Missouri Governor Mike Parson said on Tuesday he has granted pardons to Mark and Patricia McCloskey, the St. Louis couple who drew international attention for brandishing guns at racial justice protesters last year.

In addition to the McCloskeys, who are personal injury lawyers, the Republican governor also pardoned 10 other people on Friday, a document from his office showed.

Parson, a Republican,&nbsp;pardoned Mark McCloskey, who&nbsp;pleaded guilty&nbsp;in June to misdemeanor fourth-degree assault and was fined $750, and Patricia McCloskey, who pleaded guilty to misdemeanor harassment and was fined $2,000.

The McCloskeys, both lawyers in their 60s, said they felt threatened by the protesters, who were&nbsp;passing their home&nbsp;in June 2020 on their way to demonstrate in front of the mayor’s house nearby in one of hundreds of similar demonstrations around the country after the killing of George Floyd, a Black man, by a white Minneapolis police officer.

The couple also said the group was trespassing on a private street.

Mark McCloskey emerged from his home with an AR-15-style rifle, and Patricia McCloskey waved a semiautomatic pistol, according to the indictment. Photos and cellphone video captured the confrontation, which drew widespread attention and made the couple heroes to some and villains to others.

A St. Louis grand jury indicted the couple on felony unlawful use of a weapon and tampering charges four months after the incident.

Because the charges were misdemeanors, the McCloskeys did not face the possibility of losing their law licenses or their rights to own firearms.

Last July, then-President Donald Trump, a Republican, said charging the couple was an abuse of power.

In a live broadcast, the McCloskeys spoke from their home at the Republican National Convention in August. Mark McCloskey announced last month he was running for a US&nbsp;Senate seat in Missouri as a Republican.

(With inputs from agencies)

Missouri Governor Mike Parson said on Tuesday he has granted pardons to Mark and Patricia McCloskey, the St. Louis couple who drew international attention for brandishing guns at racial justice protesters last year.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson said on Tuesday he has granted pardons to Mark and Patricia McCloskey, the St. Louis couple who drew international attention for brandishing guns at racial justice protesters last year. In addition to the McCloskeys, who are personal injury lawyers, the Republican governor also pardoned 10 other people on Friday, a document from his office showed. Parson, a Republican, pardoned Mark McCloskey, who pleaded guilty in June to misdemeanor fourth-degree assault and was fined $750, and Patricia McCloskey, who pleaded guilty to misdemeanor harassment and was fined $2,000. The McCloskeys, both lawyers in their 60s, said they felt threatened by the protesters, who were passing their home in June 2020 on their way to demonstrate in front of the mayor’s house nearby in one of hundreds of similar demonstrations around the country after the killing of George Floyd, a Black man, by a white Minneapolis police officer. The couple also said the group was trespassing on a private street. Mark McCloskey emerged from his home with an AR-15-style rifle, and Patricia McCloskey waved a semiautomatic pistol, according to the indictment. Photos and cellphone video captured the confrontation, which drew widespread attention and made the couple heroes to some and villains to others. A St. Louis grand jury indicted the couple on felony unlawful use of a weapon and tampering charges four months after the incident. Because the charges were misdemeanors, the McCloskeys did not face the possibility of losing their law licenses or their rights to own firearms. Last July, then-President Donald Trump, a Republican, said charging the couple was an abuse of power. In a live broadcast, the McCloskeys spoke from their home at the Republican National Convention in August. Mark McCloskey announced last month he was running for a US Senate seat in Missouri as a Republican. (With inputs from agencies)

Missouri Governor Mike Parson pardons St. Louis lawyer couple who brandished guns at protesters

Five police officers from California police force have sued Palo Alto city over Black Lives Matter mural. Their contention is that the mural has anti-police theme and amounted to discrimination, Harassment and retaliation. The officers have held the city responsible for letting the mural form.

News of the lawsuit was first given by Palo Alto Daily Post.

The mural was made on the street during protests over George Floyd's death. George Floyd was and African American man who passed away as a white police officer pressed his knee on his throat while detaining him.

The incident had caused widespread protest against police force that was often considered to use exxcessive force while dealing with people of African-American descent.

As per news reports, the mural was to be removed last November but it hasn't been.

The lawsuit points out that the mural includes logo of New Black Panthers which is categorised as a hate group by Southern Poverty Law Center

The center says that the group encourages violence against police officers, Jews and whites.

Five police officers from California police force have sued Palo Alto city over Black Lives Matter mural. Their contention is that the mural has anti-police theme and amounted to discrimination, Harassment and retaliation.

Five police officers from California police force have sued Palo Alto city over Black Lives Matter mural. Their contention is that the mural has anti-police theme and amounted to discrimination, Harassment and retaliation. The officers have held the city responsible for letting the mural form. News of the lawsuit was first given by Palo Alto Daily Post. The mural was made on the street during protests over George Floyd's death. George Floyd was and African American man who passed away as a white police officer pressed his knee on his throat while detaining him. The incident had caused widespread protest against police force that was often considered to use exxcessive force while dealing with people of African-American descent. As per news reports, the mural was to be removed last November but it hasn't been. The lawsuit points out that the mural includes logo of New Black Panthers which is categorised as a hate group by Southern Poverty Law Center The center says that the group encourages violence against police officers, Jews and whites.

California cops sue Palo Alto city over Black Lives Matter mural

Timeline of the revolution sparked by George Floyd's death

Former policeman Derek Chauvin will serve a prison sentence for 22.5-years for the murder of George Floyd while arresting him back in May last year.

Derek Chauvin sentenced: 22.5-year imprisonment for Derek Chauvin

Americans marked the federal holiday commemorated the emancipation of enslaved African-Americans, called Juneteenth, long a regional holiday in the US South that was given a national spotlight following the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020.

Black Lives Matter: George Floyd statue unveiled in Brooklyn

Juneteenth, also known as Emancipation Day, is annually observed on June 19 to commemorate the day when the Confederate states, in 1865, surrendered to end the Civil War and African-Americans were informed about their long-due freedom.

The day is observed to salute and pay respects to thousands of African-Americans who were held captive and enslaved nearly 400 years ago.

<h3>Declaration of freedom</h3>

On January 01, 1863, the then US President&nbsp;Abraham Lincoln issued an Emancipation Proclamation that stated that anyone and everyone held as slaves in the states "henceforward shall be free". However, many torturers did not disclose this announcement to their African-American slaves and continued employing them in inhumane conditions.

Later, on June 19, 1865, Major general Gordon Granger reached Galveston to make the slaves aware of the end of the Civil War and announce their freedom from their slavery days.

"The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property, between former masters and slaves and the connection heretofore existing between them, becomes that between employer and hired labor. The Freedmen are advised to remain at their present homes and work for wages. They are informed that they will not be allowed to collect at military posts; and they will not be supported in idleness either there or elsewhere," Granger said in his announcement in 1865, as per records made available by the Congressional Research Service.

From 1866, the African-American community started annual celebrations around the date, and that is when the term 'Juneteenth' (a portmanteau of June and nineteenth) was coined. People started organising cookouts, musical performances, cultural gatherings, prayer meetings, reading sessions and much more.

Slowly, as time progressed, the community grew stronger and people started hosting demonstrations and rallies with the aim to raise awareness about the discrimination the African-American communities face around the world, especially in the US.

<h3>Black Lives Matter</h3>

The movement, which was already popular in the US, grew manifolds and became more public last year after the death of an African-American man, George Floyd. In 2020, people took to streets to protest against the rising violence, discrimination and police brutality against the community that has led to deaths of several African-Americans in the US, France and several other countries all around the world.

Last year, under the rule of former US President Donald Trump, the legislation to make Juneteenth a federal holiday was blocked by the Senate, as the Republican Ron Johnson claimed another federal holiday would result in taxpayers paying millions of dollars to give federal government employees an additional holiday.

This roadblock did not come as a surprise under the administration whose leader was infamously accused several times of being a racist white man.

<h3>What’s so special this year?</h3>

This year, the day holds a special meaning as US President Joe Biden signed legislation marking a new holiday for June 19. Describing it as one of the greatest honours he has had, he signed the legislation to make June 19 the 12th federal holiday of the US.

Up till now, Juneteenth was celebrated as a holiday in 47 states and the District of Columbia. It is a paid holiday in Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, and Washington state, and now in Ohio.

In addition to the government, several private companies such as JP Morgan, Stanley Black &amp; Decker, Airbnb and a few others have decided to give a floating off, a holiday, or even a paid holiday from 2021 or 2022 to mark Juneteenth and contribute to this wave of change.

Juneteenth, also known as Emancipation Day, is annually observed on June 19 to commemorate the day when the Confederate states, in 1865, surrendered to end the Civil War and African-Americans were informed about their long-due freedom.

