The Rebellion Explodes: Protests, Riots, and Clashes Grow in Response to the Murder of George Floyd

The country-wide rebellion that was kicked off by the police murder of George Floyd continues to grow, as across the US people hit the streets in solidarity. Mass demonstrations, freeway shut-downs, riots, looting, and clashes with law enforcement were widespread; as authorities rushed to call in the national guard. In many cities, large scale demonstrations that remained peaceful were also held.

What follows is a brief overview of the extensive resistance that was seen on Saturday, May 30th, for some cities, the second and third day of hitting the streets. Military buildup in Minneapolis also continued, as did reports of police attacking the press, while the Republicans played up fears of “ANTIFA” in order to justify repression and attempt to split the protesters along racial lines.

Big Picture:

- “25 cities across 15 states” have now imposed a curfew, CNN reports.
- Target has temporarily closed 175 stores across the United States amid protests.
- ABC reports: “Police arrest almost 1,700 people across 22 cities in 3 days.”
- Oakland Abolition and Solidarity reports, “In jails across the country, TVs have been turned off for days. Jailers tryna keep news of the uprisings from reaching ppl and sparking off rebellions inside.“
- Rioting and major clashes with the police has broken out in over 30 cities, with solidarity demonstrations and protests happening in many more across the so-called US and internationally.
- The National Guard has been put on stand-by “in around a dozen states” and Washington DC, reports CNN.
- Flood of news stories of police attacking protesters, press, and bystanders.
- Trump and other Republicans have doubled down on attempting to break the protesters along racial lines, claiming that the real instigators are “ANTIFA” and those on the far-Left. This is similar rhetoric to what was used against protesters during the Ferguson Rebellion.

Saturday, May 30th:

Pacific Northwest

- Salem, OR: Protest march clashes with heavily armed Proud Boys.
- Tacoma, WA: Freeways shut down as hundreds march.
- Portland, OR: Continued rioting, protests, and clashes with the police. Previous night saw looting and vandalism of Justice Center.
- Seattle, WA: Looting, rioting, and clashes with police break out. Police vehicles set on fire. Interstate 5 shut-down.
- Eureka, CA: March in solidarity with George Floyd.

Southwest

- Reno, NV: Riot breaks out as police fire tear-gas. Report of “destruction at the Second Street headquarters of the Reno Police Department.”
- Salt Lake City, UH: Protest leads to riot; police car set on fire. Clashes with police erupt.
- Las Vegas, NV: Protest erupts as “reports of vandalized cars, looting at a pawn shop, broken windows, graffiti scrawled in spray-paint on the El Cortez hotel-casino and objects including water bottles and Molotov cocktails being hurled at Las Vegas police officers.”
- Sacramento, CA: Clashes break out with police. Looting of stores, graffiti slogans painted.
- Santa Rosa, CA: March in the Downtown.
- Modesto, CA: Protest outside of police station. March takes to streets.
- Emeryville, CA: Looting breaks out at multiple large-scale chain stores in various shopping districts.
- Oakland, CA: Protests and clashes with the police in Downtown Oakland.
- San Francisco, CA: Looting breaks out in Union Square and up and down Market Street. Freeway blockades. Mayor requests that National Guard be put on standby.
- Los Angeles, CA: Mass rioting. Fires set against police infrastructure. Police cars vandalized. Curfew in place. Police cars attacks and stores looted in Beverly Hills and on infamous Rodeo Drive. Chants of “Eat the Rich.” Looting in downtown Los Angeles. Reports of National Guard being deployed. Fourth day in a row of disruptive demonstrations, riots, freeway shut downs, and looting. Entire police force mobilized. Los Angeles County put on State of Emergency.
- La Mesa, CA: Banks set ablaze, rioting breaks out, looting.
- Rancho Cucamonga, CA: Second day of protest.
- Phoenix, AZ: Clashes with police continue in streets.
- Scottsdale, AZ: Mass looting breaks out at shopping mall.

