EU 'shocked and appalled' by George Floyd's killing: Live updates

The bloc's top diplomat warns against further excessive use of force as Trump vows to end unreher
  • The United States has been gripped by protests over the death of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man who died last week in police custody in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and police brutality nationwide.
  • Lawyers representing the Floyd family said independent medical examiners who conducted an autopsy on Floyd's determined that asphyxiation from sustained pressure was the cause of death.
  • Protesters are demanding all four officers involved be charged in Floyd's death. So far, only one - white officer Derek Chauvin, who knelt on Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes as the Black man pleaded, "I can't breathe" - has been arrested and charged on Friday with third-degree murder and manslaughter.
  • Those protesting against police brutality have been met with, at times, excessive force by authorities. Two officers were fired over the weekend in Atlanta, Georgia, for pulling two Black people out of a car and throwing them to the ground. Videos have shown police targeting angry but peaceful protesters with tear gas and mace. Journalists have also been targeted by police.
  • Protesters have remained undeterred by curfews and the presence of the US National Guard in some cities. Some largely peaceful protests turned violent, with looting and vandalism as the night raged on.
Latest updates:

Tuesday, June 2

11:00 GMT Legal experts say Floyd family autopsy could help ex-policeman's defence

An independent autopsy that found George Floyd died solely from asphyxiation could actually bolster the defence of the former Minneapolis police officer charged with killing him, legal experts said.
The autopsy report released on Monday said Floyd's death was a homicide and that he had no underlying medical conditions.
Later on Monday, the Hennepin County Medical Examiner released details of its autopsy findings that also said Floyd's death was a homicide caused by asphyxiation but that he had possible underlying health conditions and intoxicants in his body that may have been contributing factors in his death.
"It will be part of the defence strategy to say they can't even get the cause of death right," Gerald Lefcourt, a criminal defence attorney, said.
Paul Callan, a former New York prosecutor, said the "report created a lot of ammunition for a defence team to use in a criminal case or a subsequent civil case."

10:20 GMT - EU 'shocked and appalled' by George Floyd's killing

The European Union is "shocked and appalled" by the death of George Floyd in police custody, the bloc's top diplomat said, calling it "an abuse of power" and warning against further excessive use of force.
"Like the people of the United States, we are shocked and appalled by the death of George Floyd ... all societies must remain vigilant against the excessive use of force," Josep Borrell, the EU's foreign policy chief, told reporters.
Borrell called Floyd's death a "very, very unhappy" one and said it showed "an abuse of power" by law enforcement. "We condemn racism of any kind ... we trust in the ability of the Americans to come together, to heal as a nation".

10:00 GMT - CPJ: Over 100 press freedom violations reported at US protests

 A media watchdog has called on US authorities to stop targeting journalists covering protests over the death of an unarmed Black man in police custody and exempt them from curfew restrictions.
In a statement published on Tuesday, the US-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said that since May 29, at least 125 press freedom violations had been reported nationwide by journalists covering the demonstrations over the death of George Floyd, who died a week ago after a white police officer pinned his neck under his knee for nearly nine minutes.
US protest journalists
Police have hit dozens of journalists with tear gas, pepper spray, or rubber bullets and arrested 20 even as they displayed their press credentials, CPJ said [Lucas Jackson [Reuters]

09:40 GMT - Iran calls on US to 'stop violence' against its own people

The Iranian foreign ministry has called on the United States to "stop violence" against its own people in the face of large protests sweeping the nation 
"To the American people: the world has heard your outcry over the state of oppression. The world is standing with you," foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said at a news conference in Tehran on Monday.
"And to the American officials and police: stop violence against your people and let them breathe," he told reporters in English.

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