Juneteenth, also known as Emancipation Day, is annually observed on June 19 to commemorate the day when the Confederate states, in 1865, surrendered to end the Civil War and African-Americans were informed about their long-due freedom. The day is observed to salute and pay respects to thousands of African-Americans who were held captive and enslaved nearly 400 years ago. Declaration of freedom On January 01, 1863, the then US President Abraham Lincoln issued an Emancipation Proclamation that stated that anyone and everyone held as slaves in the states "henceforward shall be free". However, many torturers did not disclose this announcement to their African-American slaves and continued employing them in inhumane conditions. Later, on June 19, 1865, Major general Gordon Granger reached Galveston to make the slaves aware of the end of the Civil War and announce their freedom from their slavery days. "The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property, between former masters and slaves and the connection heretofore existing between them, becomes that between employer and hired labor. The Freedmen are advised to remain at their present homes and work for wages. They are informed that they will not be allowed to collect at military posts; and they will not be supported in idleness either there or elsewhere," Granger said in his announcement in 1865, as per records made available by the Congressional Research Service. From 1866, the African-American community started annual celebrations around the date, and that is when the term 'Juneteenth' (a portmanteau of June and nineteenth) was coined. People started organising cookouts, musical performances, cultural gatherings, prayer meetings, reading sessions and much more. Slowly, as time progressed, the community grew stronger and people started hosting demonstrations and rallies with the aim to raise awareness about the discrimination the African-American communities face around the world, especially in the US. Black Lives Matter The movement, which was already popular in the US, grew manifolds and became more public last year after the death of an African-American man, George Floyd. In 2020, people took to streets to protest against the rising violence, discrimination and police brutality against the community that has led to deaths of several African-Americans in the US, France and several other countries all around the world. Last year, under the rule of former US President Donald Trump, the legislation to make Juneteenth a federal holiday was blocked by the Senate, as the Republican Ron Johnson claimed another federal holiday would result in taxpayers paying millions of dollars to give federal government employees an additional holiday. This roadblock did not come as a surprise under the administration whose leader was infamously accused several times of being a racist white man. What’s so special this year? This year, the day holds a special meaning as US President Joe Biden signed legislation marking a new holiday for June 19. Describing it as one of the greatest honours he has had, he signed the legislation to make June 19 the 12th federal holiday of the US. Up till now, Juneteenth was celebrated as a holiday in 47 states and the District of Columbia. It is a paid holiday in Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, and Washington state, and now in Ohio. In addition to the government, several private companies such as JP Morgan, Stanley Black & Decker, Airbnb and a few others have decided to give a floating off, a holiday, or even a paid holiday from 2021 or 2022 to mark Juneteenth and contribute to this wave of change.

Juneteenth: The African-American community's fight for its rights

The city of Minneapolis on Thursday began reopening the intersection where George Floyd died, which became a memorial to the African American whose killing sparked a racial reckoning but has also been marred by violence.

City workers arrived before daybreak to remove concrete barriers blocking access to the intersection where the 46-year-old was killed by a white police officer who knelt on his neck for more than nine minutes on May 25, 2020.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a data-ctorig="https://www.wionews.com/world/prosecutors-seek-30-year-sentence-in-george-floyd-murder-case-389135" data-cturl="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/prosecutors-seek-30-year-sentence-in-george-floyd-murder-case-389135&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjI05Hz7fvwAhUBH7cAHb0OB48QFjAAegQICRAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw1sasOzasf6weyuZLKwZgjR" dir="ltr" href="https://www.wionews.com/world/prosecutors-seek-30-year-sentence-in-george-floyd-murder-case-389135" target="_blank">Prosecutors seek 30-year sentence in&nbsp;George Floyd&nbsp;murder case</a>

They installed signs to create a roundabout encircling a statue of a huge raised fist erected in the center of what has been renamed "George Floyd Square."

For more than a year, equal rights activists have occupied the square, tying its reopening to the adoption of police reforms. A local residents association was on hand Thursday to defuse tensions with them as the city workers moved in.&nbsp;

The site has become a symbol of the fractures caused by racism and the oppression of Black people across the United States, and is illustrated with numerous murals, and community garden and other installations.&nbsp;

But it has also become a dangerous zone where the police are not welcome.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/one-year-after-floyds-death-family-urges-to-pass-police-reform-bill-388100">WATCH |</a>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/one-year-after-floyds-death-family-urges-to-pass-police-reform-bill-388100/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Shootings are frequent, especially at night, and have resulted in a dozen deaths or injuries in the area in a year, according to law enforcement.&nbsp;

Police are not involved in the operation to reopen the intersection, a spokesman told AFP.&nbsp;

And the city is "taking great care to preserve artwork and artifacts" there, added a city council representative, Sarah McKenzie.

Authorities have long wanted to reopen the intersection but had been waiting for a conclusion in the trial of white police officer Derek Chauvin, who in April was convicted of killing Floyd.

To help the neighborhood bounce back, the Floyd family plans to invest $500,000 out of the $27 million they won in a wrongful death settlement against the city in local economic and cultural groups.

The city of Minneapolis on Thursday began reopening the intersection where George Floyd died, which became a memorial to the African American whose killing sparked a racial reckoning but has also been marred by violence.

The city of Minneapolis on Thursday began reopening the intersection where George Floyd died, which became a memorial to the African American whose killing sparked a racial reckoning but has also been marred by violence. City workers arrived before daybreak to remove concrete barriers blocking access to the intersection where the 46-year-old was killed by a white police officer who knelt on his neck for more than nine minutes on May 25, 2020. Also read | Prosecutors seek 30-year sentence in George Floyd murder case They installed signs to create a roundabout encircling a statue of a huge raised fist erected in the center of what has been renamed "George Floyd Square." For more than a year, equal rights activists have occupied the square, tying its reopening to the adoption of police reforms. A local residents association was on hand Thursday to defuse tensions with them as the city workers moved in. The site has become a symbol of the fractures caused by racism and the oppression of Black people across the United States, and is illustrated with numerous murals, and community garden and other installations. But it has also become a dangerous zone where the police are not welcome. WATCH | Shootings are frequent, especially at night, and have resulted in a dozen deaths or injuries in the area in a year, according to law enforcement. Police are not involved in the operation to reopen the intersection, a spokesman told AFP. And the city is "taking great care to preserve artwork and artifacts" there, added a city council representative, Sarah McKenzie. Authorities have long wanted to reopen the intersection but had been waiting for a conclusion in the trial of white police officer Derek Chauvin, who in April was convicted of killing Floyd. To help the neighborhood bounce back, the Floyd family plans to invest $500,000 out of the $27 million they won in a wrongful death settlement against the city in local economic and cultural groups.

US city of Minneapolis reopens intersection where George Floyd was killed

At the foot of modern buildings on an anonymous street, a few discreet metal plaques catch the eye.&nbsp;

"Grier shoemaker," "Earl real estate", riveted to the ground, they bear the names of Black-owned businesses that once stood there before being destroyed during one of the worst racial massacres in the United States, in 1921.&nbsp;

A rare vestige of a neighborhood so prosperous it was called Black Wall Street, the plaques prove that the history of Greenwood, a historically Black neighborhood of Tulsa, Oklahoma, is understood not by the monuments that currently stand, but the ones that are no longer there.&nbsp;

On the eve of a visit from President Joe Biden, popular with African-American voters, who will attend Tuesday's commemorations of the 100th anniversary of the massacre, and after a year marked by the Black Lives Matter movement, the killings resonate with current events more than ever.&nbsp;

"They came over and destroyed Greenwood and burned everything down," Bobby Eaton, 86, a neighborhood resident and former civil rights activist, told AFP.&nbsp;

A century ago, in the southern US town, the arrest of a young Black man accused of assaulting a white woman sparked one of the worst outpourings of racial violence ever seen in the country.&nbsp;

On May 31, 1921, after the arrest of Dick Rowland, hundreds of furious white people gathered outside the Tulsa courthouse, signalling to Black residents that a lynching, a common practice at the time and until as recently as the 1960s, was imminent.&nbsp;

A group of African-American World War I veterans, some of them armed, mobilised in an attempt to protect Rowland.&nbsp;

Tensions spiked and shots were fired. Fewer in number, the African-American residents retreated to Greenwood, known at the time for its economic prosperity and many businesses.&nbsp;

The next day, at dawn, white men looted and burned the buildings, chasing down and beating Black people living there. All day long, they ransacked Black Wall Street -- police not only did not intervene but joined in the destruction -- until nothing was left but ruins and ashes, killing up to 300 people in the process. The destruction left some 10,000 people homeless.&nbsp;

With a blue cap on his head and a T-shirt commemorating the massacre's centennial pulled over his shirt, Eaton feels marked by this event that he never saw but heard so much about as a child in his father's barber shop.&nbsp;

"I learned a lot about the riots as a very young person, that has never left my memory," he said.&nbsp;

