In New York City, protesters chanted in Brooklyn parks on Saturday evening and marched down main thoroughfares lined with police, as demonstrations around the country over the death of George Floyd entered a fifth night.
The protesters spanned several city blocks as they marched down Flatbush Avenue in central Brooklyn, chanting, “No justice, no peace” and “Hands up, don’t shoot.”
As the group approached the Barclays Center arena, protesters blocked an NYPD vehicle, which then accelerated into the crowd; one person jumped on the hood. Demonstrators also threw trash at a police vehicle.
Later in the evening, hundreds of people held up their fists outside the Barclays Center while staring down the NYPD officers who stood in front of the subway station entrance. Red graffiti reading “BLM,” for Black Lives Matter, was painted on a pillar outside the station. Protesters participated in a moment of silence for Floyd, who died after a Minneapolis police officer pinned him to the ground for more than eight minutes.
The marchers had come from south Brooklyn and shutdown Atlantic Avenue, a major city thoroughfare, to traffic. Many drivers held up by the demonstration honked their horns in solidarity — some even holding up their fists in solidarity.
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Several videos broadcast on television or posted on social media showed that unrest had also become violent around Manhattan’s Union Square and a large vehicle was ablaze outside the Regal Cinemas movie theaters a few blocks from the park.
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In major cities around the country, mayors issued curfews on Saturday evening and pleaded with residents to stay home. Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Denver and Cleveland were among the cities that enacted curfews.
Texas, Washington, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin activated National Guard troops.
Earlier in the day, NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea said police in New York City had already seen some violence, some of which involved bricks. Shea cautioned that they were still sorting out the addresses of those who had acted violently, but “at least 20 percent are from out of town,” he said.
“It’s probably higher, maybe much higher,” Shea said, adding that he suspected some of those taken into custody might have given false Brooklyn addresses.
“It will be a long night,” Shea said. “Hopefully, it’s a peaceful night and that will be a win.”
In downtown Las Vegas, hundreds of people arrived at Container Park, where they stood outside the shopping center built from old shipping containers and held signs that read “silence is complacent” and “no justice, no peace.” They chanted, “Power to the people.”
The demonstration, organized by a local Black Lives Matter group, began around 7 p.m.
On Friday evening, 200 to 300 people marched down the Las Vegas Strip. Las Vegas police said 12 officers were injured during the demonstration, which began as peaceful, and 80 people were arrested. Police said during Friday’s protest, some threw rocks at police, hitting and injuring several officers and property damage was spotted in small pockets throughout the Strip corridor.
In Los Angeles, Mayor Eric Garcetti announced an 8 p.m.-to-5:30 p.m. curfew Saturday night for downtown, where businesses were damaged, looted and vandalized Friday night.
Hour before the curfew, Jo Nesha Kelly, 43, said she joined protests out of frustration and the desire to do more than comment on social media.
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“I feel great about what I’ve seen, the part of the rally I was a part of was very peaceful,” she told NBC News while in the Fairfax neighborhood. “It wasn’t until I came down other streets where I saw a little bit more of the anger and frustration.”
“What’s great about being here is that there are so many different ethnicities and cultures out here participating for change,” Kelly, who is from Palmdale in Los Angeles County, said. “And it’s not just black people. It’s brown people, it’s white people, Asian people, and it’s really great to see.”
Nearby, Andrina Dominguez said she had joined the demonstrations out of concern for her family, particularly for her sister, step dad and others who had darker skin tones than her. “I want to live in a world where I don’t have worry about if they’re going to go home and be safe at the end of every day,” she said.
Buddy Burch, 26, meanwhile she said felt a particular obligation as a white American.
“As a white person living in the United States … like I’m physically sick from police violence,” Burch said. “It’s important for me to put my body between police and people of color.”
Tom Winter, Dennis Romero and Joy Y. Wang contributed.