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June 2 George Floyd protest news

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

Updated 0515 GMT (1315 HKT) June 3, 2020

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5:30 p.m. ET, June 2, 2020

Pelosi: Trump "crossed another threshold of undermining our democracy" last night

From CNN's Haley Byrd

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, reading from the Bible, reacts to President Donald Trump during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, June 2. Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday condemned President Trump again, saying he “crossed another threshold of undermining our democracy” with his St. John’s church visit at the expense of peaceful protesters on Monday night.

Pelosi, who made the remarks in an interview with NPR, also said she does not think any use of the American military to quell protests and riots is justified at this point.

“There is no reason for the US military to be called out for this,” she said, adding that most protests across the country have been peaceful thus far.

Asked about a potential congressional response to police brutality, Pelosi reiterated the Congressional Black Caucus is taking the lead on the matter. She said addressing immunity laws for police is “very important, and that would be a priority.”

4:52 p.m. ET, June 2, 2020

Medical examiner group defends official George Floyd autopsy report

From CNN’s Maggie Fox

The National Association of Medical Examiners on Tuesday defended the Hennepin County, Minnesota, medical examiner’s report on the death of George Floyd and cast doubts on the motivations of two pathologists who performed an independent autopsy on Floyd.

On Monday, the county released a report saying Floyd’s death was a homicide, and Floyd “experienced a cardiopulmonary arrest while being restrained by law enforcement officer(s).”

Separately on Monday, forensic pathologist Dr. Michael Baden and Dr. Allecia Wilson, a pathologist at the University of Michigan’s medical school, who were hired by the Floyd’s family, said that Floyd died from asphyxiation from compression injuries.

Where the reports differed was on the potential contribution made to Floyd’s death by underlying causes, including high blood pressure and clogged arteries. The county medical examiner listed these, along with fentanyl and methamphetamine use, as additional conditions. Baden told a news conference Monday he and Wilson found no evidence of the of any heart or artery conditions and said they did not believe any substances in Floyd’s blood would be relevant to his death.

The medical examiners association defended the inclusion of these conditions in the autopsy.

“Though the public may have concerns about the inclusion of underlying natural diseases, and drug intoxication as ‘contributing to death’ on Mr. Floyd’s death certificate, this is usual practice for Medical Examiners,” the group wrote in a statement.

“Death is a complex process and often occurs with multiple interacting contributing causes including physiologic stress brought about by physical altercations. Therefore, listing all provides a more comprehensive statement of the cause of death.”

Medical examiners “unlike private pathologists, do not have an incentive to come up with a certain view,” the group said.

“The Chief Medical Examiner in Minneapolis, Dr. Andrew Baker, is one of the most highly regarded and esteemed Forensic Pathologists in the United States,” the group added.

“He is a Past-President of NAME and known for his expertise and integrity.”

5:20 p.m. ET, June 2, 2020

More than 2,000 protesters are marching in Orlando, police say

From CNN's Jamiel Lynch

A large group of protesters in Orlando are moving through downtown, the Orlando police tweeted today.

The group is walking from City Hall towards police headquarters, the tweet said.

Read the tweet:

4:58 p.m. ET, June 2, 2020

Ahmaud Arbery family attorney criticizes use of "devastating force" on protesters

From CNN’s Gregory Lemos

Ahmaud Arbery family attorney Lee Merritt strongly criticized the use of force on protesters outside the White House on Monday during a "PBS News Hour" YouTube live event.

"What the President called for was an escalation of force in response to very righteous demands for justice for George Floyd, for justice for Breonna Taylor, for justice for Ahmaud Arbery," Merritt said during the event hosted by Van Jones on Tuesday. "He decided that he would respond to that with devastating force at a time where our nation needs an example of de-escalation."

Merritt appeared on the YouTube live event with Floyd family attorney Ben Crump, who repeated his call for protesters across the country to "take a breath."

"What we are asking from the highest executive office in this country and from the policing agencies, from the National Guard, is to take a breath," Merritt said. "So we respond to the White House that we are demanding on behalf of these families, if you are going to speak in the name of George Floyd and talk about peace and justice, then speak about de-escalation to the law enforcement community."

Arbery, who was black, was jogging outside Brunswick, Georgia, on February 23 when Gregory McMichael and his son, who are white, chased him after him, authorities said. Arbery and Travis McMichael struggled over the latter's shotgun and Arbery was shot three times. Gregory McMichael told police Arbery attacked his son, a police report says.

The killing sparked outrage across a nation after a disturbing video of the shooting emerged online on May 5. "Jogging while black" became the latest example of the many perils visited on African Americans.

4:48 p.m. ET, June 2, 2020

Former President George W. Bush "anguished by the brutal suffocation" of George Floyd

From CNN's Jessica Jordan and Paul Murphy

Former President George W. Bush issued a statement about the death of George Floyd, saying that he and former first lady Laura Bush are “anguished by the brutal suffocation” of Floyd and “disturbed by the injustice and fear that suffocate our country.”

The statement does not address President Trump’s response. It does say, “The heroes of America — from Frederick Douglass, to Harriet Tubman, to Abraham Lincoln, to Martin Luther King, Jr. — are heroes of unity. Their calling has never been for the fainthearted.”

