Charlie Hebdo, the satirical magazine from France has sparked outrage yet again after showing England’s Queen Elizabeth kneeling on Meghan Markle’s neck.&nbsp;

The depiction is eerily similar to what happened to George Floyd, a Black man who died after Derek Chauvin, a police officer knelt on his neck. His last words, “I can’t breathe” have become synonymous with the Black Lives Matter movement which erupted over the last year. 
 
Recently, the Duchess of Sussex and her husband Prince Harry told Oprah Winfrey that she was subjected to racism within the royal family. Markle also said that she was denied permission to leave Kensington Palace and that she left only twice in four months, which made her suicidal.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Pourquoi Meghan a quitté Buckingham ? 
 
Retrouvez : 
 
👉 Reportage : l'écologie sonore à l'écoute des animaux 
👉 Enquête sur la véritable histoire du poison chlordécone 
👉 Comment Erdogan traque ses opposants jusqu'en France 
 
En vente demain ! <a href="https://t.co/X7hJHKHPDx">pic.twitter.com/X7hJHKHPDx</a>
— Charlie Hebdo (@Charlie_Hebdo_) <a href="https://twitter.com/Charlie_Hebdo_/status/1369332151708172296?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 9, 2021</a></blockquote>
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The cartoon was published on Saturday and is titled “Why Meghan quit”. In the cartoon, Markle is shown as saying - “I couldn’t breathe any more”.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/entertainment/lifestyle/news-meghan-markle-complains-about-tv-host-piers-morgan-to-uk-regulator-370121" hreflang="en">Meghan Markle complains about TV host Piers Morgan to UK regulator</a>

The depiction has drawn fire from people across the globe. Many have accused the satirical of downplaying not only the struggles of Meghan Markle but of vilifying the movement against systemic racism in the US, spurred largely in the aftermath of Floyd’s death.

Prince William, the big brother of Prince Harry recently broke his silence on the accusations of racism. “We’re very much not a racist family”, the Prince said. The Queen, too, wasn’t spared in the cartoon. She was depicted as having red eyes, and hairy legs - a representation that has angered many Royal loyalists.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/charlie-hebdo-key-accused-in-2015-paris-terror-attacks-trial-jailed-for-30-years-350284" hreflang="en">Charlie Hebdo: Key accused in 2015 Paris terror attacks trial jailed for 30 years</a>

Charlie Hebdo has been at the centre of debates surrounding freedom of speech and secularism in France, after two brothers attacked the magazine’s headquarters for controversial caricatures of Prophet Muhammad. The attack killed 11 people in 2015, including top editor and some of its leading cartoonists.&nbsp;

Charlie Hebdo, the satirical magazine from France has sparked outrage yet again after showing England’s Queen Elizabeth kneeling on Meghan Markle’s neck. The depiction is eerily similar to what happened to George Floyd, a Black man who died after Derek Chauvin, a police officer knelt on his neck.

Charlie Hebdo, the satirical magazine from France has sparked outrage yet again after showing England’s Queen Elizabeth kneeling on Meghan Markle’s neck. The depiction is eerily similar to what happened to George Floyd, a Black man who died after Derek Chauvin, a police officer knelt on his neck. His last words, “I can’t breathe” have become synonymous with the Black Lives Matter movement which erupted over the last year. Recently, the Duchess of Sussex and her husband Prince Harry told Oprah Winfrey that she was subjected to racism within the royal family. Markle also said that she was denied permission to leave Kensington Palace and that she left only twice in four months, which made her suicidal. Pourquoi Meghan a quitté Buckingham ? Retrouvez : 👉 Reportage : l'écologie sonore à l'écoute des animaux 👉 Enquête sur la véritable histoire du poison chlordécone 👉 Comment Erdogan traque ses opposants jusqu'en France En vente demain ! pic.twitter.com/X7hJHKHPDx — Charlie Hebdo (@Charlie_Hebdo_) March 9, 2021 × The cartoon was published on Saturday and is titled “Why Meghan quit”. In the cartoon, Markle is shown as saying - “I couldn’t breathe any more”. Also read: Meghan Markle complains about TV host Piers Morgan to UK regulator The depiction has drawn fire from people across the globe. Many have accused the satirical of downplaying not only the struggles of Meghan Markle but of vilifying the movement against systemic racism in the US, spurred largely in the aftermath of Floyd’s death. Prince William, the big brother of Prince Harry recently broke his silence on the accusations of racism. “We’re very much not a racist family”, the Prince said. The Queen, too, wasn’t spared in the cartoon. She was depicted as having red eyes, and hairy legs - a representation that has angered many Royal loyalists. Also read: Charlie Hebdo: Key accused in 2015 Paris terror attacks trial jailed for 30 years Charlie Hebdo has been at the centre of debates surrounding freedom of speech and secularism in France, after two brothers attacked the magazine’s headquarters for controversial caricatures of Prophet Muhammad. The attack killed 11 people in 2015, including top editor and some of its leading cartoonists.

Charlie Hebdo stokes controversy by depicting Meghan Markle as George Floyd

Demonstrators demanded justice and police reforms on Saturday as they marched on the one-year anniversary of the death of Breonna Taylor, a young Black woman mistakenly shot and killed by officers during a raid of her apartment.&nbsp;

Taylor, a Black 26-year-old emergency medical technician and aspiring nurse, was shot six times and killed by police in her Louisville home during a botched raid on March 13, 2020.

A grand jury in September recommended no homicide charges against the three white officers in the case. One of the officers, Brett Hankison, was charged with three counts of wanton endangerment for firing into a neighbor’s apartment, and a juror said later those charges were the only ones brought to the grand jury by Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron. Hankison and two other officers were fired by the police department.

The deaths of Taylor and George Floyd, a Black man who died under the knee of a policeman in Minneapolis, became a focus of a wave of protests last year against police abuses and racism in the United States.

On Saturday, Taylor's mother Tamika Palmer led hundreds marching behind a large purple banner with an illustration of Taylor's face,&nbsp;chanting "Black lives matter" and "no justice, no peace" while waving signs showing Taylor`s face.

Twelve months after the killing -- in which police shot Taylor while looking for a former friend of hers -- only one of three police officers has been charged, and only for endangering Taylor's neighbours by firing wildly.&nbsp;&nbsp;The failure to press homicide charges -- a decision denounced as "outrageous" by Taylor's family -- sparked sporadic violence in Louisville last September.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/two-us-police-officers-dismissed-over-breonna-taylors-killing-355130">Also read |&nbsp;Two US police officers dismissed over Breonna Taylor's killing</a>

President Joe Biden on Saturday declared his support for reforms. "Breonna Taylor's death was a tragedy, a blow to her family, her community, and America," he tweeted.

"As we continue to mourn her, we must press ahead to pass meaningful police reform in Congress. I remain committed to signing a landmark reform bill into law."

Louisville Mayor Greg Fisher said his city has made significant reforms in policies and priorities, but that there was still "a good deal of work ahead." 
Taylor`s "death resonates still in our city and around the world, underscoring the need to reform systems and act more urgently to advance racial justice and equity," he said on Twitter.

Louisville in September agreed to pay $12 million to settle a civil rights lawsuit filed by Taylor`s family.

On Saturday, protests were held in other cities across the United States on Saturday to mark Taylor`s death, including in Atlanta and New York.

Taylor's family and friends are now looking to the results of a federal probe, with the Federal Bureau of Investigation saying Saturday its work was moving forward.

(with inputs from agencies)

Demonstrators demanded justice and police reforms on Saturday as they marched on the one-year anniversary of the death of Breonna Taylor, a young Black woman mistakenly shot and killed by officers during a raid of her apartment.

Demonstrators demanded justice and police reforms on Saturday as they marched on the one-year anniversary of the death of Breonna Taylor, a young Black woman mistakenly shot and killed by officers during a raid of her apartment. Taylor, a Black 26-year-old emergency medical technician and aspiring nurse, was shot six times and killed by police in her Louisville home during a botched raid on March 13, 2020. A grand jury in September recommended no homicide charges against the three white officers in the case. One of the officers, Brett Hankison, was charged with three counts of wanton endangerment for firing into a neighbor’s apartment, and a juror said later those charges were the only ones brought to the grand jury by Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron. Hankison and two other officers were fired by the police department. The deaths of Taylor and George Floyd, a Black man who died under the knee of a policeman in Minneapolis, became a focus of a wave of protests last year against police abuses and racism in the United States. On Saturday, Taylor's mother Tamika Palmer led hundreds marching behind a large purple banner with an illustration of Taylor's face, chanting "Black lives matter" and "no justice, no peace" while waving signs showing Taylor`s face. Twelve months after the killing -- in which police shot Taylor while looking for a former friend of hers -- only one of three police officers has been charged, and only for endangering Taylor's neighbours by firing wildly. The failure to press homicide charges -- a decision denounced as "outrageous" by Taylor's family -- sparked sporadic violence in Louisville last September. Also read | Two US police officers dismissed over Breonna Taylor's killing President Joe Biden on Saturday declared his support for reforms. "Breonna Taylor's death was a tragedy, a blow to her family, her community, and America," he tweeted. "As we continue to mourn her, we must press ahead to pass meaningful police reform in Congress. I remain committed to signing a landmark reform bill into law." Louisville Mayor Greg Fisher said his city has made significant reforms in policies and priorities, but that there was still "a good deal of work ahead." Taylor`s "death resonates still in our city and around the world, underscoring the need to reform systems and act more urgently to advance racial justice and equity," he said on Twitter. Louisville in September agreed to pay $12 million to settle a civil rights lawsuit filed by Taylor`s family. On Saturday, protests were held in other cities across the United States on Saturday to mark Taylor`s death, including in Atlanta and New York. Taylor's family and friends are now looking to the results of a federal probe, with the Federal Bureau of Investigation saying Saturday its work was moving forward. (with inputs from agencies)

Demonstrators in US call for justice, reforms a year after Breonna Taylor's killing

Georgetown University Law Center said on Thursday that it had fired an adjunct professor who made “abhorrent” remarks about Black students on a video call and had placed another adjunct who was on the call with her on administrative leave.

The two adjunct professors, Sandra A. Sellers and David C. Batson, seemed to be unaware they were being recorded, according to a roughly 40-second clip of their conversation that generated widespread outrage after it was shared online.

In the clip, Sellers, a mediator with experience in intellectual property and high-tech disputes, discussed the evaluation of Black students with Batson after their virtual class had ended, according to the university.

“You know what? I hate to say this,” Sellers said on the video. “I end up having this angst every semester that a lot of my lower ones are Blacks — happens almost every semester. And it’s like, ‘Oh, come on.’ You know? You get some really good ones. But there are also usually some that are just plain at the bottom. It drives me crazy.”

As she spoke, Batson murmured, “Mm-hmm,” but did not challenge her remarks.

After the video prompted condemnation from students and alumni, the dean of the law school, William M. Treanor, said he had referred the matter to the university’s Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity &amp; Affirmative Action, which had begun an investigation. He called the contents of the video, which the university learned about this week, “abhorrent” and said it “included reprehensible statements concerning the evaluation of Black students.”

“It includes conduct that has no place in our educational community,” Treanor wrote to the law school on Wednesday. “We must ensure that all students are treated fairly and evaluated on their merits.”

On Thursday morning, the university’s Black Law Students Association posted a letter to the administration calling for Sellers to be terminated and urging the law school to audit the grades and student evaluations in her past classes.

The video revealed not only Sellers’ “true beliefs about Black students,” the association wrote, “it is also illustrative of the conscious and unconscious bias systematically present in law school grading at Georgetown Law and in law school classrooms nationwide.”

In a second message to the law school on Thursday, Treanor said he had spoken to Sellers and Batson, “giving each the opportunity to provide any additional context.”

“I informed Professor Sellers that I was terminating her relationship with Georgetown Law effective immediately,” Treanor wrote. “During our conversation, she told me that she had intended to resign. As a result of my decision, Professor Sellers is no longer affiliated with Georgetown Law.”

Batson has been placed on administrative leave and “will have no further involvement with the course in which the incident arose,” Treanor added.

“We are taking significant steps to ensure that all students in this class are fairly graded without the input of Professor Sellers or Professor Batson,” he wrote. “This is by no means the end of our work to address the many structural issues of racism reflected in this painful incident, including explicit and implicit bias, bystander responsibility, and the need for more comprehensive anti-bias training.”

Batson, a mediator and former senior counsel at the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Enforcement, did not immediately respond to emails on Thursday.

Sellers shared a copy of her resignation letter with The New York Times, in which she said she was “deeply sorry for my hurtful and misdirected remarks.”

“I would never do anything to intentionally hurt my students or Georgetown Law and wish I could take back my words,” Sellers wrote. “Regardless of my intent, I have done irreparable harm and I am truly sorry for this.”

Sellers said she had taught at Georgetown for almost 20 years and had wanted all her students to excel.

“When this does not occur, it reflects shortcomings on my part, not just on the part of any single student,” she wrote. “It is my responsibility to do all I can to correct this. My comments were the inarticulate reflection of long soul searching. I must do better to understand and address these issues.”

