As it happened: Conviction 'will be hard' in Floyd case

1. Minnesota's attorney general told reporters securing a conviction "will not be an easy thing"
2. Keith Ellison warned the investigation "could take months" to complete
3. Former Democratic President Barack Obama told protesters "your lives matter"
4. US defence secretary opposed sending troops to quell unrest over the death of George Floyd
5. President Donald Trump said the army will "quickly solve the problem"
6. Protests over Floyd's death in Minneapolis have been recorded in 140 US cities
7. George Floyd died as a policeman knelt on his neck for eight minutes
8. The mother of Floyd's young daughter pleads for justice

US recap

That's it from us for now. We'll be monitoring protests as curfew hour draws nigh across the US. Here's the main points from today:

• Three additional fired Minneapolis police officers who were involved in the arrest of George Floyd have been criminally charged with aiding and abetting his murder, the Minnesota attorney general announced
• Ex-officer Derek Chauvin, who has already been booked into jail and is awaiting trial, has also seen the charges against him upgraded to second-degree murder
• Many US cities and states are approaching their nightly curfew, which officials say help law enforcement separate looters and criminals from peaceful protesters
• Peaceful protests are continuing throughout the country, as officials say the number of arrests last night largely declined

• US Defense Secretary Mark Esper said he disagrees with President Donald Trump's suggestion that he could invoke an early 19th Century law to send the military into states and cities
• But after a meeting at the White House, Esper abruptly reversed plans to withdraw some of the active-duty army soldiers who have been deployed to Washington DC
• Meanwhile, Trump's ex-defence chief, retired-general Jim Mattis, has penned an op-ed calling his old boss a threat to democracy who makes no effort to unify the country

Today's live page was brought to you by Matthew Davis, Victoria Bisset, George Wright, Max Matza, Sean Fanning, Helier Cheung, Vicky Baker, Joshua Cheetham, Ritu Prasad and Boer Deng.

Jimmy Carter warns 'silence is deadly'

"Silence can be as deadly as violence," former Democratic President Jimmy Carter has warned in a statement on the George Floyd protests.

The comments from Carter, the oldest living US president, follow those made by former Presidents Bill Clinton, George W Bush and Barack Obama.

Carter continued: "People of power, privilege, and moral conscience must stand up and say 'no more' to a racially discriminatory police and justice system, immoral economic disparities between whites and blacks, and government actions that undermine our unified democracy."

"Dehumanising people debases us all; humanity is beautifully and almost infinitely diverse," he adds. "The bonds of our common humanity must overcome the divisiveness of our fears and prejudices."

"We are responsible for creating a world of peace and equality for ourselves and future generations," he continued. "We need a government as good as its people, and we are better than this."

'I can't breathe' chanted near White House as sun sets

For another day, protesters are out on the streets near the White House.

In 90F (32C) heat, they lay down in the streets and chanted: "I can't breathe."

The Washington DC mayor has pushed back the curfew time tonight to 23:00 local time, from 19:00 the past two nights.

White House compares Trump to Churchill

The White House press secretary has likened President Donald Trump's "resilience and determination" during the #GeorgeFloyd protests to Winston Churchill inspecting bomb damage during World War Two.

White House likens Trump to Churchill in WW2

Far-right activists charged with inciting violence

Three alleged far-right activists in Las Vegas have been charged with trying to exploit peaceful protests and incite violence, according to prosecutors.

According to the local prosecutor's office, the three men are alleged members of the “Boogaloo” movement, which prosecutors describe as "a term used by extremists to signify a coming civil war and/or collapse of society".

“Violent instigators have hijacked peaceful protests and demonstrations across the country, including Nevada, exploiting the real and legitimate outrage over Mr Floyd’s death for their own radical agendas,” US Attorney Nicholas Trutanich said in a statement.

“Law enforcement is focused on keeping violence and destruction from interfering with free public expression and threatening lives.”

The three men were apprehended late last month after attempting to use a molotov cocktail, officials say.

Trump: 'Healing not hatred'

As though in a direct rebuttal to Mattis, President Trump has released a video addressing the nationwide protests, with a final shot of the word “Unite” superimposed over the stars of the US flag.

The advert features the president’s voice over a contemplative piano soundtrack and footage of the demonstrations. Trump says he understands the pain people are feeling over the “grave tragedy” of George Floyd’s death.

He then argues Floyd’s memory is being dishonoured by violence that he claims without evidence is being instigated by antifa, a loose affiliation of mainly far-left protesters.

“No one is more upset than fellow law enforcement officers," he says, "by the small handful who fail to abide by their oath to serve and protect.” Images of police standing in solidarity with demonstrators play.

“Healing not hatred, justice not chaos, are the mission at hand,” Trump adds.

“We are working towards a more just society, but that means building up, not tearing down, joining hands, not hurling fists.”

Former Miss Universe Malaysia under fire for protest comments

Instagram

A former winner of Miss Universe Malaysia is facing calls for her title to be stripped after comments she made about protests in the US.

