please, please, please”. A protestor carries a painting in search of justice for George Flyod | AFP For 8 minutes and 45 seconds, the officer keeps his knee on Floyd's neck. After he fell silent, bystanders urge officers to check his pulse. Another officer Ja Kueng is seen checking Floyd's right wrist. Officer Chauvin still doesn’t let go 8:27 PM At 8:27pm, officer Chauvin removes his knee from Floyd's neck After this, Floyd is seen lying motionless, after which he has taken away in an ambulance. An hour later, he is pronounced dead.

What really played out between the police and George Floyd in his final moments

<p>Known to be vocal against injustice, Hollywood actor George Clooney has penned a powerful essay condemning the death of George Floyd. Clooney termed racism as the 'greatest pandemic' of America, of which no 'vaccine' has been found in 400 years.<br />
<br />
The essay has been published by Daily Beast where Clooney calls for "systemic change" in the US to tackle the problem of racism.<br />
<br />
"How many times have we seen people of colour killed by police?" he writes.<br />
<br />
"Tamir Rice, Philando Castile, Laquan McDonald. There is little doubt that George Floyd was murdered. We watched as he took his last breath at the hands of four police officers. Now we see another defiant reaction to the systemic cruel treatment of a portion of our citizens like we saw in 1968, 1992, and 2014. We don`t know when these protests will subside. We hope and pray that no one else will be killed. But we also know that very little will change," he continued.<br />
Clooney feels fundamental changes need to be made.<br />
<br />
"The anger and the frustration we see playing out once again in our streets is just a reminder of how little we`ve grown as a country from our original sin of slavery," he wrote, adding: "The fact that we aren`t actually buying and selling other human beings anymore is not a badge of honour. We need systemic change in our law enforcement and in our criminal justice system. ... This is our pandemic. It infects all of us, and in 400 years we`ve yet to find a vaccine."<br />
<br />
Clooney also took a dig at US President Donald Trump and write, "We need policymakers and politicians that reflect basic fairness to all of their citizens equally. Not leaders that stoke hatred and violence as if the idea of shooting looters could ever be anything less than a racial dog whistle," he said.</p>

<p>"So this week, as we`re wondering what it`s going to take to fix these seemingly insurmountable problems, just remember we created these issues so we can fix them. And there is only one way in this country to bring lasting change: Vote," concluded the star.<br />
<br />
The US at present is witnessing nationwide protests in following Floyd`s tragic death in Minnesota. He died after former police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for over eight minutes.</p>


Known to be vocal against injustice, Hollywood actor George Clooney has penned a powerful essay condemning the death of George Floyd. Clooney termed racism as the 'greatest pandemic' of America, of which no 'vaccine' has been found in 400 years.

Known to be vocal against injustice, Hollywood actor George Clooney has penned a powerful essay condemning the death of George Floyd. Clooney termed racism as the 'greatest pandemic' of America, of which no 'vaccine' has been found in 400 years. The essay has been published by Daily Beast where Clooney calls for "systemic change" in the US to tackle the problem of racism. "How many times have we seen people of colour killed by police?" he writes. "Tamir Rice, Philando Castile, Laquan McDonald. There is little doubt that George Floyd was murdered. We watched as he took his last breath at the hands of four police officers. Now we see another defiant reaction to the systemic cruel treatment of a portion of our citizens like we saw in 1968, 1992, and 2014. We don`t know when these protests will subside. We hope and pray that no one else will be killed. But we also know that very little will change," he continued. Clooney feels fundamental changes need to be made. "The anger and the frustration we see playing out once again in our streets is just a reminder of how little we`ve grown as a country from our original sin of slavery," he wrote, adding: "The fact that we aren`t actually buying and selling other human beings anymore is not a badge of honour. We need systemic change in our law enforcement and in our criminal justice system. ... This is our pandemic. It infects all of us, and in 400 years we`ve yet to find a vaccine." Clooney also took a dig at US President Donald Trump and write, "We need policymakers and politicians that reflect basic fairness to all of their citizens equally. Not leaders that stoke hatred and violence as if the idea of shooting looters could ever be anything less than a racial dog whistle," he said. "So this week, as we`re wondering what it`s going to take to fix these seemingly insurmountable problems, just remember we created these issues so we can fix them. And there is only one way in this country to bring lasting change: Vote," concluded the star. The US at present is witnessing nationwide protests in following Floyd`s tragic death in Minnesota. He died after former police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for over eight minutes.

George Clooney writes on George Floyd's death: Racism is the greatest pandemic

<p>'Riverdale' actor Cole Sprouse was among many who took to streets in Santa Monica, California over the weekend to protest George Floyd's murder. The actor, now while sharing his experience while participating in 'Black Lives Matter' protest march, has revealed that he was arrested for staging a protest.<br />
<br />
The actor opened up about the arrest and his experience at the protests through an Instagram post.<br />
<br />
Sprouse posted a picture that read `Black Lives Matter` and shared his experience in the caption where he said that he was arrested over the weekend in California`s Santa Monica.<br />
<br />
"A group of peaceful protesters, myself included, were arrested yesterday in Santa Monica. So before the voracious horde of media sensationalism decides to somehow turn it about me, there is a clear need to speak about the circumstances: Black Lives Matter," the 27-year-old actor began writing.</p>

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<p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CA5851tJlun/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">A group of peaceful protesters, myself included, were arrested yesterday in Santa Monica. So before the voracious horde of media sensationalism decides to somehow turn it about me, there’s a clear need to speak about the circumstances: Black Lives Matter. Peace, riots, looting, are an absolutely legitimate form of protest. the media is by nature only going to show the most sensational, which only proves a long standing racist agenda. I was detained when standing in solidarity, as were many of the final vanguard within Santa Monica. We were given the option to leave, and were informed that if we did not retreat, we would be arrested. When many did turn to leave, we found another line of police officers blocking our route, at which point, they started zip tying us. It needs to be stated that as a straight white man, and a public figure, the institutional consequences of my detainment are nothing in comparison to others within the movement. This is ABSOLUTELY not a narrative about me, and I hope the media doesn’t make it such. This is, and will be, a time about standing ground near others as a situation escalates, providing educated support, demonstrating and doing the right thing. This is precisely the time to contemplate what it means to stand as an ally. I hope others in my position do as well. I noticed that there are cameras that roll within the police cruisers during the entirety of our detainment, hope it helps. I’ll speak no more on the subject, as I’m (1) not well versed enough to do so, (2) not the subject of the movement, and (3) uninterested in drawing attention away from the leaders of the #BLM movement. I will be, again, posting the link in my story to a comprehensive document for donations and support.</a></p>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/colesprouse/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> Cole Sprouse</a> (@colesprouse) on <time datetime="2020-06-01T20:14:22+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Jun 1, 2020 at 1:14pm PDT</time></p>
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<p>"Peace, riots, and looting are an absolutely legitimate form of protest. The media is by nature only going to show the most sensational, which only proves a long-standing racist agenda. I was detained when standing in solidarity, as were many of the final vanguard within Santa Monica," he added.<br />
<br />
Further elaborating on the police treatment, the `Suite Life of Zack and Cody` actor said, "We were given the option to leave, and were informed that if we did not retreat, we would be arrested. When many did turn to leave, we found another line of police officers blocking our route, at which point, they started zip tying us."<br />
<br />
Sprouse went on with the post and shared how the privileged white citizens of America can extend support and solidarity to the African-Americans."This is and will be, a time about standing ground near others as a situation escalates, providing educated support, demonstrating and doing the right thing. This is precisely the time to contemplate what it means to stand as an ally," he wrote in the caption.<br />
<br />
"I hope others in my position do as well. I noticed that there are cameras that roll within the police cruisers during the entirety of our detainment, hope it helps," he added.<br />
<br />
He ended the note in his caption by stating that he will be sharing links in his Instagram stories following, which his fans can support or make donations for the cause.<br />
<br />
Around 4,000 people across the United States have been arrested during the massive protests over the death of African-American man George Floyd last month.<br />
<br />
While the anger continues to spread, the country is waiting for an address from President Donald Trump about the protests following the death of Floyd.</p>


'Riverdale' actor Cole Sprouse was among many who took to streets in Santa Monica, California over the weekend to protest George Floyd's murder. The actor, now while sharing his experience while participating in 'Black Lives Matter' protest march, has revealed that he was arrested for staging a protest.

'Riverdale' actor Cole Sprouse was among many who took to streets in Santa Monica, California over the weekend to protest George Floyd's murder. The actor, now while sharing his experience while participating in 'Black Lives Matter' protest march, has revealed that he was arrested for staging a protest. The actor opened up about the arrest and his experience at the protests through an Instagram post. Sprouse posted a picture that read `Black Lives Matter` and shared his experience in the caption where he said that he was arrested over the weekend in California`s Santa Monica. "A group of peaceful protesters, myself included, were arrested yesterday in Santa Monica. So before the voracious horde of media sensationalism decides to somehow turn it about me, there is a clear need to speak about the circumstances: Black Lives Matter," the 27-year-old actor began writing. View this post on Instagram A group of peaceful protesters, myself included, were arrested yesterday in Santa Monica. So before the voracious horde of media sensationalism decides to somehow turn it about me, there’s a clear need to speak about the circumstances: Black Lives Matter. Peace, riots, looting, are an absolutely legitimate form of protest. the media is by nature only going to show the most sensational, which only proves a long standing racist agenda. I was detained when standing in solidarity, as were many of the final vanguard within Santa Monica. We were given the option to leave, and were informed that if we did not retreat, we would be arrested. When many did turn to leave, we found another line of police officers blocking our route, at which point, they started zip tying us. It needs to be stated that as a straight white man, and a public figure, the institutional consequences of my detainment are nothing in comparison to others within the movement. This is ABSOLUTELY not a narrative about me, and I hope the media doesn’t make it such. This is, and will be, a time about standing ground near others as a situation escalates, providing educated support, demonstrating and doing the right thing. This is precisely the time to contemplate what it means to stand as an ally. I hope others in my position do as well. I noticed that there are cameras that roll within the police cruisers during the entirety of our detainment, hope it helps. I’ll speak no more on the subject, as I’m (1) not well versed enough to do so, (2) not the subject of the movement, and (3) uninterested in drawing attention away from the leaders of the #BLM movement. I will be, again, posting the link in my story to a comprehensive document for donations and support. A post shared by Cole Sprouse (@colesprouse) on Jun 1, 2020 at 1:14pm PDT × "Peace, riots, and looting are an absolutely legitimate form of protest. The media is by nature only going to show the most sensational, which only proves a long-standing racist agenda. I was detained when standing in solidarity, as were many of the final vanguard within Santa Monica," he added. Further elaborating on the police treatment, the `Suite Life of Zack and Cody` actor said, "We were given the option to leave, and were informed that if we did not retreat, we would be arrested. When many did turn to leave, we found another line of police officers blocking our route, at which point, they started zip tying us." Sprouse went on with the post and shared how the privileged white citizens of America can extend support and solidarity to the African-Americans."This is and will be, a time about standing ground near others as a situation escalates, providing educated support, demonstrating and doing the right thing. This is precisely the time to contemplate what it means to stand as an ally," he wrote in the caption. "I hope others in my position do as well. I noticed that there are cameras that roll within the police cruisers during the entirety of our detainment, hope it helps," he added. He ended the note in his caption by stating that he will be sharing links in his Instagram stories following, which his fans can support or make donations for the cause. Around 4,000 people across the United States have been arrested during the massive protests over the death of African-American man George Floyd last month. While the anger continues to spread, the country is waiting for an address from President Donald Trump about the protests following the death of Floyd.

