US protests were triggered by George Floyd’s killing, but tension has been building for centuries
By Rebecca Armitage
Protests erupted in Minneapolis over the killing of George Floyd but have quickly spread across the United States.(AP: Carlos Gonzalez)
The death this week of an unarmed black man at the hands of a Minnesota police officer has unleashed a wave of protests across the United States.
Demonstrators first turned out in the city of Minneapolis where George Floyd died, but rallies quickly broke out in Georgia, California, New York, Kentucky, Florida and Pennsylvania.
The protests are about more than the death of one man.
Mr Floyd’s killing has reopened centuries-old wounds about race relations in the United States — especially the way African-Americans are treated by police.
While the protests have largely been peaceful, police in several cities have fired rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse demonstrators.
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The city of Minneapolis has been left with burned-out buildings and looted stores.
Some of America’s largest cities imposed curfews to get people off the streets, and several state governors have called in National Guard troops.