Read Bush's full statement:

"Laura and I are anguished by the brutal suffocation of George Floyd and disturbed by the injustice and fear that suffocate our country. Yet we have resisted the urge to speak out, because this is not the time for us to lecture. It is time for us to listen. It is time for America to examine our tragic failures – and as we do, we will also see some of our redeeming strengths.
It remains a shocking failure that many African Americans, especially young African American men, are harassed and threatened in their own country. It is a strength when protesters, protected by responsible law enforcement, march for a better future. This tragedy — in a long series of similar tragedies — raises a long overdue question: How do we end systemic racism in our society? The only way to see ourselves in a true light is to listen to the voices of so many who are hurting and grieving. Those who set out to silence those voices do not understand the meaning of America — or how it becomes a better place.
America’s greatest challenge has long been to unite people of very different backgrounds into a single nation of justice and opportunity. The doctrine and habits of racial superiority, which once nearly split our country, still threaten our Union. The answers to American problems are found by living up to American ideals — to the fundamental truth that all human beings are created equal and endowed by God with certain rights. We have often underestimated how radical that quest really is, and how our cherished principles challenge systems of intended or assumed injustice. The heroes of America — from Frederick Douglass, to Harriet Tubman, to Abraham Lincoln, to Martin Luther King, Jr. — are heroes of unity. Their calling has never been for the fainthearted. They often revealed the nation’s disturbing bigotry and exploitation — stains on our character sometimes difficult for the American majority to examine. We can only see the reality of America's need by seeing it through the eyes of the threatened, oppressed, and disenfranchised.
That is exactly where we now stand. Many doubt the justice of our country, and with good reason. Black people see the repeated violation of their rights without an urgent and adequate response from American institutions. We know that lasting justice will only come by peaceful means. Looting is not liberation, and destruction is not progress. But we also know that lasting peace in our communities requires truly equal justice. The rule of law ultimately depends on the fairness and legitimacy of the legal system. And achieving justice for all is the duty of all.
This will require a consistent, courageous, and creative effort. We serve our neighbors best when we try to understand their experience. We love our neighbors as ourselves when we treat them as equals, in both protection and compassion. There is a better way — the way of empathy, and shared commitment, and bold action, and a peace rooted in justice. I am confident that together, Americans will choose the better way."

5:16 p.m. ET, June 2, 2020

Trump turning "holy ground into a photo-op is a sacrilege," reverend says

Rev. Gini Gerbasi, the rector at St. John's Episcopal Church of Georgetown, said she was at the scene when police fired rubber bullets to disperse the crowds so that President Trump could walk over to the church and take photos.

She said she was shocked when police moved on protesters, but was more offended that Trump turned the "holy ground into a photo-op."

"I never would have imagined that I would look up and literally see an entire line of police officers all in this heavy military gear, all black, and these shields, literally pushing and shoving and driving people off of the church patio," she told CNN's Jake Tapper in an interview. "I was literally helping wipe away tears in people's eyes and tried to tend to them and help them on the grounds and suddenly the police were pushing us back. And the people were dropping to the ground, afraid. And they were — when they hear those flash sounds, they thought they were being shot. And people were running at us."

She added: "I was already stunned and shocked and deeply, deeply offended that they had taken what had become holy ground and had been holy ground for 200 years and literally desecrated it, turned it into not a metaphorical battleground, but a literal battleground ... And to stand in front of a church and somehow claim that as his right and privilege and culture and holding the bible, was a sacrilege. An absolute sacrilege. And I wouldn't make — I'm not joking when I say I would rather the President live by those words, those words of healing, wholeness, compassion, love, peace, generosity, care for those who have been marginalized. For him to turn that book into a prop, for him to turn that holy ground into a battleground, for him to turn that holy ground into a photo op is a sacrilege."

Watch full interview here:

4:39 p.m. ET, June 2, 2020

25 Philadelphia police officers injured in protests, commissioner says

From CNN’s Evan Simko-Bednarski

Twenty-five Philadelphia police officers have been injured in the protests so far, Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said Tuesday.

Outlaw did not elaborate on the type or severity of the officers' injuries.

Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney said a group of people armed with bats in the city were eventually dispersed by police, but that he was not happy about how long it took for that to happen.

"Last night a group of people in Fishtown took it upon themselves to make a show of protecting their neighborhood. They picked up baseball bats and in turn exemplified the deep divides in our community. Their actions were antagonistic and made a bad situation worse," he said.

4:10 p.m. ET, June 2, 2020

Justice official: Barr told authorities to clear protesters near White House

From CNN's Evan Perez and David Shortell

Attorney General William Barr, center, stands in Lafayette Park across from the White House as demonstrators gather on Monday, June 1, in Washington. Alex Brandon/AP

Minutes ahead of President Trump's televised address from the Rose Garden Monday evening, Attorney General William Barr ordered authorities to clear a crowd of protesters that had gathered nearby, according to a Justice Department official.

Barr and other top officials from agencies responsible for securing the White House had previously planned to secure a wider perimeter around Lafayette park, a federally-owned green space just north of the building, in response to fires and destruction caused by protesters on Sunday night. That plan would have cleared the area later used for the President's walk to a nearby church for a photo-op by 4 p.m. ET, the official said.

But it never happened. When Barr arrived at Lafayette park just after 6 p.m. ET — in a scene that was captured on news cameras and elicited heckles from the large, peaceful crowd — Barr saw that the area had not been emptied, and told police to clear the area, the official said. If federal law enforcement was met with resistance by the protestors, crowd control measures should be implemented, Barr had said, according to the official.

Barr had been told that police believed protestors were gathering rocks to throw at law enforcement, and while he was in the park, water bottles were thrown in his direction, the official said. CNN did not witness any water bottles being thrown at the attorney general. Camera footage shows him standing and watching the crowd for several minutes, flanked by a security detail and two senior department officials.

Just before 6:24 p.m., police broadcast their first warning for the crowd to distance. A CNN correspondent reporting from the rooftop of a nearby hotel heard three warnings broadcast over the next ten minutes as authorities moved closer to the crowd.

At 6:35 p.m., authorities began charging the crowd in lockstep with their shields raised, some using their batons to strike the protestors as gas canisters were deployed.