Cole Sprouse says he was arrested while protesting against George Floyd's death

George Floyd a 46-year old African American man died last week after a white police officer kneeled on his neck for several minutes. Many police officers have already spoken out and expressed their anger over the incident. Watch report.

Riots grip America: Stars share powerful messages in support of George Floyd

<p>Actor John Cusack joined protestors on streets of Los Angeles to protest against the killing George Floyd by a policeman. Cusack shared a video of one of the protests that he became a part of over the weekend and stated that how the police came after him a baton.<br />
<br />
A number of Hollywood stars and singers have come out in support of #BlackLivesMatter including singer-actress Lady Gaga.<br />
<br />
Here are the top stories of the day.<br />
<br />
<strong>Hollywood actor John Cusack shares video of police who 'came at me with batons' during US protests</strong><br />
<br />
With more number of Hollywood celebs extending support for ‘Black Lives Matter’ as a black man named George Floyd lost his life due to police brutality, actor John Cusack shared a video of one of the protests that he became a part of over the weekend. As situation got out of control in many areas of Los Angeles and neighbouring cities, John shared multiple pictures and videos as he stepped out to protest in Chicago over the death of George Floyd.<br />
<br />
Read more: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/celebrity-news-hollywood-actor-john-cusack-shares-video-of-police-who-came-at-me-with-batons-during-us-protests-302274">https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/celebrity-news-hollywood-actor-john-cusack-shares-video-of-police-who-came-at-me-with-batons-during-us-protests-302274</a></p>

<p><strong>Lady Gaga issues statement on Black Lives Matter protests in the US and racism</strong><br />
<br />
As the US protests gain momentum, Lady Gaga posted a lengthy message on social media on the unrest in the country. She called out racism in the country and more. In her post, Lady Gaga expressed reluctance that anything she would say "will incite further anger, although that is precisely the emotion that’s justified. I do not wish to contribute to more violence, I wish to contribute to a solution."<br />
<br />
Read more: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/lady-gaga-issues-statement-on-black-lives-matter-protests-in-the-us-and-racism-302349">https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/lady-gaga-issues-statement-on-black-lives-matter-protests-in-the-us-and-racism-302349</a></p>

<p><strong>Spike Lee releases film ‘3 Brothers – Radio Raheem, Eric Garner And George Floyd’</strong><br />
<br />
Award-winning filmmaker Spike Lee recently debuted a new short film titled ‘3 Brothers- Radio Raheem, Eric Garner and George Floyd’ which is a compilation of the scene from his 1989 film ‘Do The Right Thing’. It features the death of Radio Raheem and video of the deaths of Eric Garner in 2014 and George Floyd earlier this week.<br />
<br />
Read more: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/spike-lee-releases-film-3-brothers-radio-raheem-eric-garner-and-george-floyd-302296">https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/spike-lee-releases-film-3-brothers-radio-raheem-eric-garner-and-george-floyd-302296</a></p>

<p><strong>BTS makes history as 'DNA' becomes first Korean music video to cross 1 billion views</strong><br />
<br />
BTS makes history yet again as the Korean pop band charted new heights of success. The boy band made YouTube story as their recently released music video titled ‘DNA’ hit the 1 billion mark on YouTube. With this, BTS has become the first Korean boy band’s music video ever to achieve the feat.<br />
<br />
read more: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood-news-bts-makes-history-as-dna-becomes-first-korean-music-video-to-cross-1-billion-views-302282">https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood-news-bts-makes-history-as-dna-becomes-first-korean-music-video-to-cross-1-billion-views-302282</a></p>

<p><strong>Madonna criticised for commenting on George Floyd's death with a dance video of her son</strong><br />
<br />
Madonna's 'tribute' to George Floyd has not gone down well with people. The popstar joined millions across the world in condemning security guard George Floyd's murder.<br />
<br />
Read more:<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/madonna-criticised-for-commenting-on-george-floyds-death-with-a-dance-video-of-her-son-302432"> https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/madonna-criticised-for-commenting-on-george-floyds-death-with-a-dance-video-of-her-son-302432</a></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Actor John Cusack joined protestors on streets of Los Angeles to protest against the killing George Floyd by a policeman. Cusack shared a video of one of the protests that he became a part of over the weekend and stated that how the police came after him a baton.

Actor John Cusack joined protestors on streets of Los Angeles to protest against the killing George Floyd by a policeman. Cusack shared a video of one of the protests that he became a part of over the weekend and stated that how the police came after him a baton. A number of Hollywood stars and singers have come out in support of #BlackLivesMatter including singer-actress Lady Gaga. Here are the top stories of the day. Hollywood actor John Cusack shares video of police who 'came at me with batons' during US protests With more number of Hollywood celebs extending support for ‘Black Lives Matter’ as a black man named George Floyd lost his life due to police brutality, actor John Cusack shared a video of one of the protests that he became a part of over the weekend. As situation got out of control in many areas of Los Angeles and neighbouring cities, John shared multiple pictures and videos as he stepped out to protest in Chicago over the death of George Floyd. Read more: https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/celebrity-news-hollywood-actor-john-cusack-shares-video-of-police-who-came-at-me-with-batons-during-us-protests-302274 Lady Gaga issues statement on Black Lives Matter protests in the US and racism As the US protests gain momentum, Lady Gaga posted a lengthy message on social media on the unrest in the country. She called out racism in the country and more. In her post, Lady Gaga expressed reluctance that anything she would say "will incite further anger, although that is precisely the emotion that’s justified. I do not wish to contribute to more violence, I wish to contribute to a solution." Read more: https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/lady-gaga-issues-statement-on-black-lives-matter-protests-in-the-us-and-racism-302349 Spike Lee releases film ‘3 Brothers – Radio Raheem, Eric Garner And George Floyd’ Award-winning filmmaker Spike Lee recently debuted a new short film titled ‘3 Brothers- Radio Raheem, Eric Garner and George Floyd’ which is a compilation of the scene from his 1989 film ‘Do The Right Thing’. It features the death of Radio Raheem and video of the deaths of Eric Garner in 2014 and George Floyd earlier this week. Read more: https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/spike-lee-releases-film-3-brothers-radio-raheem-eric-garner-and-george-floyd-302296 BTS makes history as 'DNA' becomes first Korean music video to cross 1 billion views BTS makes history yet again as the Korean pop band charted new heights of success. The boy band made YouTube story as their recently released music video titled ‘DNA’ hit the 1 billion mark on YouTube. With this, BTS has become the first Korean boy band’s music video ever to achieve the feat. read more: https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood-news-bts-makes-history-as-dna-becomes-first-korean-music-video-to-cross-1-billion-views-302282 Madonna criticised for commenting on George Floyd's death with a dance video of her son Madonna's 'tribute' to George Floyd has not gone down well with people. The popstar joined millions across the world in condemning security guard George Floyd's murder. Read more: https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/madonna-criticised-for-commenting-on-george-floyds-death-with-a-dance-video-of-her-son-302432

Top 5 Hollywood news today: Lady Gaga comments on #BlackLivesMatter, BTS creates history

<p>The Kremlin on Monday rejected accusations it had played any role in protests rocking the United States, after former US&nbsp;National Security Advisor Susan Rice raised the possibility of Russian involvement.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Unrest has swept US&nbsp;cities since last week, after peaceful protests over the death of a black man in the custody of a white police officer turned violent. On Saturday Rice told CNN that fostering violence at protests was "right out of the Russian playbook".</p>

<p>"We see it all the time, we've seen it for years and frankly every day on social media where they take any painful divisive issue....and they play on both sides," she said. "Their aim is to divide us, to cause us to come into combat with each other, and to disintegrate from within."</p>

<p>"I would not be surprised to learn they have fomented some of these extremists on both sides using social media. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that they are funding it in some way, shape or form and that's something that we need to take seriously."</p>

<p>Asked about Rice's comments, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "We have never interfered in international affairs and we don't intend to interfere now."</p>

<p>"Any insinuations that have been mentioned are absolutely wrong, erroneous, and, as far as we understand, such insinuations can in no way reflect Washington's official position," said Peskov.</p>

<p>Russia has previously denied U.S. allegations it meddled in the 2016 presidential election to try to help Donald Trump get elected and says it is keen to try to rebuild battered ties with Washington.</p>


The Kremlin on Monday rejected accusations it had played any role in protests rocking the United States, after former US National Security Advisor Susan Rice raised the possibility of Russian involvement.

