June 18 Black Lives Matter protest news

By Mike Hayes, Melissa Macaya, Meg Wagner, Helen Regan, Adam Renton and Peter Wilkinson, CNN

Updated 1:13 a.m. ET, June 19, 2020
53 Posts
Sort byDropdown arrow
9:50 p.m. ET, June 18, 2020

Facebook takes down Trump ads "for violating our policy against organized hate"

From CNN's Donie O'Sullivan

Facebook said it had taken action against ads run by President Donald Trump's re-election campaign for breaching its policies on hate. The ads, which attacked what the Trump campaign described as "Dangerous MOBS of far-left groups," featured an upside-down triangle.

The Anti-Defamation League said Thursday the triangle "is practically identical to that used by the Nazi regime to classify political prisoners in concentration camps."

"We removed these posts and ads for violating our policy against organized hate. Our policy prohibits using a banned hate group's symbol to identify political prisoners without the context that condemns or discusses the symbol," Andy Stone, a Facebook spokesperson, told CNN Business.

The hate group to which Facebook was referring in its statement is Nazis, the company confirmed.

Responding to criticism of the ad, the Trump campaign claimed the red triangle was "a symbol widely used by Antifa."

The ADL said Thursday that some antifa activists have used the symbol, but it is not particularly common.

Read the full story:

9:22 p.m. ET, June 18, 2020

Grand jury indicts officer Eric DeValkenaere in fatal shooting of Cameron Lamb in 2019

From CNN's Raja Razek

Jackson County grand jury indicted Kansas City police officer Eric DeValkenaere in the fatal shooting of Cameron Lamb in December 2019, according to Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office news release on Thursday.

The grand jury’s indictment, signed today by the foreperson, charges officer Eric DeValkenaere with involuntary manslaughter and armed criminal action for recklessly causing the death of Lamb, who was shot while sitting in his pickup truck as he was backing into his garage.

CNN has reached out to Eric DeValkenaere for comment.

Relatives of Lamb were among several families of black Americans who have been killed by police to meet with President Donald Trump earlier this week.

9:17 p.m. ET, June 18, 2020

Former Atlanta Police Officer Garrett Rolfe moved for security reasons 

From CNN's Ryan Young and Devon Sayers 

Former Atlanta police officer Garrett Rolfe.
Former Atlanta police officer Garrett Rolfe. Fulton County Sheriff's Office

Former Atlanta Police officer Garrett Rolfe has been moved from the Fulton County Jail to another metro-Atlanta facility for security reasons, according to three law enforcement sources.

Rolfe, who faces 11 charges related to the death of Rayshard Brooks, turned himself in to the Fulton County Jail earlier on Thursday.

9:09 p.m. ET, June 18, 2020

Senior State Department official resigns over Trump's response to nationwide unrest: Washington Post

From CNN's Paul LeBlanc

A top State Department official is resigning from her post over President Donald Trump's response to the surge of protests against racial injustice and police brutality across the nation, The Washington Post reported Thursday. 

Mary Elizabeth Taylor, assistant secretary of state for legislative affairs, wrote in a resignation letter obtained by the Post that "The President's comments and actions surrounding racial injustice and Black Americans cut sharply against my core values and convictions."

"I must follow the dictates of my conscience and resign as Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs," she said. 

Reached for comment, a State Department spokesperson told CNN, "We do not comment on personnel matters."

Taylor's resignation comes as Trump continues to lean into his forceful approach to the ongoing demonstrations sparked by the death of George Floyd at the hands of police. The gruesome video of Floyd's killing while in Minneapolis police custody has prompted the kind of soul searching about the role of police in society and systemic racism that many advocates have urged for decades.

Read the full story:

8:45 p.m. ET, June 18, 2020

Former Atlanta police officer expected in court Friday

From CNN's Jennifer Henderson and Devon Sayers

Former Atlanta police officer Garrett Rolfe is expected to be in court on Friday at noon, according to emails sent to CNN from his attorney’s spokesperson and the Fulton County Clerk’s office.

The Fulton County Sheriff’s Department said earlier today that Rolfe had waived his first appearance. The Fulton County Clerk of Court also said earlier this afternoon no court appearance had been scheduled.

Rolfe faces felony murder and 10 other charges in the fatal shooting of Rayshard Brooks. Rolfe shot Brooks at a Wendy's drive-thru last week. Prosecutors allege that Rolfe declared, "I got him" after firing the shots and he did not provide medical attention for two minutes and 12 seconds.