In his opinion, as with many others in the neighborhood, it was the African-American prosperity that sparked the destruction. "That caused a great amount of jealousy, and it's still doing so.&nbsp;

"That mentality that destroyed Greenwood to begin with, to a great extent still exists right here in Tulsa," Eaton said.&nbsp;

Even 100 years after the massacre, racial tensions remain high.&nbsp;

In the Black Wall Street Liquid Lounge, a coffee shop named, like many businesses in Greenwood, in homage to the neighborhood's golden age, Kode Ransom, a 32-year-old African-American man, sports long dreadlocks and a big smile as he greets customers.&nbsp;

A happy co-manager of the business, he has one regret: not owning the walls around him.&nbsp;

"People hear 'Black Wall Street,' they think that it's completely controlled by Black people. It's actually not," he said.&nbsp;

Ransom estimates that about 20 African-American-owned businesses exist in Greenwood, and they all pay rent.&nbsp;

"We don't own the land," he said.&nbsp;

An urban planning policy, called urban renewal, carried out by the Tulsa city council since the 1960s, has had the effect of driving out African-American owners whose houses or businesses, deemed dilapidated, were demolished to make way for new buildings.&nbsp;

The construction of a seven-lane highway through the middle of the main street finished disfiguring the neighborhood.&nbsp;

"At the time when Greenwood was Greenwood, you had 40 blocks, and now it's all being condensed down to half of a street... and even on that half of a street it's still not really just Black Wall Street," said Ransom, sighing.&nbsp;

A few meters from the cafe, in the Greenwood Art Gallery, manager Queen Alexander, 31, arranges the exhibited paintings, which celebrate African-American culture.&nbsp;

She also pays rent -- and it's about to go up by 30 per cent. The opening of a large museum dedicated to the neighborhood's history, the Greenwood Rising History Center, which will officially open on Wednesday, has caused rent for the surrounding businesses to increase.&nbsp;

One of her acquaintances, who had run a beauty salon in Greenwood for more than 40 years, was evicted. "She couldn't afford the rent," said Alexander.&nbsp;

Outside the bay windows of her gallery, Alexander observes the gentrification at work.&nbsp;

"You do see now white people walking their dogs, and riding their bikes, in neighborhoods that you would never have seen them before," she said, noting the opening of a baseball field, a Starbucks and "a college that I probably couldn't afford.&nbsp;

For her, Greenwood without its African-American owners and historic buildings is no longer really Black Wall Street but "Greenwood district with some Black business leases."&nbsp;

And "if we all get evicted tomorrow, this is white Wall Street."&nbsp;

At the foot of modern buildings on an anonymous street, a few discreet metal plaques catch the eye. "Grier shoemaker," "Earl real estate", riveted to the ground, they bear the names of Black-owned businesses that once stood there before being destroyed during one of the worst racial massacres in the United States, in 1921.

At the foot of modern buildings on an anonymous street, a few discreet metal plaques catch the eye. "Grier shoemaker," "Earl real estate", riveted to the ground, they bear the names of Black-owned businesses that once stood there before being destroyed during one of the worst racial massacres in the United States, in 1921. A rare vestige of a neighborhood so prosperous it was called Black Wall Street, the plaques prove that the history of Greenwood, a historically Black neighborhood of Tulsa, Oklahoma, is understood not by the monuments that currently stand, but the ones that are no longer there. On the eve of a visit from President Joe Biden, popular with African-American voters, who will attend Tuesday's commemorations of the 100th anniversary of the massacre, and after a year marked by the Black Lives Matter movement, the killings resonate with current events more than ever. "They came over and destroyed Greenwood and burned everything down," Bobby Eaton, 86, a neighborhood resident and former civil rights activist, told AFP. A century ago, in the southern US town, the arrest of a young Black man accused of assaulting a white woman sparked one of the worst outpourings of racial violence ever seen in the country. On May 31, 1921, after the arrest of Dick Rowland, hundreds of furious white people gathered outside the Tulsa courthouse, signalling to Black residents that a lynching, a common practice at the time and until as recently as the 1960s, was imminent. A group of African-American World War I veterans, some of them armed, mobilised in an attempt to protect Rowland. Tensions spiked and shots were fired. Fewer in number, the African-American residents retreated to Greenwood, known at the time for its economic prosperity and many businesses. The next day, at dawn, white men looted and burned the buildings, chasing down and beating Black people living there. All day long, they ransacked Black Wall Street -- police not only did not intervene but joined in the destruction -- until nothing was left but ruins and ashes, killing up to 300 people in the process. The destruction left some 10,000 people homeless. With a blue cap on his head and a T-shirt commemorating the massacre's centennial pulled over his shirt, Eaton feels marked by this event that he never saw but heard so much about as a child in his father's barber shop. "I learned a lot about the riots as a very young person, that has never left my memory," he said. In his opinion, as with many others in the neighborhood, it was the African-American prosperity that sparked the destruction. "That caused a great amount of jealousy, and it's still doing so. "That mentality that destroyed Greenwood to begin with, to a great extent still exists right here in Tulsa," Eaton said. Even 100 years after the massacre, racial tensions remain high. In the Black Wall Street Liquid Lounge, a coffee shop named, like many businesses in Greenwood, in homage to the neighborhood's golden age, Kode Ransom, a 32-year-old African-American man, sports long dreadlocks and a big smile as he greets customers. A happy co-manager of the business, he has one regret: not owning the walls around him. "People hear 'Black Wall Street,' they think that it's completely controlled by Black people. It's actually not," he said. Ransom estimates that about 20 African-American-owned businesses exist in Greenwood, and they all pay rent. "We don't own the land," he said. An urban planning policy, called urban renewal, carried out by the Tulsa city council since the 1960s, has had the effect of driving out African-American owners whose houses or businesses, deemed dilapidated, were demolished to make way for new buildings. The construction of a seven-lane highway through the middle of the main street finished disfiguring the neighborhood. "At the time when Greenwood was Greenwood, you had 40 blocks, and now it's all being condensed down to half of a street... and even on that half of a street it's still not really just Black Wall Street," said Ransom, sighing. A few meters from the cafe, in the Greenwood Art Gallery, manager Queen Alexander, 31, arranges the exhibited paintings, which celebrate African-American culture. She also pays rent -- and it's about to go up by 30 per cent. The opening of a large museum dedicated to the neighborhood's history, the Greenwood Rising History Center, which will officially open on Wednesday, has caused rent for the surrounding businesses to increase. One of her acquaintances, who had run a beauty salon in Greenwood for more than 40 years, was evicted. "She couldn't afford the rent," said Alexander. Outside the bay windows of her gallery, Alexander observes the gentrification at work. "You do see now white people walking their dogs, and riding their bikes, in neighborhoods that you would never have seen them before," she said, noting the opening of a baseball field, a Starbucks and "a college that I probably couldn't afford. For her, Greenwood without its African-American owners and historic buildings is no longer really Black Wall Street but "Greenwood district with some Black business leases." And "if we all get evicted tomorrow, this is white Wall Street."

100 years after Tulsa race massacre, African Americans still feel outcast 

An 18-year-old London man was charged with conspiracy to murder in connection with the shooting of Black Lives Matter activist Sasha Johnson, who remained hospitalised in critical condition, British police said on Friday. 
 
Cameron Deriggs will appear at Westminster Magistrates` Court on Saturday, London`s Metropolitan Police said in a statement. Deriggs was one of five men arrested in the case on Wednesday on suspicion of attempted murder. The other four were released on bail until next month. 
 
Johnson, a 27-year-old mother of two, was at a party on Sunday when four men burst in and opened fire, media reports have said. 
 
Johnson has been a leading figure in the Black Lives Matter movement in Britain and is a member of the Taking the Initiative Party`s executive leadership committee. 
&nbsp;

An 18-year-old London man was charged with conspiracy to murder in connection with the shooting of Black Lives Matter activist Sasha Johnson, who remained hospitalised in critical condition, British police said on Friday.

An 18-year-old London man was charged with conspiracy to murder in connection with the shooting of Black Lives Matter activist Sasha Johnson, who remained hospitalised in critical condition, British police said on Friday. Cameron Deriggs will appear at Westminster Magistrates` Court on Saturday, London`s Metropolitan Police said in a statement. Deriggs was one of five men arrested in the case on Wednesday on suspicion of attempted murder. The other four were released on bail until next month. Johnson, a 27-year-old mother of two, was at a party on Sunday when four men burst in and opened fire, media reports have said. Johnson has been a leading figure in the Black Lives Matter movement in Britain and is a member of the Taking the Initiative Party`s executive leadership committee.

London man charged in shooting of Black Lives Matter activist

A white woman who had falsely accused a Black man of threatening her is now suing her employer for dismissing her from the job.

Amy Cooper used to work at Franklin Templeton, a financial advisory firm, but was fired from her job for being 'racist'.

She claims the accusations made by her employer are completely false.