The Kremlin on Monday rejected accusations it had played any role in protests rocking the United States, after former US National Security Advisor Susan Rice raised the possibility of Russian involvement. Unrest has swept US cities since last week, after peaceful protests over the death of a black man in the custody of a white police officer turned violent. On Saturday Rice told CNN that fostering violence at protests was "right out of the Russian playbook". "We see it all the time, we've seen it for years and frankly every day on social media where they take any painful divisive issue....and they play on both sides," she said. "Their aim is to divide us, to cause us to come into combat with each other, and to disintegrate from within." "I would not be surprised to learn they have fomented some of these extremists on both sides using social media. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that they are funding it in some way, shape or form and that's something that we need to take seriously." Asked about Rice's comments, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "We have never interfered in international affairs and we don't intend to interfere now." "Any insinuations that have been mentioned are absolutely wrong, erroneous, and, as far as we understand, such insinuations can in no way reflect Washington's official position," said Peskov. Russia has previously denied U.S. allegations it meddled in the 2016 presidential election to try to help Donald Trump get elected and says it is keen to try to rebuild battered ties with Washington.

Kremlin rejects idea floated by Obama-era security advisor it stoked US protests

<p>One of the biggest social media sites on the internet, Twitter has changed its official display image to show solidarity with the ongoing protests against racism and police brutality.</p>

<p>The protests, which began in the United States after a black man, George Floyd was knelt on and killed by a policeman in Minneapolis, a city in the US state of Minnesota. The man died in the process on May 25, raising concerns of race-oriented state brutality in the country.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="/world/white-house-doubles-down-dares-twitter-to-block-another-trumps-tweet-301891" hreflang="en">White House doubles down &amp; dares Twitter to block another Trump's tweet</a></p>

<p>The Black Lives Matter movement has regained&nbsp;steam&nbsp;after the incident. Thousands of people across major cities like New York and Los Angeles have taken to the streets demanding justice for the victim.</p>

<p>The police officer, Derek Chauvin has been charged with murdering Floyd, after the video surfaced whereby the black man was asking for respite and reiterated his inability to breathe, which did not stop Chauvin from kneeling on his neck.</p>

<p><strong>Related video:&nbsp;Twitter flags Donald Trump's tweet, Twitter says post 'Glorified Violence'</strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="http://wionews.com/videos/twitter-flags-donald-trumps-tweet-twitter-says-post-glorified-violence-301937/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>Besides Chauvin, four officers have been sacked for their involvement in Floyd’s death.</p>

<p>“Please, I can’t breathe”, Floyd’s last words before death have become the primary slogan for the movement’s resurgence.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="/world/twitter-says-ceo-dorsey-was-informed-in-advance-of-decision-to-hide-trump-tweet-301828" hreflang="en"><strong>T</strong>witter says CEO Dorsey was informed in advance of decision to hide Trump tweet</a></p>

<p>Twitter has been heavily involved in the movement. Recently, President Trump tweeted “When the looting starts, the shooting starts”, which was interpreted by many as an open threat to shoot protesters. The company flagged his tweet with a warning, in which he had also referred to the protesters as “thugs”.</p>

<p>His another factually incorrect tweet about ballot boxes was flagged by the company recently, after which Trump displayed outrage against social media companies and promised to sign a new order limiting the powers of such companies.</p>


One of the biggest social media sites on the internet, Twitter has changed its official display image to show solidarity with the ongoing protests against racism and police brutality.

One of the biggest social media sites on the internet, Twitter has changed its official display image to show solidarity with the ongoing protests against racism and police brutality. The protests, which began in the United States after a black man, George Floyd was knelt on and killed by a policeman in Minneapolis, a city in the US state of Minnesota. The man died in the process on May 25, raising concerns of race-oriented state brutality in the country. Also read: White House doubles down & dares Twitter to block another Trump's tweet The Black Lives Matter movement has regained steam after the incident. Thousands of people across major cities like New York and Los Angeles have taken to the streets demanding justice for the victim. The police officer, Derek Chauvin has been charged with murdering Floyd, after the video surfaced whereby the black man was asking for respite and reiterated his inability to breathe, which did not stop Chauvin from kneeling on his neck. Related video: Twitter flags Donald Trump's tweet, Twitter says post 'Glorified Violence' Besides Chauvin, four officers have been sacked for their involvement in Floyd’s death. “Please, I can’t breathe”, Floyd’s last words before death have become the primary slogan for the movement’s resurgence. Also read: Twitter says CEO Dorsey was informed in advance of decision to hide Trump tweet Twitter has been heavily involved in the movement. Recently, President Trump tweeted “When the looting starts, the shooting starts”, which was interpreted by many as an open threat to shoot protesters. The company flagged his tweet with a warning, in which he had also referred to the protesters as “thugs”. His another factually incorrect tweet about ballot boxes was flagged by the company recently, after which Trump displayed outrage against social media companies and promised to sign a new order limiting the powers of such companies.

Twitter’s blue bird goes black to show solidarity with protestors in the US

From London to New Zealand, people join in on 'Black Lives Matter' protests

<p>Police in riot gear charged protesters defying a curfew in Minneapolis Saturday, firing tear gas and stun grenades to keep them away from a police station, according to news agency AFP.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Officers, assisted by National Guard soldiers, had until then held back from <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/protestors-would-have-met-vicious-dogs-had-white-house-fence-been-breached-trump-302056">confronting demonstrators </a>out of fear of aggravating the crisis and because they were initially low in number, the report added.</p>

<p>Minneapolis has been gripped by several days of violent protests following the death of an unarmed black man during an arrest in the city on Monday.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from AFP)&nbsp;</em></p>


Police in riot gear charged protesters defying a curfew in Minneapolis Saturday, firing tear gas and stun grenades to keep them away from a police station, according to news agency AFP.

Police in riot gear charged protesters defying a curfew in Minneapolis Saturday, firing tear gas and stun grenades to keep them away from a police station, according to news agency AFP. Officers, assisted by National Guard soldiers, had until then held back from confronting demonstrators out of fear of aggravating the crisis and because they were initially low in number, the report added. Minneapolis has been gripped by several days of violent protests following the death of an unarmed black man during an arrest in the city on Monday. (With inputs from AFP)

Police charge protesters defying Minneapolis curfew: Report

<p>Lady Gaga and K-pop girl band Blackpink have collaborated to release new single 'Sour Candy' which was unveiled on May 28. A part of Gaga's upcoming album 'Chromatica', the single has generated to a lot of interest.<br />
<br />
Now, typically when a single is released, fans of the artist trend the song on various social media platforms in order to create a buzz around it. It also helps to promote the song and gets more people to talk about it.</p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fnPn6At3v28" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
On social media #SourCandy trended in the United States on May 28 but now some Blackpink fans (they call themselves Blinks) are asking people to not use the hashtag and instead support the current trending #BlackLivesMatter hashtag.</p>

<p>The #BlackLivesMatter movement has been trending on social media ever since George Floyd's death. Floyd, an African-American died after a now-fired Minneapolis police officer kneeled on his neck for nearly eight minutes.&nbsp; The officer has been fired since then.<br />
<br />
People have been using the hashtag to seek justice for Floyd's murder. Thousands in America have taken to the streets to demand justice. Those demands have also crossed over to social media as well, with people rallying behind hashtags like #minneapolisriots and other phrases like "Minneapolis Freedom Fund" trending on Twitter.<br />
<br />
Owing to the current situation, Blackpink fans have decided to postpone the promotion of 'SugarCandy' and instead use their social media might to make #BlackLivesMatter hashtag trend. Not just Blackpink fans, but other K-pop fans too have shown their support to the hashtag.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/from-justin-bieber-to-taylor-swift-celebrities-seek-justice-for-george-floyd-301554">Also read: From Justin Bieber to Taylor Swift: Celebrities seek justice for George Floyd</a></p>


Lady Gaga and K-pop girl band Blackpink have collaborated to release new single 'Sour Candy' which was unveiled on May 28. A part of Gaga's upcoming album 'Chromatica', the single has generated to a lot of interest.

Lady Gaga and K-pop girl band Blackpink have collaborated to release new single 'Sour Candy' which was unveiled on May 28. A part of Gaga's upcoming album 'Chromatica', the single has generated to a lot of interest. Now, typically when a single is released, fans of the artist trend the song on various social media platforms in order to create a buzz around it. It also helps to promote the song and gets more people to talk about it. On social media #SourCandy trended in the United States on May 28 but now some Blackpink fans (they call themselves Blinks) are asking people to not use the hashtag and instead support the current trending #BlackLivesMatter hashtag. The #BlackLivesMatter movement has been trending on social media ever since George Floyd's death. Floyd, an African-American died after a now-fired Minneapolis police officer kneeled on his neck for nearly eight minutes. The officer has been fired since then. People have been using the hashtag to seek justice for Floyd's murder. Thousands in America have taken to the streets to demand justice. Those demands have also crossed over to social media as well, with people rallying behind hashtags like #minneapolisriots and other phrases like "Minneapolis Freedom Fund" trending on Twitter. Owing to the current situation, Blackpink fans have decided to postpone the promotion of 'SugarCandy' and instead use their social media might to make #BlackLivesMatter hashtag trend. Not just Blackpink fans, but other K-pop fans too have shown their support to the hashtag. Also read: From Justin Bieber to Taylor Swift: Celebrities seek justice for George Floyd

K-pop fans avoid trending Blackpink and Lady Gaga's 'Sour Pink' out of respect for #BlackLivesMatter

<p>Inspired from &#39;Black lives matter&#39;, scores of students, activists and members of Muslim community took out a silent protest &#39;Muslim lives matter&#39; in New Delhi on Saturday following hacking of a Muslim man in Rajasthan under the pretext of &#39;love jihad&#39;.</p>

<p>Holding placards such as &#39;Muslim Lives Matter&#39; and &#39;Speak up against bigotry&#39;, the protesters swarmed Delhi&#39;s Connaught Place area and formed a human chain to register their protest against hate crimes like these.</p>

<p>All India Kisan Sabha General Secretary and CPI(M) leader Hannan Mollah, who participated in the protest, said there has been a deliberate attempt to create a vicious atmosphere against the Muslims in the country and the attack was an outcome of that.</p>