Hassan Ahmad, a Georgetown law student who shared the video on Twitter, said the discussion between the adjunct professors took place last month. Although the students in the class had logged off, the video system continued to record, he said, and uploaded the video to a class website.

It began to circulate in group chats, he said, and a student reported it to the administration on Monday. On Wednesday, Ahmad shared the video online, where it has been viewed more than 750,000 times.

“I was upset that it had not gotten a response from the school at that point,” Ahmad said.

Georgetown University Law Center said on Thursday that it had fired an adjunct professor who made “abhorrent” remarks about Black students on a video call and had placed another adjunct who was on the call with her on administrative leave.

Georgetown University Law Center said on Thursday that it had fired an adjunct professor who made “abhorrent” remarks about Black students on a video call and had placed another adjunct who was on the call with her on administrative leave. The two adjunct professors, Sandra A. Sellers and David C. Batson, seemed to be unaware they were being recorded, according to a roughly 40-second clip of their conversation that generated widespread outrage after it was shared online. In the clip, Sellers, a mediator with experience in intellectual property and high-tech disputes, discussed the evaluation of Black students with Batson after their virtual class had ended, according to the university. “You know what? I hate to say this,” Sellers said on the video. “I end up having this angst every semester that a lot of my lower ones are Blacks — happens almost every semester. And it’s like, ‘Oh, come on.’ You know? You get some really good ones. But there are also usually some that are just plain at the bottom. It drives me crazy.” As she spoke, Batson murmured, “Mm-hmm,” but did not challenge her remarks. After the video prompted condemnation from students and alumni, the dean of the law school, William M. Treanor, said he had referred the matter to the university’s Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity & Affirmative Action, which had begun an investigation. He called the contents of the video, which the university learned about this week, “abhorrent” and said it “included reprehensible statements concerning the evaluation of Black students.” “It includes conduct that has no place in our educational community,” Treanor wrote to the law school on Wednesday. “We must ensure that all students are treated fairly and evaluated on their merits.” On Thursday morning, the university’s Black Law Students Association posted a letter to the administration calling for Sellers to be terminated and urging the law school to audit the grades and student evaluations in her past classes. The video revealed not only Sellers’ “true beliefs about Black students,” the association wrote, “it is also illustrative of the conscious and unconscious bias systematically present in law school grading at Georgetown Law and in law school classrooms nationwide.” In a second message to the law school on Thursday, Treanor said he had spoken to Sellers and Batson, “giving each the opportunity to provide any additional context.” “I informed Professor Sellers that I was terminating her relationship with Georgetown Law effective immediately,” Treanor wrote. “During our conversation, she told me that she had intended to resign. As a result of my decision, Professor Sellers is no longer affiliated with Georgetown Law.” Batson has been placed on administrative leave and “will have no further involvement with the course in which the incident arose,” Treanor added. “We are taking significant steps to ensure that all students in this class are fairly graded without the input of Professor Sellers or Professor Batson,” he wrote. “This is by no means the end of our work to address the many structural issues of racism reflected in this painful incident, including explicit and implicit bias, bystander responsibility, and the need for more comprehensive anti-bias training.” Batson, a mediator and former senior counsel at the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Enforcement, did not immediately respond to emails on Thursday. Sellers shared a copy of her resignation letter with The New York Times, in which she said she was “deeply sorry for my hurtful and misdirected remarks.” “I would never do anything to intentionally hurt my students or Georgetown Law and wish I could take back my words,” Sellers wrote. “Regardless of my intent, I have done irreparable harm and I am truly sorry for this.” Sellers said she had taught at Georgetown for almost 20 years and had wanted all her students to excel. “When this does not occur, it reflects shortcomings on my part, not just on the part of any single student,” she wrote. “It is my responsibility to do all I can to correct this. My comments were the inarticulate reflection of long soul searching. I must do better to understand and address these issues.” Hassan Ahmad, a Georgetown law student who shared the video on Twitter, said the discussion between the adjunct professors took place last month. Although the students in the class had logged off, the video system continued to record, he said, and uploaded the video to a class website. It began to circulate in group chats, he said, and a student reported it to the administration on Monday. On Wednesday, Ahmad shared the video online, where it has been viewed more than 750,000 times. “I was upset that it had not gotten a response from the school at that point,” Ahmad said.

Georgetown law fires professor for ‘abhorrent’ remarks about Black students

Five jurors were seated by the end of the second day of jury selection in the trial of Derek Chauvin, the main accused in the death of George Floyd during an arrest that caused international outrage.

Chauvin, who is white, was fired from the Minneapolis police department the day after the death of Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man. He has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and manslaughter, and stood politely each time his lawyer introduced him to potential jurors in court. A bystander's video showing him with his knee on the dying Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes last May, however, told a different story.

Three jurors were seated on Tuesday after saying they could put aside their misgivings about Chauvin: A white man who is a chemist at an environmental testing lab; a woman who appeared to be of mixed race who said she was “super excited” to serve on a jury; and a white man who works as an auditor.

Two more jurors were seated on Wednesday during the second day of jury selection.

Judge Peter Cahill of the Hennepin County District Court had set aside three weeks to screen jurors. The judge has promised all jurors anonymity for the duration of the trial.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/first-challenge-in-george-floyd-murder-trial-finding-an-impartial-jury-368801">Also read |&nbsp;First challenge in George Floyd murder trial: Finding an impartial jury</a>

Potential jurors last year received an unusually detailed 16-page questionnaire seeking their thoughts on the case and whether they thought there was racism in the criminal justice system. Asked about their view of Chauvin, many replied they disapproved, which did not surprise his lawyers.

On Friday, the Minnesota Court of Appeals ordered the judge overseeing the trial to reconsider the prosecution's request that Chauvin face an additional charge of third-degree murder.

Chauvin's lawyers asked the Minnesota Supreme Court to review that order, but the court said on Wednesday it would not intervene. Judge Cahill said he would discuss the charge with the attorneys on Thursday before resuming jury selection.

Chauvin's lawyers say he stuck to his police training and did not use excessive force when he was arresting Floyd on May 25 on suspicion of using a counterfeit $20 bill to buy cigarettes.

Chauvin, 44, was released from jail on a $1 million bond in October and is being tried in a courtroom in the Hennepin County Government Center, a tower in downtown Minneapolis now ringed with barbed-wire fencing and concrete barricades.

(with inputs)

Five jurors were seated by the end of the second day of jury selection in the trial of Derek Chauvin, the main accused in the death of George Floyd during an arrest that caused international outrage.

Five jurors were seated by the end of the second day of jury selection in the trial of Derek Chauvin, the main accused in the death of George Floyd during an arrest that caused international outrage. Chauvin, who is white, was fired from the Minneapolis police department the day after the death of Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man. He has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and manslaughter, and stood politely each time his lawyer introduced him to potential jurors in court. A bystander's video showing him with his knee on the dying Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes last May, however, told a different story. Three jurors were seated on Tuesday after saying they could put aside their misgivings about Chauvin: A white man who is a chemist at an environmental testing lab; a woman who appeared to be of mixed race who said she was “super excited” to serve on a jury; and a white man who works as an auditor. Two more jurors were seated on Wednesday during the second day of jury selection. Judge Peter Cahill of the Hennepin County District Court had set aside three weeks to screen jurors. The judge has promised all jurors anonymity for the duration of the trial. Also read | First challenge in George Floyd murder trial: Finding an impartial jury Potential jurors last year received an unusually detailed 16-page questionnaire seeking their thoughts on the case and whether they thought there was racism in the criminal justice system. Asked about their view of Chauvin, many replied they disapproved, which did not surprise his lawyers. On Friday, the Minnesota Court of Appeals ordered the judge overseeing the trial to reconsider the prosecution's request that Chauvin face an additional charge of third-degree murder. Chauvin's lawyers asked the Minnesota Supreme Court to review that order, but the court said on Wednesday it would not intervene. Judge Cahill said he would discuss the charge with the attorneys on Thursday before resuming jury selection. Chauvin's lawyers say he stuck to his police training and did not use excessive force when he was arresting Floyd on May 25 on suspicion of using a counterfeit $20 bill to buy cigarettes. Chauvin, 44, was released from jail on a $1 million bond in October and is being tried in a courtroom in the Hennepin County Government Center, a tower in downtown Minneapolis now ringed with barbed-wire fencing and concrete barricades. (with inputs)

First jurors selected for George Floyd murder trial

The publicity surrounding the murder trial of&nbsp;George&nbsp;Floyd, an African-American man whose death laid bare racial wounds in the United States and sparked "Black Lives Matter" protests across the globe, is making jury selection a difficult task.

Millions of people have watched the video of&nbsp;George&nbsp;Floyd's death. A dozen will decide the fate of the white policeman seen kneeling for nearly nine minutes on the neck of the 46-year-old Black man.

Judge Peter Cahill of the Hennepin County District Court has set aside three weeks to screen jurors.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/first-jurors-selected-for-george-floyd-murder-trial-369547">First jurors selected for George Floyd murder trial</a>

Former Minneapolis Police Department officer Derek Chauvin is facing charges of second-degree murder and manslaughter in connection with&nbsp;Floyd's May 25 death, which was captured by bystanders on smartphone video.

He has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and manslaughter and stood politely each time his lawyer introduced him to potential jurors in court.

The viral video of&nbsp;Floyd's&nbsp;death sparked a summer of protests against police brutality and racial injustice in the United States and around the world.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/sister-of-george-floyd-makes-emotional-plea-for-justice-as-trial-gets-set-to-begin-369193/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Citing pre-trial publicity, defence lawyers for Chauvin sought to have the trial moved out of Minneapolis, the Minnesota city where&nbsp;Floyd&nbsp;died, but the motion was denied.

&nbsp;'Juror rejection'

Only one of the prospective jurors so far, a white man in his 20s or 30s, has said they have not seen the video of&nbsp;Floyd's death.

The man, who said he has seen only a still image from the video, was the first person selected for the jury, which will comprise 12 jurors and two alternates.

Each potential juror filled out a 16-page questionnaire before being called in for jury selection.

Among the questions asked were whether they have seen the video of&nbsp;Floyd's death, whether they took part in protests against racial injustice and whether they've had any interactions with police.

They were also asked how they view the "Black Lives Matter" movement and whether they have a favourable or unfavourable view of Chauvin, the accused.

Chauvin's attorney and prosecutors have probed the prospective jurors further during the process called voir dire about their beliefs and knowledge about the case.

"Believe it or not, you're not the only person in the world that may have a negative view of my client," Eric Nelson, Chauvin's lead attorney, said with a smile as he questioned a potential juror who said that he, his wife, his son and daughter had all advocated for police reform.

That man was sent home after Nelson used the fourth of his 15 peremptory challenges, which enable a potential juror to be dismissed without cause.

The prosecutors from the state attorney general's office have used two of their nine challenges, including one against a civil litigation attorney who told prosecutors she thought that law enforcement officers have a "thankless job."

'Black Lives Matter'

Three jurors were seated on Tuesday after saying they could put aside their misgivings about Chauvin: A white man who is a chemist at an environmental testing lab; a woman who appeared to be of mixed race who said she was "super excited" to serve on a jury; and a white man who works as an auditor.

The judge has promised all jurors anonymity for the duration of the trial.

On Wednesday, a sales manager who appeared to be white and said he thought police tended to be more trustworthy witnesses than civilians became the fourth juror to be seated. He also said that he had "strongly favourable" views of the Black Lives Matter movement.

"In my college years, I took a couple of great courses following the Civil Rights movement, and they really just led me on the path of racial injustice throughout our history," he told the court. He said he was an avid sports fan and supported the right of Black football players to protest police brutality by kneeling during the national anthem before games.

Later, a Black man who said he immigrated to the United States 14 years ago to study in Nebraska and now worked in information technology told the court he believed that "all lives matter," but that Black lives matter more because he thought Black people had been marginalized.

He also said he disagreed with calls by some activists to "defund the police," saying that if police are expected to keep communities safe then "they have to have the right to have the funds."

He became the fifth of the 12 jurors and up to four alternates the judge is seeking to seat.

On Friday, the Minnesota Court of Appeals ordered the judge overseeing the trial to reconsider the prosecution's request that Chauvin face an additional charge of third-degree murder.

Chauvin's lawyers asked the Minnesota Supreme Court to review that order, but the court said on Wednesday it would not intervene. Judge Cahill said he would discuss the charge with the attorneys on Thursday before resuming jury selection.

Chauvin's lawyers say he stuck to his police training and did not use excessive force when he was arresting&nbsp;Floyd&nbsp;on May 25 on suspicion of using a counterfeit $20 bill to buy cigarettes.

Chauvin, 44, was released from jail on a $1 million bond in October and is being tried in a courtroom in the Hennepin County Government Center, a tower in downtown Minneapolis now ringed with barbed-wire fencing and concrete barricades.

The publicity surrounding the murder trial of George Floyd, an African-American man whose death laid bare racial wounds in the United States and sparked "Black Lives Matter" protests across the globe, is making jury selection a difficult task.