Also read |&nbsp;<a data-ctorig="https://www.wionews.com/world/amy-cooper-charged-with-falsely-accusing-black-man-of-assaulting-335475" data-cturl="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/amy-cooper-charged-with-falsely-accusing-black-man-of-assaulting-335475&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjQqvCRnOnwAhUQzIsBHTEdD4YQFjAAegQIBRAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw2wCC5jDGEo8aLbdJ2gJPut" dir="ltr" href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/amy-cooper-charged-with-falsely-accusing-black-man-of-assaulting-335475&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjQqvCRnOnwAhUQzIsBHTEdD4YQFjAAegQIBRAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw2wCC5jDGEo8aLbdJ2gJPut" target="_blank">Amy Cooper&nbsp;charged with falsely accusing Black man of assaulting</a>

Cooper has decided to sue her employer for this and has filed a complaint in Manhattan federal court on Tuesday. She claims the company’s actions have "caused her such severe emotional distress that she was suicidal".

Once criticised all over the world for being a racist, Cooper is now accusing her employer of being a racist and is seeking damages for defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligence, as per Reuters.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/dont-know-if-her-life-needed-to-be-torn-apart-what-mr-cooper-thinks-of-his-now-famous-racist-encounter-with-a-white-lady-301647">'Don’t know if her life needed to be torn apart': What Mr Cooper thinks of his now-famous racist encounter with a white lady</a>

The ground for Cooper's dismissal is her racist incident from May 2020. Cooper had called the police against "an African American man threatening my life" after a Black birdwatcher had advised her to put her dog back on a leash as unleashed dogs were not permitted in the park.

Cooper was fired from her job a day after a video of the incident was shared on social media. A few hours later, she was also charged with filing a false police report.

A white woman who had falsely accused a Black man of threatening her is now suing her employer for dismissing her from the job. Amy Cooper used to work at Franklin Templeton, a financial advisory firm, but was fired from her job for being 'racist'.

A white woman who had falsely accused a Black man of threatening her is now suing her employer for dismissing her from the job. Amy Cooper used to work at Franklin Templeton, a financial advisory firm, but was fired from her job for being 'racist'. She claims the accusations made by her employer are completely false. Also read | Amy Cooper charged with falsely accusing Black man of assaulting Cooper has decided to sue her employer for this and has filed a complaint in Manhattan federal court on Tuesday. She claims the company’s actions have "caused her such severe emotional distress that she was suicidal". Once criticised all over the world for being a racist, Cooper is now accusing her employer of being a racist and is seeking damages for defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligence, as per Reuters. Also read | 'Don’t know if her life needed to be torn apart': What Mr Cooper thinks of his now-famous racist encounter with a white lady The ground for Cooper's dismissal is her racist incident from May 2020. Cooper had called the police against "an African American man threatening my life" after a Black birdwatcher had advised her to put her dog back on a leash as unleashed dogs were not permitted in the park. Cooper was fired from her job a day after a video of the incident was shared on social media. A few hours later, she was also charged with filing a false police report.

Woman who falsely accused Black man of threatening her, now sues employer for 'racism'

A US judge postponed the trial of three former Minneapolis policemen accused of taking part in the murder of George Floyd to March 2022 after they said that prosecutors leaked prejudicial information about the case, according to media reports.

Tou Thao, 25, J. Alexander Kueng, 27, and Thomas Lane, 28, all fired and arrested days after Floyd was killed on May 25, have been charged with aiding and abetting the second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.

Former Minneapolis policeman Derek Chauvin was convicted on April 20 of murdering Floyd, 46, by kneeling on his neck for more than nine minutes, in a case that marked a milestone in America's fraught racial history and a rebuke of law enforcement’s treatment of Black Americans. The death, captured on cellphone video, led to protests around the nation and overseas.

On Thursday, attorneys for Thao, Kueng and Lane raised concerns that information had been leaked that would taint the jury pool, and that a key witness was coerced into amending his findings.

The attorneys said prosecutors leaked "damning" information to the New York Times about Chauvin's supposed plan to plead guilty and asked Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill to sanction prosecutors, including state Attorney General Keith Ellison.

In a statement, Ellison had earlier called the leak allegation "completely false and an outlandish attempt to disparage the prosecution."

Cahill postponed the trial from August 2021 to March 2022, the Wall Street Journal and other news media reported.

On May 25, Kueng and Lane were the first officers to arrive outside the food store where Floyd was accused of passing a counterfeit $20 bill to buy cigarettes. Thao arrived on the scene with Chauvin after Floyd had already been handcuffed.

Thao, Kueng, and Lane were not present at Thursday's hearing, and no cameras were permitted in the courtroom.

Thao's defence attorney also asked Cahill to drop all charges against Thao, and to rule that Andrew Baker, the Hennepin County medical examiner, was coerced into saying that Floyd died of asphyxiation.

According to the motion the attorney filed before the hearing, Dr. Roger Mitchell, Washington, D.C.'s chief medical examiner, was planning to write an opinion piece critical of Baker's initial findings. Thao's legal team claimed Baker had changed his findings to avoid controversy, and that prosecutors knew about it.

(With inputs from agencies)

A US judge postponed the trial of three former Minneapolis policemen accused of taking part in the murder of George Floyd to March 2022 after they said that prosecutors leaked prejudicial information about the case, according to media reports.

A US judge postponed the trial of three former Minneapolis policemen accused of taking part in the murder of George Floyd to March 2022 after they said that prosecutors leaked prejudicial information about the case, according to media reports. Tou Thao, 25, J. Alexander Kueng, 27, and Thomas Lane, 28, all fired and arrested days after Floyd was killed on May 25, have been charged with aiding and abetting the second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Former Minneapolis policeman Derek Chauvin was convicted on April 20 of murdering Floyd, 46, by kneeling on his neck for more than nine minutes, in a case that marked a milestone in America's fraught racial history and a rebuke of law enforcement’s treatment of Black Americans. The death, captured on cellphone video, led to protests around the nation and overseas. On Thursday, attorneys for Thao, Kueng and Lane raised concerns that information had been leaked that would taint the jury pool, and that a key witness was coerced into amending his findings. The attorneys said prosecutors leaked "damning" information to the New York Times about Chauvin's supposed plan to plead guilty and asked Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill to sanction prosecutors, including state Attorney General Keith Ellison. In a statement, Ellison had earlier called the leak allegation "completely false and an outlandish attempt to disparage the prosecution." Cahill postponed the trial from August 2021 to March 2022, the Wall Street Journal and other news media reported. On May 25, Kueng and Lane were the first officers to arrive outside the food store where Floyd was accused of passing a counterfeit $20 bill to buy cigarettes. Thao arrived on the scene with Chauvin after Floyd had already been handcuffed. Thao, Kueng, and Lane were not present at Thursday's hearing, and no cameras were permitted in the courtroom. Thao's defence attorney also asked Cahill to drop all charges against Thao, and to rule that Andrew Baker, the Hennepin County medical examiner, was coerced into saying that Floyd died of asphyxiation. According to the motion the attorney filed before the hearing, Dr. Roger Mitchell, Washington, D.C.'s chief medical examiner, was planning to write an opinion piece critical of Baker's initial findings. Thao's legal team claimed Baker had changed his findings to avoid controversy, and that prosecutors knew about it. (With inputs from agencies)

George Floyd case: US judge postpones trial for three ex-cops

Three white men accused over the death of African-American jogger Ahmaud Arbery pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to hate crime charges and attempted kidnapping.

Arbery was shot dead in February last year as he was jogging in a residential neighborhood of Brunswick, Georgia, in an incident that further fuelled anger over allegedly racist killings of Black Americans.

The three men, who later told police they suspected he was a burglar, chased him before one of the group fatally shot him.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/after-a-year-of-ahmaud-arberys-killing-his-mother-files-lawsuit-365773">After a year of Ahmaud Arbery's killing, his mother files lawsuit</a>

Gregory McMichael, 65, his son Travis, 35, and William Bryan, 51, appeared before a federal judge who explained the new charges brought against them two weeks ago.

"There is absolutely nothing in the indictment that identifies how this is a federal hate crime," their lawyers said in a statement.

The three men were earlier charged with murder and false imprisonment. Their trial is due to open on October 18.

Also read|&nbsp;<a data-ctorig="https://www.wionews.com/world/black-jogger-ahmaud-arberys-alleged-killers-plead-not-guilty-314095" data-cturl="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/black-jogger-ahmaud-arberys-alleged-killers-plead-not-guilty-314095&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjTkNCBt4HvAhUyzjgGHVj9BlcQFjAGegQIAxAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw1Q6Fh7F2hgLJVxdTq83Lit" dir="ltr" href="https://www.wionews.com/world/black-jogger-ahmaud-arberys-alleged-killers-plead-not-guilty-314095" target="_blank">Black jogger&nbsp;Ahmaud Arbery's&nbsp;alleged killers plead not guilty</a>

A prosecutor initially given the case concluded that Arbery's killers were legally armed under Georgia's open carry law and were within their rights to chase him under a citizen's arrest statute.