<p>&quot;The crime is a result of hateful atmosphere. All over the country, there have been efforts to create a vicious atmosphere against Muslims,&quot; Mollah told ANI.</p>

<p>He further said 10 to 12 such incidents have occurred in Rajasthan in the last two years and attributed it to the communalised atmosphere in the state.</p>

<p>&quot;A communalised atmosphere has been created in Rajasthan. This has instigated even the common people to kill Muslims. RSS, Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad are creating this atmosphere which has to be stopped,&quot; he added.</p>

<p>The protest was staged against the brutal killing in Rajsamand, where Mohammed Afrazul Khan, a Bengali migrant worker in Rajasthan was burnt alive, allegedly for &#39;love jihad&#39;.</p>

<p>The crime that has shocked the nation came to light after the perpetrator filmed the incident on Dev heritage road in Rajnagar area and uploaded it on the social media.</p>

<p>The accused has been identified as Shambhu Lal Raigar, a former marble trader. The videos that were uploaded on social media by 14-year-old nephew of Raigar, record him saying he killed Afrazul to save a woman from &quot;love jihad&quot;.</p>

<p>The police has arrested Raigar and his nephew and declared that a death penalty would be sought for the former.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, the Rajasthan Director General of Police (DGP) said the prima facie reports cited the man seen in the video was not a &#39;normal human being&#39;, and a further investigation has been initiated in the matter.</p>

<p>Earlier in the day, the Rajasthan government also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh to the family of the victim, while the West Bengal government provided widow pension to the deceased&#39;s wife and assured employment to the kin.&nbsp;</p>


Holding placards such as 'Muslim Lives Matter' and 'Speak up against bigotry', the protesters swarmed Delhi's Connaught Place area and formed a human chain to register their protest against hate crimes like these.

Inspired from 'Black lives matter', scores of students, activists and members of Muslim community took out a silent protest 'Muslim lives matter' in New Delhi on Saturday following hacking of a Muslim man in Rajasthan under the pretext of 'love jihad'. Holding placards such as 'Muslim Lives Matter' and 'Speak up against bigotry', the protesters swarmed Delhi's Connaught Place area and formed a human chain to register their protest against hate crimes like these. All India Kisan Sabha General Secretary and CPI(M) leader Hannan Mollah, who participated in the protest, said there has been a deliberate attempt to create a vicious atmosphere against the Muslims in the country and the attack was an outcome of that. "The crime is a result of hateful atmosphere. All over the country, there have been efforts to create a vicious atmosphere against Muslims," Mollah told ANI. He further said 10 to 12 such incidents have occurred in Rajasthan in the last two years and attributed it to the communalised atmosphere in the state. "A communalised atmosphere has been created in Rajasthan. This has instigated even the common people to kill Muslims. RSS, Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad are creating this atmosphere which has to be stopped," he added. The protest was staged against the brutal killing in Rajsamand, where Mohammed Afrazul Khan, a Bengali migrant worker in Rajasthan was burnt alive, allegedly for 'love jihad'. The crime that has shocked the nation came to light after the perpetrator filmed the incident on Dev heritage road in Rajnagar area and uploaded it on the social media. The accused has been identified as Shambhu Lal Raigar, a former marble trader. The videos that were uploaded on social media by 14-year-old nephew of Raigar, record him saying he killed Afrazul to save a woman from "love jihad". The police has arrested Raigar and his nephew and declared that a death penalty would be sought for the former. Meanwhile, the Rajasthan Director General of Police (DGP) said the prima facie reports cited the man seen in the video was not a 'normal human being', and a further investigation has been initiated in the matter. Earlier in the day, the Rajasthan government also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh to the family of the victim, while the West Bengal government provided widow pension to the deceased's wife and assured employment to the kin.

Students, activists protest against Rajasthan hacking in Delhi

<p>Why does Donald Trump matter?&nbsp;What factors seem to explain the flourishing of a Trump political brand?</p>

<p>There are several possible factors that show the contingent nature of Trump the brand politician. One, the rise of the everyday white middle class, if not working white man&rsquo;s frustrations with elite Washington politics. Then there&rsquo;s the dysfunction, if not corruption, of the US two-party system&mdash;especially the Republican Party&mdash;that now makes it difficult to distinguish between the two since both are rooted in neoliberal politics relying on market mechanisms to control state &ldquo;democratic&rdquo; institutions and vice versa.</p>

<p>Rising <a href="http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2013/12/05/u-s-income-inequality-on-rise-for-decades-is-now-highest-since-1928/">income and wealth inequalities</a> across segments of the declining middle class, the growth of conservative media outlets since the 1980s&mdash;especially Rupert Murdoch&rsquo;s business ventures&mdash;and the expanding campaign finance system that opens the powerful moneyed interests have all played a part. As do the return of identity politics over recognition and redistribution from the left and right&mdash;the political fights and white backlash over affirmative action, Black Lives Matter and the struggles over the classification system, leading to what I&nbsp;call a cultural war over taxonomy as politics for defining citizenship, civic worth and social entitlements.</p>

<p>The growth of the post-9/11 national security state putting an end to 1990s &ldquo;politically correct&rdquo; rhetoric and thus affording the &ldquo;othering&rdquo; of American citizens; the expansion of new media technologies like social media, allowing direct access to different people, ideas and public spaces, channels and potential markets for more self-advertising campaigns; and the upsurge of partisanship at all levels resulting in economic stagnation and congressional polarisation, among other stalemates, such as stalling Supreme Court nominees.</p>

<p>All these factors have elevated Trump beyond his wildest dreams, extending his reality-show persona into everyday political spaces, providing a public forum with audiences open&mdash;or perhaps vulnerable&mdash;to his brand of self-assertiveness seen through his exaggerated stories of success and political &ldquo;outsider&rdquo; claims.</p>

<p><b>GETTING DONALD TRUMP WRONG</b></p>

<p>Most social critics, media pundits, academics and political analysts have gotten Trump wrong. It is not even so much about the rise of Donald Trump. Rather, the ground he has occupied all these years has shifted to favour his kind of personalised, rhetorical and hyperbolic style of brand politics. We should think of the Trump phenomenon, or brand Trump, not as rising but rather more accurately as thriving within shifted social, political and economic environments.</p>

<p>Just consider his consistent anti-elite party position since the 1980s, or his opposition to Ronald Reagan&rsquo;s immigration policies (amnesty) and various critiques of&nbsp;George H.W. Bush&rsquo;s tax plans, Bill Clinton&rsquo;s trade deals (NAFTA) and George W. Bush&rsquo;s foreign policy (the so-called Bush Doctrine).</p>

<p>These changes over the past 30 years have made relevant Trump&rsquo;s bravado, hyper-individualism and anti-elite establishment politics. He is now more acceptable and allowed to flourish in this environment. In other words, the shifting social, economic and political conditions at home and abroad have made it more conducive for Trump to succeed and, therefore, they matter more to both traditionalist and political newcomers alike.</p>

<p>Throughout his campaign, Trump has tried to do several things. He has attempted to be the voice of the forgotten little guy&mdash;the white &ldquo;middle class&rdquo;&mdash;by playing the role of &ldquo;outsider.&rdquo;</p>

<p>But he plays the outsider role from within a major party label that gives him real access to mainstream media outlets: the non-politician who is self-made and independent enough to make the right decisions without fear of powerful interests as a show of strength in character and temperament; the successful businessman who knows the rules of the game and can create real change by negotiating deals while taking advantage of established rules/laws (bankruptcy, real estate and tax laws); and the individual with a third party candidate mentality, carefree attitude who exposes the truth about others (while diverting attention away from&nbsp;his own wrongdoings) by displaying a confident every-man&rsquo;s tough guy persona.</p>

<p><b>RAGE, FEAR AND DISCONTENT</b></p>

<p>Yes, Trump seems to have implicitly the third party candidate&rsquo;s &ldquo;I really can&rsquo;t win so might as well make best of the spotlight&rdquo; posture. Trump has played a third-party role since the beginning of the Republican Party primary, which allowed him to outmaneuver and out-shine those other flawed Republicans in the field because his brand, &ldquo;outsider&rdquo; claims and unorthodox style appealed to&nbsp;middle/working class white male rage, fears and feelings of discontent with a system that has left them behind.</p>

<p>All this has taken place in the context of what many have called a weak Grand Old Party (GOP), which has rather reluctantly appointed, if not anointed,&nbsp;Trump as the party&rsquo;s nominee to the US presidency. This comes despite&nbsp;Trump&rsquo;s own problematic and unprincipled self-interest politics played over the years&mdash;donating large amounts of money to campaigns across party lines, including the Clintons. Even more problematic is his constant reliance on the &ldquo;outsider&rdquo; trope that also grants him the right to claim the political system is rigged, corrupt or biased against him and his supporters.</p>

<p>Trump matters in another way. He brings a new political deviance rarely seen on the national stage with impunity. For instance, his acceptance of the party nomination and yet emphatically suggesting that he may not accept the results of the election&mdash;if he does not win of course.</p>

<p>This moment in modern US political history puts in jeopardy the nation&rsquo;s long-held conventional democratic practice of engaging in the peaceful transfer of power.</p>

<p>Trump seemingly gets away with such behaviour because he wholeheartedly believes he alone can fix things through&nbsp;providing what the current system supposedly needs: a leader with a candid voice, a straight shooter, a self-financed entrepreneur not dependent on party machines, or big money and Wall Street powers.</p>

<p><b>TRUMP POLITICS</b></p>

<p>In sum, Trump&rsquo;s brand of politics represents the best and worst of the neoliberal political environment we have today in America.&nbsp;He is an expert in self-asserting his identity into existence, constructing a brand that takes a life of its own and represents success in a materialistic sense. Yet he makes the brand appealing to those mostly at the lower levels of the American working and middle classes who aspire to similar successes and wealth despite the odds being against them, especially when most don&rsquo;t have a wealthy father who can lend $1 million as a startup fund.</p>

<p>Trump&rsquo;s brand matters because it appeals to an American sense of individualism, liberty and unlimited opportunities all rooted in some folk notion of puritanical morality.</p>