The publicity surrounding the murder trial of George Floyd, an African-American man whose death laid bare racial wounds in the United States and sparked "Black Lives Matter" protests across the globe, is making jury selection a difficult task. Millions of people have watched the video of George Floyd's death. A dozen will decide the fate of the white policeman seen kneeling for nearly nine minutes on the neck of the 46-year-old Black man. Judge Peter Cahill of the Hennepin County District Court has set aside three weeks to screen jurors. Also read: First jurors selected for George Floyd murder trial Former Minneapolis Police Department officer Derek Chauvin is facing charges of second-degree murder and manslaughter in connection with Floyd's May 25 death, which was captured by bystanders on smartphone video. He has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and manslaughter and stood politely each time his lawyer introduced him to potential jurors in court. The viral video of Floyd's death sparked a summer of protests against police brutality and racial injustice in the United States and around the world. Citing pre-trial publicity, defence lawyers for Chauvin sought to have the trial moved out of Minneapolis, the Minnesota city where Floyd died, but the motion was denied. 'Juror rejection' Only one of the prospective jurors so far, a white man in his 20s or 30s, has said they have not seen the video of Floyd's death. The man, who said he has seen only a still image from the video, was the first person selected for the jury, which will comprise 12 jurors and two alternates. Each potential juror filled out a 16-page questionnaire before being called in for jury selection. Among the questions asked were whether they have seen the video of Floyd's death, whether they took part in protests against racial injustice and whether they've had any interactions with police. They were also asked how they view the "Black Lives Matter" movement and whether they have a favourable or unfavourable view of Chauvin, the accused. Chauvin's attorney and prosecutors have probed the prospective jurors further during the process called voir dire about their beliefs and knowledge about the case. "Believe it or not, you're not the only person in the world that may have a negative view of my client," Eric Nelson, Chauvin's lead attorney, said with a smile as he questioned a potential juror who said that he, his wife, his son and daughter had all advocated for police reform. That man was sent home after Nelson used the fourth of his 15 peremptory challenges, which enable a potential juror to be dismissed without cause. The prosecutors from the state attorney general's office have used two of their nine challenges, including one against a civil litigation attorney who told prosecutors she thought that law enforcement officers have a "thankless job." 'Black Lives Matter' Three jurors were seated on Tuesday after saying they could put aside their misgivings about Chauvin: A white man who is a chemist at an environmental testing lab; a woman who appeared to be of mixed race who said she was "super excited" to serve on a jury; and a white man who works as an auditor. The judge has promised all jurors anonymity for the duration of the trial. On Wednesday, a sales manager who appeared to be white and said he thought police tended to be more trustworthy witnesses than civilians became the fourth juror to be seated. He also said that he had "strongly favourable" views of the Black Lives Matter movement. "In my college years, I took a couple of great courses following the Civil Rights movement, and they really just led me on the path of racial injustice throughout our history," he told the court. He said he was an avid sports fan and supported the right of Black football players to protest police brutality by kneeling during the national anthem before games. Later, a Black man who said he immigrated to the United States 14 years ago to study in Nebraska and now worked in information technology told the court he believed that "all lives matter," but that Black lives matter more because he thought Black people had been marginalized. He also said he disagreed with calls by some activists to "defund the police," saying that if police are expected to keep communities safe then "they have to have the right to have the funds." He became the fifth of the 12 jurors and up to four alternates the judge is seeking to seat. On Friday, the Minnesota Court of Appeals ordered the judge overseeing the trial to reconsider the prosecution's request that Chauvin face an additional charge of third-degree murder. Chauvin's lawyers asked the Minnesota Supreme Court to review that order, but the court said on Wednesday it would not intervene. Judge Cahill said he would discuss the charge with the attorneys on Thursday before resuming jury selection. Chauvin's lawyers say he stuck to his police training and did not use excessive force when he was arresting Floyd on May 25 on suspicion of using a counterfeit $20 bill to buy cigarettes. Chauvin, 44, was released from jail on a $1 million bond in October and is being tried in a courtroom in the Hennepin County Government Center, a tower in downtown Minneapolis now ringed with barbed-wire fencing and concrete barricades.

George Floyd murder trial: Publicity surrounding case a challenge for jury selection

The jury selection is underway in the murder trial of Derek Chauvin, a former Minneapolis police officer charged over George Floyd’s death last year. The African American's May 2020 killing drew outrage and a worldwide reckoning on police reform and racial justice. Watch the video for the story so far.

Jury selection underway for George Floyd Murder trial: The story so far

The trial of a former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who has been charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter in George Floyd’s death is set to begin today. WION brings all you need to know before the trial.

George Floyd's murder trial to begin with the selection of jury

In Pics: George Floyd, whose fall, fuelled a complete movement

Police in the New York city of Rochester has again found its way to scanner and scrutiny after body-cam video showed them forcing a woman, holding her three-year-old daughter, to the ground and pepper-spraying her.

The same Rochester police was earlier criticised over two earlier episodes that raised questions about their use of force.

The video of the latest incident, which took place February 22, shows an officer stopping a woman on the snow-covered shoulder of a road, telling her a nearby business had accused her of stealing.

The woman, carrying her tiny daughter in one arm, insisted she stole nothing and partially emptied her purse to show the officer.&nbsp;

When the officer refused to let her go, the woman ran with her child in her arms. Officers chase and catch up with her, forcing her to the ground.

When the woman struggled back to her feet and grabbed for her daughter, police used pepper spray to subdue her and force her back to the ground.&nbsp;

The child was not pepper-sprayed directly, but officials who saw the footage said she could have been exposed.

Board chair Shani Wilson told reporters that there were "troubling parallels" to an incident in late January in which a nine-year-old girl was handcuffed and pepper-sprayed.

The woman was ultimately charged with trespassing and the arresting officer was placed on administrative leave pending an internal investigation.

In September, Rochester police came under attack after video showed the arrest of Daniel Prude, a 41-year-old Black man.&nbsp;

The incident also recalled the death in May of George Floyd, the Black man who died after a Minneapolis police officer kneeled on his neck for several minutes.

Floyd's death, and other police-involved deaths of Black people, sparked protests across the US and around the world in the form of Black Lives Matter demonstrations.

(with inputs from agencies)

Police in the New York city of Rochester has again found its way to scanner and scrutiny after body-cam video showed them forcing a woman, holding her three-year-old daughter, to the ground and pepper-spraying her.

Police in the New York city of Rochester has again found its way to scanner and scrutiny after body-cam video showed them forcing a woman, holding her three-year-old daughter, to the ground and pepper-spraying her. The same Rochester police was earlier criticised over two earlier episodes that raised questions about their use of force. The video of the latest incident, which took place February 22, shows an officer stopping a woman on the snow-covered shoulder of a road, telling her a nearby business had accused her of stealing. The woman, carrying her tiny daughter in one arm, insisted she stole nothing and partially emptied her purse to show the officer. When the officer refused to let her go, the woman ran with her child in her arms. Officers chase and catch up with her, forcing her to the ground. When the woman struggled back to her feet and grabbed for her daughter, police used pepper spray to subdue her and force her back to the ground. The child was not pepper-sprayed directly, but officials who saw the footage said she could have been exposed. Board chair Shani Wilson told reporters that there were "troubling parallels" to an incident in late January in which a nine-year-old girl was handcuffed and pepper-sprayed. The woman was ultimately charged with trespassing and the arresting officer was placed on administrative leave pending an internal investigation. In September, Rochester police came under attack after video showed the arrest of Daniel Prude, a 41-year-old Black man. The incident also recalled the death in May of George Floyd, the Black man who died after a Minneapolis police officer kneeled on his neck for several minutes. Floyd's death, and other police-involved deaths of Black people, sparked protests across the US and around the world in the form of Black Lives Matter demonstrations. (with inputs from agencies)

Black woman's arrest again brings police in New York under scanner

Despite having one of the highest risks of dying from Covid-19, about twice that of white Americans, Black Americans remain one of the least vaccinated racial or ethnic groups, with data showing that only 5.7 percent have received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine.

Many are quick to blame “vaccine hesitancy” as the reason, putting the onus on Black Americans to develop better attitudes around vaccination. But this hyper-focus on hesitancy implicitly blames Black communities for their undervaccination, and it obscures opportunities to address the primary barrier to Covid-19 vaccination: access.

Access matters. A closer look at the data reveals that when Black people are given the opportunity, they do get vaccinated.

After the federally funded Vaccines for Children program eliminated cost as a barrier to vaccine access for children in the 1990s, racial disparities in vaccination rates narrowed significantly. Since about 2005, Black children are just as likely to have received the recommended M.M.R. and polio vaccines as any other children, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If the vaccination rates of children are, in part, a reflection of their parents and caregivers’ attitudes about vaccines, then it suggests that Black caregivers generally support vaccination.

Another study looking at flu vaccination in Detroit showed that among Medicare Part B recipients (people who have a health care plan that covers many vaccines) Black adults 65 years and older are just as likely to accept the flu vaccine as white adults, if their health care provider offers it to them.

Even now, during the pandemic, survey data has shown that interest in Covid-19 vaccination is increasing among Black adults. Sixty-one percent of Black Americans say they plan to get a Covid-19 vaccine or have already received one, up from 42 percent who said in November that they planned to get vaccinated, according to new data from Pew Research Center.

As many as 27 percent of Black Americans in a Kaiser Family Foundation survey still say they may decline Covid-19 vaccination or only get it if required, and as many as 37 percent say they will “wait and see.” But those sentiments must be considered alongside evidence of gaps in Black people’s access to information about vaccines. In another recent study, 41 percent of Black adults reported knowing “little or nothing” about how vaccines are created and tested, and 30 percent reported knowing “only a little or nothing” about how vaccines generally work.

To fully expand access to Covid-19 vaccines, health care must name, challenge and eliminate the anti-Black racism that continues to place vital health care services just beyond Black Americans’ reach. This includes access to health insurance, access to a health care provider, access to credible information about vaccines and convenient access to vaccines.

At each of these steps, Black health care workers are leading the way. In Philadelphia, Black health workers are running walk-up vaccine clinics that don’t require appointments made online or over the phone. Health workers in Oakland have built a testing site that doesn’t require any personal documentation to receive a test. Black health workers and I am disseminating credible Covid-19 information online and through social media.

As a Black physician, I know from experience that Black people are some of the most sophisticated and discerning health care consumers in the country. This comes from necessity. Many Black Americans need not resurrect the ghosts of the Tuskegee experiment to recall a moment in which they’ve endured medical mistreatment. As KQED recently reported, researchers say Tuskegee rarely comes up when Black people share concerns about Covid-19 vaccines. Rather, issues like racism in health care and safety concerns are cited much more often.

Ultimately, while the standards of care in the United States are exceptional, and among the highest in the world, it is important to acknowledge that anti-Black racism keeps the health care system from systematically applying that high standard to Black people. For example, just as surgeons don’t prepare patients for surgery by simply saying, “Just trust me, I’ll see you in the operating room,” when it comes to acceptance of Covid-19 vaccination, the U.S. health system should stop engaging Black communities by asking for their blind trust. Black people deserve to make this important medical decision like all other patient populations, equipped with the access they need to insurance coverage, reliable care, credible information and actual vaccines.

(Rhea Boyd, M.D., M.P.H. is a pediatrician, public health advocate and scholar who writes and teaches about the impact of racism and inequity on health. She co-developed a national campaign to provide Black communities with information about COVID-19 vaccines.)

Despite having one of the highest risks of dying from Covid-19, about twice that of white Americans, Black Americans remain one of the least vaccinated racial or ethnic groups, with data showing that only 5.