Georgia on Monday repealed its citizen's arrest law, a move prompted by Arbery's death.

Arbery, who would have turned 27 on Saturday, "was the victim of vigilante-style violence that has no place in our country or in our state," said Governor Brian Kemp as he signed the repeal.

The deaths of Arbery and George Floyd, an African American murdered by a white police officer in Minneapolis in May last year, became emblematic of the Black Lives Matter movement against violence targeting African Americans.

Three white men accused over the death of African-American jogger Ahmaud Arbery pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to hate crime charges and attempted kidnapping. Arbery was shot dead in February last year as he was jogging in a residential neighborhood of Brunswick, Georgia, in an incident that further fuelled anger over allegedly racist killings of Black Americans.

Three white men accused over the death of African-American jogger Ahmaud Arbery pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to hate crime charges and attempted kidnapping. Arbery was shot dead in February last year as he was jogging in a residential neighborhood of Brunswick, Georgia, in an incident that further fuelled anger over allegedly racist killings of Black Americans. The three men, who later told police they suspected he was a burglar, chased him before one of the group fatally shot him. Also read | After a year of Ahmaud Arbery's killing, his mother files lawsuit Gregory McMichael, 65, his son Travis, 35, and William Bryan, 51, appeared before a federal judge who explained the new charges brought against them two weeks ago. "There is absolutely nothing in the indictment that identifies how this is a federal hate crime," their lawyers said in a statement. The three men were earlier charged with murder and false imprisonment. Their trial is due to open on October 18. Also read| Black jogger Ahmaud Arbery's alleged killers plead not guilty A prosecutor initially given the case concluded that Arbery's killers were legally armed under Georgia's open carry law and were within their rights to chase him under a citizen's arrest statute. Georgia on Monday repealed its citizen's arrest law, a move prompted by Arbery's death. Arbery, who would have turned 27 on Saturday, "was the victim of vigilante-style violence that has no place in our country or in our state," said Governor Brian Kemp as he signed the repeal. The deaths of Arbery and George Floyd, an African American murdered by a white police officer in Minneapolis in May last year, became emblematic of the Black Lives Matter movement against violence targeting African Americans.

3 white men accused in killing of Black US jogger deny hate charges

These are times when a positive change is taking over the world and one such example is of Liverpool which has collectively elected its first-ever Black female mayor.

Joanne Anderson, a 50-year-old, became the first woman and first Black female mayor to lead the city by winning 59 per cent (46,493) of the total votes against her opponent Stephen Yip.

The six-foot-tall, Labour member promised the take the city on a "restorative path" and assured that Liverpool will have "the best accountability and transparency structures in the country".

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The first black woman to be directly-elected Mayor in the UK, and the first female Mayor of Liverpool. 
 
History made 🌹 <a href="https://t.co/7WyNI01OCb">pic.twitter.com/7WyNI01OCb</a>
— Joanne Anderson (@Joanne4Mayor) <a href="https://twitter.com/Joanne4Mayor/status/1390698217566838785?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 7, 2021</a></blockquote>
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She also apologised to the locals of Liverpool for the ‘political scandal’ that had shaken the city in December after the former mayor was arrested over corruption claims, which he denies.

She also acknowledged her record of being the first female and Black mayor and thanked the city locals for helping her achieve it. "Liverpool has always been a city of firsts – one that does things differently and that charters its own path. Today, we made history," she said.

Anderson also opened up about how she had not ever intended to enter the world of politics or contest for Mayor. "It hasn’t been a lifelong ambition, but I could see our city was in peril," she explained.

Sharing her experiences of bankruptcy she promised to bring the city out of the financial crisis caused due to the coronavirus pandemic. She also assured to continue raising her voice for violence against women and girls and promote equality and diversity in the city.

However, she has also announced her support for the campaign of scrapping mayoralty, for which a referendum will be held in 2023 on the continuation of the role.

These are times when a positive change is taking over the world and one such example is of Liverpool which has collectively elected its first-ever Black female mayor.

These are times when a positive change is taking over the world and one such example is of Liverpool which has collectively elected its first-ever Black female mayor. Joanne Anderson, a 50-year-old, became the first woman and first Black female mayor to lead the city by winning 59 per cent (46,493) of the total votes against her opponent Stephen Yip. The six-foot-tall, Labour member promised the take the city on a "restorative path" and assured that Liverpool will have "the best accountability and transparency structures in the country". The first black woman to be directly-elected Mayor in the UK, and the first female Mayor of Liverpool. History made 🌹 pic.twitter.com/7WyNI01OCb — Joanne Anderson (@Joanne4Mayor) May 7, 2021 × She also apologised to the locals of Liverpool for the ‘political scandal’ that had shaken the city in December after the former mayor was arrested over corruption claims, which he denies. She also acknowledged her record of being the first female and Black mayor and thanked the city locals for helping her achieve it. "Liverpool has always been a city of firsts – one that does things differently and that charters its own path. Today, we made history," she said. Anderson also opened up about how she had not ever intended to enter the world of politics or contest for Mayor. "It hasn’t been a lifelong ambition, but I could see our city was in peril," she explained. Sharing her experiences of bankruptcy she promised to bring the city out of the financial crisis caused due to the coronavirus pandemic. She also assured to continue raising her voice for violence against women and girls and promote equality and diversity in the city. However, she has also announced her support for the campaign of scrapping mayoralty, for which a referendum will be held in 2023 on the continuation of the role.

'City of firsts': Liverpool elects first ever black female mayor

This is the phase when people are rethinking old traditions and correcting them wherever needed to spread the message of equality and peace.

One such example is this year’s performance on May Day put up by members of the Hook Eagle Morris Men in Hampshire, UK.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/thousands-join-may-day-protests-across-france-police-arrest-34-382021">Thousands join May Day protests across France, police arrest 34</a>

The dance is usually performed by members who paint their faces black. However, this year, following concerns over racism, the group members changed the colour of face paint from black to blue.

A year after the ‘Black lives matter’ movement took over the world, members of the Hook Eagle Morris Men performed near the Hook village in Hampshire to mark the May Day dawn.

Check out |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/may-1-history-and-significance-of-international-workers-day-381955">May 1: History and significance of International Workers' Day</a>

Their change of face paint colour came after the Joint Morris Organisation urged dancing groups to eliminate the use of full-face black makeup and paint, in consideration of the Black lives matter movement.

“It’s by far and away the biggest if not really the only change we’ve experienced," said John Ellis, a 70-year-old dancer who has been with the group since the start, in 1991.

Members in different areas adopted different colours of paint this year. Some decided to paint their faces green, while others adopted yellow and black striped design.

The original idea behind covering the face was to be able to beg by disguising themselves, back in the 1400s, as begging was illegal at that time. However, the trend died out after a bit and was revived by a group of dancers.

“We adopted this idea because the dancing is really easy, good fun and we quite like the idea of dancing in disguise,” Ellis said.

This year, the group also maintained social distancing and avoided touching and hugging during the performance, due to coronavirus restrictions.

This is the phase when people are rethinking old traditions and correcting them wherever needed to spread the message of equality and peace. One such example is this year’s performance on May Day put up by members of the Hook Eagle Morris Men in Hampshire, UK.

This is the phase when people are rethinking old traditions and correcting them wherever needed to spread the message of equality and peace. One such example is this year’s performance on May Day put up by members of the Hook Eagle Morris Men in Hampshire, UK. Also read | Thousands join May Day protests across France, police arrest 34 The dance is usually performed by members who paint their faces black. However, this year, following concerns over racism, the group members changed the colour of face paint from black to blue. A year after the ‘Black lives matter’ movement took over the world, members of the Hook Eagle Morris Men performed near the Hook village in Hampshire to mark the May Day dawn. Check out | May 1: History and significance of International Workers' Day Their change of face paint colour came after the Joint Morris Organisation urged dancing groups to eliminate the use of full-face black makeup and paint, in consideration of the Black lives matter movement. “It’s by far and away the biggest if not really the only change we’ve experienced," said John Ellis, a 70-year-old dancer who has been with the group since the start, in 1991. Members in different areas adopted different colours of paint this year. Some decided to paint their faces green, while others adopted yellow and black striped design. The original idea behind covering the face was to be able to beg by disguising themselves, back in the 1400s, as begging was illegal at that time. However, the trend died out after a bit and was revived by a group of dancers. “We adopted this idea because the dancing is really easy, good fun and we quite like the idea of dancing in disguise,” Ellis said. This year, the group also maintained social distancing and avoided touching and hugging during the performance, due to coronavirus restrictions.