<p>However, the Trump brand is now more conducive to the new political environment that also includes increased anti-political correctness shepherding the worst tendencies in American social and political life. These range&nbsp;from a renewed sense of white male privilege or entitlement to the carelessness and insensitivity toward others who may find themselves in vulnerable positions: undocumented immigrants, Mexicans, women, refugees, Muslims, African Americans, certain military veterans, LGBTQ members of our society, and even media pundits who do not fall in line, among others.</p>

<p>The mostly rhetorical successes of the Trump brand go beyond this election cycle and into the heart of American liberal democracy. Trump matters because his brand has forced the Republican Party to reconsider its core values and principles, what it will stand for and who it will represent moving forward, whether Trump wins or not.</p>

<p>More broadly, we now have to ponder to what extent Americans will embrace the kinds of values, visions and practices the Trump brand has infused into our social and political culture, especially after November 8.<b><i>&nbsp;</i></b></p>

<p>This <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/region/north_america/donald-trump-american-politics-us-election-20169/" rel="nofollow" target="blank">article</a> has been originally published in Fair Observer.</p>


The changes over the past 30 years in the US have made relevant Trump?s bravado, hyper-individualism and anti-elite establishment politics

Why does Donald Trump matter? What factors seem to explain the flourishing of a Trump political brand? There are several possible factors that show the contingent nature of Trump the brand politician. One, the rise of the everyday white middle class, if not working white man’s frustrations with elite Washington politics. Then there’s the dysfunction, if not corruption, of the US two-party system—especially the Republican Party—that now makes it difficult to distinguish between the two since both are rooted in neoliberal politics relying on market mechanisms to control state “democratic” institutions and vice versa. Rising income and wealth inequalities across segments of the declining middle class, the growth of conservative media outlets since the 1980s—especially Rupert Murdoch’s business ventures—and the expanding campaign finance system that opens the powerful moneyed interests have all played a part. As do the return of identity politics over recognition and redistribution from the left and right—the political fights and white backlash over affirmative action, Black Lives Matter and the struggles over the classification system, leading to what I call a cultural war over taxonomy as politics for defining citizenship, civic worth and social entitlements. The growth of the post-9/11 national security state putting an end to 1990s “politically correct” rhetoric and thus affording the “othering” of American citizens; the expansion of new media technologies like social media, allowing direct access to different people, ideas and public spaces, channels and potential markets for more self-advertising campaigns; and the upsurge of partisanship at all levels resulting in economic stagnation and congressional polarisation, among other stalemates, such as stalling Supreme Court nominees. All these factors have elevated Trump beyond his wildest dreams, extending his reality-show persona into everyday political spaces, providing a public forum with audiences open—or perhaps vulnerable—to his brand of self-assertiveness seen through his exaggerated stories of success and political “outsider” claims. GETTING DONALD TRUMP WRONG Most social critics, media pundits, academics and political analysts have gotten Trump wrong. It is not even so much about the rise of Donald Trump. Rather, the ground he has occupied all these years has shifted to favour his kind of personalised, rhetorical and hyperbolic style of brand politics. We should think of the Trump phenomenon, or brand Trump, not as rising but rather more accurately as thriving within shifted social, political and economic environments. Just consider his consistent anti-elite party position since the 1980s, or his opposition to Ronald Reagan’s immigration policies (amnesty) and various critiques of George H.W. Bush’s tax plans, Bill Clinton’s trade deals (NAFTA) and George W. Bush’s foreign policy (the so-called Bush Doctrine). These changes over the past 30 years have made relevant Trump’s bravado, hyper-individualism and anti-elite establishment politics. He is now more acceptable and allowed to flourish in this environment. In other words, the shifting social, economic and political conditions at home and abroad have made it more conducive for Trump to succeed and, therefore, they matter more to both traditionalist and political newcomers alike. Throughout his campaign, Trump has tried to do several things. He has attempted to be the voice of the forgotten little guy—the white “middle class”—by playing the role of “outsider.” But he plays the outsider role from within a major party label that gives him real access to mainstream media outlets: the non-politician who is self-made and independent enough to make the right decisions without fear of powerful interests as a show of strength in character and temperament; the successful businessman who knows the rules of the game and can create real change by negotiating deals while taking advantage of established rules/laws (bankruptcy, real estate and tax laws); and the individual with a third party candidate mentality, carefree attitude who exposes the truth about others (while diverting attention away from his own wrongdoings) by displaying a confident every-man’s tough guy persona. RAGE, FEAR AND DISCONTENT Yes, Trump seems to have implicitly the third party candidate’s “I really can’t win so might as well make best of the spotlight” posture. Trump has played a third-party role since the beginning of the Republican Party primary, which allowed him to outmaneuver and out-shine those other flawed Republicans in the field because his brand, “outsider” claims and unorthodox style appealed to middle/working class white male rage, fears and feelings of discontent with a system that has left them behind. All this has taken place in the context of what many have called a weak Grand Old Party (GOP), which has rather reluctantly appointed, if not anointed, Trump as the party’s nominee to the US presidency. This comes despite Trump’s own problematic and unprincipled self-interest politics played over the years—donating large amounts of money to campaigns across party lines, including the Clintons. Even more problematic is his constant reliance on the “outsider” trope that also grants him the right to claim the political system is rigged, corrupt or biased against him and his supporters. Trump matters in another way. He brings a new political deviance rarely seen on the national stage with impunity. For instance, his acceptance of the party nomination and yet emphatically suggesting that he may not accept the results of the election—if he does not win of course. This moment in modern US political history puts in jeopardy the nation’s long-held conventional democratic practice of engaging in the peaceful transfer of power. Trump seemingly gets away with such behaviour because he wholeheartedly believes he alone can fix things through providing what the current system supposedly needs: a leader with a candid voice, a straight shooter, a self-financed entrepreneur not dependent on party machines, or big money and Wall Street powers. TRUMP POLITICS In sum, Trump’s brand of politics represents the best and worst of the neoliberal political environment we have today in America. He is an expert in self-asserting his identity into existence, constructing a brand that takes a life of its own and represents success in a materialistic sense. Yet he makes the brand appealing to those mostly at the lower levels of the American working and middle classes who aspire to similar successes and wealth despite the odds being against them, especially when most don’t have a wealthy father who can lend $1 million as a startup fund. Trump’s brand matters because it appeals to an American sense of individualism, liberty and unlimited opportunities all rooted in some folk notion of puritanical morality. However, the Trump brand is now more conducive to the new political environment that also includes increased anti-political correctness shepherding the worst tendencies in American social and political life. These range from a renewed sense of white male privilege or entitlement to the carelessness and insensitivity toward others who may find themselves in vulnerable positions: undocumented immigrants, Mexicans, women, refugees, Muslims, African Americans, certain military veterans, LGBTQ members of our society, and even media pundits who do not fall in line, among others. The mostly rhetorical successes of the Trump brand go beyond this election cycle and into the heart of American liberal democracy. Trump matters because his brand has forced the Republican Party to reconsider its core values and principles, what it will stand for and who it will represent moving forward, whether Trump wins or not. More broadly, we now have to ponder to what extent Americans will embrace the kinds of values, visions and practices the Trump brand has infused into our social and political culture, especially after November 8. This article has been originally published in Fair Observer.

Why does Donald Trump matter?

<p>The parents of black teenager Michael Brown and the city of Ferguson, Missouri, have settled a lawsuit over his fatal shooting by a white city police officer in 2014, according to a court document filed on Monday.</p>

<p>Brown&#39;s death triggered sometimes violent protests in Ferguson and around the United States, fuelled by later police killings of unarmed black men in other cities. It also helped spark debate about racial bias in the US&nbsp;justice system.</p>

<p>Terms of the wrongful death settlement between Ferguson and Brown&#39;s parents, Michael Brown Sr&nbsp;and Lesley McSpadden, were not disclosed. US&nbsp;District Judge E&nbsp;Richard Webber approved the settlement and ordered it sealed.</p>

<p>&quot;The gross settlement amount is fair and reasonable compensation for this wrongful death claim and is in the best interests of each plaintiff,&quot; Webber wrote.</p>

<p>Both James Knowles, the mayor of the blue-collar, largely black St. Louis suburb, and Anthony Gray, the lead attorney for Brown&#39;s parents, declined to comment.</p>

<p>Brown and McSpadden, his ex-wife, sued the city, former Police Chief Tom Jackson, and former police officer Darren Wilson in 2015. Wilson shot Brown, 18, multiple times after a confrontation in August 2014 as Brown and a friend walked through their neighbourhood.</p>

<p>Images of the teen&#39;s body, which lay in the street for more than four hours, and an aftermath in which police officials defended Wilson&#39;s actions and characterised Brown as a thief, enraged many in the black community.</p>

<p>A federal probe of Brown&#39;s killing found systematic racial discrimination that targeted black residents and created a &quot;toxic environment&quot; in Ferguson.</p>

<p>The report said the city overwhelmingly arrested and issued traffic citations to blacks to boost city coffers, used police as a collection agency and fomented a culture of distrust that exploded when Brown was shot.</p>

<p>A grand jury decided not to charge Wilson, and the US&nbsp;Justice Department declined to bring any charges of civil rights violations against him.</p>

<p>Brown&#39;s death helped spark the &quot;Black Lives Matter&quot; movement protesting what was widely seen as the use of unrestrained lethal force against minorities by police.</p>

<p>(Reuters)</p>


The terms of the wrongful death settlement between Brown's family and city officials have not been disclosed in public