Samantha Katie James, who won the pageant in 2017, wrote a series of Instagram posts on Monday criticising the demonstrations and telling black people to "relax".

"You chose to be born as a 'coloured' person in America for a reason. To learn a certain lesson," she wrote. "Accept it as it is."

The Brazilian-Chinese model added that "it seems like the 'whites' won. Because if you're angry, you respond in rage and anguish. That means it has power over you. THEY HAVE POWER OVER YOU."

Her comments have drawn ire on social media, and more 120,000 people have signed an online petition calling for her title to be removed.

The Miss Universe Malaysia Organisation has distanced itself from the remarks, calling them "inappropriate, offensive, unacceptable and hurtful."

The beauty queen has since issued an apology on her Instagram, and said she has "first hand experience" of racism herself.

"I was insulted all my life for being white girl in local Malaysian school," she added.

Trump's ex-defence chief Jim Mattis denounces him

Former Secretary of Defence Jim Mattis, who resigned in 2018 in opposition to Trump's decision to withdraw US troops from Syria, has denounced the president's actions and blamed him for the current state of division in America.

In an extraordinary critique, printed by the Atlantic magazine, Mattis writes that "Donald Trump is the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people - does not even pretend to try.

"Instead, he tries to divide us."

Mattis continues: "When I joined the military, some 50 years ago, I swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution. Never did I dream that troops taking that same oath would be ordered under any circumstance to violate the Constitutional rights of their fellow citizens—much less to provide a bizarre photo op for the elected commander-in-chief, with military leadership standing alongside."

The general urges the public to unite through "the strengths inherent in our civil society".

"This will not be easy, as the past few days have shown, but we owe it to our fellow citizens; to past generations that bled to defend our promise; and to our children.”

Russia denies involvement in protests

Getty Images

Anatoly Antonov

Russia's ambassador to the US has denied accusations that his country is helping to stir up unrest.

On Sunday, White House national security adviser Robert O'Brien told ABC News that Russia could be using social media campaigns to stoke anger and confusion. Speaking with CNN, former national security advisor Susan Rice also said she "would not be surprised" if "foreign actors" like Russia were helping to encourage violence.

But in a sharp rebuttal, Russian ambassador Anatoly Antonov told state news channel Rossiya-1 that the claims were "utterly wrong.

"It goes without saying that what is happening in the United States is fresh evidence of human rights violations and double standards," said Mr Antonov, according to state-run TASS news agency.

"I will say unequivocally that nobody is rejoicing. Everybody is watching with great regret what is happening," he added. "We are very much worried over the situation in the host country. We wish to see its recovery."

Esper abruptly orders troops to stay in DC after Trump rift

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A protester faces off with military police near the White House on Wednesday

US Defence Secretary Mark Esper has abruptly reversed a plan for soldiers of the Army's 82nd Airborne division to leave Washington DC on Wednesday.

The volte-face comes hours after Esper said he disagreed with Trump's threat to send active-duty soldiers into American states and cities.

Active-duty troops should be deployed “only in the most urgent and dire of situations,” he said earlier. “We are not in one of those situations now.”

Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy told AP News that 200 of the 1,600 soldiers in the Washington DC region had been due to depart earlier on Wednesday.

But, he said, Esper intervened to order them to remain.

The White House today had refused to express confidence in Esper, with the president's spokeswoman telling reporters: "As of right now Secretary Esper is still Secretary Esper, and should the president lose faith we will all learn about that in the future."

Getty Images

Troops staged on the National Mall in Washington DC

Virginia governor 'to announce removal of Robert E. Lee statue'

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Virginia governor Ralph Northam will announce tomorrow that a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee will be removed from the state capital, Associated Press reports.

A senior official told the news agency that the controversial statue will be removed from Richmond's Monument Avenue and put into storage until a new location is agreed upon.

The monument has been vandalised during recent protests, and is the largest of five Confederate statues along the avenue.

The expected announcement comes after authorities in Alexandria removed the so-called Appomattox statue honouring Confederate soldiers from the Virginian city.

Memorials to the Confederacy, which fought for the legal right to keep black people as slaves, have long stirred controversy in the US.

They have been criticised by black advocates as everyday symbols of white supremacy, but opponents of their removal say it is tantamount to erasing history.

The Robert E Lee statue in Richmond - once the seat of the Confederate South - is one of the most well-known public landmarks in the Virginian capital.

Obama: Optimism to overcome America's 'original sin'

Getty Images

In his first on-camera remarks regarding the unrest of the past week, Democratic President Barack Obama praised protesters for making the "kinds of epic changes and events in our country that are as profound as everything that I’ve seen in my lifetime".

The first black US president said that he saw reason for optimism despite the pain reflected in recent days and urged young people, especially, to vote for changes.

"Although all of us have been feeling pain uncertainty and disruption, some folks have been feeling it more than others," he said.

Obama adds that the recent protests are the direct "result of a long history of slavery and Jim Crow [laws] and red lining and institutionalised racism that have too often been the plague, the original sin, of our society".