May Day: Morris Dancers turn blue over racism concerns

Police officers in Alameda,&nbsp;California, pinned a young man down for several minutes before he became unresponsive during an arrest last week, according to body camera footage the city released after his death

After Mario Gonzalez, 26, became unresponsive, officers used chest compression to try to revive him, according to footage of the April 19 incident, which was released late on Tuesday.

Gonzalez died in a hospital that day, according to an initial statement by the city last week.

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The new video, taken from the body cameras of several officers show Gonzalez twisting and turning as police repeatedly ask him to put his hands behind his back.

“The police killed my brother in the same manner they killed George Floyd,” said the dead man’s brother, Gerardo Gonzalez, at a news conference on Tuesday night, shortly after the body camera footage was released.

Police say the 26-year-old died of a medical emergency during a scuffle with officers last April 19, 2021. The officers had responded to a possible theft in the area and a call that came in about a disorderly and possibly intoxicated person. They spent more than 10 minutes unsuccessfully trying to figure out who he was and what he was doing there.

In Alameda, a city of nearly 80,000 people adjacent to Oakland, officers were dispatched to a park to check on Gonzalez after residents in two emergency 911 calls reported a man was loitering and appeared to be talking to himself, according to recordings of the calls released by the city.

The officers' body camera footage shows at least two officers approaching Gonzalez and trying to determine his identity. One officer asks where Gonzalez got what appear to be bottles of alcohol in one of two shopping baskets, and says he needs to identify him to make sure there are no outstanding arrest warrants for him.

The officers then try to take Gonzalez into custody and struggle to get both his hands behind his back, the footage shows. They tell the man to stop resisting and eventually wrestle him to the ground, with his body facing downward.

"Mario, please do not resist us," one of the officers says.

The officers then struggle for a little over five minutes to keep Gonzalez pinned and to get both his hands behind his back so they can handcuff him. One of the officers has his knee on the man's shoulder to hold him down.

They then check for a pulse. When Gonzalez does not respond, they turn him over and begin chest compression's before paramedics arrive.

Three investigations are underway into how the response led to Gonzalez's death, said Alameda city spokeswoman Sarah Henry. The probes are being carried out by the Alameda County Sheriff's Department, the Alameda County District Attorney's office, and an independent outside investigation, she said.

(With inputs from agencies)

Police officers in Alameda, California, pinned a young man down for several minutes before he became unresponsive during an arrest last week, according to body camera footage the city released after his death After Mario Gonzalez, 26, became unresponsive, officers used chest compression to try to revive him, according to footage of the April 19 incident, which was released late on Tuesday.

Police officers in Alameda, California, pinned a young man down for several minutes before he became unresponsive during an arrest last week, according to body camera footage the city released after his death After Mario Gonzalez, 26, became unresponsive, officers used chest compression to try to revive him, according to footage of the April 19 incident, which was released late on Tuesday. Gonzalez died in a hospital that day, according to an initial statement by the city last week. The new video, taken from the body cameras of several officers show Gonzalez twisting and turning as police repeatedly ask him to put his hands behind his back. “The police killed my brother in the same manner they killed George Floyd,” said the dead man’s brother, Gerardo Gonzalez, at a news conference on Tuesday night, shortly after the body camera footage was released. Police say the 26-year-old died of a medical emergency during a scuffle with officers last April 19, 2021. The officers had responded to a possible theft in the area and a call that came in about a disorderly and possibly intoxicated person. They spent more than 10 minutes unsuccessfully trying to figure out who he was and what he was doing there. In Alameda, a city of nearly 80,000 people adjacent to Oakland, officers were dispatched to a park to check on Gonzalez after residents in two emergency 911 calls reported a man was loitering and appeared to be talking to himself, according to recordings of the calls released by the city. The officers' body camera footage shows at least two officers approaching Gonzalez and trying to determine his identity. One officer asks where Gonzalez got what appear to be bottles of alcohol in one of two shopping baskets, and says he needs to identify him to make sure there are no outstanding arrest warrants for him. The officers then try to take Gonzalez into custody and struggle to get both his hands behind his back, the footage shows. They tell the man to stop resisting and eventually wrestle him to the ground, with his body facing downward. "Mario, please do not resist us," one of the officers says. The officers then struggle for a little over five minutes to keep Gonzalez pinned and to get both his hands behind his back so they can handcuff him. One of the officers has his knee on the man's shoulder to hold him down. They then check for a pulse. When Gonzalez does not respond, they turn him over and begin chest compression's before paramedics arrive. Three investigations are underway into how the response led to Gonzalez's death, said Alameda city spokeswoman Sarah Henry. The probes are being carried out by the Alameda County Sheriff's Department, the Alameda County District Attorney's office, and an independent outside investigation, she said. (With inputs from agencies)

Family says California man died in ‘same manner’ as George Floyd

After Chauvin trial, what is the future of George Floyd Square?

Sacked US police officer Derek Chauvin will be sentenced on June 16 for the murder of African American George Floyd in a case that sparked nationwide anti-racism protests.

The Hennepin County District Court in the Midwestern city of Minneapolis, where handcuffed Floyd died last May, said in its online schedule that the white ex-cop will be sentenced at 1:30 pm(1830 GMT). The 45-year-old ex-officer -- who knelt on Floyd's neck for more than nine minutes -- faces up to 40 years in prison after being found guilty of all charges Tuesday over the death of the unarmed man.

The crime was recorded by a bystander whose video shocked the world, triggering mass protests across the United States and beyond, while also prompting a national reckoning on racial injustice and police brutality. Floyd, 46, was killed as he lay face down and handcuffed, saying repeatedly "I can't breathe."The case prompted some police reforms, but advocates including President Joe Biden say more is needed.

While the Chauvin trial progressed in Minneapolis, the city was rocked by the fatal police shooting of yet another African American, 20-year-old Daunte Wright.

On Wednesday US Attorney General Merrick Garland announced a civil investigation to determine whether the Minneapolis Police Department systematically uses excessive force and "engages in a pattern or practice of unconstitutional or unlawful policing," including during legal protests.

'We needed a victory'

The jury deliberated less than 11 hours before finding Chauvin guilty of all three charges against him: second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter. A crowd gathered outside the heavily guarded downtown Minneapolis courtroom erupted in cheers, and some wept tears of relief when the verdicts were announced after a three-week trial that had an entire nation on edge. Chauvin, who had been free on bail, was put in handcuffs after Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill read out the unanimous verdicts reached by the racially diverse, seven-woman, five-man jury. Ahead of the verdict, cities across the United States had been braced for potential unrest and National Guard troops were deployed in Minneapolis.

Floyd was initially arrested on suspicion of a non-violent crime-- trying to pass off a counterfeit $20 bill. His brother Rodney told AFP that Black people had been victims of deadly injustice at the hands of US authorities for hundreds of years. "We needed a victory, in this case, it's very important, and we got it and hey, we might actually breathe a little bit better now," he said.

Three other former police officers involved in Floyd's arrest are to go on trial later this year.

Sacked US police officer Derek Chauvin will be sentenced on June 16 for the murder of African American George Floyd in a case that sparked nationwide anti-racism protests.

Sacked US police officer Derek Chauvin will be sentenced on June 16 for the murder of African American George Floyd in a case that sparked nationwide anti-racism protests. The Hennepin County District Court in the Midwestern city of Minneapolis, where handcuffed Floyd died last May, said in its online schedule that the white ex-cop will be sentenced at 1:30 pm(1830 GMT). The 45-year-old ex-officer -- who knelt on Floyd's neck for more than nine minutes -- faces up to 40 years in prison after being found guilty of all charges Tuesday over the death of the unarmed man. The crime was recorded by a bystander whose video shocked the world, triggering mass protests across the United States and beyond, while also prompting a national reckoning on racial injustice and police brutality. Floyd, 46, was killed as he lay face down and handcuffed, saying repeatedly "I can't breathe."The case prompted some police reforms, but advocates including President Joe Biden say more is needed. While the Chauvin trial progressed in Minneapolis, the city was rocked by the fatal police shooting of yet another African American, 20-year-old Daunte Wright. On Wednesday US Attorney General Merrick Garland announced a civil investigation to determine whether the Minneapolis Police Department systematically uses excessive force and "engages in a pattern or practice of unconstitutional or unlawful policing," including during legal protests. 'We needed a victory' The jury deliberated less than 11 hours before finding Chauvin guilty of all three charges against him: second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter. A crowd gathered outside the heavily guarded downtown Minneapolis courtroom erupted in cheers, and some wept tears of relief when the verdicts were announced after a three-week trial that had an entire nation on edge. Chauvin, who had been free on bail, was put in handcuffs after Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill read out the unanimous verdicts reached by the racially diverse, seven-woman, five-man jury. Ahead of the verdict, cities across the United States had been braced for potential unrest and National Guard troops were deployed in Minneapolis. Floyd was initially arrested on suspicion of a non-violent crime-- trying to pass off a counterfeit $20 bill. His brother Rodney told AFP that Black people had been victims of deadly injustice at the hands of US authorities for hundreds of years. "We needed a victory, in this case, it's very important, and we got it and hey, we might actually breathe a little bit better now," he said. Three other former police officers involved in Floyd's arrest are to go on trial later this year.