The parents of black teenager Michael Brown and the city of Ferguson, Missouri, have settled a lawsuit over his fatal shooting by a white city police officer in 2014, according to a court document filed on Monday. Brown's death triggered sometimes violent protests in Ferguson and around the United States, fuelled by later police killings of unarmed black men in other cities. It also helped spark debate about racial bias in the US justice system. Terms of the wrongful death settlement between Ferguson and Brown's parents, Michael Brown Sr and Lesley McSpadden, were not disclosed. US District Judge E Richard Webber approved the settlement and ordered it sealed. "The gross settlement amount is fair and reasonable compensation for this wrongful death claim and is in the best interests of each plaintiff," Webber wrote. Both James Knowles, the mayor of the blue-collar, largely black St. Louis suburb, and Anthony Gray, the lead attorney for Brown's parents, declined to comment. Brown and McSpadden, his ex-wife, sued the city, former Police Chief Tom Jackson, and former police officer Darren Wilson in 2015. Wilson shot Brown, 18, multiple times after a confrontation in August 2014 as Brown and a friend walked through their neighbourhood. Images of the teen's body, which lay in the street for more than four hours, and an aftermath in which police officials defended Wilson's actions and characterised Brown as a thief, enraged many in the black community. A federal probe of Brown's killing found systematic racial discrimination that targeted black residents and created a "toxic environment" in Ferguson. The report said the city overwhelmingly arrested and issued traffic citations to blacks to boost city coffers, used police as a collection agency and fomented a culture of distrust that exploded when Brown was shot. A grand jury decided not to charge Wilson, and the US Justice Department declined to bring any charges of civil rights violations against him. Brown's death helped spark the "Black Lives Matter" movement protesting what was widely seen as the use of unrestrained lethal force against minorities by police. (Reuters)

Michael Brown: Ferguson settles lawsuit over black teenager killed by police officer in Missouri

<p>Pepsi has apologised for a controversial advertisement that looked like right out of Black Lives Matter movement.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The advertisement received flak for trivialising a serious matter as such.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Pepsi, on Wednesday, sent&nbsp;out its apology on Twitter:</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb">
<p dir="ltr" lang="und"><a href="https://t.co/I21nQl68cY">pic.twitter.com/I21nQl68cY</a></p>
&mdash; Pepsi&trade; (@pepsi) <a href="https://twitter.com/pepsi/status/849679114416115714">5 April 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>The advertisement features Kendall Jenner, famous American model and TV personality as a part of the protest. The protesters are seen holding placards with the words &ldquo;Join the conversation&rdquo; written on them. Towards the ad&rsquo;s climactic scene, Jenner offers a police officer a can of Pepsi which is accepted by him amid cheer from the crowd.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Watch video:</p>

<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HoICzJZ44gI" width="560"></iframe></p>

<p>The current activists who are still a part of the movement feel that the ad depicts an unreal world, where in fact, the opposite exists. Many also have a problem with Kendall Jenner, a white woman being portrayed as a &lsquo;hero&rsquo; in the film.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Michael Jackson almost burned alive on the set of a Pepsi commercial and today that became the second worst moment in Pepsi history</p>
&mdash; Russell (@RussellFalcon) <a href="https://twitter.com/RussellFalcon/status/849421668212776960">April 5, 2017</a></blockquote>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Sorry, this seat&#39;s taken. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/pepsi?src=hash">#pepsi</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PepsiLivesMatter?src=hash">#PepsiLivesMatter</a> <a href="https://t.co/NjRkMaO2tc">pic.twitter.com/NjRkMaO2tc</a></p>
&mdash; Rosa Parks (@RosaLouParks) <a href="https://twitter.com/RosaLouParks/status/849708380629458949">April 5, 2017</a></blockquote>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The fact that <a href="https://twitter.com/pepsi">@pepsi</a> think it&#39;s cool to commercialize the times we live in to sell a soda using a girl who&#39;s never marched for anything. Wtf</p>
&mdash; Miss Fame (@MissFameNYC) <a href="https://twitter.com/MissFameNYC/status/849430400707555330">April 5, 2017</a></blockquote>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The Kendall Jenner Pepsi fiasco is a perfect example of what happens when there&#39;s no black people in the room when decisions are being made.</p>
&mdash; Travon Free (@Travon) <a href="https://twitter.com/Travon/status/849409230754983936">April 4, 2017</a></blockquote>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">When you listen to pepsi <a href="https://t.co/tCH1y7mKPP">pic.twitter.com/tCH1y7mKPP</a></p>
&mdash; Mo City King (@Kingkeraun) <a href="https://twitter.com/Kingkeraun/status/849817166404665344">April 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">On April 4th, <a href="https://twitter.com/pepsi">@pepsi</a> thought it was a good idea to release an ad where a Kardashian is playing a Civil Rights heroine.<br />
<br />
Abt sums it up...</p>
&mdash; Bakari Sellers (@Bakari_Sellers) <a href="https://twitter.com/Bakari_Sellers/status/849431288691994625">April 5, 2017</a></blockquote>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Kendall: &quot;Pepsi choose me to just be the face, I didn&#39;t do anything.&quot;<br />
<br />
Twitter: <a href="https://t.co/6ZbQlRqyXG">pic.twitter.com/6ZbQlRqyXG</a></p>
&mdash; Black People Vines (@BIackPplVids) <a href="https://twitter.com/BIackPplVids/status/850117681059696640">6 April 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
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<p>Earlier in the day, Pepsi in a statement said: &ldquo;Pepsi was trying to project a global message of unity, peace and understanding. It is a short film about the moments when we decide to let go, choose to act, follow our passion and nothing holds us back.&rdquo; But eventually pulled the plug on the advertisement.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Black Lives Matter is an international activist movement that campaigns against violence and perceived systemic racism toward black people. It started with holding protests against police killings of black people and broader issues of racial profiling, police brutality, and racial inequality in the United States criminal justice system.</p>

<p>(WION)</p>


The ad was accused of trivialising the Black Lives Matter protests

Pepsi has apologised for a controversial advertisement that looked like right out of Black Lives Matter movement. The advertisement received flak for trivialising a serious matter as such. Pepsi, on Wednesday, sent out its apology on Twitter: pic.twitter.com/I21nQl68cY — Pepsi™ (@pepsi) 5 April 2017 × The advertisement features Kendall Jenner, famous American model and TV personality as a part of the protest. The protesters are seen holding placards with the words “Join the conversation” written on them. Towards the ad’s climactic scene, Jenner offers a police officer a can of Pepsi which is accepted by him amid cheer from the crowd. Watch video: The current activists who are still a part of the movement feel that the ad depicts an unreal world, where in fact, the opposite exists. Many also have a problem with Kendall Jenner, a white woman being portrayed as a ‘hero’ in the film. Michael Jackson almost burned alive on the set of a Pepsi commercial and today that became the second worst moment in Pepsi history — Russell (@RussellFalcon) April 5, 2017 × Sorry, this seat's taken. #pepsi #PepsiLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/NjRkMaO2tc — Rosa Parks (@RosaLouParks) April 5, 2017 × The fact that @pepsi think it's cool to commercialize the times we live in to sell a soda using a girl who's never marched for anything. Wtf — Miss Fame (@MissFameNYC) April 5, 2017 × The Kendall Jenner Pepsi fiasco is a perfect example of what happens when there's no black people in the room when decisions are being made. — Travon Free (@Travon) April 4, 2017 × When you listen to pepsi pic.twitter.com/tCH1y7mKPP — Mo City King (@Kingkeraun) April 6, 2017 × On April 4th, @pepsi thought it was a good idea to release an ad where a Kardashian is playing a Civil Rights heroine. Abt sums it up... — Bakari Sellers (@Bakari_Sellers) April 5, 2017 × Kendall: "Pepsi choose me to just be the face, I didn't do anything." Twitter: pic.twitter.com/6ZbQlRqyXG — Black People Vines (@BIackPplVids) 6 April 2017 × Earlier in the day, Pepsi in a statement said: “Pepsi was trying to project a global message of unity, peace and understanding. It is a short film about the moments when we decide to let go, choose to act, follow our passion and nothing holds us back.” But eventually pulled the plug on the advertisement. Black Lives Matter is an international activist movement that campaigns against violence and perceived systemic racism toward black people. It started with holding protests against police killings of black people and broader issues of racial profiling, police brutality, and racial inequality in the United States criminal justice system. (WION)

Pepsi apologises for controversial Kendall Jenner advertisement

<p>A white US Army veteran from Baltimore bent on making a racist attack took a bus to New York, the &quot;media capital of the world,&quot; randomly picked out a black man who was collecting bottles on the street and killed him with a sword, police have said.</p>

<p>James Harris Jackson turned himself in at a Times Square police station early Wednesday, about 25 hours after Timothy Caughman staggered into a police precinct bleeding to death. &quot;I&#39;m the person that you&#39;re looking for,&quot; Jackson told police, according to Assistant Chief William Aubrey.</p>

<p>Jackson, who was arrested on suspicion of murder, told police he&#39;d harboured feelings of hatred toward black men for at least 10 years, authorities said. He traveled to New York on March 17 and had been staying in a Manhattan hotel.</p>

<p>&quot;The reason he picked New York is because it&#39;s the media capital of the world and he wanted to make a statement,&quot; Aubrey said.</p>

<p>Jackson was wandering the streets in a long overcoat concealing a 26-inch sword when he encountered Caughman, who was collecting bottles from trash cans, police said. Jackson stabbed him repeatedly in his chest and back, they said.</p>

<p>Caughman, who was 66 years old and lived nearby in a transitional house, was taken to a hospital by police shortly after he arrived to the station house. He died at the hospital. According to his Twitter page, he was an autograph collector and a music and movie lover who tweeted about John Lennon, Chuck Berry and the best St&nbsp;Patrick&#39;s Day writing. He said he&#39;d like to visit California someday.</p>

<p>After the attack, Jackson, who&#39;s 28, went to the bathroom of a nearby restaurant and washed off the blood from the killing, authorities said.</p>

<p>Investigators said they believed Jackson was considering other attacks but surrendered after noticing his photo in media reports. He had two knives and told investigators where they could find the sword, police said. The sword was retrieved from a trash can not far from the scene.</p>

<p>Video surveillance captured Jackson in the days leading up to the attack, and investigators said he had walked purposefully toward a black man but didn&#39;t attack him.</p>

<p>Jackson was expected to appear in court later Wednesday. It was unclear when he might get a lawyer who could comment on his case. He said nothing to reporters as he was led from a police station. A call to his family&#39;s home phone rang unanswered.</p>

<p>A former neighbour who tangled with Jackson over an apartment in Baltimore recalled him as &quot;a piece of work&quot; who fell months behind on rent.</p>

<p>&quot;He&#39;s just one of those people that you wish you never met,&quot; said Marcus Dagan, who had been informally managing the building on behalf of its then-owner and took Jackson to court over the rent.</p>