Despite having one of the highest risks of dying from Covid-19, about twice that of white Americans, Black Americans remain one of the least vaccinated racial or ethnic groups, with data showing that only 5.7 percent have received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine. Many are quick to blame “vaccine hesitancy” as the reason, putting the onus on Black Americans to develop better attitudes around vaccination. But this hyper-focus on hesitancy implicitly blames Black communities for their undervaccination, and it obscures opportunities to address the primary barrier to Covid-19 vaccination: access. Access matters. A closer look at the data reveals that when Black people are given the opportunity, they do get vaccinated. After the federally funded Vaccines for Children program eliminated cost as a barrier to vaccine access for children in the 1990s, racial disparities in vaccination rates narrowed significantly. Since about 2005, Black children are just as likely to have received the recommended M.M.R. and polio vaccines as any other children, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If the vaccination rates of children are, in part, a reflection of their parents and caregivers’ attitudes about vaccines, then it suggests that Black caregivers generally support vaccination. Another study looking at flu vaccination in Detroit showed that among Medicare Part B recipients (people who have a health care plan that covers many vaccines) Black adults 65 years and older are just as likely to accept the flu vaccine as white adults, if their health care provider offers it to them. Even now, during the pandemic, survey data has shown that interest in Covid-19 vaccination is increasing among Black adults. Sixty-one percent of Black Americans say they plan to get a Covid-19 vaccine or have already received one, up from 42 percent who said in November that they planned to get vaccinated, according to new data from Pew Research Center. As many as 27 percent of Black Americans in a Kaiser Family Foundation survey still say they may decline Covid-19 vaccination or only get it if required, and as many as 37 percent say they will “wait and see.” But those sentiments must be considered alongside evidence of gaps in Black people’s access to information about vaccines. In another recent study, 41 percent of Black adults reported knowing “little or nothing” about how vaccines are created and tested, and 30 percent reported knowing “only a little or nothing” about how vaccines generally work. To fully expand access to Covid-19 vaccines, health care must name, challenge and eliminate the anti-Black racism that continues to place vital health care services just beyond Black Americans’ reach. This includes access to health insurance, access to a health care provider, access to credible information about vaccines and convenient access to vaccines. At each of these steps, Black health care workers are leading the way. In Philadelphia, Black health workers are running walk-up vaccine clinics that don’t require appointments made online or over the phone. Health workers in Oakland have built a testing site that doesn’t require any personal documentation to receive a test. Black health workers and I am disseminating credible Covid-19 information online and through social media. As a Black physician, I know from experience that Black people are some of the most sophisticated and discerning health care consumers in the country. This comes from necessity. Many Black Americans need not resurrect the ghosts of the Tuskegee experiment to recall a moment in which they’ve endured medical mistreatment. As KQED recently reported, researchers say Tuskegee rarely comes up when Black people share concerns about Covid-19 vaccines. Rather, issues like racism in health care and safety concerns are cited much more often. Ultimately, while the standards of care in the United States are exceptional, and among the highest in the world, it is important to acknowledge that anti-Black racism keeps the health care system from systematically applying that high standard to Black people. For example, just as surgeons don’t prepare patients for surgery by simply saying, “Just trust me, I’ll see you in the operating room,” when it comes to acceptance of Covid-19 vaccination, the U.S. health system should stop engaging Black communities by asking for their blind trust. Black people deserve to make this important medical decision like all other patient populations, equipped with the access they need to insurance coverage, reliable care, credible information and actual vaccines. (Rhea Boyd, M.D., M.P.H. is a pediatrician, public health advocate and scholar who writes and teaches about the impact of racism and inequity on health. She co-developed a national campaign to provide Black communities with information about COVID-19 vaccines.)

Black people need better vaccine access, not better vaccine attitudes

Police officers involved in the death of Daniel Prude will not face criminal charges after a grand jury declined to indict them, New York's attorney general announced Tuesday.

Prude, 41, died last March, several days after his encounter with police in Rochester, New York. Police initially described his death as a drug overdose. It went mostly unnoticed. But nightly protests erupted after body camera video was released nearly six months later following pressure from Prude's family. The officers had reportedly put a hood over the head of the mentally distraught Black man, then pressed his body against the pavement until he stopped breathing.

Attorney General Letitia James, whose office took over the investigation, said her office had presented the strongest case possible to the grand jury, but couldn't persuade it that the officers had committed a crime.

Lawyers for the seven police officers suspended over Prude's death have said the officers were strictly following their training that night, employing a restraining technique known as "segmenting". They claimed Prude's use of PCP, which caused irrational behaviour, was the root cause of his death.

Hundreds of protesters gathered Tuesday evening on the street where Prude was detained.

The March 23 video of Prude's fatal encounter with officers was initially withheld by police in part because of concerns it would inflame street demonstrations occurring nationwide over George Floyd's death.

THE EXPLICIT VIDEO

Ultimately released September 4, it showed officers placing a mesh bag over Prude's head to stop him from spitting after they detained him for running naked through the streets. Prude had been evaluated at a hospital for odd behavior a day earlier, but he wasn't admitted. His family called police because they were concerned about Prude's safety after he bolted from the house.

One officer pushed Prude's face against the ground, while another officer pressed a knee to his back. The officers held him down for about two minutes until he fell unconscious. He was taken off life support a week later.

Police officers involved in the death of Daniel Prude will not face criminal charges after a grand jury declined to indict them, New York's attorney general announced Tuesday.

Police officers involved in the death of Daniel Prude will not face criminal charges after a grand jury declined to indict them, New York's attorney general announced Tuesday. Prude, 41, died last March, several days after his encounter with police in Rochester, New York. Police initially described his death as a drug overdose. It went mostly unnoticed. But nightly protests erupted after body camera video was released nearly six months later following pressure from Prude's family. The officers had reportedly put a hood over the head of the mentally distraught Black man, then pressed his body against the pavement until he stopped breathing. Attorney General Letitia James, whose office took over the investigation, said her office had presented the strongest case possible to the grand jury, but couldn't persuade it that the officers had committed a crime. Lawyers for the seven police officers suspended over Prude's death have said the officers were strictly following their training that night, employing a restraining technique known as "segmenting". They claimed Prude's use of PCP, which caused irrational behaviour, was the root cause of his death. Hundreds of protesters gathered Tuesday evening on the street where Prude was detained. The March 23 video of Prude's fatal encounter with officers was initially withheld by police in part because of concerns it would inflame street demonstrations occurring nationwide over George Floyd's death. THE EXPLICIT VIDEO Ultimately released September 4, it showed officers placing a mesh bag over Prude's head to stop him from spitting after they detained him for running naked through the streets. Prude had been evaluated at a hospital for odd behavior a day earlier, but he wasn't admitted. His family called police because they were concerned about Prude's safety after he bolted from the house. One officer pushed Prude's face against the ground, while another officer pressed a knee to his back. The officers held him down for about two minutes until he fell unconscious. He was taken off life support a week later.

No charges against officers involved in death of Daniel Prude, a mentally distraught Black man

More than 160 Confederate symbols were removed from public spaces or renamed last year after the death of George Floyd, more than the previous four years combined, a watchdog group said on Tuesday.

The Southern Poverty Law Center, which has campaigned for the removal of Confederate statues and monuments, released the findings as part of a report on the status of the symbols.

The nonprofit organization, based in Montgomery, Alabama, started tracking symbols of the Confederacy after a white supremacist killed nine Black worshippers at a storied African American church in Charleston, South Carolina, in 2015.

In the group’s “Whose Heritage?” report, the Law Center said that last year had been transformative, but that hundreds of symbols of the Confederacy remained.

“These dehumanizing symbols of pain and oppression continue to serve as backdrops to important government buildings, halls of justice, public parks, and U.S. military properties, including 10 bases named after Confederate leaders across the South,” Lecia Brooks, the center’s chief of staff, said in a statement.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/after-a-year-of-ahmaud-arberys-killing-his-mother-files-lawsuit-365773" hreflang="en">After a year of Ahmaud Arbery's killing, his mother files lawsuit</a>

All but one of the 168 symbols that were eliminated in 2020 were removed or renamed after the death of Floyd in the custody of the Minneapolis police in May, a moment that catalyzed widespread protests over systemic racism and police brutality. It also renewed a reckoning over symbols of the Confederacy and their meaning.

Virginia led the way in the number of symbols that were removed last year with 71, followed by North Carolina with 24, and then Alabama and Texas with 12 each, the report said.

Larry McCluney Jr., the commander in chief of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, criticized the movement to take down statues and memorials.

“So you’re going to say that a war was fought and there was only one side?” McCluney said in an interview Tuesday night. “We’re trying to purge or sanitize American history.”

McCluney said it was unreasonable to judge Confederate leaders by today’s societal standards. He also contended that many soldiers who fought for the South in the Civil War were buried in unmarked graves and deserved to be memorialized.

“Is it fair 200 years from now to judge us?” he said. “They were men of their time.”

The Law Center said that 31 public schools were expected to change their names this year to sever ties with their Confederate heritage.

Last year, a 131-year-old statue commemorating Confederate soldiers was removed in Alexandria, Virginia, on June 2. Protesters in Richmond, Virginia, toppled a Jefferson Davis statue on June 10 and vandalized other Confederate memorials. On June 13, a statue of Davis was removed from the Kentucky Capitol Rotunda.

A statue depicting a Confederate soldier holding a rifle was removed from Charlottesville, Virginia, in September.

Several other Confederate monuments and memorials in multiple states were covered in graffiti during protests, which extended to other people and institutions seen as having a racist past.

In one case, a Confederate statue fell not to protesters or politicians but to Mother Earth: Hurricane Laura caused a 105-year-old statue in Lake Charles, Louisiana, to tumble in August.

Some institutions that long supported the imagery changed their tune.

In late June, Mississippi removed the Confederate symbol from its state flag. And this month, North Carolina said it had discontinued the use of a specialty license plate bearing the Confederate battle flag.

NASCAR banned the flag from its events and properties in June. Its announcement partly prompted President Donald Trump to defend the flag, beginning what would become a consistent pushback against efforts to remove Confederate symbols.

His stance put him at odds with his military. On June 6, the U.S. Marine Corps banned displays of the flag at Marine installations. On July 17, the Pentagon banned displays on military installations around the world, sidestepping Trump’s opposition and preempting similar action by the Army.

Military leaders indicated they were open to renaming 10 Army bases named after Confederate leaders, but Trump rejected the efforts.

Trump also vetoed an annual military policy bill that included a bipartisan provision to strip the names of Confederate leaders from bases, but the House and the Senate overrode the veto.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called for the removal of 11 statues of Confederate figures from the U.S. Capitol, not for the first time, but succeeded in removing only four portraits.

While the Law Center said strides had been made in removing Confederate relics, the group expressed concern about the symbols that were displayed during the Jan. 6 siege of the U.S. Capitol.

One man, who was later arrested, carried the Confederate battle flag inside the building.

“As witnessed on Jan. 6 when an insurrectionist brazenly carried a Confederate flag through the halls of the U.S. Capitol, Confederate symbols are a form of systemic racism used to intimidate, instill fear and remind Black people that they have no place in American society,” Brooks said.

More than 160 Confederate symbols were removed from public spaces or renamed last year after the death of George Floyd, more than the previous four years combined, a watchdog group said on Tuesday.

More than 160 Confederate symbols were removed from public spaces or renamed last year after the death of George Floyd, more than the previous four years combined, a watchdog group said on Tuesday. The Southern Poverty Law Center, which has campaigned for the removal of Confederate statues and monuments, released the findings as part of a report on the status of the symbols. The nonprofit organization, based in Montgomery, Alabama, started tracking symbols of the Confederacy after a white supremacist killed nine Black worshippers at a storied African American church in Charleston, South Carolina, in 2015. In the group’s “Whose Heritage?” report, the Law Center said that last year had been transformative, but that hundreds of symbols of the Confederacy remained. “These dehumanizing symbols of pain and oppression continue to serve as backdrops to important government buildings, halls of justice, public parks, and U.S. military properties, including 10 bases named after Confederate leaders across the South,” Lecia Brooks, the center’s chief of staff, said in a statement. Also read| After a year of Ahmaud Arbery's killing, his mother files lawsuit All but one of the 168 symbols that were eliminated in 2020 were removed or renamed after the death of Floyd in the custody of the Minneapolis police in May, a moment that catalyzed widespread protests over systemic racism and police brutality. It also renewed a reckoning over symbols of the Confederacy and their meaning. Virginia led the way in the number of symbols that were removed last year with 71, followed by North Carolina with 24, and then Alabama and Texas with 12 each, the report said. Larry McCluney Jr., the commander in chief of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, criticized the movement to take down statues and memorials. “So you’re going to say that a war was fought and there was only one side?” McCluney said in an interview Tuesday night. “We’re trying to purge or sanitize American history.” McCluney said it was unreasonable to judge Confederate leaders by today’s societal standards. He also contended that many soldiers who fought for the South in the Civil War were buried in unmarked graves and deserved to be memorialized. “Is it fair 200 years from now to judge us?” he said. “They were men of their time.” The Law Center said that 31 public schools were expected to change their names this year to sever ties with their Confederate heritage. Last year, a 131-year-old statue commemorating Confederate soldiers was removed in Alexandria, Virginia, on June 2. Protesters in Richmond, Virginia, toppled a Jefferson Davis statue on June 10 and vandalized other Confederate memorials. On June 13, a statue of Davis was removed from the Kentucky Capitol Rotunda. A statue depicting a Confederate soldier holding a rifle was removed from Charlottesville, Virginia, in September. Several other Confederate monuments and memorials in multiple states were covered in graffiti during protests, which extended to other people and institutions seen as having a racist past. In one case, a Confederate statue fell not to protesters or politicians but to Mother Earth: Hurricane Laura caused a 105-year-old statue in Lake Charles, Louisiana, to tumble in August. Some institutions that long supported the imagery changed their tune. In late June, Mississippi removed the Confederate symbol from its state flag. And this month, North Carolina said it had discontinued the use of a specialty license plate bearing the Confederate battle flag. NASCAR banned the flag from its events and properties in June. Its announcement partly prompted President Donald Trump to defend the flag, beginning what would become a consistent pushback against efforts to remove Confederate symbols. His stance put him at odds with his military. On June 6, the U.S. Marine Corps banned displays of the flag at Marine installations. On July 17, the Pentagon banned displays on military installations around the world, sidestepping Trump’s opposition and preempting similar action by the Army. Military leaders indicated they were open to renaming 10 Army bases named after Confederate leaders, but Trump rejected the efforts. Trump also vetoed an annual military policy bill that included a bipartisan provision to strip the names of Confederate leaders from bases, but the House and the Senate overrode the veto. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called for the removal of 11 statues of Confederate figures from the U.S. Capitol, not for the first time, but succeeded in removing only four portraits. While the Law Center said strides had been made in removing Confederate relics, the group expressed concern about the symbols that were displayed during the Jan. 6 siege of the U.S. Capitol. One man, who was later arrested, carried the Confederate battle flag inside the building. “As witnessed on Jan. 6 when an insurrectionist brazenly carried a Confederate flag through the halls of the U.S. Capitol, Confederate symbols are a form of systemic racism used to intimidate, instill fear and remind Black people that they have no place in American society,” Brooks said.