Central

- Denver, CO: For third day in a row, riots and clashes with police break out.
- Austin, TX: Rioting, looting, clashes with police. Vandalism to police buildings. Highway 35 shutdown.
- Dallas, TX: Clashes with police break out after mass march.
- Houston, TX: Mass march organized. Second day of protest; previous day saw rioting.
- San Antonio, TX: Riots erupt; probation office set on fire.

Midwest

- Lincoln, NB: Protests, blockades, clashes with the police, breaking of windows.
- Madison, WI: Protest erupts into riots, looting, and clashes with the police.
- Grand Rapids, MI: Massive fires in the streets as riots raged.
- Geneva, IL: Protests shut down freeways.
- Bloomington, IL: Rallies in solidarity with George Floyd.
- Chicago, IL: Riots and clashes with the police break out. Police cars smashed and torched. Projectiles thrown at police.
- Indianapolis, IN: One person shot dead in shooting. Few details at this time. Marks third person killed during the clashes to our understanding.
- Des Moines, IW: Second night of marches and protests, following a previous night where looting broke out.
- Oklahoma City, OK: Riot kicks off; clashes with police; burning of police car.
- St. Paul – Minneapolis, MN: Protests continue despite curfew. Police come down hard shooting projectiles. CNN reports that, “Protests are ongoing across Minneapolis and St. Paul, where curfews have been declared tonight.” Clashes with police outside of 5th Precinct.
- Columbus, OH: National guard activated in response to ongoing protests.
- Cleveland, OH: Looting and multiple police cars set on fire.
- Milwaukee, WI: National guard activated in response to ongoing protests.
- Kansas City, MO: Riots break out; many things set on fire.

Southeast

- Louisville, KY: Third straight days of protests.
- Richmond, VA: National headquarters of the Daughters of the Confederacy, in Richmond, VA, set on fire. Several stores looted. Confederate monument vandalized.
- Ferguson, MO: CNN reports that “police department has been damaged and evacuated according to a tweet by the St. Louis County Police Department. All non-essential personnel have been evacuated from the building. St. Louis County Police say they are assisting police in Ferguson where fireworks, bricks, rocks and bottles have been thrown at officers during protests.”
- Nashville, TN: Protests vandalize police car, clash with law enforcement. Rioters break into courthouse, write graffiti.
- Tampa, FL: CNN reports that protests have broken out into “looting, vandalism and throwing rocks and fireworks at police, they said. The crowd congregated outside of the Tampa Police District 2 office, where some shattered the back windshield of a marked police vehicle, according to police.”
- Miami, FL: Mass march. Protest outside of police station.
- Miami-Dade, FL: Mass march shuts down I-95. Police car set on fire.
- Jacksonville, FL: Riots break out after protest.
- Little Rock, AK: “Protests took a violent turn Saturday in Little Rock, with windows smashed in some buildings across from the state Capitol, and the Arkansas State Police firing tear gas to dislodge protesters who had shut down Interstate 630 for the second time during the day.”
- Charleston, WV: Riots erupt; looting, clashes with police; police vehicles burned.
- Columbia, SC: Clashes with police; looting; police cars burned.
- Raleigh, NC: Clashes; property damage; looting.
- Durham, NC: Large protest march.
- Montgomery, AL: Mass protests; streets shutdown; windows broken.
- Washington DC: Protests continue near the White House. According to CNN, “a US Secret Service police vehicle outside the White House has been vandalized by protesters with graffiti.” Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute smashed up and vandalized with graffiti slogans.
- Atlanta, GA: Protests outside of Governor’s mansion.

Northeast

- Boston, MA: Mass protests continue; some clashes with the police.
- Pittsburgh, PA: Despite curfew, rioting kicks off.
- New York, NY: Police try and clear demonstration in Times Square, clashes break out. Fires set in street. Police vans vandalized and smashed up.
- Syracuse, NY: Riot breaks out; police headquarters attacked.
- Philadelphia, PA: Clashes with police. Police cars set on fire. Frank Rizzo statue vandalized. CNN reported, “Protesters appeared to tie ropes to the statue and started a fire at the statue’s base.”
- Burlington, VT: Mass march takes over police parking lot.