<p>(PTI)</p>


James Harris Jackson randomly picked out a black man who was collecting bottles on the street and killed him with a sword

A white US Army veteran from Baltimore bent on making a racist attack took a bus to New York, the "media capital of the world," randomly picked out a black man who was collecting bottles on the street and killed him with a sword, police have said. James Harris Jackson turned himself in at a Times Square police station early Wednesday, about 25 hours after Timothy Caughman staggered into a police precinct bleeding to death. "I'm the person that you're looking for," Jackson told police, according to Assistant Chief William Aubrey. Jackson, who was arrested on suspicion of murder, told police he'd harboured feelings of hatred toward black men for at least 10 years, authorities said. He traveled to New York on March 17 and had been staying in a Manhattan hotel. "The reason he picked New York is because it's the media capital of the world and he wanted to make a statement," Aubrey said. Jackson was wandering the streets in a long overcoat concealing a 26-inch sword when he encountered Caughman, who was collecting bottles from trash cans, police said. Jackson stabbed him repeatedly in his chest and back, they said. Caughman, who was 66 years old and lived nearby in a transitional house, was taken to a hospital by police shortly after he arrived to the station house. He died at the hospital. According to his Twitter page, he was an autograph collector and a music and movie lover who tweeted about John Lennon, Chuck Berry and the best St Patrick's Day writing. He said he'd like to visit California someday. After the attack, Jackson, who's 28, went to the bathroom of a nearby restaurant and washed off the blood from the killing, authorities said. Investigators said they believed Jackson was considering other attacks but surrendered after noticing his photo in media reports. He had two knives and told investigators where they could find the sword, police said. The sword was retrieved from a trash can not far from the scene. Video surveillance captured Jackson in the days leading up to the attack, and investigators said he had walked purposefully toward a black man but didn't attack him. Jackson was expected to appear in court later Wednesday. It was unclear when he might get a lawyer who could comment on his case. He said nothing to reporters as he was led from a police station. A call to his family's home phone rang unanswered. A former neighbour who tangled with Jackson over an apartment in Baltimore recalled him as "a piece of work" who fell months behind on rent. "He's just one of those people that you wish you never met," said Marcus Dagan, who had been informally managing the building on behalf of its then-owner and took Jackson to court over the rent. (PTI)

White sword killer went to NY to attack black people: Police

<p>White supremacist Dylann Roof deserves to die for the hate-fuelled killings of nine black churchgoers at a Bible study meeting in a Charleston, South Carolina, a US&nbsp;jury said on Tuesday after deliberating for less than three hours.</p>

<p>The same jury last month found Roof, 22, guilty of 33 federal charges, including hate crimes resulting in death, for the shocking mass shooting at the landmark Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in 2015.</p>

<p>Roof, who represented himself and did not argue against the death penalty, showed no emotion as the verdict was read.</p>

<p>Prosecutors said he planned the shooting for months, intending to incite racial violence by targeting the oldest African-American congregation in the US&nbsp;South.</p>

<p>&ldquo;He decided the day, the hour and the moment that my sister was going to die, and now someone is going to do the same for him,&quot; Melvin Graham, brother of shooting victim Cynthia Hurd, 54, said outside the federal courthouse in the heart of historic Charleston&#39;s downtown district.</p>

<p>Roof will be formally sentenced on Wednesday. He also faces the death penalty if convicted of murder charges in a pending state trial.</p>

<p>Whether he was competent to serve as his own attorney will be a fundamental issue in the appeals process, Robert Dunham, executive director of the Washington-based nonprofit Death Penalty Information Center, said in a telephone interview.</p>

<p>Roof did not present any evidence during the penalty phase that began last week or allow jurors to hear details about his mental health. Dunham said defence lawyers likely will use the trial to show appellate judges that mental illness prevented him from adequately representing himself.</p>

<p>&quot;We are sorry that, despite our best efforts, the legal proceedings have shed so little light on the reasons for this tragedy,&quot; Roof&#39;s lawyers, who represented him for the guilt phase, said in a statement.</p>

<p>Roof was unrepentant during his short closing argument, telling jurors he still felt the massacre was something he had to do.</p>

<p>&quot;Anyone who hates anything has good reason for it,&quot; he said. &quot;I have a right to ask you to give me a life sentence, but I&#39;m not sure what good that will do anyone.&quot;</p>

<p>On June 17, 2015, Roof sat for 40 minutes with parishioners gathered for a Bible study meeting before opening fire as they closed their eyes to pray, assistant US attorney Jay Richardson said in his final statement to jurors.</p>

<p>Roof pulled the trigger 75 times as he methodically killed Hurd; Clementa Pinckney, 41, the church&rsquo;s pastor and a state senator; DePayne Middleton Doctor, 49; Sharonda Coleman Singleton, 45; Susie Jackson, 87; Ethel Lance, 70; Myra Thompson, 59; Daniel Simmons Sr., 74; and Tywanza Sanders, 26.</p>

<p>Jurors heard four days of heartrending testimony from more than 20 of the victims&#39; loved ones, who described their legacies of faith and the devastation wrought by Roof&#39;s brutality.</p>

<p>&quot;What&#39;s wrong here is the calculated racism, the choice to target a church, particularly the people in a church,&quot; Richardson told jurors. &quot;What&#39;s wrong here is precisely why this is a case that justifies the death penalty.&quot;</p>

<p>(Reuters)</p>


Prosecutors said that he planned to incite racial violence by targeting the oldest African-American congregation in the US?South

White supremacist Dylann Roof deserves to die for the hate-fuelled killings of nine black churchgoers at a Bible study meeting in a Charleston, South Carolina, a US jury said on Tuesday after deliberating for less than three hours. The same jury last month found Roof, 22, guilty of 33 federal charges, including hate crimes resulting in death, for the shocking mass shooting at the landmark Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in 2015. Roof, who represented himself and did not argue against the death penalty, showed no emotion as the verdict was read. Prosecutors said he planned the shooting for months, intending to incite racial violence by targeting the oldest African-American congregation in the US South. “He decided the day, the hour and the moment that my sister was going to die, and now someone is going to do the same for him," Melvin Graham, brother of shooting victim Cynthia Hurd, 54, said outside the federal courthouse in the heart of historic Charleston's downtown district. Roof will be formally sentenced on Wednesday. He also faces the death penalty if convicted of murder charges in a pending state trial. Whether he was competent to serve as his own attorney will be a fundamental issue in the appeals process, Robert Dunham, executive director of the Washington-based nonprofit Death Penalty Information Center, said in a telephone interview. Roof did not present any evidence during the penalty phase that began last week or allow jurors to hear details about his mental health. Dunham said defence lawyers likely will use the trial to show appellate judges that mental illness prevented him from adequately representing himself. "We are sorry that, despite our best efforts, the legal proceedings have shed so little light on the reasons for this tragedy," Roof's lawyers, who represented him for the guilt phase, said in a statement. Roof was unrepentant during his short closing argument, telling jurors he still felt the massacre was something he had to do. "Anyone who hates anything has good reason for it," he said. "I have a right to ask you to give me a life sentence, but I'm not sure what good that will do anyone." On June 17, 2015, Roof sat for 40 minutes with parishioners gathered for a Bible study meeting before opening fire as they closed their eyes to pray, assistant US attorney Jay Richardson said in his final statement to jurors. Roof pulled the trigger 75 times as he methodically killed Hurd; Clementa Pinckney, 41, the church’s pastor and a state senator; DePayne Middleton Doctor, 49; Sharonda Coleman Singleton, 45; Susie Jackson, 87; Ethel Lance, 70; Myra Thompson, 59; Daniel Simmons Sr., 74; and Tywanza Sanders, 26. Jurors heard four days of heartrending testimony from more than 20 of the victims' loved ones, who described their legacies of faith and the devastation wrought by Roof's brutality. "What's wrong here is the calculated racism, the choice to target a church, particularly the people in a church," Richardson told jurors. "What's wrong here is precisely why this is a case that justifies the death penalty." (Reuters)

Dylann Roof sentenced to death for South Carolina church massacre

<p>Walmart has stopped selling t-shirts and sweatshirts featuring the word &ldquo;Bulletproof&rdquo; on Black Lives Matter merchandise after the national Fraternal Order of Police, the United States&rsquo; largest police organisation, called the slogan offensive.</p>

<p>Walmart said it would remove the shirts which say &ldquo;Bulletproof&rdquo;, but not the &ldquo;Black Lives Matter&rdquo; shirts, according to The Washington Post.</p>

<p>Chuck Canterbury, the FOP president, in a letter to Walmart CEO C Douglas McMillon on Tuesday, said Walmart website was selling &ldquo;offensive shirts and sweatshirts,&rdquo; and &ldquo;I urge you to prohibit the use of the Walmart name and website for the retail sale of these products&rdquo;, The Washington Post reported.</p>

<p>Walmart issued a statement on Tuesday night saying, &ldquo;Like other online retailers, we have a marketplace with millions of items offered by third parties that includes Blue Lives Matter, Black Lives Matter and All Lives Matter merchandise. After hearing concerns from customers, we are removing the specific item with the &lsquo;bulletproof&rsquo; reference.&rdquo;</p>

<p>The executive director of the police union in Washington, Jim Pasco said the issue was raised by union members who felt Walmart was selling anti-police items, The Washington Post reported.</p>

<p>&ldquo;Why not speak out against things that might be seen as fomenting violence, rather than things that commit violence?&rdquo;, Pasco added.&nbsp;The FOP on Wednesday sent a similar request to Amazon.com.</p>

<p>Black Lives Matter (BLM)&nbsp;is a fluid, leaderless movement&nbsp;devoted to raising awareness of, and finding solutions for,&nbsp;systemic violence and discrimination the&nbsp;African American community suffers at the hands of various institutions:&nbsp;the police,&nbsp;court system, and more.</p>

<p>BLM has gained a spotlight across America and beyond since the Ferguson riots of 2014, when militarised police armed with weapons from the Iraq war descended on the&nbsp;city in response to public protests against&nbsp;a court exonerating&nbsp;a policeman after he fatally shot an unarmed African American teenager, Mike Brown.</p>