8:13 p.m. ET, June 18, 2020

Atlanta officer Devin Brosnan says he's "looking forward" to cooperating with investigators

From CNN's Hollie Silverman

Former Atlanta Police officer Devin Brosnan is surrounded by media following his release from the Fulton County Jail on Thursday, June 18, in Atlanta.
Former Atlanta Police officer Devin Brosnan is surrounded by media following his release from the Fulton County Jail on Thursday, June 18, in Atlanta. Brynn Anderson/AP

In an interview with MSNBC following his release on bond Thursday, Atlanta police officer Devin Brosnan said he's "looking forward to cooperating with any investigators who are interested in having a conversation about what happened that night."

Brosnan was booked and released Thursday before the interview.

"I have full faith in the criminal justice system," Brosnan said, adding that the booking process was quickly completed.

Brosnan's attorney Don Samuel told MSNBC that there "seems to be misunderstanding on the prosecutors' part."

"He's a defendant, he's not going to answer the DA's questions while they bring false charges against him," Samuel said.

Samuel said Brosnan has been fully cooperative with all investigators and plans on meeting with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation next week.

Asked if Brosnan had anything he wanted to say to the family of Rayshard Brooks, he said, "I think this is a tragic event."

"It's a total tragedy that a man had to lose his life that night," he added.

Brosnan said during his initial encounter with Brooks, he thought he was "friendly, respectful."

"I felt like he was potentially someone that needed my help. And I was really just there to see what I could do to make sure that he was safe," Brosnan said.

7:45 p.m. ET, June 18, 2020

Southeastern Conference calls for state of Mississippi to change its flag

In this April 25 photograph, a small Mississippi state flag is held by a participant during a drive-by "re-open Mississippi" protest past the Governor's Mansion, in the background, in Jackson, Mississippi.
In this April 25 photograph, a small Mississippi state flag is held by a participant during a drive-by "re-open Mississippi" protest past the Governor's Mansion, in the background, in Jackson, Mississippi. Rogelio V. Scolis/AP

The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is calling for the state of Mississippi to change its flag saying it wants student-athletes to be able to compete in an inclusive environment.

“It is past time for change to be made to the flag of the State of Mississippi. Our students deserve an opportunity to learn and compete in environment that are inclusive and welcoming to all," Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey said in a statement.

“In the event there is no change, there will be consideration of precluding Southeastern Conference championship events from being conducted in the State of Mississippi until the state flag is changed," the statement added.

The University of Mississippi and Mississippi State are both members of the Southeastern Conference.

8:00 p.m. ET, June 18, 2020

Oakland mayor calls effigy "a deliberate and vile attempt to traumatize and divide"

From CNN's Sarah Moon and Amanda Jackson

Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf called the effigy found near Lake Merritt “a deliberate and vile attempt to traumatize and divide Oaklanders.”

The effigy was found hanging in a tree near Lake Merritt on Thursday morning by a resident, according to a statement from the Oakland Police Department. The resident removed the effigy from the tree and called police, the statement said.

Police officers found "material stuffed in the shape of a human body with a rope tied around the torso and neck, laying on the ground next to a tree with an American flag lying next to it," the statement said.

Some context: The effigy was found a day after a hate crime investigation was opened into nooses found on trees in Oakland, California, according to police.

The FBI is investigating the effigy as a hate crime, Schaaf said.

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra weighed in on the incident, calling it "chilling."

"I've got to tell you it doesn't help circumstances. Everyone's on edge. There are a lot of people who are very frightened. A lot of people are courageous and peacefully protesting. To see these things just doesn't help," he told CNN on Thursday.

The California Attorney General's office is investigating the death of a 24-year-old black man who was found hanging from a tree in northern Los Angeles County.

7:19 p.m. ET, June 18, 2020

Former Atlanta officer charged in Brooks shooting waives first court appearance 

From CNN's Ryan Young and Devon M. Sayers 

Former Atlanta police officer Garrett Rolfe.
Former Atlanta police officer Garrett Rolfe. Fulton County Sheriff's Office

Former Atlanta police officer Garrett Rolfe has waived his first court appearance, Tracy Flanagan, a spokesperson for the Fulton County Sheriff Office, told CNN.

The Fulton County Court of Clerks office said at this point, no court proceedings have been scheduled for the case. 

Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard said Wednesday that it is unlikely the case would be presented to a grand jury before January. 

Some background: Rolfe faces felony murder and 10 other charges after he shot Brooks at a Wendy's drive-thru last week. Prosecutors allege that he declared, "I got him" after firing the shots and he did not provide medical attention for two minutes and 12 seconds.