George Floyd murder case: US ex-cop Chauvin to be sentenced on June 16

Hundreds mourn Daunte Wright, Black man killed by Minnesota police

The bones of Black children who were killed in a bomb blast in 1985 in their home will now be used as a "case study" for an online forensic anthropology course at an Ivy League college.

Titled "REAL BONES: Adventures in Forensic Anthropology", the course aims to teach "techniques that biological anthropologists apply to these cases to identify certain social attributes."

Have a look |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/hundreds-mourn-daunte-wright-black-man-killed-by-minnesota-police-379400">Hundreds mourn Daunte Wright, Black man killed by Minnesota police</a>

The physical remains of one, or two, children were guarded over the past 36 years in the anthropological collections of the University of&nbsp;Pennsylvania&nbsp;and Princeton.

These remains were being guarded since May 1985 and the institutes had been using the burned bones for teaching purposes but without the permission of the deceased’s parents.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/daunte-wright-laid-to-rest-after-minnesota-police-shooting-379390">Watch |</a>

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This has come a few days before Philadelphia is set to organise its first-ever official day of remembrance for the 1985 bombing.

The deceased were killed on May 13, 1985, when the Philadelphia police dropped a bomb from a helicopter on the rooftop of a house. The blast killed 11 people, including five children, who were all a part of the organisation, Move.

Last year, the city leader had apologised for the "immeasurable and enduring harm" caused by the bombing. &nbsp;

The bones of Black children who were killed in a bomb blast in 1985 in their home will now be used as a "case study" for an online forensic anthropology course at an Ivy League college.

The bones of Black children who were killed in a bomb blast in 1985 in their home will now be used as a "case study" for an online forensic anthropology course at an Ivy League college. Titled "REAL BONES: Adventures in Forensic Anthropology", the course aims to teach "techniques that biological anthropologists apply to these cases to identify certain social attributes." Have a look | Hundreds mourn Daunte Wright, Black man killed by Minnesota police The physical remains of one, or two, children were guarded over the past 36 years in the anthropological collections of the University of Pennsylvania and Princeton. These remains were being guarded since May 1985 and the institutes had been using the burned bones for teaching purposes but without the permission of the deceased’s parents. Watch | This has come a few days before Philadelphia is set to organise its first-ever official day of remembrance for the 1985 bombing. The deceased were killed on May 13, 1985, when the Philadelphia police dropped a bomb from a helicopter on the rooftop of a house. The blast killed 11 people, including five children, who were all a part of the organisation, Move. Last year, the city leader had apologised for the "immeasurable and enduring harm" caused by the bombing.

Bones of Black children killed in 1985 bombing being used in anthropology course

Derek Chauvin, the white police officer, has been proven guilty for the murder of George Floyd.&nbsp;

It's a watershed moment not just for Americans, but for millions around the world.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-americas-virus-of-racism-yet-to-be-eradicated-379126/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

All the people who were mobilised after seeing the video of Floyd's death now celebrate this 'historic' verdict.

However, there are some questions that need answers.&nbsp;

What does the verdict really change? Does it put an end to racism? Does it eradicate the disproportionate use of force?

As the verdict was being announced, the US felt the sting of another killing, a Black teenage girl who was shot dead by white cops in Columbus, Ohio.

She was just 15-years-old.

It tells you that the US's pandemic of racism is far from being over.&nbsp;

Let's first look at some reactions to the verdict of Floyd's murder.&nbsp;

"This is a stunning moment in history", Eliza Orlins, candidate for Manhattan district attorney said.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-president-joe-biden-slams-systemic-racism-calls-floyd-verdict-a-relief-378899">US President Joe Biden slams 'systemic racism'; calls Floyd verdict a 'relief'</a> 
&nbsp;

"With the verdict today, I feel like a weight lifted off my shoulders," Semhra Solomon, Minneapolis area resident, said.&nbsp;

London Williams, a DC resident said: "Thank god, thank you Jesus."

"No one should be above the law. And today's verdict sends that message," US President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/joe-biden">Joe Biden </a>said.&nbsp;

US Vice President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris </a>said: "Today we feel a sigh of relief. Still, it cannot take away the pain."

The US is breathing a sigh of relief and the world can't help but discuss it.

The news is truly worthy of global coverage because it's rare for a white American cop to be convicted for the murder of a Black man.

However, when Chauvin was being pronounced guilty, 764 miles away in Columbus, Ohio, a Black teenager was shot dead by white cops.

Makiyah Bryant was trying to fend off a physical assault by a group of adult women.

She called the police and picked a knife to defend herself.

When the cops arrived, they shot Bryant instead, assuming her to be the assailant.

Let's listen to the conversation during her killing.&nbsp;

Officer's voice: "Hey, what's going on? Hey, hey, get down! Get down!"

(sound of four gunshots, voices screaming)

Officer's voice: "She had a knife. She just went at her."

Man's voice: "She's just a (expletive) kid. A (expletive) kid."

(sound of people screaming)

Officer's voice: "She came at her with a knife."

Another black life has been lost and another hashtag has been born: #JusticeForMakiyahBryant.

Yet another protest has begun.

Will Bryant get justice just as Floyd did?

There's no guarantee and the figures tell us the reason.&nbsp;

Since 2005, 139 police officers have been arrested for murder, of these only 44 have been convicted.&nbsp;Also, out of these 44, only 7 have been convicted for murder.&nbsp;The rest got away with prison sentences for a few months.

The rate of police shooting between 2015 and 2021 also shows a disparity based on ethnicity.

Among Black Americans, the figure stands at 35 police shootings per million of the population and for Hispanics, it is 26 per million of the population.

And for White Americans, the figure is just 14 police shootings per million of the population.

The conviction of Chauvin is indeed a pivotal moment and undoubtedly calls for a celebration.

But, it will take far more than one conviction to eradicate the virus of racism in America.

Derek Chauvin, the white police officer, has been proven guilty for the murder of George Floyd. It's a watershed moment not just for Americans, but for millions around the world.

Derek Chauvin, the white police officer, has been proven guilty for the murder of George Floyd. It's a watershed moment not just for Americans, but for millions around the world. All the people who were mobilised after seeing the video of Floyd's death now celebrate this 'historic' verdict. However, there are some questions that need answers. What does the verdict really change? Does it put an end to racism? Does it eradicate the disproportionate use of force? As the verdict was being announced, the US felt the sting of another killing, a Black teenage girl who was shot dead by white cops in Columbus, Ohio. She was just 15-years-old. It tells you that the US's pandemic of racism is far from being over. Let's first look at some reactions to the verdict of Floyd's murder. "This is a stunning moment in history", Eliza Orlins, candidate for Manhattan district attorney said. Also read | US President Joe Biden slams 'systemic racism'; calls Floyd verdict a 'relief' "With the verdict today, I feel like a weight lifted off my shoulders," Semhra Solomon, Minneapolis area resident, said. London Williams, a DC resident said: "Thank god, thank you Jesus." "No one should be above the law. And today's verdict sends that message," US President Joe Biden said. US Vice President Kamala Harris said: "Today we feel a sigh of relief. Still, it cannot take away the pain." The US is breathing a sigh of relief and the world can't help but discuss it. The news is truly worthy of global coverage because it's rare for a white American cop to be convicted for the murder of a Black man. However, when Chauvin was being pronounced guilty, 764 miles away in Columbus, Ohio, a Black teenager was shot dead by white cops. Makiyah Bryant was trying to fend off a physical assault by a group of adult women. She called the police and picked a knife to defend herself. When the cops arrived, they shot Bryant instead, assuming her to be the assailant. Let's listen to the conversation during her killing. Officer's voice: "Hey, what's going on? Hey, hey, get down! Get down!" (sound of four gunshots, voices screaming) Officer's voice: "She had a knife. She just went at her." Man's voice: "She's just a (expletive) kid. A (expletive) kid." (sound of people screaming) Officer's voice: "She came at her with a knife." Another black life has been lost and another hashtag has been born: #JusticeForMakiyahBryant. Yet another protest has begun. Will Bryant get justice just as Floyd did? There's no guarantee and the figures tell us the reason. Since 2005, 139 police officers have been arrested for murder, of these only 44 have been convicted. Also, out of these 44, only 7 have been convicted for murder. The rest got away with prison sentences for a few months. The rate of police shooting between 2015 and 2021 also shows a disparity based on ethnicity. Among Black Americans, the figure stands at 35 police shootings per million of the population and for Hispanics, it is 26 per million of the population. And for White Americans, the figure is just 14 police shootings per million of the population. The conviction of Chauvin is indeed a pivotal moment and undoubtedly calls for a celebration. But, it will take far more than one conviction to eradicate the virus of racism in America.

