A night of widespread social unrest unfolded across dozens of major US cities on Saturday night. Violent clashes between protesters and police were seen, police vehicles and government buildings were lit on fire, businesses were also looted, and some were even torched following the death of George Floyd, a black man who died in police custody in Minneapolis on Monday (May 25).
What started as mostly peaceful protests in Minneapolis on Tuesday (May 26), quickly spiraled out of control into some of the worst social unrest this county has ever seen. By Wednesday evening (May 27), peaceful demonstrations spread to other major US metros, and almost immediately, violence erupted in the streets, and communities were transformed into warzones in a matter of hours.
By Sunday (May 31) -- the nation is burning, it's time for President Trump to address the country, and stop pretending how everything is awesome for election year purposes.
The nation, at the moment, is imploding, the economy has crashed, 40 million unemployed, Floyd's death was merely a trigger for the social unrest, as it is clear, the working-class poor (experiencing the worst wealth gap in modern history) are angry, broke, and jobless in the "greatest economy ever," as their only hope to be heard is through rioting.
While burning businesses and harming human life is by no means a sufficient response to voice one's frustrations of a failed system or a failed American social experiment that is quickly collapsing on itself, it has been the undeniable path many have taken in the last week.
The riots in Ferguson (2014) and Baltimore (2015) were just the appetizers of today's social unrest, the full course meal has yet to come, although we could be in the early chapters of it.
As a result of the chaos, lockdowns are beginning, and this time not for virus-related reasons, as curfews were enacted in two dozen cities and National Guard has been activated in 12 states and the District of Columbia this weekend. Policy response on a state and federal level suggests the next card that the government could play is martial law or a variant form of it.
Most important riot headlines from the overnight:
- Police arrest 1,700 people across 22 cities in 3 days
- National Guard activated in 12 states
- Trump's conservative media allies urge him to address the nation
- Target temporarily closes 175 stores in 13 states due to riots
- Curfews enacted in two dozen major cities; Los Angeles issues mandatory curfew for the entire city
- 345 people arrested in NYC on Saturday, 33 officers injured
- One killed in Indianapolis in shooting amid protests
- Biden states protests urges understanding but cautions against "needless destruction"
- 28 arrested in Nashville during riots
- Atlanta police arrest 70 people amid social unrest
- Denver police arrest 18 as demonstrations ease from the previous two nights
- Miami-Dade Police arrest 38 people, suspends all transit services on Sunday
Top riot scenes from the overnight:
An explosion was seen near the White House.
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