June 1 George Floyd protest news

By Jessie Yeung, Steve George, Nick Thompson, Melissa Macaya, Meg Wagner, Mike Hayes and Daniella Diaz, CNN

Updated 2:10 a.m. ET, June 2, 2020
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10:16 p.m. ET, June 1, 2020

Kamala Harris: "Right now, America is raw" and Trump can't understand its wounds

Joining CNN on Monday night, former presidential candidate and California Sen. Kamala Harris criticized President Donald Trump's response to George Floyd's death and the ongoing protests.

"He cannot meet this moment that he has partly created because of his inability to understand the pain and the suffering," she said. 

"Right now, America is raw. Her wounds are exposed. And instead of having a president who understands it, who empathizes, who lifts up the spirits and acknowledges the pain, we have someone who chooses to hold up the bible like a prop for his own political gain and for a photo op," she said, referencing Trump's visit earlier this evening to St. John's Episcopal Church in Washington DC.

She added that "America has never fully addressed the historical and systemic racism that has existed," and urged concrete change like investigation into the police or legislation to establish a national standard on use of police force.

Elections are important -- but they're not enough. "There is certainly truth in saying that it is overly simplistic to say if you vote, this will be solved. Because black folks have been voting for generations when we were allowed to. So it is not that simplistic," she said.

Instead, hope and change have to take root from "acknowledging truth and then fighting for what we know we can achieve. Understanding, for example, that the policing issue is the tip of the iceberg," she said.

Watch:

9:56 p.m. ET, June 1, 2020

"We're throwing everything we have at maintaining the peace," says Los Angeles mayor

Members of California National Guard on patrol in downtown Los Angeles, on Sunday, May 31.
Members of California National Guard on patrol in downtown Los Angeles, on Sunday, May 31. Ringo H.W. Chiu/AP

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti decried George Floyd's death and urged protesters to stay peaceful on Monday night.

Floyd's death was "fundamentally un-American, inhumane," he said at a press conference. "And that cries out for justice."

But he also urged protesters not to conduct violence, looting, or destructive actions, saying it would set back the community and protest movement for years to come.

"We are going to continue to do everything we can to restore peace and to keep this city safe," he said. "We're throwing everything we have at maintaining the peace, and we're going to throw everything we have on promoting justice -- and nobody out there needs to pick between those two."

Destruction in LA: Stores, buildings, and shopping centers throughout the city and county of Los Angeles have been looted and vandalized during protests over the death of George Floyd.

The National Guard has been deployed to support law enforcement authorities in Los Angeles and the county imposed a curfew for a second night. 

9:37 p.m. ET, June 1, 2020

Police fire tear gas against peaceful protesters in Richmond, Virginia

From CNN’s Rebekah Riess

A State Police tactical vehicle is surrounded by a cloud of tear gas at the Lee Monument on Monument Avenue in Richmond, Va, on Monday, June 1.
A State Police tactical vehicle is surrounded by a cloud of tear gas at the Lee Monument on Monument Avenue in Richmond, Va, on Monday, June 1. (Bob Brown/Richmond Times-Dispatch/AP

Police in Richmond, Virginia, have deployed tear gas against protesters after warning them online to cease their actions.

Protesters had been attempting to pull down statues on Monument Avenue, which police said in a tweet was placing people "in grave jeopardy."

“They are extremely heavy and would crush anyone standing too close. Please be aware of the danger. Stand down!” the Richmond Police Department tweeted.

After firing the tear gas, police apologized to peaceful protesters specifically, saying the gas had been necessary because some officers in the area were cut off by violent protesters and needed to get to safety.

“To our peaceful protestors: We stand with you today and will keep supporting your rights to express your opinions in safety,” the Department added.

9:29 p.m. ET, June 1, 2020

Philadelphia to start curfew at 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday due to primary election

From CNN’s Mirna Alsharif

A Philadelphia Police Department SWAT team member sits in a vehicle in downtown Philadelphia during enforcement of a curfew, on Monday, June 1.
A Philadelphia Police Department SWAT team member sits in a vehicle in downtown Philadelphia during enforcement of a curfew, on Monday, June 1. Matt Slocum/AP

Philadelphia will start their nightly curfew at 8:30 p.m. local time on Tuesday, later than usual, due to the primary election, according to city spokesperson Mike Dunn.