Over 160 confederate symbols were removed in 2020, group says

After "scrambling" from police in his youth days, Bocar Ba, an economist from the University of California, used to think about cops behaviour and its impact on civilians.&nbsp;

In 2015, he decided to study an important social question: Does the race of a police officer matter when he uses force or take a decision to stop someone on suspicion?

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/video-reveals-nine-year-old-girl-cries-for-help-as-cops-pepper-sprayed-on-her-363082">US: Video reveals nine-year-old girl pleading as cops pepper sprayed on her</a>

Ba and his colleagues checked police records from 2012 to 2015 to analyse their actions, the race of the civilian, among other things.

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/canada-watchdog-says-one-year-old-killed-in-police-firing-363089">Canada: Watchdog says one-year-old killed in police firing</a>

The research noted that Black, Hispanic, and female police officers in Chicago made fewer stops and arrests as compared to their white male counterparts, particularly for petty crimes, reports Sciencemag.&nbsp;

"A lot of other studies out there have tried to use officer race as a benchmark test for discrimination … (but this one) got much more precise estimates of what the police workplace actually looks like," said Jeffrey Fagan, a professor of law at Columbia University.&nbsp;

The data found that on average Black officers in Chicago made 29 per cent fewer stops and 21 per cent fewer arrests than their white counterparts. The Black cops also use 32 per cent force less frequently.&nbsp;

Overall, Black officers stopped 17 per cent fewer white civilians and 39 per cent fewer Blacks.&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

After "scrambling" from police in his youth days, Bocar Ba, an economist from the University of California, used to think about cops behaviour and its impact on civilians.

After "scrambling" from police in his youth days, Bocar Ba, an economist from the University of California, used to think about cops behaviour and its impact on civilians. In 2015, he decided to study an important social question: Does the race of a police officer matter when he uses force or take a decision to stop someone on suspicion? Also read | US: Video reveals nine-year-old girl pleading as cops pepper sprayed on her Ba and his colleagues checked police records from 2012 to 2015 to analyse their actions, the race of the civilian, among other things. Also read | Canada: Watchdog says one-year-old killed in police firing The research noted that Black, Hispanic, and female police officers in Chicago made fewer stops and arrests as compared to their white male counterparts, particularly for petty crimes, reports Sciencemag. "A lot of other studies out there have tried to use officer race as a benchmark test for discrimination … (but this one) got much more precise estimates of what the police workplace actually looks like," said Jeffrey Fagan, a professor of law at Columbia University. The data found that on average Black officers in Chicago made 29 per cent fewer stops and 21 per cent fewer arrests than their white counterparts. The Black cops also use 32 per cent force less frequently. Overall, Black officers stopped 17 per cent fewer white civilians and 39 per cent fewer Blacks.

Study finds non-white Chicago officers made fewer arrests, lesser use of force

A nine-year-old Black girl in a video was found pleading to the cops as a chemical irritant was sprayed on her face and was handcuffed for 16 minutes.&nbsp;

In the video of about 90 minutes of the incident that took place in Rochester, the child can be heard wailing and whimpering and saying that her eyes were burning.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/music-marching-and-now-a-movie-how-a-young-black-artist-is-pushing-for-justice-in-america-362420">Music, marching and now a movie: How a young Black artist is pushing for justice in America</a>

"Officer, please don’t do this to me," the girl said in the video.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/black-lives-matter-movement-proposed-for-nobel-peace-prize-360299">Black Lives Matter movement proposed for Nobel Peace Prize</a>

The cop responded: "You did it to yourself."&nbsp;

Several times the girl asked the police officer of when the ambulance would come to clean the pepper spray and urged the removal of handcuffs as the liquid was entering her mouth.&nbsp;

"If you stick your head towards the window the cold air is going to feel nice," another cop replied.&nbsp;

"It's burning too bad," she said.&nbsp;

"It's supposed to burn. It's called pepper spray," the officer responded.&nbsp;

The police officers involved in the incident have been suspended for spraying a chemical irritant.&nbsp;

Elba Pope, the mother of the child, said she had called cops during an argument with her spouse, but asked them to call mental health services when she realised that her daughter is facing a meltdown.&nbsp;

The video also showed officers scolding the girl, saying they were losing patience as they struggled in the snow to move the girl in the back of a police vehicle.&nbsp;

A nine-year-old Black girl in a video was found pleading to the cops as a chemical irritant was sprayed on her face and was handcuffed for 16 minutes. In the video of about 90 minutes of the incident that took place in Rochester, the child can be heard wailing and whimpering and saying that her eyes were burning.

A nine-year-old Black girl in a video was found pleading to the cops as a chemical irritant was sprayed on her face and was handcuffed for 16 minutes. In the video of about 90 minutes of the incident that took place in Rochester, the child can be heard wailing and whimpering and saying that her eyes were burning. Also read | Music, marching and now a movie: How a young Black artist is pushing for justice in America "Officer, please don’t do this to me," the girl said in the video. Also read | Black Lives Matter movement proposed for Nobel Peace Prize The cop responded: "You did it to yourself." Several times the girl asked the police officer of when the ambulance would come to clean the pepper spray and urged the removal of handcuffs as the liquid was entering her mouth. "If you stick your head towards the window the cold air is going to feel nice," another cop replied. "It's burning too bad," she said. "It's supposed to burn. It's called pepper spray," the officer responded. The police officers involved in the incident have been suspended for spraying a chemical irritant. Elba Pope, the mother of the child, said she had called cops during an argument with her spouse, but asked them to call mental health services when she realised that her daughter is facing a meltdown. The video also showed officers scolding the girl, saying they were losing patience as they struggled in the snow to move the girl in the back of a police vehicle.

US: Video reveals nine-year-old girl pleading as cops pepper sprayed on her

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, an economist and former finance minister of Nigeria, has become the first woman and the first African to lead the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

Okonjo-Iweala was tapped for the position after South Korea’s trade minister Yoo Myung-hee announced on Friday her decision to withdraw her bid to head the WTO.

Yoo Myung-hee had been supported by the Trump administration.

In a statement, the US Trade Representative called Okonjo-Iweala a “wealth of knowledge in economics and international diplomacy” and said she has “proven experience managing a large international organisation”.

New US President Joe Biden’s administration on Friday offered its “strong support” to Okonjo-Iweala to lead WTO.

The statement from the US Trade Representative continued: “The Biden-Harris Administration is pleased to express its strong support for the candidacy of Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as the next director-general of the WTO. Dr Okonjo-Iweala brings a wealth of knowledge in economics and international diplomacy from her 25 years with the World Bank and two terms as Nigerian Finance Minister. She is widely respected for her effective leadership and has proven experience managing a large international organisation with a diverse membership.

“The United States stands ready to engage in the next phase of the WTO process for reaching a consensus decision on the WTO Director-General. The Biden-Harris Administration looks forward to working with a new WTO Director-General to find paths forward to achieve necessary substantive and procedural reform of the WTO.”

Okonjo-Iweala responded to the outpouring of support over her new gig on Twitter, writing: “Grateful for the expression of support from the US today.”

“It is particularly important to underscore that two highly qualified women made it to the final round of consideration for the position of WTO director general — the first time that any woman has made it to this stage in the history of the institution,” said the statement from the US Trade Representative.

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, an economist and former finance minister of Nigeria, has become the first woman and the first African to lead the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, an economist and former finance minister of Nigeria, has become the first woman and the first African to lead the World Trade Organisation (WTO). Okonjo-Iweala was tapped for the position after South Korea’s trade minister Yoo Myung-hee announced on Friday her decision to withdraw her bid to head the WTO. Yoo Myung-hee had been supported by the Trump administration. In a statement, the US Trade Representative called Okonjo-Iweala a “wealth of knowledge in economics and international diplomacy” and said she has “proven experience managing a large international organisation”. New US President Joe Biden’s administration on Friday offered its “strong support” to Okonjo-Iweala to lead WTO. The statement from the US Trade Representative continued: “The Biden-Harris Administration is pleased to express its strong support for the candidacy of Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as the next director-general of the WTO. Dr Okonjo-Iweala brings a wealth of knowledge in economics and international diplomacy from her 25 years with the World Bank and two terms as Nigerian Finance Minister. She is widely respected for her effective leadership and has proven experience managing a large international organisation with a diverse membership. “The United States stands ready to engage in the next phase of the WTO process for reaching a consensus decision on the WTO Director-General. The Biden-Harris Administration looks forward to working with a new WTO Director-General to find paths forward to achieve necessary substantive and procedural reform of the WTO.” Okonjo-Iweala responded to the outpouring of support over her new gig on Twitter, writing: “Grateful for the expression of support from the US today.” “It is particularly important to underscore that two highly qualified women made it to the final round of consideration for the position of WTO director general — the first time that any woman has made it to this stage in the history of the institution,” said the statement from the US Trade Representative.

A Black woman will lead the WTO for the first time

Black Lives Matter, a movement which received an impetus in May, 2020, has been proposed for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Founded in the United States in 2013, the movement became a rallying cry after a Black person George Floyd died at the hands of the US police.&nbsp;

A white policeman had knelt on Floyd's neck for eight minutes ignoring Floyd's pleas that he couldn't breathe. The incident fuelled protests in the United States that sped across the world.

"This movement has become one of the strongest global movements for working with racial injustice. They have also been spread to many many countries, building up... awareness on the importance of fighting racial injustice," Petter Eide, a socialist lawmaker who proposed BLM for the Peace Prize, told AFP.

Several other names have been mooted for the Peace Prize including controversial Wikileaks founder and whistleblower Julian Assange, former US president Donald Trump, media rights group RSF and a trio of Belarusian opposition leaders led by Svetlana Tikhanovskaya.

The Nobel prizes will be announced at the start of October. This year's prize went to the World Food Programme, the UN food agency.

Black Lives Matter, a movement which received an impetus in May, 2020, has been proposed for the Nobel Peace Prize. Founded in the United States in 2013, the movement became a rallying cry after a Black person George Floyd died at the hands of the US police.

Black Lives Matter, a movement which received an impetus in May, 2020, has been proposed for the Nobel Peace Prize. Founded in the United States in 2013, the movement became a rallying cry after a Black person George Floyd died at the hands of the US police. A white policeman had knelt on Floyd's neck for eight minutes ignoring Floyd's pleas that he couldn't breathe. The incident fuelled protests in the United States that sped across the world. "This movement has become one of the strongest global movements for working with racial injustice. They have also been spread to many many countries, building up... awareness on the importance of fighting racial injustice," Petter Eide, a socialist lawmaker who proposed BLM for the Peace Prize, told AFP. Several other names have been mooted for the Peace Prize including controversial Wikileaks founder and whistleblower Julian Assange, former US president Donald Trump, media rights group RSF and a trio of Belarusian opposition leaders led by Svetlana Tikhanovskaya. The Nobel prizes will be announced at the start of October. This year's prize went to the World Food Programme, the UN food agency.

Black Lives Matter movement proposed for Nobel Peace Prize

Denver police officers who had wrongfully detained four Black girls on gunpoint in summer 2020 will not be charged for the act,&nbsp;prosecutors reported on Friday.

The incident had come to light after a video of the four Black girls lying facedown in a parking lot was shared widely on social media in which some of these girls could also be seen in tears.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/black-lives-matter-activists-note-contrast-in-police-response-at-capitol-355386">Black Lives Matter activists note contrast in police response at Capitol</a>

However,&nbsp;the district attorney ruled against the girls claiming there was no evidence that the actions of the police officers were anything else other than a&nbsp;reasonable doubt that was carried out to safeguard locals of the area.

The&nbsp;chief deputy district attorney, Clinton McKinzie, has, however, urged the local police department to launch an investigation into this 'disturbing' incident. "What happened to the innocent occupants is unacceptable and preventable," he said.

Police officers in question claim they made the search stop on August 02, they were looking for a motorcycle which had the same license plate number as the car the four girls were driving.&nbsp;

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-to-modify-h-1b-visa-selection-process-to-give-priority-to-wages-skill-level-355281">US to modify H-1B visa selection process, to give priority to wages, skill level</a>

The girls, aged between six to 17, were then asked to stop and were made to lay down in the parking lot, and two of them were also wrongfully handcuffed. While the girls were released immediately, the improper treatment of the incident was protested against.

