Protests, looting and rioting have continued across the US for a fifth night as protesters across the country express their outrage over the death of George Floyd while in police custody.

As the video of the Floyd’s neck being crushed by the knee of Minneapolis police officer Derek Shauvin continues to evoke anger across the world, people are again hitting the streets in several American cities in protest – some peaceful, while others have erupted in violence.

Following Derek Chauvin being charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter on Friday, his wife Kellie Chauvin filed for divorce, with her lawyer releasing a statement saying she was “devastated” over the killing of the 46-year-old security guard.

“Her utmost sympathy lies with (Floyd’s) family, with his loved ones and with everyone who is grieving this tragedy,” the statement began.

“While Ms Chauvin has no children from her current marriage, she respectfully requests that her children, her elder parents, and her extended family be given safety and privacy during this difficult time.”

Floyd’s brother, Philonise Floyd, has also expressed his fury over his brother’s unnecessary death to MSNBC, saying all officers involved should “be convicted of first-degree murder and given the death penalty”.

“They didn’t care about what they wanted to do with my brother. He wasn’t a person to them, he was scum, he was nothing,” he said. “I’m hurt, my family’s hurt, his kids are hurt — they will grow up without a father. Everybody is crying and in pain right now.”

He added that he had been contacted by President Donald Trump, but said he wasn’t even able to get a word in.

“I was trying to talk to him but he just kept pushing me off like ‘I don’t want to hear what you’re talking about’,” Philonise explained. “I just told him I want justice. I said I couldn’t believe they committed a modern-day lynching in broad daylight. I can’t stand for that.

“Why we got to have all this pain, man. I love my brother and I’m never going to see him again.”

Chaos in the streets

From Los Angeles to Miami to Chicago, protests against police brutality and racism heard deafening chants of “I can’t breathe”, echoing the dying words of George Floyd.

In response to increasing violence, over 25 cities across the US are under now under curfew, with the full National Guard activated in Minnesota for the first time since World War II. As protests continued despite the curfew, police deployed tear gas and rubber bullets – with many members of the press reportedly being shot at despite being clearly identified.

In New York City, police were recorded mowing down several protestors who had blocked their car with a removable barrier and elsewhere, police cars were vandalised and set alight.

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Meanwhile, all sorts of groups have come out in support of the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement, including witches, the Amish community, and even Gotham City’s own Batman, who was seen walking the streets of Philadelphia.

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Law enforcement aren’t the only ones clashing with protesters – one man in Utah found himself mobbed, beaten and his car set on fire after he showed up to a protest with a bow and arrow before pointing it at protestors, intending to shoot at them.

He also reportedly yelled “all lives matter” – a controversial phrase that seen as a criticism of the Black Lives Matter movement which aims to protest against police brutality and systemic racism.

After he was dragged from the mob by local police, the man spoke to Fox News, saying:

“I got beat up when I yelled, ‘All Lives Matter’, then I pulled out weapons, then I got beat up some more,” he said, seemingly unaware that brandishing a weapon at anti-police brutality protesters would end badly.

“Then the cops grabbed me and my car got towed … and my phone, everything, I lost everything coming down here trying to protect them with what weapons I had.”

Salt Lake City police have said that while the man isn’t currently in their custody, they do intend to charge him.

Over in California, three men in a Jeep flying a USA flag and a Trump flag on the rear of their car heckled protestors before purposely running their car into a woman who had been crossing the road to meet her friends.

“They came here to taunt us,” the woman wrote on Twitter.

“I came out here to protest for black lives peacefully. I did not engage in anything violent. I was walking and they HIT ME. So if I’m in the road does that mean they have the right to hit me?” she asked a user who deleted their tweet.

“Traffic was at a stop. I was trying to get back to my group of friends. No matter what I was doing they fucking hit me,” she added.

#TheShowMustBePaused: Music industry calls for a blackout 

In light of the events, several musicians, labels and producers have called for “a day to disconnect from work and reconnect with our community” on Tuesday, June 2nd for “an urgent step of action to provoke accountability and change” under the hashtag #TheShowMustBePaused.

Among the first to join the campaign were Columbia records, with CEO Ron Perry saying:

“We stand together with the Black community against all forms of racism, bigotry, and violence. Now, more than ever we must use our voices to speak up and challenge the injustices all around us.”

“As gatekeepers of the culture, it’s our responsibility to not only come together to celebrate the wins, but also hold each other up during loss,” the statement continued.

Others key figures across the music industry soon followed suit, including Sony Music, Warner, Amazon Music, Interscope, Atlantic Records and Senses Fail.

Big businesses speak out  

Companies have also begun to issue statements amid the nationwide protests, with Target CEO Brian Cornell penning an open letter in support of the protesters – despite the Minneapolis Target store being looted and later burned down.

“We are a community in pain. That pain is not unique to the Twin Cities—it extends across America. The murder of George Floyd has unleashed the pent-up pain of years, as have the killings of Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor,” the Cornell began.

“We say their names and hold a too-long list of others in our hearts. As a Target team, we’ve huddled, we’ve consoled, we’ve witnessed horrific scenes similar to what’s playing out now and wept that not enough is changing. And as a team we’ve vowed to face pain with purpose,” reads the letter.

They’ve also prepared truckloads of first aid equipment, medicine, bottled water, and other supplies as protests continue, as well as provide full pay and benefits for their employees at their now-destroyed Minneapolis location.

Hulu, Amazon’s Prime Video and Netflix have also jumped on board, with the latter telling followers, “To be silent is to be complicit. Black lives matter.”

They added, “We have a platform, and we have a duty to our Black members, employees, creators and talent to speak up.”

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