Thousands of people marched through American cities as anti-racism protests, which had waned, again spiralled out of control as President Donald Trump sent in federal troops to grapple with the situation.
Among the cities to be hit were Portland, Seattle, Chicago and Atlanta. In Seattle, a day of street violence left a trail of broken windows and people flushing pepper spray from their eyes. The violence was unleashed when protesters set fire to a youth detention centre and a police premises. Other protesters threw rocks, bottles, fireworks and other explosives at cops. Portland, in turn, geared up for its 60th night of unrest, even as tensions mounted in Chicago. A demonstrator was shot dead during a march in Austin.In Los Angeles, media reports said, protesters clashed with officers in front of the federal courthouse. Videos showed people smashing windows and lobbing water bottles at officers after protesters said the police fired projectiles at them.
The protests have gathered steam two months after the Memorial Day 'murder' of George Floyd. In Richmond, a city dump truck was set on fire as protesters fended off police in Virginia's capital during a demonstration. Protesters had been planning for days the demonstration that was called “Richmond Stands with Portland.’’