He also called on US mayors and local officials to review police tactics.

While in office, the former president also faced protests spurred by police brutality against Americans of colour, and was himself criticised for characterising demonstrators as "criminals and thugs".

Obama hosts virtual town hall

Former US president Barack Obama is hosting a video conference town hall, marking his first on-camera comments since anti-police brutality protests swept the US and world.

He is expected to call for "real change" according to aides, and express his hope "that we can turn protest into policy”.

He is starting to speak now. The call is being hosted on the Obama Foundation website.

Large protest planned for Melbourne this weekend

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Thousands are expected to attend a protest in Melbourne on Saturday in response to the death of George Floyd, while also highlighting Aboriginal deaths in Australian police custody.

Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews said people will not be fined for attending the protest, but police warned the demonstration could potentially spread Covid-19.

"What we've seen happen in the United States is a tragedy and it speaks to many of the differences between our society and the society in the United States," Andrews said.

He added it was "simply not feasible" to impose fines or arrest demonstrators for breaching restrictions in place due to the pandemic.

However, assistant commissioner Luke Cornelius said he would prefer the event be postponed until restrictions on large gathering are eased further.

'Russian Lives Matter' hashtag goes viral on Russian web

BBC Monitoring

The world through its media

Against the backdrop of the current US unrest, Russian activists have launched an online answer to the Black Lives Matter movement in response to a law enforcement shooting in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg.

The hashtag RussianLivesMatter - in English - has gone viral in the last few days; it appears to have been started by Mikhail Svetov, of the Russian Libertarian Party, in a tweet about the 31 May shooting of a man suspected of stealing four rolls of wallpaper.

The contents highlight cases of police brutality in Russia. A number of tweets have recalled the violent suppression of last summer’s protests held in support of free and fair elections in Moscow.

Svetov has also tweeted calls for people to attend pickets at police headquarters in Moscow to protest abuses.

However, he is a controversial character with links to the far-right. In March, Svetov posted a 70-minute interview with British far-right activist Tommy Robinson on his YouTube channel.

New charges bring hope to Michael Brown's father

Jessica Lussenhop

Senior staff writer, BBC News in Minneapolis

Moments before it was announced that additional charges have been filed against former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin and three other former officers, the father of Michael Brown - the teenager killed by police in Ferguson, Missouri in 2014 - arrived at the site of George Floyd’s death.

Michael Brown Sr has always asked that the officer in his son’s case, former officer Darren Wilson, be fired, arrested and charged. None of that has yet come to pass.

But standing in front of a mural to Floyd, he said the announcement of new charges gave him hope.

“We have a chance in St Louis. we have a chance to reopen our case,” he said. “There’s no statute of limitations on murder.”

BBC

Michael Brown Sr visits the site of George Floyd's death

Clashes at Black Lives Matter protest in London

George Floyd's death in custody has sparked protests around the US - and also in countries around the world.

On Wednesday, thousands protested in London, marching towards Parliament.

It comes as UK chief constables said they stand alongside all those "appalled and horrified" by his death.

A number of videos shared on social media showed protesters and police clashing outside Downing Street.

Footage showed objects, including signs and a traffic cone, being thrown at police, while one protester was wrestled to the ground and restrained by officers.

Read more on the London protest here, and about deaths in UK police custody here.

PA Media

AG Ellison: US has under-prosecuted police killings in the past

Attorney General Ellison ends the press conference by promising to "hold everyone accountable for behaviour we can prove in court".

"As the people who are legal professionals, professional prosecutors – we are taking our duty seriously, and we are working with the people who gather the facts, and we have done the work that we begin is possible, ethical and right."

When asked about the lack of trust between the public and the authorities, he says: "Our country has under-prosecuted these matters, in Minnesota and throughout the country."

This, he says, is "the origin of the trust problem" - as "people who have public guardians" have not been held accountable in similar situations in the past.

"We can’t control the past – all we can do is take the case we have in front of us right now, and do our best to bring justice to the situation."

AG Ellison on acquittal fears: 'These charges are based on facts'

Ellison is asked about whether he is concerned the officers will be acquitted - with the reporter noting that no one has successfully prosecuted a second-degree murder charge for a policeman before - prompting more unrest, as happened during the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles.

The 1992 riots broke out after white police officers were acquitted of police brutality for the beating of King, a black motorist.

Ellison answers that the charges filed are based on the facts.

"We believe we have the ability to charge the charges that fit the facts in this case and we have done so," he says.

"So our concern is to put all the energy we can into putting forth the strongest case that we can, without fear or favor of anyone or anything. These charges are based on the facts that we have found and we’re gonna pursue them."

Three police officers to be taken into custody

Drew Evans, the superintendant in Minnesota's Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, says authorities are in the process of taking the three police officers, who have just been charged, into custody.

"One is in custody, the other two we are in the process of taking into custody and expect them to this afternoon," he says.

Meanwhile, Attorney General Ellison tells reporters that public pressure did not influence his decision, saying he "made the decision based on the law”.