This incident had occurred at a time when the US was fighting against the racially-motivated mistreatment against the African-American community in the country and the rising police brutality.

"When white cops point guns at small black children, there are no consequences in America," said David Lane, a lawyer for the four Black girls.

Denver police officers who had wrongfully detained four Black girls on gunpoint in summer 2020 will not be charged for the act, prosecutors reported on Friday. The incident had come to light after a video of the four Black girls lying facedown in a parking lot was shared widely on social media in which some of these girls could also be seen in tears.

Denver police officers who had wrongfully detained four Black girls on gunpoint in summer 2020 will not be charged for the act, prosecutors reported on Friday. The incident had come to light after a video of the four Black girls lying facedown in a parking lot was shared widely on social media in which some of these girls could also be seen in tears. Also read| Black Lives Matter activists note contrast in police response at Capitol However, the district attorney ruled against the girls claiming there was no evidence that the actions of the police officers were anything else other than a reasonable doubt that was carried out to safeguard locals of the area. The chief deputy district attorney, Clinton McKinzie, has, however, urged the local police department to launch an investigation into this 'disturbing' incident. "What happened to the innocent occupants is unacceptable and preventable," he said. Police officers in question claim they made the search stop on August 02, they were looking for a motorcycle which had the same license plate number as the car the four girls were driving. Also read| US to modify H-1B visa selection process, to give priority to wages, skill level The girls, aged between six to 17, were then asked to stop and were made to lay down in the parking lot, and two of them were also wrongfully handcuffed. While the girls were released immediately, the improper treatment of the incident was protested against. This incident had occurred at a time when the US was fighting against the racially-motivated mistreatment against the African-American community in the country and the rising police brutality. "When white cops point guns at small black children, there are no consequences in America," said David Lane, a lawyer for the four Black girls.

Denver: Police officers who wrongfully detained Black girls not to be charged

A 22-year-old woman from California, who wrongly accused a Black teenager of stealing her phone and tackled him at a New York City hotel in a widely seen video, was charged after returning to the city.

Miya Ponsetto was charged with attempted robbery, grand larceny, acting in a manner injurious to a child and two counts of attempted assault, according to city police.&nbsp;

Ponsetto's confrontation with 14-year-old Keyon Harrold Jr on December 26 was posted online. It showed an agitated woman demanding the teenagers phone, claiming he stole it. The phone was found soon afterward in an Uber.

The charges follow more than a week of intense media coverage of the hotel lobby encounter and demands by the teens family and activists that she face criminal charges.

Ponsetto apologised but defended herself in a television interview conducted before she was arrested in California.

"I dont feel that that is who I am as a person. I dont feel like this one mistake does define me," she said in a 'CBS This Morning' interview that aired on Friday.&nbsp;

"But I do sincerely from the bottom of my heart apologise that if I made the son feel as if I assaulted him or if I hurt his feelings or the father's feelings."

A 22-year-old woman from California, who wrongly accused a Black teenager of stealing her phone and tackled him at a New York City hotel in a widely seen video, was charged after returning to the city.

A 22-year-old woman from California, who wrongly accused a Black teenager of stealing her phone and tackled him at a New York City hotel in a widely seen video, was charged after returning to the city. Miya Ponsetto was charged with attempted robbery, grand larceny, acting in a manner injurious to a child and two counts of attempted assault, according to city police. Ponsetto's confrontation with 14-year-old Keyon Harrold Jr on December 26 was posted online. It showed an agitated woman demanding the teenagers phone, claiming he stole it. The phone was found soon afterward in an Uber. The charges follow more than a week of intense media coverage of the hotel lobby encounter and demands by the teens family and activists that she face criminal charges. Ponsetto apologised but defended herself in a television interview conducted before she was arrested in California. "I dont feel that that is who I am as a person. I dont feel like this one mistake does define me," she said in a 'CBS This Morning' interview that aired on Friday. "But I do sincerely from the bottom of my heart apologise that if I made the son feel as if I assaulted him or if I hurt his feelings or the father's feelings."

Woman in widely seen hotel confrontation charged in New York

Former First Lady Michelle <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/barack-obama?page=1">Obama</a> took to social media platform Twitter to condemn the infamous riots carried out by outgoing US President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>'s supporters who refused to acknowledge <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/joe-biden">Joe Biden's</a> win in the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/us-election">US elections 2020</a>.

"All I know is that now is a time for true patriotism. Now is the time for those who voted for this president to see the reality of what they've supported—and publicly and forcefully rebuke him and the actions of that mob," she said.

While she said the riots had raised several questions about "security, extremism, propaganda, and more", she cannot stop thinking about what the treatment and reaction from the police and government&nbsp;would have been if the rioters looked different. "There's one question I just can't shake: What if these rioters had looked like the folks who go to Ebenezer Baptist Church every Sunday? What would have been different?," she wrote.

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Like all of you, I’ve been feeling so many emotions since yesterday. I tried to put my thoughts down here: <a href="https://t.co/9xzRvrpk7y">pic.twitter.com/9xzRvrpk7y</a>
— Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) <a href="https://twitter.com/MichelleObama/status/1347284244763127810?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2021</a></blockquote>
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She also called upon the social media networks and urged them to ban Trump from their respective platforms, in order to bring peace as many believe Trump had been inciting and promoting violence through his posts.

"Now is the time for Silicon Valley companies to stop enabling this monstrous behavior—and go even further than they have already by permanently banning this man from their platforms and putting in place policies to prevent their technology from being used by the nation's leaders to fuel insurrection," she said.

Trump was, within few hours, 'indefinitely' banned from <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/facebook-has-banned-donald-trump-indefinitely-says-mark-zuckerberg-355214">Facebook</a> and temporarily banned from twitter — <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/after-various-bans-donald-trump-makes-a-comeback-on-twitter-355250">but he returned to Twitter within 12 hours</a>.

Michelle's husband and former US President, Barack Obama, too, had earlier expressed disappointment over the riots through a statement on Twitter. Describing it as a moment of "great dishonor and shame for our nation", he blamed Donald Trump for the riots. "History will rightly remember today's violence at the Capitol, incited by a sitting president who has continued to baselssly lie about the outcome of a lawful election," he said.&nbsp;

Former First Lady Michelle Obama took to social media platform Twitter to condemn the infamous riots carried out by outgoing US President Donald Trump's supporters who refused to acknowledge Joe Biden's win in the US elections 2020.

Former First Lady Michelle Obama took to social media platform Twitter to condemn the infamous riots carried out by outgoing US President Donald Trump's supporters who refused to acknowledge Joe Biden's win in the US elections 2020. "All I know is that now is a time for true patriotism. Now is the time for those who voted for this president to see the reality of what they've supported—and publicly and forcefully rebuke him and the actions of that mob," she said. While she said the riots had raised several questions about "security, extremism, propaganda, and more", she cannot stop thinking about what the treatment and reaction from the police and government would have been if the rioters looked different. "There's one question I just can't shake: What if these rioters had looked like the folks who go to Ebenezer Baptist Church every Sunday? What would have been different?," she wrote. Like all of you, I’ve been feeling so many emotions since yesterday. I tried to put my thoughts down here: pic.twitter.com/9xzRvrpk7y — Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) January 7, 2021 × She also called upon the social media networks and urged them to ban Trump from their respective platforms, in order to bring peace as many believe Trump had been inciting and promoting violence through his posts. "Now is the time for Silicon Valley companies to stop enabling this monstrous behavior—and go even further than they have already by permanently banning this man from their platforms and putting in place policies to prevent their technology from being used by the nation's leaders to fuel insurrection," she said. Trump was, within few hours, 'indefinitely' banned from Facebook and temporarily banned from twitter — but he returned to Twitter within 12 hours. Michelle's husband and former US President, Barack Obama, too, had earlier expressed disappointment over the riots through a statement on Twitter. Describing it as a moment of "great dishonor and shame for our nation", he blamed Donald Trump for the riots. "History will rightly remember today's violence at the Capitol, incited by a sitting president who has continued to baselssly lie about the outcome of a lawful election," he said.

'I hurt for our country': Michelle Obama, reacts after Capitol riots

President-elect Joe Biden tweeted Thursday that the rioters who stormed the Capitol Wednesday would have been treated “very differently” than Black Lives Matter protesters, who have been demonstrating widely since the May police killing of George Floyd. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/as-capitol-siege-sends-shockwaves-across-the-world-heres-a-timeline-of-how-it-unfolded-355224">Also read | As Capitol siege sends shockwaves across the world, here's a timeline of how it unfolded</a>

“No one can tell me that if it had been a group of Black Lives Matter protestors yesterday that they wouldn’t have been treated very differently than the mob that stormed the Capitol,” Biden tweeted. “We all know that’s true — and it’s unacceptable.”

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No one can tell me that if it had been a group of Black Lives Matter protestors yesterday that they wouldn’t have been treated very differently than the mob that stormed the Capitol. 
 
We all know that’s true — and it’s unacceptable.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) <a href="https://twitter.com/JoeBiden/status/1347298213422747649?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2021</a></blockquote>
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On Wednesday, Biden denounced the rioters who incited violence at the Capitol and called for the restoration of “just simple decency.”

“At this hour our democracy is under unprecedented assault unlike anything we’ve seen in modern times,” Biden said, adding that what unfolded was, “an assault on the rule of law like few times we have ever seen it.”

He said the uprising bordered on sedition, adding, “The scenes of chaos at the Capitol do not reflect a true America, do not represent who we are.” 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

President-elect Joe Biden tweeted Thursday that the rioters who stormed the Capitol Wednesday would have been treated “very differently” than Black Lives Matter protesters, who have been demonstrating widely since the May police killing of George Floyd.

President-elect Joe Biden tweeted Thursday that the rioters who stormed the Capitol Wednesday would have been treated “very differently” than Black Lives Matter protesters, who have been demonstrating widely since the May police killing of George Floyd. Also read | As Capitol siege sends shockwaves across the world, here's a timeline of how it unfolded “No one can tell me that if it had been a group of Black Lives Matter protestors yesterday that they wouldn’t have been treated very differently than the mob that stormed the Capitol,” Biden tweeted. “We all know that’s true — and it’s unacceptable.” No one can tell me that if it had been a group of Black Lives Matter protestors yesterday that they wouldn’t have been treated very differently than the mob that stormed the Capitol. We all know that’s true — and it’s unacceptable. — Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) January 7, 2021 × On Wednesday, Biden denounced the rioters who incited violence at the Capitol and called for the restoration of “just simple decency.” “At this hour our democracy is under unprecedented assault unlike anything we’ve seen in modern times,” Biden said, adding that what unfolded was, “an assault on the rule of law like few times we have ever seen it.” He said the uprising bordered on sedition, adding, “The scenes of chaos at the Capitol do not reflect a true America, do not represent who we are.” (With inputs from agencies)

'Black Lives Matter' protestors would have been treated differently: Biden on police response during Capitol seize

'Soul' has been a riveting watch for many, but for film's director and Pixar's&nbsp;chief creative officer, Pete Docter, the film's journey has been personal on many levels. In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he admitted that the story of Joe Gardener, the film's Black protagonist, wasn't a comfortable one for him.

"A number of people gave me feedback like, 'You seem really scared to talk about race issues,'" Docter said in the interview. "I am because I'm afraid I'm going to stick my foot in my mouth and say something dumb and offend somebody," said Docter. "I did along the way, without knowing it, and I learned from other people's mistakes as well." 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/soul-review-pixars-latest-is-all-about-appreciating-little-things-in-life-in-a-hopeless-year-352903">'Soul' review: Pixar’s latest is all about appreciating little things in life in a hopeless year</a> 
 
One of the reasons the film has been criticised for its representation is for falling into the popular animation trope of turning people of colour into animals or creatures for the good length of the film. In the movie, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/news-watch-second-trailer-of-jamie-foxx-starrer-disney-film-soul-335476">Joe Gardener is introduced as a middle-school music teacher-cum Jazz musician</a>, only to die within a few scenes and turn into a blue soul.&nbsp; 
 
Speaking about the same, Docter had said in September,&nbsp;"We were unaware of that [trope] as we started, but we certainly became aware,"&nbsp;&nbsp;During the same conversation, Docter was asked if the film's initial release on June 19, 2020, before it was postponed due to the coronavirus, was purposefully chosen as it's Juneteenth, a day which commemorates the end of slavery in much of the United States.&nbsp;

According to Insider, Docter admitted that they initially "were clueless to the fact that it was Juneteenth." Kemp Powers - who joined the film in 2018 as a writer late in the process, eventually becoming co-director alongside Docter - said when he came on board and saw the release date, he recalled a few of them noticing the significance of the date. "A few of us were like,' Oh, Juneteenth,' to which others were like, 'What's that?' It was a total coincidence that that was just the date," Powers said in September.

 
Docter took the reigns of the studio in 2018 after John Lasseter's departure following allegations of inappropriate behavior. After Lasseter left Pixar, execs turned their attention to fixing women's unequal role at the animation studio, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

At that point, since the company's first release in 1995 with 'Toy Story,'&nbsp;Pixar only had one female director, Brenda Chapman, who helmed "Brave." She was later fired from the film over creative differences and replaced by a man, Mark Andrews. 
 
