Photos of the George Floyd protests show uprisings across America

“Please, please, I can’t breathe, officer,” a man pleads, his wrists handcuffed behind his back, his face ground into the pavement. The police officer continues to press his knee into the man’s neck. The man, 46-year-old George Floyd, died later that day. Floyd was black; the cop, white.

The scene, which was captured on video, violently snapped America out of the inertia of the coronavirus pandemic. Floyd died on Monday, May 25. By Thursday, American cities were burning.

Protests have racked Minneapolis — where Floyd was killed — for three straight days. On Thursday, mourners held a vigil for Floyd. They marched, demanded justice, had a moment of silence.

But demonstrations later turned tense and sometimes violent. Police fired tear gas, flash-bang grenades, and rubber bullets at demonstrators. Rioters vandalized and looted local businesses. People scaled the walls of a police precinct and set it aflame. The station was evacuated before protesters entered and started the fire.

A protester holds up a “Justice for George” sign next to a burning car outside a Target store in Minneapolis on May 28.

The fury wasn’t confined to Minneapolis. Protests rippled across the country. Demonstrators in downtown Los Angeles surrounded police headquarters. In Columbus, Ohio, protesters smashed a window of the Statehouse and breached the building. In New York City, more than 70 people were arrested after clashes with police.

In Denver, demonstrators marched onto the interstate, disrupting traffic. Pockets of protesters shattered car windows. Shots were fired at the Colorado State Capitol building, though it’s still not clear whether it was connected to the protests.

In Louisville, Kentucky, protesters chanted “No justice, no peace” for Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old black health care worker who was fatally shot by police in her Louisville apartment in March. The peaceful protests there also escalated, and at least seven people were shot. Police said no officers discharged their weapons.

The rage over the deaths of Floyd and Taylor may have ignited these uprisings, but the scenes below are a reminder of the pent-up tension and frustration in a country where violence against black people at the hands of police keeps happening.

Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota

A man holds a photo of George Floyd at a protest near the Minneapolis intersection where Floyd was killed.

Protesters march through downtown Minneapolis.

Demonstrators march down a highway ramp in Minneapolis.

A group of protesters gathered outside the Minneapolis home of Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman, who is leading the investigation into George Floyd’s death.

The gathering at Freeman’s attracted a large crowd.

A police officer prepares to fire tear gas at protesters in St. Paul.

Police aim their weapons at protesters in the parking lot of a Target store in St. Paul.

A protester douses her face with milk after being exposed to tear gas fired by police in St. Paul.

A demonstrator displays a “Black Lives Matter” sign in St. Paul.

Flames rise from a laundry service near the Third Police Precinct in Minneapolis.

Protesters stand and chant on top of a broken fence while the Third Police Precinct burns.

Protesters lobbed fireworks, rocks, and glass bottles at police near the Third Police Precinct in Minneapolis.

Police officers walk through a cloud of tear gas in St. Paul.

Minneapolis police officers block a road on May 29, the fourth day of protests in the city.

A 190-unit Minneapolis apartment building under construction, tentatively known as Midtown Corner (right), was burned to the ground.

Louisville, Kentucky

The photos from last night's protest in downtown Louisville over the shooting of Breonna Taylor are unforgettable https://t.co/RyJddg67bF pic.twitter.com/jS1NrAZxEE
— Lucas Aulbach (@LucasAulbach) May 29, 2020

pic.twitter.com/ztTRtkv14X
— Sarah Ladd (@ladd_sarah) May 29, 2020

Protestors kneeling together on Jefferson Street near the 6th street intersection. Tons of cars following the crowd now too with some parked and just sitting on their cars. pic.twitter.com/yPgrPwLeiU
— Cameron Teague (@cj_teague) May 29, 2020

Columbus, Ohio

Columbus police use pepper spray on a crowd of protesters.

Protesters in Columbus chanted “Black lives matter” and “Say his name” in reference to George Floyd.

A demonstrator pours milk over their face to counteract the effects of tear gas.

New York, New York

New Yorkers joined in protests on May 28 over the death of George Floyd.

Protesters face the police in New York City.

New York City police arrest a demonstrator.

Police and protesters clash in New York City.

Denver, Colorado

A demonstrator holds a sign during a protest at the Colorado State Capitol in Denver.

Protesters hold their hands up while face-to-face with Denver police.

A protester lies in the street after Denver police officers fired pepper balls at demonstrators outside the Colorado State Capitol.

Los Angeles, California

People take to the streets in downtown Los Angeles during a Black Lives Matter protest over the death of George Floyd.

Demonstrators sit in the street in downtown Los Angeles.

LAPD officers line up as protesters react to the death of George Floyd.

A demonstrator holds a United States flag as someone lights it on fire during a protest in downtown Los Angeles on May 27.

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