The later start will allow evening voters time to return home before the curfew begins, Dunn said.

Polls in Philadelphia will be open Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time. Masks will be “strongly encouraged and voters who don’t have a mask will be provided with one,” according to the city’s Election Day guide.

The Monday night curfew will begin earlier at 6 p.m., and be in place until 6 a.m. Tuesday morning.

9:33 p.m. ET, June 1, 2020

NBA star Magic Johnson: "We're so fed up with this. It's got to stop"

CNN's Anderson Cooper and Earvin "Magic" Johnson
CNN's Anderson Cooper and Earvin "Magic" Johnson CNN

NBA legend Magic Johnson weighed in on the ongoing protests and police brutality on Monday night, telling CNN's Anderson Cooper, "We're fed up with this."

"It doesn't matter if I’m Magic Johnson or not,” Johnson said. “My kids just like I am still a black man."

He said he had talked to both his children about the dangers of being black in America, and how to best protect themselves.

"If you're pulled over, make sure you got your hands out of the window. Make sure that you comply. Let's look at George Floyd. He did everything he was supposed to do. And this police officer put all his body weight, all his body weight on his neck, right, for eight minutes. So if that can happen to George Floyd, it can happen to E.J. and Andre and more black men. And so we're fed up with this. It's got to stop," he said.

The protesters want "to have a voice at the table," he added. "They want their concerns heard. And then they want action to take place. And so they're going to still protest for a long time until their voices are heard.”

Watch:

9:31 p.m. ET, June 1, 2020

Michigan governor asked if she would request military troops: "I don't want that to happen"

From CNN’s Annie Grayer

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer speaks during a news conference in Lansing, Michigan, on June 1.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer speaks during a news conference in Lansing, Michigan, on June 1. Michigan Office of the Governor/AP

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer would not say definitively whether she would request federal military troops in her state when asked repeatedly by CNN's Anderson Cooper, but was clear that she did not want to have to make such a request.

This question to Whitmer came after President Trump declared earlier tonight that he would deploy the US military if cities or states “(refused) to take the actions necessary to defend the life and property of their residents.”

“You know what, if it ever came to that to that, to that moment, it would be because they’ve just thrown a lot more gas on a fire that is burning. I don't want that to happen," Whitmer said.

Asked if Trump could send in military troops to Michigan without her approval, Whitmer said, “apparently there are outreach efforts to ask for acknowledgement of federal officers in states, and I can tell you that states — my understanding is that they can't do it without the approval of the governors and I can also tell you that it's probably not going to happen in a lot of our states.”

When pressed again about whether she would ask for federal troops at this point, Whitmer responded, “You know what would help take the heat down from everything? Some real showing, a genuine showing of concern about the underlying problem here of police brutality. A genuine concern about how we ramp up our testing across the country to combat Covid-19, which has had a disproportionate impact on communities of color. That's how we get through this moment, not by looking at one another's enemies and declaring civil war on one another."

Whitmer said she watched the scene of peaceful protesters being broken up with tear gas and rubber bullets so Trump could walk to St. John’s Episcopal Church on CNN with her daughter.

“It’s shocking” Whitmer said. “The split screen was he was saying he stands with peaceful protesters and on the other side, his police troops were shooting at peace peaceful protesters. You know, in this country right now we need a leader who can bring calm, who can bring unity, who can show the compassion and competence that we need ... what happened in the Rose Garden tonight is only I am fearful going to further fuel that animosity and angst and anxiety in this country. And I think it is more destructive than that, what I was hoping he would say.”

9:18 p.m. ET, June 1, 2020

Los Angeles mayor urges residents to stay indoors

From CNN's Sarah Moon

Widespread damage is seen in an outdoor clothing store after rioting and looting caused widespread damage in Santa Monica, California, on June 1.
Widespread damage is seen in an outdoor clothing store after rioting and looting caused widespread damage in Santa Monica, California, on June 1. Warrick Page/Getty Images

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti urged all residents to stay indoors and to stay home while the city’s curfew start at 6 p.m. local time. 

