Protesters set police cars ablaze, smashed businessessa国际传媒� windows and skirmished with baton-wielding officers in streets from Atlanta to Los Angeles, as anger over George Floydsa国际传媒檚 death spread across the country. Authorities were bracing for more violence Saturday, with some calling in the National Guard to beef up overwhelmed forces.

In Minneapolis, the city where Floyd died Monday after a white police officer pressed a knee into his neck and kept it there for more than eight minutes, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz fully mobilized the statesa国际传媒檚 National Guard and promised a massive show of force to help quell unrest that has grown increasingly destructive.

sa国际传媒淭he situation in Minneapolis is no longer in any way about the murder of George Floyd,sa国际传媒� Walz said. sa国际传媒淚t is about attacking civil society, instilling fear and disrupting our great cities.sa国际传媒�

On Friday alone, more than two dozen cities sa国际传媒� from New York to Oakland, California, from Atlanta to Portland, Oregon sa国际传媒� experienced protests, many peaceful but some of which turned violent. Many protesters spoke of frustration that Floydsa国际传媒檚 death was one more in a litany. It comes in the wake of the killing in Georgia of Ahmaud Arbery, who was shot after being pursued by two white men while running in their neighbourhood, and in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic that has thrown millions out of work, killed more than 100,000 people in the U.S. and disproportionately affected black people.

President Donald Trump did little to tamp down the anger, firing off a series of tweets ridiculing people who protested outside the White House and warning that if protesters breached the fence, sa国际传媒渢hey would sa国际传媒� have been greeted with the most vicious dogs, and most ominous weapons, I have ever seen.sa国际传媒�

Minnesota has steadily increased the number of National Guardsmen it says it needs to contain the unrest, and has now called up 1,700. The arrest and charging of the officer who held his knee to Floydsa国际传媒檚 neck on Friday appears to have provided little balm.

Georgiasa国际传媒檚 governor, meanwhile, declared a state of emergency early Saturday to activate the state National Guard as violence flared in Atlanta. Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler also declared an emergency and ordered a nighttime curfew for the city.

The Guard was also on standby in the District of Columbia. Some protesters tried to push through barriers set up by the U.S. Secret Service along Pennsylvania Avenue, and threw bottles and other objects at officers wearing riot gear, who responded with pepper spray.

sa国际传媒淚 just feel like hesa国际传媒檚 just one of many names that wesa国际传媒檝e had to create hashtags and T-shirts and campaigns for and I feel like nothing has changed,sa国际传媒� district resident Abe Neri said of Floyd. sa国际传媒淎nd so thatsa国际传媒檚 why Isa国际传媒檓 out here. Yeah, when you say nothing yousa国际传媒檙e taking the side of the oppressor.sa国际传媒�

A person was killed in downtown Detroit just before midnight after someone in an SUV fired shots into a crowd of protesters near the Greektown entertainment district, police said. In Portland, Oregon, protesters broke into police headquarters and authorities said they lit a fire inside. In Virginiasa国际传媒檚 capital, a police cruiser was set on fire outside Richmond police headquarters, and a city transit spokeswoman said a bus set ablaze was sa国际传媒渁 total loss,sa国际传媒� news outlets reported.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp tweeted that up to 500 members of the Guard would deploy immediately sa国际传媒渢o protect people & property in Atlanta.sa国际传媒� He said he acted at the request of Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who earlier appealed in vain for calm.

In scenes both peaceful and violent across the nation, thousands of protesters chanted sa国际传媒淣o justice, no peacesa国际传媒� and sa国际传媒淪ay his name. George Floyd.sa国际传媒� They hoisted signs reading: sa国际传媒淗e said I cansa国际传媒檛 breathe. Justice for George.sa国际传媒�

Some demonstrators smashed police cars and spray-painted the iconic logo sign at CNN headquarters in downtown Atlanta. At least three officers were hurt and there were multiple arrests, Atlanta police spokesman Carlos Campos said, as protesters shot at officers with BB guns and threw bricks, bottles and knives.

Atlanta officials said crews were temporarily unable to reach a fire at Del Friscosa国际传媒檚 restaurant in the Buckhead neighbourhood several miles north because of protesters there.

sa国际传媒淭his is not in the spirit of Martin Luther King, Jr.,sa国际传媒� Bottoms said. sa国际传媒淵ou are disgracing the life of George Floyd and every other person who has been killed in this country.sa国际传媒�

Bottoms was flanked by Kingsa国际传媒檚 daughter, Bernice King, and rappers T.I. and Killer Mike.

sa国际传媒淲e have to be better than burning down our own homes. Because if we lose Atlanta what have we got?sa国际传媒� said Killer Mike, crying as he spoke.

Video posted to social media showed New York City officers using batons and shoving protesters down as they took people into custody and cleared streets. One video showed on officer slam a woman to the ground as he walked past her in the street.

Demonstrators rocked a police van, set it ablaze, scrawled graffiti across its charred body and set it aflame again as officers retreated. Blocks away, protesters used a club to batter another police vehicle.

sa国际传媒淭here will be a full review of what happened tonight,sa国际传媒� Mayor Bill de Blasio tweeted, referring to the Brooklyn protest. sa国际传媒淲e donsa国际传媒檛 ever want to see another night like this.sa国际传媒�

The police department said numerous officers were injured, including one whose tooth was knocked out.

The names of black people killed by police, including Floyd and Eric Garner, who died on Staten Island in 2014, were on signs and in chants.

sa国际传媒淥ur country has a sickness. We have to be out here,sa国际传媒� said Brianna Petrisko, among those at lower Manhattansa国际传媒檚 Foley Square, where most were wearing masks amid the coronavirus pandemic. sa国际传媒淭his is the only way wesa国际传媒檙e going to be heard.sa国际传媒�

Protesters in Houston, where Floyd grew up, included 19-year-old Jimmy Ohaz from the nearby city of Richmond, Texas: sa国际传媒淢y question is how many more, how many more? I just want to live in a future where we all live in harmony and wesa国际传媒檙e not oppressed.sa国际传媒�

Demonstrators on the West Coast blocked highways in Los Angeles and Oakland, California.

About 1,000 protesters in Oakland smashed windows, sprayed buildings with sa国际传媒淜ill Copssa国际传媒� graffiti and were met with chemical spray from police, who said several officers were injured by projectiles.

One Los Angeles officer received medical treatment, police said. An LAPD vehicle had its windows smashed, and at least one city bus was vandalized. Police declared an unlawful assembly throughout downtown, where aerial footage from KTLA-TV showed scored of people corralled by police.

An LAPD spokesman told The Associated Press they were still tallying arrests.

Portland, Oregon, police said at least one shooting was tied to the protest, although details werensa国际传媒檛 immediately released.

Mayor Wheeler tweeted a plea to protesters to remain peaceful and said that, while he had left the city to attend to his dying mother, he was heading back. He later declared a state of emergency.

sa国际传媒淧ortland, this is not us,sa国际传媒� he wrote. sa国际传媒淲hen you destroy our city, you are destroying our community. When you act in violence against each other, you are hurting all of us. How does this honour the legacy of George Floyd?sa国际传媒�

Aaron Morrison And Sean Murphy, The Associated Press

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