Docter also advocated for Domee Shi's short film 'Bao,' which went on to win an Oscar for best animated short. Shi is now directing the studio's 2022 theatrical release, "Turning Red," which follows 13-year-old Mei Lee, who turns into a red panda whenever she gets excited.&nbsp;

All these positive changes&nbsp;helped move 'Soul'&nbsp;in a different creative direction. After working on "Soul" for five years, Docter eventually made the brave choice to center Joe's character, making the animated jazz musician, voiced by Jamie Foxx, Pixar's first Black lead.&nbsp; 
 
In earlier iterations of the film, Joe wasn't Black. He wasn't even the main character.&nbsp; "The very first incarnation of the story spent almost no time on Earth," Docter told Insider in October. "It was all in the soul world. I'm not sure Joe was African-American at that point."

"I don't know that we specified too much, but the roles were flipped. 22 [a soul voiced by Tina Fey] was the lead, this character, who doesn't want to go be born," he added.

In September, Powers recalled joining the film more than halfway through production. Initially hired for 12 weeks as a writer, he said the film was in "pretty rough form." Joe had gone from being an actor to a jazz musician and Powers was brought on to help "authentically" shape his character. 
 
Along with the addition of Powers, the 'Soul'&nbsp;team reached out to consultants, who they relied heavily on throughout the creative process. They also created an internal brain trust made up of Black Pixar story animators and artists to make sure the film accurately reflected the Black culture.

"Animation is not an industry where there's been a great deal of representation. It just hasn't," Powers said during September's press conference. "I feel that Pixar is one of the few places that's been very genuine in recognizing the shortcomings and making a tremendous effort to start to rectify it. This film is that first effort."

&nbsp;

'Soul' has been a riveting watch for many, but for film's director and Pixar's chief creative officer, Pete Docter, the film's journey has been personal on many levels.

'Soul' has been a riveting watch for many, but for film's director and Pixar's chief creative officer, Pete Docter, the film's journey has been personal on many levels. In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he admitted that the story of Joe Gardener, the film's Black protagonist, wasn't a comfortable one for him. "A number of people gave me feedback like, 'You seem really scared to talk about race issues,'" Docter said in the interview. "I am because I'm afraid I'm going to stick my foot in my mouth and say something dumb and offend somebody," said Docter. "I did along the way, without knowing it, and I learned from other people's mistakes as well." 'Soul' review: Pixar’s latest is all about appreciating little things in life in a hopeless year One of the reasons the film has been criticised for its representation is for falling into the popular animation trope of turning people of colour into animals or creatures for the good length of the film. In the movie, Joe Gardener is introduced as a middle-school music teacher-cum Jazz musician, only to die within a few scenes and turn into a blue soul. Speaking about the same, Docter had said in September, "We were unaware of that [trope] as we started, but we certainly became aware," During the same conversation, Docter was asked if the film's initial release on June 19, 2020, before it was postponed due to the coronavirus, was purposefully chosen as it's Juneteenth, a day which commemorates the end of slavery in much of the United States. According to Insider, Docter admitted that they initially "were clueless to the fact that it was Juneteenth." Kemp Powers - who joined the film in 2018 as a writer late in the process, eventually becoming co-director alongside Docter - said when he came on board and saw the release date, he recalled a few of them noticing the significance of the date. "A few of us were like,' Oh, Juneteenth,' to which others were like, 'What's that?' It was a total coincidence that that was just the date," Powers said in September. Docter took the reigns of the studio in 2018 after John Lasseter's departure following allegations of inappropriate behavior. After Lasseter left Pixar, execs turned their attention to fixing women's unequal role at the animation studio, according to The Hollywood Reporter. At that point, since the company's first release in 1995 with 'Toy Story,' Pixar only had one female director, Brenda Chapman, who helmed "Brave." She was later fired from the film over creative differences and replaced by a man, Mark Andrews. Docter also advocated for Domee Shi's short film 'Bao,' which went on to win an Oscar for best animated short. Shi is now directing the studio's 2022 theatrical release, "Turning Red," which follows 13-year-old Mei Lee, who turns into a red panda whenever she gets excited. All these positive changes helped move 'Soul' in a different creative direction. After working on "Soul" for five years, Docter eventually made the brave choice to center Joe's character, making the animated jazz musician, voiced by Jamie Foxx, Pixar's first Black lead. In earlier iterations of the film, Joe wasn't Black. He wasn't even the main character. "The very first incarnation of the story spent almost no time on Earth," Docter told Insider in October. "It was all in the soul world. I'm not sure Joe was African-American at that point." "I don't know that we specified too much, but the roles were flipped. 22 [a soul voiced by Tina Fey] was the lead, this character, who doesn't want to go be born," he added. In September, Powers recalled joining the film more than halfway through production. Initially hired for 12 weeks as a writer, he said the film was in "pretty rough form." Joe had gone from being an actor to a jazz musician and Powers was brought on to help "authentically" shape his character. Along with the addition of Powers, the 'Soul' team reached out to consultants, who they relied heavily on throughout the creative process. They also created an internal brain trust made up of Black Pixar story animators and artists to make sure the film accurately reflected the Black culture. "Animation is not an industry where there's been a great deal of representation. It just hasn't," Powers said during September's press conference. "I feel that Pixar is one of the few places that's been very genuine in recognizing the shortcomings and making a tremendous effort to start to rectify it. This film is that first effort."

Was 'afraid' to talk about race before working on Pixar's 'Soul', admits co-director Pete Docter

While protesting the police killing of a Black teenager in Ferguson, Missouri, several years ago, Johnetta Elzie said she was manhandled by officers. She said they pointed rifles at Black women who were pushing toddlers in strollers and cursed at them to turn around.

Similar scenes unfolded all summer, as police officers clashed with scores of Black Lives Matter protesters. Many times, officers used batons and chemical agents to disperse crowds.

And so what Elzie saw on television Wednesday afternoon infuriated her: A mob of mostly white Donald Trump supporters stormed past police officers and vandalized the U.S. Capitol while officers, after initially offering resistance, mostly stood by. Some officers parted barricades, others held doors open and one was seen on video escorting a woman down steps.

“What a joke,” Elzie said. “I mean, they didn’t even pinch the white people. It wasn’t even like a family dispute. In a family dispute, you might at least hit your sister or something like that. This wasn’t even that. It was almost like tear gas was not readily available.”

Black Lives Matter activists across the country expressed outrage Thursday at what they said was a tepid response from law enforcement officers to mostly white protesters, saying it stood in stark contrast to the aggressive tactics they have endured for years — officers in full riot gear who have used tear gas, rubber bullets and batons. It also underscored the country’s uneven system of justice, many said, and lent credence to their insistence that Black people are devalued and viewed as inherently dangerous.

In a national address Thursday afternoon, President-elect Joe Biden acknowledged the seemingly disparate treatment, saying he had received a text message from his granddaughter who questioned the police response at the Capitol.

“She said, ‘Pop, this isn’t fair. No one can tell me that if it had been a group of Black Lives Matter protesting yesterday, they wouldn’t have been treated very, very differently than the mob of thugs that stormed the Capitol,’” he said, adding, “We all know that’s true. And it is unacceptable. Totally unacceptable.”

Officials with the Capitol Police, a federal law enforcement agency responsible for securing the Capitol building, have defended Wednesday’s response, saying the officers were underprepared and overwhelmed by the pro-Trump mob.

Joel Shults, a former police chief of Adams State University in Colorado, said “the right balance of quelling a disturbance versus allowing the disorder to continue” was a difficult calculation for law enforcement to make. Every case presents its unique challenges, he said, adding that a lack of information and the location of Wednesday’s riot might have influenced the police’s response — and not the race of the largely white crowd that stormed the building.

“To have a lot of citizen-police violence on the steps of the Capitol,” he said, “I think it was really important that that not happen.”

Black activists noted that when they have planned protests, the police have rarely seemed ill-prepared. This week, for instance, National Guard troops descended on Kenosha, Wisconsin, and metal barricades were erected around that city’s courthouse the day before a prosecutor announced that no charges would be filed against an officer who shot a man, Jacob Blake, multiple times in the back last summer.

Last summer, a peaceful violin vigil in Aurora, Colorado, to memorialize a Black man who died during a police arrest was disrupted when officers in riot gear charged the park and dispersed pepper spray, sending families with children fleeing. Police argued that there was a small group of agitators among the crowd, a contention disputed by many in attendance, who had been sitting on the lawn listening to people play the violin when police descended.

And the day after the presidential election in November, hundreds of activists marched through the streets of Minneapolis, advocating for an end to police brutality. The group, which was spirited but peaceful and included parents with children, eventually marched onto an interstate. The plan was to walk to the next exit, something that should have only taken about 15 minutes, said Sam Martinez, one of the organizers.

Instead, the state police surrounded the group while on the highway and demanded that everyone sit down to be arrested. Local elected officials frantically tried to negotiate with authorities to let the demonstrators leave the highway, to no avail.

Police, saying that the demonstrators violated the law and endangered public safety by entering the highway, either arrested or cited and released nearly 650 protesters. The process took about five hours. Most were given misdemeanor charges, but a 19-year-old woman received felony riot charges for shining a laser pointer into the eyes of a police officer.

“It’s a glaring example of how unjust this system really is,” said Martinez, noting the disparity between the hundreds of arrests on the highway versus the handful of arrests at the Capitol. “If that had been us, there would have been way more than one casualty.”

The highway protest in Minneapolis came months after city police officers killed George Floyd, sparking widespread protests and calls for an end to systemic racism. Amid chaotic demonstrations in the days following the killing, police retreated from a police precinct headquarters, allowing protesters to descend on it and burn it down.

But even that was not comparable to what unfolded at the Capitol on Wednesday, said Jeremiah Ellison, a Minneapolis city councilman. In the days preceding the burning of the precinct, police had been firing rubber bullets and tear gas at protesters in what Ellison said he believed was an overreaction at times.

The police at the Capitol did not show that same hostility toward the demonstrators there, he said.

“I think the police will view a leftist protester with a gas mask as more dangerous than a right-wing protester with a semi-automatic rifle,” Ellison said.

Activists who protest the police say they believe they are targeted because of their criticism of law enforcement.

In a federal lawsuit against the city of St. Louis, a judge wrote in a 2017 ruling on a preliminary injunction that the plaintiffs were likely to prevail on their claim that the Police Department “has a custom or policy of using chemical agents without warning on citizens” criticizing the police.

The lawsuit centers on the arrest of more than 120 people in 2017 during a protest of the acquittal of a white officer who killed a Black man in St. Louis. Earlier that evening, some protesters had broken windows and knocked over large flower pots downtown. Police declared an unlawful assembly and ordered people to leave.

Hours later, there were still dozens of people peacefully milling about a downtown street corner that was a few blocks from where police had told the crowd to leave. Officers eventually moved in and arrested everyone who was still out — sweeping up members of the Air Force who happened to be in the area and at least one journalist in the process.

Video of the mass arrest showed one officer firing pepper spray at the people being arrested, “who all appear to be on the ground and complying with police commands,” Judge Catherine Perry of U.S. District Court wrote in her injunction.

Javad Khazaeli, a lawyer representing several of the plaintiffs, said that even though his clients were peaceful, “The police made the choice to use violence.”

But the Capitol Police on Wednesday “made the choice” not to, he said. “It couldn’t be a more perfect example for everybody to see the two different criminal justice systems we have in America.”

While protesting the police killing of a Black teenager in Ferguson, Missouri, several years ago, Johnetta Elzie said she was manhandled by officers. She said they pointed rifles at Black women who were pushing toddlers in strollers and cursed at them to turn around.