Despite George Floyd verdict, US still needs to fight hard the 'racism virus'

US President Joe Biden called systemic racism a "stain on our nation's soul" in a televised address to the nation on Tuesday after a white former police officer was convicted of murdering a Black man during an arrest.

Biden spoke out after a jury in the Midwestern city of Minneapolis found Derek Chauvin guilty of intentionally suffocating handcuffed George Floyd as he lay defenceless, with the officer's knee pressing on his neck for more than nine minutes.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/memorial-honors-victims-of-gun-violence-epidemic-in-us-378516/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The president called for "confronting head on systemic racism and the racial disparities that exist in policing and our criminal justice system" but pleaded for protesters to steer clear of violence.

"There are those who will seek to exploit the raw emotions in the moment -- agitators and extremists who have no interest in social justice," he warned. "We can't let them succeed."

A jury deliberated less than 11 hours before finding the 45-year-old Chauvin guilty of all three charges against him -- second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter.

The unanimous verdict came after a racially charged three-week trial that was seen as a pivotal test of police accountability in the United States.

Appearing alongside Biden, Kamala Harris, America's first Black vice president, spoke first to articulate the "relief" the nation was feeling over justice being served but acknowledged that the result couldn't "take away the pain" of Floyd's murder.

"A measure of justice is not the same as equal justice. This verdict brings us a step closer. We still have work to do. We still have to reform the system," she said.

She vowed to work with Biden to urge the Senate to pass "long overdue" legislation on police accountability, saying Black men had been treated as "less than humans" throughout US history.&nbsp;

"Here is the truth about racial injustice: It is not just a Black America problem or a 'people of color' problem. It is a problem for every American," she said.

US President Joe Biden called systemic racism a "stain on our nation's soul" in a televised address to the nation on Tuesday after a white former police officer was convicted of murdering a Black man during an arrest.

US President Joe Biden called systemic racism a "stain on our nation's soul" in a televised address to the nation on Tuesday after a white former police officer was convicted of murdering a Black man during an arrest. Biden spoke out after a jury in the Midwestern city of Minneapolis found Derek Chauvin guilty of intentionally suffocating handcuffed George Floyd as he lay defenceless, with the officer's knee pressing on his neck for more than nine minutes. The president called for "confronting head on systemic racism and the racial disparities that exist in policing and our criminal justice system" but pleaded for protesters to steer clear of violence. "There are those who will seek to exploit the raw emotions in the moment -- agitators and extremists who have no interest in social justice," he warned. "We can't let them succeed." A jury deliberated less than 11 hours before finding the 45-year-old Chauvin guilty of all three charges against him -- second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter. The unanimous verdict came after a racially charged three-week trial that was seen as a pivotal test of police accountability in the United States. Appearing alongside Biden, Kamala Harris, America's first Black vice president, spoke first to articulate the "relief" the nation was feeling over justice being served but acknowledged that the result couldn't "take away the pain" of Floyd's murder. "A measure of justice is not the same as equal justice. This verdict brings us a step closer. We still have work to do. We still have to reform the system," she said. She vowed to work with Biden to urge the Senate to pass "long overdue" legislation on police accountability, saying Black men had been treated as "less than humans" throughout US history. "Here is the truth about racial injustice: It is not just a Black America problem or a 'people of color' problem. It is a problem for every American," she said.

US President Joe Biden slams 'systemic racism'; calls Floyd verdict a 'relief'

High-ranking Congress member Maxine Waters called for an overhaul of policing in the United States as she joined the seventh consecutive night of protests in a Minneapolis suburb over the death of Daunte Wright, a young Black man shot dead by a white policewoman.

The 20-year-old was killed during what should have been a routine traffic stop, sparking anger and fresh protests against police brutality and racial injustice.

"Policing has got to be changed," Waters, chair of the House Committee on Financial Services, said Saturday shortly before the 11 pm curfew.

"We've got to reimagine how we can deal with the problems of our society, that young people and people of color in particular getting killed by police that we pay to protect and serve us."

Waters, a Democrat from California, was speaking to a crowd of nearly 300 people outside the Brooklyn Center Police Station.

Protesters have gathered every night since the killing of Wright in a neighborhood about 10 miles (16 kilometers) north of Minneapolis.

Unlike Friday night, when police in riot gear moved to disperse what was declared an unlawful demonstration and arrested at least 100 people — including some journalists — Saturday's gathering appeared to remain peaceful.

Protesters stood alongside the chain-link fence around the police station, chanting "Shut It Down" and waving "Black Lives Matter" flags, but did not appear to try to breach the barrier.

"I'm here because we are tired of police brutality. We are tired of seeing unarmed black men lose their lives for no reason," protester Joel Reeves told AFP.

Wright was shot dead in his car after police veteran Kim Potter mistook her Taser for a gun during a traffic stop caught on bodycam.

Potter was arrested Wednesday on manslaughter charges and faces up to 10 years in jail if convicted.

Chauvin trial

The previous evening, journalists covering the protest said police impeded their work and used pepper spray against some members of the media who had identified themselves as such.

The alleged mistreatment came despite a temporary restraining order signed earlier on Friday by US District Judge Wilhelmina Wright prohibiting the police from arresting journalists or targeting them with flash-bang grenades, non-lethal projectiles, riot batons and chemical agents including pepper spray.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said he had held a meeting Saturday with journalists and law enforcement officers.

"A free press is foundational to our democracy," he tweeted.

"I convened a meeting today with media and law enforcement to determine a better path forward to protect the journalists covering civil unrest."

Tensions are running especially high in Minneapolis this weekend with closing arguments expected Monday in the closely watched trial of Derek Chauvin, the white former police officer accused of killing George Floyd, a Black man, in the city last year.

Since then, fresh examples of police killings — including Wright's not far from the courtroom — have stoked more anger and protests.

High-ranking Congress member Maxine Waters called for an overhaul of policing in the United States as she joined the seventh consecutive night of protests in a Minneapolis suburb over the death of Daunte Wright, a young Black man shot dead by a white policewoman.

High-ranking Congress member Maxine Waters called for an overhaul of policing in the United States as she joined the seventh consecutive night of protests in a Minneapolis suburb over the death of Daunte Wright, a young Black man shot dead by a white policewoman. The 20-year-old was killed during what should have been a routine traffic stop, sparking anger and fresh protests against police brutality and racial injustice. "Policing has got to be changed," Waters, chair of the House Committee on Financial Services, said Saturday shortly before the 11 pm curfew. "We've got to reimagine how we can deal with the problems of our society, that young people and people of color in particular getting killed by police that we pay to protect and serve us." Waters, a Democrat from California, was speaking to a crowd of nearly 300 people outside the Brooklyn Center Police Station. Protesters have gathered every night since the killing of Wright in a neighborhood about 10 miles (16 kilometers) north of Minneapolis. Unlike Friday night, when police in riot gear moved to disperse what was declared an unlawful demonstration and arrested at least 100 people — including some journalists — Saturday's gathering appeared to remain peaceful. Protesters stood alongside the chain-link fence around the police station, chanting "Shut It Down" and waving "Black Lives Matter" flags, but did not appear to try to breach the barrier. "I'm here because we are tired of police brutality. We are tired of seeing unarmed black men lose their lives for no reason," protester Joel Reeves told AFP. Wright was shot dead in his car after police veteran Kim Potter mistook her Taser for a gun during a traffic stop caught on bodycam. Potter was arrested Wednesday on manslaughter charges and faces up to 10 years in jail if convicted. Chauvin trial The previous evening, journalists covering the protest said police impeded their work and used pepper spray against some members of the media who had identified themselves as such. The alleged mistreatment came despite a temporary restraining order signed earlier on Friday by US District Judge Wilhelmina Wright prohibiting the police from arresting journalists or targeting them with flash-bang grenades, non-lethal projectiles, riot batons and chemical agents including pepper spray. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said he had held a meeting Saturday with journalists and law enforcement officers. "A free press is foundational to our democracy," he tweeted. "I convened a meeting today with media and law enforcement to determine a better path forward to protect the journalists covering civil unrest." Tensions are running especially high in Minneapolis this weekend with closing arguments expected Monday in the closely watched trial of Derek Chauvin, the white former police officer accused of killing George Floyd, a Black man, in the city last year. Since then, fresh examples of police killings — including Wright's not far from the courtroom — have stoked more anger and protests.

Calls for US police reform at fresh protest over Daunte Wright killing

A medical expert testifying for the defence in the murder trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin told jurors that the manner of George Floyd's death should be classified as "undetermined" rather than "homicide."

Derek Chauvin trial: Medical expert from defence testifies before jury

Brooklyn protests after Daunte Wright's brutal killing

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