<p>Since then, a rash of new videos filmed by people on their&nbsp;smartphone&nbsp;have been shared across social media, showing American police violence against&nbsp;African Americans.</p>

<p>Here is one such&nbsp;video that circulated yesterday:</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="lv">WTF WTF WTF WTF <a href="https://t.co/mlqOkCX8GZ">https://t.co/mlqOkCX8GZ</a></p>
&mdash; Andy Richter (@AndyRichter) <a href="https://twitter.com/AndyRichter/status/812046173326278656">December 22, 2016</a></blockquote>
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<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>(WION)</p>


Walmart said it would remove the shirts which say 'Bulletproof' but not the 'Black Lives Matter' shirts

Walmart has stopped selling t-shirts and sweatshirts featuring the word “Bulletproof” on Black Lives Matter merchandise after the national Fraternal Order of Police, the United States’ largest police organisation, called the slogan offensive. Walmart said it would remove the shirts which say “Bulletproof”, but not the “Black Lives Matter” shirts, according to The Washington Post. Chuck Canterbury, the FOP president, in a letter to Walmart CEO C Douglas McMillon on Tuesday, said Walmart website was selling “offensive shirts and sweatshirts,” and “I urge you to prohibit the use of the Walmart name and website for the retail sale of these products”, The Washington Post reported. Walmart issued a statement on Tuesday night saying, “Like other online retailers, we have a marketplace with millions of items offered by third parties that includes Blue Lives Matter, Black Lives Matter and All Lives Matter merchandise. After hearing concerns from customers, we are removing the specific item with the ‘bulletproof’ reference.” The executive director of the police union in Washington, Jim Pasco said the issue was raised by union members who felt Walmart was selling anti-police items, The Washington Post reported. “Why not speak out against things that might be seen as fomenting violence, rather than things that commit violence?”, Pasco added. The FOP on Wednesday sent a similar request to Amazon.com. Black Lives Matter (BLM) is a fluid, leaderless movement devoted to raising awareness of, and finding solutions for, systemic violence and discrimination the African American community suffers at the hands of various institutions: the police, court system, and more. BLM has gained a spotlight across America and beyond since the Ferguson riots of 2014, when militarised police armed with weapons from the Iraq war descended on the city in response to public protests against a court exonerating a policeman after he fatally shot an unarmed African American teenager, Mike Brown. Since then, a rash of new videos filmed by people on their smartphone have been shared across social media, showing American police violence against African Americans. Here is one such video that circulated yesterday: WTF WTF WTF WTF https://t.co/mlqOkCX8GZ — Andy Richter (@AndyRichter) December 22, 2016 × (WION)

Walmart stops selling 'Bulletproof' Black Lives Matter t-shirts after police complaint

<p>Defense attorneys urged a South Carolina jury on Wednesday (November 30) to look beyond a shocking video of a white police officer shooting a fleeing black motorist to death last year and consider all the evidence presented at the former policeman&#39;s murder trial.</p>

<p>Lawyers were making their closing arguments to jurors who will decide whether Michael Slager, 35, committed a crime when he killed 50-year-old Walter Scott in North Charleston.</p>

<p>Slager testified on Tuesday that he was afraid when he shot Scott, who state prosecutors said fled a traffic stop because he was behind on child-support payments and feared he might be arrested.</p>

<p>Attorney Andy Savage told the jury of 11 white people and one black person to consider not just the video, captured by a bystander and viewed by millions of Americans, but all the evidence presented since testimony began earlier this month.</p>

<p><em>Warning: Video contains graphic violence and language.&nbsp;</em></p>

<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XKQqgVlk0NQ" width="560"></iframe></p>

<p>&quot;Setting the false narrative aside, let&#39;s look at the truth,&quot; he told jurors in a Charleston courtroom.</p>

<p>Earlier on Wednesday, the jury visited the empty lot in North Charleston where the shooting occurred, taking in a final bit of evidence in a case that intensified national debate about racial bias in law enforcement. The April 4, 2015, incident began when Slager stopped Scott&#39;s car for a broken brake light, and Scott fled. Slager chased the man, first firing a Taser stun gun at him and then drawing his firearm after a tussle.</p>

<p>Savage said Slager shot him &quot;in fear of his life&quot;, noting that the officer did not know at the time that Scott was unarmed.</p>

<p>He said the video transformed Slager into a national symbol for a wave of controversial police killings of black men in cities including New York, Baltimore and Ferguson, Missouri. Slager was fired, arrested and charged with murder.</p>

<p>Solicitor Scarlett Wilson told jurors that they had to find Slager acted with malice to convict him of murder.</p>

<p>&quot;It can be meanness. It can be ill will. It can be just a plain and reckless indifference to human life - like eight shots in the back,&quot; she said.</p>

<p>Prosecutors contend Slager did not appear to be in danger when he hit Scott with five of those shots. The jury could also weigh a lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter for Slager, who faces a maximum of life in prison if convicted of murder.&nbsp;</p>

<p>(Agencies)</p>


11 white and 1 black jurors were told to take all evidence into account, not just the video of the killing seen by millions of Americans

Defense attorneys urged a South Carolina jury on Wednesday (November 30) to look beyond a shocking video of a white police officer shooting a fleeing black motorist to death last year and consider all the evidence presented at the former policeman's murder trial. Lawyers were making their closing arguments to jurors who will decide whether Michael Slager, 35, committed a crime when he killed 50-year-old Walter Scott in North Charleston. Slager testified on Tuesday that he was afraid when he shot Scott, who state prosecutors said fled a traffic stop because he was behind on child-support payments and feared he might be arrested. Attorney Andy Savage told the jury of 11 white people and one black person to consider not just the video, captured by a bystander and viewed by millions of Americans, but all the evidence presented since testimony began earlier this month. Warning: Video contains graphic violence and language. "Setting the false narrative aside, let's look at the truth," he told jurors in a Charleston courtroom. Earlier on Wednesday, the jury visited the empty lot in North Charleston where the shooting occurred, taking in a final bit of evidence in a case that intensified national debate about racial bias in law enforcement. The April 4, 2015, incident began when Slager stopped Scott's car for a broken brake light, and Scott fled. Slager chased the man, first firing a Taser stun gun at him and then drawing his firearm after a tussle. Savage said Slager shot him "in fear of his life", noting that the officer did not know at the time that Scott was unarmed. He said the video transformed Slager into a national symbol for a wave of controversial police killings of black men in cities including New York, Baltimore and Ferguson, Missouri. Slager was fired, arrested and charged with murder. Solicitor Scarlett Wilson told jurors that they had to find Slager acted with malice to convict him of murder. "It can be meanness. It can be ill will. It can be just a plain and reckless indifference to human life - like eight shots in the back," she said. Prosecutors contend Slager did not appear to be in danger when he hit Scott with five of those shots. The jury could also weigh a lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter for Slager, who faces a maximum of life in prison if convicted of murder. (Agencies)

Closing arguments presented in trial for ex-cop who killed unarmed black man, Walter Scott

<p>Police in North Carolina released graphic camera footage of the shooting and death of a black man by officers in Charlotte last month, and a lawyer for the family said the video does not offer evidence supporting a police narrative that he was holding a gun.</p>

<p>The death of Keith Scott, a 43-year-old father of seven, was one of the latest to raise questions about racial bias in US&nbsp;law enforcement and further stoke a national debate on America&#39;s criminal justice system ahead of November&#39;s presidential election.</p>

<p>Protesters and family members have demanded Charlotte-Mecklenburg police release full police body camera footage in part to back up the police narrative that Scott was armed during the September 20 shooting.</p>

<p>A roughly 16-minute video shows officers giving Scott medical aid as he lay unresponsive on the ground in a parking lot. He repeatedly moans in agony, with his hands bound behind his back with handcuffs.</p>

<p>At one point, an officer says &quot;stay with us&quot; as officers count the bullet wounds on his bloodied body.</p>

<p>No gun can be seen with Scott in the video.</p>

<p>Even so, an officer near Scott tells another officer to &quot;stay right here with the gun.&quot;</p>

<p>After the video&#39;s release, Justin Bamberg, a lawyer for Scott&#39;s family, was quoted by the Charlotte Observer newspaper as telling reporters that the new video does not show Scott was armed.</p>

<p>&quot;My belief is if it was in that section near his body, you would have seen it,&quot; Bamberg said, according to the newspaper. &quot;We still don&#39;t know. This video does not shine any light on whether a firearm was in his possession or where it was found.&quot;</p>

<p>The funeral for Scott was canceled because of Hurricane Matthew bearing down on the region.</p>

<p>(Reuters)</p>


A lawyer for the family said the video does not offer evidence supporting a police narrative that he was holding a gun

Police in North Carolina released graphic camera footage of the shooting and death of a black man by officers in Charlotte last month, and a lawyer for the family said the video does not offer evidence supporting a police narrative that he was holding a gun. The death of Keith Scott, a 43-year-old father of seven, was one of the latest to raise questions about racial bias in US law enforcement and further stoke a national debate on America's criminal justice system ahead of November's presidential election. Protesters and family members have demanded Charlotte-Mecklenburg police release full police body camera footage in part to back up the police narrative that Scott was armed during the September 20 shooting. A roughly 16-minute video shows officers giving Scott medical aid as he lay unresponsive on the ground in a parking lot. He repeatedly moans in agony, with his hands bound behind his back with handcuffs. At one point, an officer says "stay with us" as officers count the bullet wounds on his bloodied body. No gun can be seen with Scott in the video. Even so, an officer near Scott tells another officer to "stay right here with the gun." After the video's release, Justin Bamberg, a lawyer for Scott's family, was quoted by the Charlotte Observer newspaper as telling reporters that the new video does not show Scott was armed. "My belief is if it was in that section near his body, you would have seen it," Bamberg said, according to the newspaper. "We still don't know. This video does not shine any light on whether a firearm was in his possession or where it was found." The funeral for Scott was canceled because of Hurricane Matthew bearing down on the region. (Reuters)

After protests, North Carolina police release video of African American man's shooting

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