While protesting the police killing of a Black teenager in Ferguson, Missouri, several years ago, Johnetta Elzie said she was manhandled by officers. She said they pointed rifles at Black women who were pushing toddlers in strollers and cursed at them to turn around. Similar scenes unfolded all summer, as police officers clashed with scores of Black Lives Matter protesters. Many times, officers used batons and chemical agents to disperse crowds. And so what Elzie saw on television Wednesday afternoon infuriated her: A mob of mostly white Donald Trump supporters stormed past police officers and vandalized the U.S. Capitol while officers, after initially offering resistance, mostly stood by. Some officers parted barricades, others held doors open and one was seen on video escorting a woman down steps. “What a joke,” Elzie said. “I mean, they didn’t even pinch the white people. It wasn’t even like a family dispute. In a family dispute, you might at least hit your sister or something like that. This wasn’t even that. It was almost like tear gas was not readily available.” Black Lives Matter activists across the country expressed outrage Thursday at what they said was a tepid response from law enforcement officers to mostly white protesters, saying it stood in stark contrast to the aggressive tactics they have endured for years — officers in full riot gear who have used tear gas, rubber bullets and batons. It also underscored the country’s uneven system of justice, many said, and lent credence to their insistence that Black people are devalued and viewed as inherently dangerous. In a national address Thursday afternoon, President-elect Joe Biden acknowledged the seemingly disparate treatment, saying he had received a text message from his granddaughter who questioned the police response at the Capitol. “She said, ‘Pop, this isn’t fair. No one can tell me that if it had been a group of Black Lives Matter protesting yesterday, they wouldn’t have been treated very, very differently than the mob of thugs that stormed the Capitol,’” he said, adding, “We all know that’s true. And it is unacceptable. Totally unacceptable.” Officials with the Capitol Police, a federal law enforcement agency responsible for securing the Capitol building, have defended Wednesday’s response, saying the officers were underprepared and overwhelmed by the pro-Trump mob. Joel Shults, a former police chief of Adams State University in Colorado, said “the right balance of quelling a disturbance versus allowing the disorder to continue” was a difficult calculation for law enforcement to make. Every case presents its unique challenges, he said, adding that a lack of information and the location of Wednesday’s riot might have influenced the police’s response — and not the race of the largely white crowd that stormed the building. “To have a lot of citizen-police violence on the steps of the Capitol,” he said, “I think it was really important that that not happen.” Black activists noted that when they have planned protests, the police have rarely seemed ill-prepared. This week, for instance, National Guard troops descended on Kenosha, Wisconsin, and metal barricades were erected around that city’s courthouse the day before a prosecutor announced that no charges would be filed against an officer who shot a man, Jacob Blake, multiple times in the back last summer. Last summer, a peaceful violin vigil in Aurora, Colorado, to memorialize a Black man who died during a police arrest was disrupted when officers in riot gear charged the park and dispersed pepper spray, sending families with children fleeing. Police argued that there was a small group of agitators among the crowd, a contention disputed by many in attendance, who had been sitting on the lawn listening to people play the violin when police descended. And the day after the presidential election in November, hundreds of activists marched through the streets of Minneapolis, advocating for an end to police brutality. The group, which was spirited but peaceful and included parents with children, eventually marched onto an interstate. The plan was to walk to the next exit, something that should have only taken about 15 minutes, said Sam Martinez, one of the organizers. Instead, the state police surrounded the group while on the highway and demanded that everyone sit down to be arrested. Local elected officials frantically tried to negotiate with authorities to let the demonstrators leave the highway, to no avail. Police, saying that the demonstrators violated the law and endangered public safety by entering the highway, either arrested or cited and released nearly 650 protesters. The process took about five hours. Most were given misdemeanor charges, but a 19-year-old woman received felony riot charges for shining a laser pointer into the eyes of a police officer. “It’s a glaring example of how unjust this system really is,” said Martinez, noting the disparity between the hundreds of arrests on the highway versus the handful of arrests at the Capitol. “If that had been us, there would have been way more than one casualty.” The highway protest in Minneapolis came months after city police officers killed George Floyd, sparking widespread protests and calls for an end to systemic racism. Amid chaotic demonstrations in the days following the killing, police retreated from a police precinct headquarters, allowing protesters to descend on it and burn it down. But even that was not comparable to what unfolded at the Capitol on Wednesday, said Jeremiah Ellison, a Minneapolis city councilman. In the days preceding the burning of the precinct, police had been firing rubber bullets and tear gas at protesters in what Ellison said he believed was an overreaction at times. The police at the Capitol did not show that same hostility toward the demonstrators there, he said. “I think the police will view a leftist protester with a gas mask as more dangerous than a right-wing protester with a semi-automatic rifle,” Ellison said. Activists who protest the police say they believe they are targeted because of their criticism of law enforcement. In a federal lawsuit against the city of St. Louis, a judge wrote in a 2017 ruling on a preliminary injunction that the plaintiffs were likely to prevail on their claim that the Police Department “has a custom or policy of using chemical agents without warning on citizens” criticizing the police. The lawsuit centers on the arrest of more than 120 people in 2017 during a protest of the acquittal of a white officer who killed a Black man in St. Louis. Earlier that evening, some protesters had broken windows and knocked over large flower pots downtown. Police declared an unlawful assembly and ordered people to leave. Hours later, there were still dozens of people peacefully milling about a downtown street corner that was a few blocks from where police had told the crowd to leave. Officers eventually moved in and arrested everyone who was still out — sweeping up members of the Air Force who happened to be in the area and at least one journalist in the process. Video of the mass arrest showed one officer firing pepper spray at the people being arrested, “who all appear to be on the ground and complying with police commands,” Judge Catherine Perry of U.S. District Court wrote in her injunction. Javad Khazaeli, a lawyer representing several of the plaintiffs, said that even though his clients were peaceful, “The police made the choice to use violence.” But the Capitol Police on Wednesday “made the choice” not to, he said. “It couldn’t be a more perfect example for everybody to see the two different criminal justice systems we have in America.”

Black Lives Matter activists note contrast in police response at Capitol

As violence at the US Capitol underlined deep divisions in America on Wednesday, NBA players said the incident helped renew their commitment to fight racial injustice.

Boston Celtics and Miami Heat players knelt during the national anthem before their game in Miami on Wednesday, hours after supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol as legislators met to certify Joe Biden's victory in the November election.

The players issued a joint statement referring not only to the chaotic events in Washington but also to the decision on Tuesday by prosecutors in Wisconsin not to charge the white police officer who shot and paralyzed Black man Jacob Blake in Kenosha last August.

Protests of Blake's shooting brought the NBA to a standstill for three days in August in a protest of racial injustice that soon spread across an array of sports.

"2021 is a new year, but some things have not changed," the Celtics and Heat players said in their statement.

"We play tonight's game with a heavy heart after yesterday's decision in Kenosha and knowing that protesters in our nation's capital are treated differently by political leaders depending on what side of certain issues they are on.

"The drastic difference between the way protesters this past spring and summer were treated and the encouragement given to today's protesters who acted illegally just shows how much more work we have to do.

"We have decided to play tonight's game to try to bring joy into people's lives.

"But we must not forget the injustices in our society, and we will continue to use our voices and our platform to highlight these issues and do everything we can to work for a more equal and just America."

In Philadelphia, 76ers coach Doc Rivers was blunt in his assessment of the scene at the Capitol.

"It's pretty disturbing and sad," he said. "I keep hearing, 'This is an attack on democracy.' It's not. Democracy will prevail. It always does.

"It shows a lot though. I'll say it because I don't think a lot of people want to -- could you imagine today if those were all Black people storming into the Capitol and what would've happened?

"It's a sad day in a lot of ways. But it's a part of what we are and so we have to solve it."

In Milwaukee, the host Bucks and the Detroit Pistons both took turnovers on their first possessions.

The Bucks won the opening tip off and NBA Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo simply held the ball as all the players took a knee. On the ensuing Detroit possession, Pistons star Blake Griffin held the ball and all 10 players on court took a knee again.

Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr admitted that it was hard to concentrate on basketball.

"I started the day thinking about how we were going to guard Lou Williams without fouling him," Kerr said. "Suddenly that didn't seem quite as important.

"Just a bizarre scene, but a pretty clear reminder that the truth matters," Kerr said.

"A legitimate election is suddenly questioned by millions of people, including many of the people who are leading our country in government, because we've decided to -- over the last few years -- allow lies to be told. So, this is who we are," Kerr said. "You reap what you sow."

As violence at the US Capitol underlined deep divisions in America on Wednesday, NBA players said the incident helped renew their commitment to fight racial injustice.

As violence at the US Capitol underlined deep divisions in America on Wednesday, NBA players said the incident helped renew their commitment to fight racial injustice. Boston Celtics and Miami Heat players knelt during the national anthem before their game in Miami on Wednesday, hours after supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol as legislators met to certify Joe Biden's victory in the November election. The players issued a joint statement referring not only to the chaotic events in Washington but also to the decision on Tuesday by prosecutors in Wisconsin not to charge the white police officer who shot and paralyzed Black man Jacob Blake in Kenosha last August. Protests of Blake's shooting brought the NBA to a standstill for three days in August in a protest of racial injustice that soon spread across an array of sports. "2021 is a new year, but some things have not changed," the Celtics and Heat players said in their statement. "We play tonight's game with a heavy heart after yesterday's decision in Kenosha and knowing that protesters in our nation's capital are treated differently by political leaders depending on what side of certain issues they are on. "The drastic difference between the way protesters this past spring and summer were treated and the encouragement given to today's protesters who acted illegally just shows how much more work we have to do. "We have decided to play tonight's game to try to bring joy into people's lives. "But we must not forget the injustices in our society, and we will continue to use our voices and our platform to highlight these issues and do everything we can to work for a more equal and just America." In Philadelphia, 76ers coach Doc Rivers was blunt in his assessment of the scene at the Capitol. "It's pretty disturbing and sad," he said. "I keep hearing, 'This is an attack on democracy.' It's not. Democracy will prevail. It always does. "It shows a lot though. I'll say it because I don't think a lot of people want to -- could you imagine today if those were all Black people storming into the Capitol and what would've happened? "It's a sad day in a lot of ways. But it's a part of what we are and so we have to solve it." In Milwaukee, the host Bucks and the Detroit Pistons both took turnovers on their first possessions. The Bucks won the opening tip off and NBA Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo simply held the ball as all the players took a knee. On the ensuing Detroit possession, Pistons star Blake Griffin held the ball and all 10 players on court took a knee again. Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr admitted that it was hard to concentrate on basketball. "I started the day thinking about how we were going to guard Lou Williams without fouling him," Kerr said. "Suddenly that didn't seem quite as important. "Just a bizarre scene, but a pretty clear reminder that the truth matters," Kerr said. "A legitimate election is suddenly questioned by millions of people, including many of the people who are leading our country in government, because we've decided to -- over the last few years -- allow lies to be told. So, this is who we are," Kerr said. "You reap what you sow."

After chaos at Capitol NBA players reaffirm racial justice commitment

One of the U.S. police officers who shot Black emergency medical technician Breonna Taylor in Louisville and the officer who prepared the warrant for the botched raid during which she was killed in her apartment have been dismissed, their union said.

Taylor was fatally shot when police entered her apartment in Louisville, Kentucky on March 13, one of a string of killings of African Americans that fueled mass protests across the United States in 2020.

Detective Myles Cosgrove, one of the officers who shot Taylor, and Detective Joshua Jaynes, who prepared the search warrant, had been told in December that the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) aimed to fire them.

Their union, the River City Fraternal Order of Police, said the two had been dismissed and described the terminations as "unjustified".

The LMPD did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside normal working hours.

Taylor`s boyfriend, who was with her when police burst into the home, fired once at what he said he believed were intruders. Three police officers responded with 32 shots, six of which struck Taylor, killing her.

"There is certainly no evidence in this case that policies and procedures of the LMPD were violated to the extent that warranted termination," the union said late on Wednesday.

"Interim Chief Gentry not only made the wrong decision but also sent an ominous message to every sworn officer of the Louisville Metro Police Department," the River City FOP said.

Cosgrove was fired for use of deadly force for firing 16 rounds into Taylor`s home and failing to activate his body camera, CNN reported, citing a copy of his termination letter.

Jaynes, who had written the search warrant for the raid on Taylor`s home, was fired on Tuesday for "failing to complete a Search Warrant Operations Plan form", CNN reported.

On Wednesday, Erika Shields, the former police chief of Atlanta who resigned in June after the fatal shooting of an African-American man by an Atlanta police officer, was appointed head of the Louisville Metro Police Department.

One of the U.S. police officers who shot Black emergency medical technician Breonna Taylor in Louisville and the officer who prepared the warrant for the botched raid during which she was killed in her apartment have been dismissed, their union said.

One of the U.S. police officers who shot Black emergency medical technician Breonna Taylor in Louisville and the officer who prepared the warrant for the botched raid during which she was killed in her apartment have been dismissed, their union said. Taylor was fatally shot when police entered her apartment in Louisville, Kentucky on March 13, one of a string of killings of African Americans that fueled mass protests across the United States in 2020. Detective Myles Cosgrove, one of the officers who shot Taylor, and Detective Joshua Jaynes, who prepared the search warrant, had been told in December that the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) aimed to fire them. Their union, the River City Fraternal Order of Police, said the two had been dismissed and described the terminations as "unjustified". The LMPD did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside normal working hours. Taylor`s boyfriend, who was with her when police burst into the home, fired once at what he said he believed were intruders. Three police officers responded with 32 shots, six of which struck Taylor, killing her. "There is certainly no evidence in this case that policies and procedures of the LMPD were violated to the extent that warranted termination," the union said late on Wednesday. "Interim Chief Gentry not only made the wrong decision but also sent an ominous message to every sworn officer of the Louisville Metro Police Department," the River City FOP said. Cosgrove was fired for use of deadly force for firing 16 rounds into Taylor`s home and failing to activate his body camera, CNN reported, citing a copy of his termination letter. Jaynes, who had written the search warrant for the raid on Taylor`s home, was fired on Tuesday for "failing to complete a Search Warrant Operations Plan form", CNN reported. On Wednesday, Erika Shields, the former police chief of Atlanta who resigned in June after the fatal shooting of an African-American man by an Atlanta police officer, was appointed head of the Louisville Metro Police Department.

Two US police officers dismissed over Breonna Taylor's killing

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