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George Floyd protests facts for kids

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The George Floyd protests were a series of large gatherings and demonstrations against how police treat people, especially focusing on police brutality (when police use too much force) and racism (unfair treatment based on race). They started in Minneapolis, USA, on May 26, 2020. These protests began after the death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man. He died after a white police officer, Derek Chauvin, knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes during an arrest the day before.

The protests quickly spread to many cities across the United States.

In Minneapolis, some protesters clashed with police officers, who used tear gas and rubber bullets. On May 27, a man died after being shot at a pawn shop. Windows were broken at a police building, and some stores were looted. Other buildings were attacked and set on fire. Sadly, at least thirteen people have died because of the protests.

On May 28, the Mayor of Minneapolis, Jacob Frey, declared a state of emergency. The Governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz, called in 500 Minnesota National Guard troops to help. More businesses in the Twin Cities (Minneapolis and Saint Paul) were damaged and looted.

Protesters eventually entered and set fire to the Third Precinct police building after it had been evacuated. Both Governor Walz and Mayor Frey set curfews (times when people had to stay home). U.S. President Donald Trump offered support from the U.S. military.

Many journalists were attacked while reporting on the protests in the Twin Cities and other places.

Quick facts for kids
George Floyd protests
2020 Minneapolis Unrest (49952677233).jpg
A protester stands on a police car with a smashed windowshield outside the Target in the Midway area of St Paul, Minnesota (49946336068).jpg
Protesters outside the Minneapolis 3rd Police Precinct May 28 2020.jpg
20200528- DSC8078 (49948047547).jpg
Minneapolis 05-28-20 (49947574981).jpg
Minnesota State Patrol stand at E Lake St and 29th Ave S in Minneapolis, Minnesota (49949772331).jpg
A man stands on a burned out car on Thursday morning as fires burn behind him in the Lake St area of Minneapolis, Minnesota (49945886467).jpg
Scenes from the protests in Minneapolis–Saint Paul
From top, left to right: Protesters in downtown Minneapolis, a protester on a damaged police vehicle, protesters outside the Minneapolis Police's 3rd Precinct, protesters burning the precinct, protesters with police, armored police with the military, and people on a burnt street with firefighters.
Date May 26, 2020 – present
(5 years, 1 month, 2 weeks and 3 days)
Location
Nationwide United States (protests started in Twin Cities, Minnesota)
Other cities worldwide in solidarity
Caused by
Methods Demonstrations (peaceful gatherings), civil disobedience (peaceful refusal to obey laws), civil resistance, looting (stealing from stores), assault (attacking people), arson (setting fires) and property damage
Status Ongoing
Parties to the civil conflict
Protesters
(no centralized authority)
Authorities:
Minnesota
Minnesota Legislature
Supported by:
United States
Federal Government
Lead figures
Protesters
(no centralised leadership)
Deaths, injuries and arrests
Death(s)
  • 13
Injuries Unknown
Arrested 3,000+

Protests Across the United States

Protests took place in all 50 U.S. states and in the capital, Washington, D.C.. Some protests were peaceful, while others involved violence and looting. The National Guard (a part of the U.S. armed forces) was called out in more than 25 states.

Many protests were peaceful, but some turned violent. In some places, police stayed calm, but in others, they used force, tear gas, and rubber bullets. In Washington, D.C., one man let over 50 protesters into his house to help them escape from the police. Two weeks into the protests, more than 9,300 people had been arrested across the United States. About 1,500 arrests were in New York City and 2,700 in Los Angeles.

Peaceful Protests

In Newark, New Jersey, about 12,000 people protested over one weekend. However, no stores were damaged, and no one was arrested. The Newark Community Street Team, a local group, worked to prevent violence. City leaders in Newark said that young black Americans among the protesters helped keep the protest peaceful. Camden, New Jersey and Flint, Michigan also had peaceful protests.

Protests at the White House

Protesters gathered outside the White House in Washington, D.C., where the president lives. Some called for President Trump to resign and threw bottles. The United States Secret Service took President Trump to a safe bunker inside the White House. On June 1, the Secret Service used tear gas on peaceful protesters outside the White House. This was done so President Donald Trump could walk to St. John Church and take a picture with a Bible.

On the weekend of June 6-7, protests in the United States grew even larger but were mostly peaceful. News reports said that protesters were more united in what they wanted: changes to how police operate. Tens of thousands of people protested in big cities like New York and Seattle. Protests also happened in smaller towns like Marion, Ohio and Vidor, Texas. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that New York City was ending its 8:00 p.m. curfew.

Protests Around the World

Protests also happened outside the United States, in cities like London, Toronto, Beijing, Berlin, Addis Ababa, and in countries like Australia and New Zealand.

Some international protesters wanted to support George Floyd. They also wanted to bring attention to unfair actions by police in their own countries.

  • In Toronto, protesters remembered the death of Regis Korchinski-Paquet, a black woman who died after falling from her balcony while police were in her apartment.
  • Londoners protested outside the Grenfell Tower, where many black and Arab people died in a fire.
  • Parisians (people from Paris) remembered Adama Traoré, who died after being arrested by French police.
  • Australians planned protests remembering David Dungay, an Australian Aboriginal man who died after being arrested. Dungay also said "I can't breathe" twelve times, similar to George Floyd.

Some protesters have asked their own leaders for new laws against racism.

Other Events During the Protests

Impostors and Fake Accounts

At least one white supremacist group, Identity Evropa, pretended to support the protesters on Twitter. They claimed to be part of antifa (a group that opposes fascism) and told protesters to loot white neighborhoods. They were caught, and Twitter removed their posts for breaking rules about violence, spam, and fake accounts.

Incidents Involving Police and Protesters

In Brooklyn, New York, a video showed a police officer pushing a 70-year-old man. The man fell and bled from his head. Both were white. The officer, Vincent D'Andraia, had also hurt other protesters. He was suspended from duty and charged with assault. D'Andraia was the first New York City police officer charged with a crime related to his actions during the George Floyd protests.

In Seattle, Washington, Nikolas Fernandez, 31, drove his car into a group of protesters and shot one man. He said he was afraid for his life because protesters tried to grab him through his car window. Firefighters took the man Fernandez shot to the hospital.

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Protestas por la muerte de George Floyd para niños

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