“Please stay indoors, please stay safe and obey the law,” Garcetti said in a news conference on Monday. “You need to go home.”

Police arrested almost 700 people Sunday night, according to Los Angeles Police Department Chief Michel Moore. Among the arrests, 70 people were arrested for burglarizing or vandalizing businesses.

“We didn’t have protests last night, we had criminal acts to get people,” Moore said.

Firefighters responded to hundreds of fire and medical calls in protest areas in Los Angeles in the past four days, Chief Ralph M. Terrazas of the Los Angeles City Fire Department (LAFD) said in a news conference on Monday. 

9:29 p.m. ET, June 1, 2020

Bishop of Washington Diocese "outraged" by Trump photo-op and says message "antithetical" to Jesus' teachings

President Donald Trump holds a Bible as he visits outside St. John's Church across Lafayette Park from the White House Monday, June 1, 2020, in Washington. 
President Donald Trump holds a Bible as he visits outside St. John's Church across Lafayette Park from the White House Monday, June 1, 2020, in Washington.  Patrick Semansky/AP

Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington told CNN's Anderson Cooper that her community did not approve of President Trump's visit to St. Johns — one of the churches in her diocese — and distanced herself from his actions Monday afternoon.

"Let me be clear. The President just used a bible, the most sacred text of the Judeo-Christian tradition, and one of the churches of my diocese without permission as a backdrop for a message antithetical to the teachings of Jesus and everything that our churches stand for. And to do so, as you just said, he sanctioned the use of tear gas by police officers in riot gear to clear the church yard. I am outraged. The President did not pray when he came to St. John's," she told CNN's Anderson Cooper. "Nor, as you just articulated, did he acknowledge the agony of our country right now. And in particular, that of the people of color in our nation, who wonder if anyone ever — anyone in public power will ever acknowledge their sacred worth, and who are rightfully demanding an end to 400 years of systemic racism and white supremacy in our country."

She added: "And I just want the world to know that we in the Diocese of Washington, following Jesus and his way of love, do not — we distance ourselves from the incendiary language of this President."

Watch:

8:48 p.m. ET, June 1, 2020

Reverend of St. John's church on Trump visit: "I had no idea what was going to be going on"

From CNN's Aaron Pellish

President Donald Trump holds a Bible as he visits outside St. John's Church across Lafayette Park from the White House Monday, June 1, 2020, in Washington. 
President Donald Trump holds a Bible as he visits outside St. John's Church across Lafayette Park from the White House Monday, June 1, 2020, in Washington.  Patrick Semansky/AP

Rev. Robert Fisher of St. John’s Church in downtown Washington, DC, said he was unaware that President Trump would be stopping by the church on Monday evening. 

“I had no idea what was going to be going on at 7 p.m. tonight. I actually haven't seen any of it. I've been listening to it all, of course, and honestly, it feels like so many ways a surreal moment for me. So yeah, I feel like I'm in some alternative universe in some way,” Fisher said in an interview on Fox News. 

Fisher said the fire that broke out in his church on Sunday evening damaged one room in the basement of the church, and affected neither of the two historic buildings on the church’s property. 

“I went by it later in the night, actually in the wee hours of the morning and actually had a chance to inspect and look around myself, my wife and I. That was actually very positive moment because just personally. I was thrilled to see that the fire only burnt the nursery and the fire didn't expand out,” Fisher said. 

Fisher praised the peaceful protesters, saying they need to "stay on this message of fighting racism."

“That is the only way that we are going to have healing and we’re going to really progress," he added.

He also made what some might consider a veiled criticism of Trump, who lives just across Lafayette park at the White House. 

“We hope that St. John's, it’s not just a historic church, it truly is, it is a remarkably historic church, but we seek to be a space for grace in the city,” Fisher said. “I find that the particular neighborhood that we are in is not always a place where you find grace.”