Police declare emergency in Columbus, Ohio, as new protests emerge around U.S.

Police in Columbus, Ohio, declared an emergency Saturday as new protests emerged there and around the country — only hours after violent demonstrations rocked cities coast to coast on Friday night.

Columbus police said midday Saturday that the public should avoid the area of the demonstrations that were sparked by the death of George Floyd, a black man, in Minneapolis police custody.

Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther said police declared the downtown area an emergency to manage the crowds.

“We are asking residents to avoid the area,” he wrote in a tweet. “Safety of everyone — protesters and police — is paramount. We’re calling for everyone to remain calm.”

A video posted on Twitter showed people running and coughing after Columbus police apparently deployed tear gas at a crowd.

Protesters also gathered in the Ohio cities of Cleveland and Cincinnati during the day Saturday. A video posted on social media showed Cleveland protesters chanting “No justice no peace” and holding up signs.

A massive demonstration gathered outside of City Hall in Cincinnati, with some in the crowd holding signs that read “Black Lives Matter” and “Disarm the police.”

The demonstrations come days after a video was posted on social media showing a Minneapolis police officer pinning Floyd to the ground with his knee for more than eight minutes as Floyd said, “Please please, please, I can’t breathe.”

Derek Chauvin, the since-fired officer who detained Floyd, was arrested and charged Friday with third-degree murder and manslaughter. Three other officers were also involved in Floyd’s detainment.

Other protests were held Saturday in New York City and Newark, New Jersey.

In Minneapolis, where Floyd was arrested and died, a new protest was planned for Saturday afternoon. Two demonstrations were planned in Indianapolis; one in front of the Indiana Convention Center and another at the War Memorial, according to the Indy Star. The organizers of both protests said they want it to be peaceful.

Some protesters Saturday said they hope to keep the events peaceful.

The group that organized the demonstration in Newark — The People’s Organization for Progress —posted a video on its Facebook page showing a large crowd of people calmly walking through the streets of the city’s downtown, chanting “I can’t breathe.”

In contrast, on Friday, a 19-year-old man in Detroit was killed after someone in a van fired shots into a crowd of protesters. A police spokesperson said an officer was not involved.

In Oakland, California, a security officer with the Federal Protective Service of the Department of Homeland Security was killed and another injured after someone in a vehicle opened fire around 9:45 p.m. on Friday, the FBI said.

A number of public officials around the country have condemned the violence. “Go home. You’re not honoring the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights movement,” Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said at a news conference. “If you want change in America, go and register to vote.”

The Minnesota governor said the violent demonstrations no longer have anything to do with Floyd or a demand for racial justice. He said the blame lies primarily with people from out of the state who are going to the Twin Cities to commit violence.

source: nbcnews.com