G. Floyd murder: Protesters set fire near White House, Trump taken to bunker

(Patria) – As protests over the murder of George Floyd entered their seventh day, demonstrators set fires near the White House on Sunday evening.

The New York Times reports that President Donald Trump was taken to an underground bunker in the White House, which in the past has been used in case of terrorist attacks.

The protests, which have turned violent, have spread to more than 30 American cities.

Let us recall, demonstrators are protesting the killing of a civilian of African-American origin by a police officer in Minneapolis on May 25 during an arrest for the alleged attempt by the victim to make a purchase with a counterfeit banknote. The officer pinned Floyd to the ground by kneeling on his neck and held him in that position while he begged him to ease up because he could not breathe. The murder was recorded on a mobile phone camera. Officer Derek Chauvin was fired and charged with third-degree murder, and the officers who were nearby were also fired.

The protests have not abated even after the murder indictment was issued and have spread to large and small American cities. The National Guard has been mobilized, and clashes between demonstrators and police are a daily occurrence.

According to Associated Press data, more than 4,100 people have been arrested in the protests.

Euronews reports on numerous accounts of police brutality against unarmed demonstrators and journalists covering the demonstrations. Two police officers have been fired and three suspended for excessive use of force in Atlanta, the city's mayor confirmed.

Demonstrators set several police vehicles on fire, and the number of destroyed business premises due to break-ins and looting is rising in American cities.

The protests have also spread to other parts of the world – similar gatherings could be seen on Sunday and Monday in London and Berlin, as well as in New Zealand, Australia and the Netherlands.