Summary

  • A service to commemorate George Floyd was held in Minneapolis, the city where he died at the hands of police

  • Reverend Al Sharpton told gathering: "It's time for us to stand up in George's name and say 'get your knee off our necks'"

  • Meanwhile, three ex-officers charged with abetting Floyd's death have appeared in court

  • Vandalised statue of Confederate General Robert E Lee to be removed from Virginia's state capital

  • Protests have been recorded in 140 US cities in past week

  • A suspect in a separate killing of a black man, Ahmaud Arbery, used a racial slur after shooting him, a court heard

  • George Floyd died after a policeman knelt on his neck for eight minutes

  1. That concludes our live coveragepublished at 22:58 British Summer Time 4 June 2020

    Rev Sharpton (centre) and members of Floyd's family during the memorialImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Rev Sharpton (centre) and members of Floyd's family during the memorial service

    Here are some of the key moments from today:

    • Amid continued protests nationwide, the first memorial service for George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota, saw a number of politicians and celebrities join family and friends to honour his life; there will be another in North Carolina before his funeral in Texas next week
    • Reverend Al Sharpton, who delivered a eulogy during the service, offered a powerful message, saying: "George Floyd's story has been the story of black folks, ever since 401 years ago, the reason we could never be who we wanted and dreamed of being is you kept your knee on our neck."
    • The three additional former officers involved with Floyd's death had their first appearance in court as the service began; Thomas Lane, J Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao were charged with aiding and abetting murder and now face up to 40 years in prison; the ex-officer who knelt on Floyd's neck, Derek Chauvin, will appear separately on 8 June
    • In Georgia, a court heard that one of the men accused of murdering unarmed black jogger Ahmaud Arbery in February allegedly used a racial slur while Arbery was on the ground; the Arbery case has also fuelled the national outrage over killings of African Americans
    • Attorney General Bill Barr told reporters today that dozens of federal officers were injured during DC protests and 51 people have been arrested by federal agencies for violence and rioting; he acknowledged most protests have been peaceful, but called out "extremist agitators" and "foreign actors" for exacerbating the violence
    • Virginia's Governor Ralph Northam has announced that a statue of Confederate General Robert E Lee will be removed from the state capital; such memorials have long been controversial as the Confederacy fought to keep slavery, sparking the Civil War
  2. Murmurs of dissentpublished at 22:50 British Summer Time 4 June 2020

    Anthony Zurcher
    BBC North America reporter

    Senator Lisa MurkowskiImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Senator Lisa Murkowski

    Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski was asked on Thursday to respond to former Defence Secretary James Mattis’s blistering criticism of his former boss, President Donald Trump, in an article published the previous day.

    “I felt like perhaps we are getting to a point where we can be more honest with the concerns that we might hold internally and have the courage of our own convictions to speak up," she said. “I thought General Mattis's words were true, and honest and necessary and overdue.”

    Murkowski has always been a bit of a wildcard. She won re-election to the Senate in 2010 after losing the Republican primary and running as a write-in candidate. She voted against Republican efforts to repeal Barack Obama’s healthcare reform in 2017. In 2018, she was the lone Republican opposed to Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh after a brutally partisan confirmation process.

    So it’s hard exactly to figure whether her recent expression of doubt about supporting Trump reflects a turning point for the Republican Party or just another jab from an iconoclast.

    Mattis’s critique of the president, however, was particularly stinging – and particularly noteworthy. A ex-general and former senior official in the Trump administration was accusing the president of being willfully divisive, suggesting he was abusing his power and making a “mockery of the Constitution”. It may give cover for other former officials, who have occasionally criticised the president without attribution, to come out of the shadows.

    Trump responded in predictable fashion (by attacking Mattis) and in a predictable forum (Twitter).

    The president’s penchant for counterpunching, however, may work against him here. Besides inducing Murkowski’s reflection, Trump’s social-media belittling of Mattis prompted another former top aide, ex-chief of staff John Kelly, to contradict the president’s account of Mattis’s departure from the administration and call the former general an “honourable man”.

    Early in his presidency, Trump had a penchant for surrounding himself with former military officers. Now that his threat of sending active duty military unites to secure US cities – even over the objections of local officials – has caused unease among the armed forces, those early staffing moves may come back to haunt him.

    If the military is closing ranks in opposition of the president, they could make life very hard for him in the days ahead.

  3. Facebook removes 'inauthentic' George Floyd groupspublished at 22:21 British Summer Time 4 June 2020

    Marianna Spring
    Disinformation and social media reporter

    Facebook has removed a number of Justice for George Floyd groups for exhibiting "inauthentic behaviour".

    BBC News had highlighted some suspicious groups that had been repurposed to call for justice for George Floyd, killed in police custody.

    Some, run by accounts seemingly based in Vietnam or Bangladesh, had posted misleading images.

    And others had previously focused on coronavirus, 5G conspiracies and support for US President Donald Trump.

    A Facebook spokesman said it had "removed the vast majority of them for violating our policies".

    Read more about it here.

  4. New York Times staff revolt over opinion piecepublished at 22:08 British Summer Time 4 June 2020

    The New York Times is on day two of a backlash from staff for running an opinion piece by Republican Senator Tom Cotton, which called for the military to be deployed in US cities to restore order.

    Several journalists tweeted a screenshot of the piece, with the caption "Running this puts Black @NYTimes staff in danger."

    Others added their own critique.

    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post
    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post 2

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post 2

    In a series of tweets, the newspaper's Opinion editor, James Bennet, defended his decision to publish the story.

    He said the paper had published a number of pieces in the past by writers who had defended the protests and "crusaded for years against the underlying, systemic cruelties that led to these protests.

    "Times Opinion owes it to our readers to show them counter-arguments, particularly those made by people in a position to set policy," he added.

  5. What we know about 'extremist agitators'published at 21:49 British Summer Time 4 June 2020

    By Mike Wendling, BBC Trending

    US Attorney General William Barr has pinned the violence on "extremist groups" and "agitators" –what’s the evidence?

    Activists affiliated with the loose left-wing movement known as antifa have been involved in the protests – most have supported the Black Lives Matter movement since its emergence in 2013.

    Antifa have a variety of political persuasions – from liberal to anarchist to communist – but what really sets them apart is their willingness to destroy property and use force.

    We’ve seen photos and videos of antifa “black bloc” activists – named after the colour of their head-to-toe clothing - committing acts of vandalism.

    There’s also evidence that right-wing extremists are getting involved, in a potentially more dangerous way. Three men were arrested on terror charges in Nevada on Wednesday. They reportedly had ties to the “boogaloo boys” - a collection of internet-savvy types who want to see a civil war.

    The protests are huge, the outrage tremendous and earlier this week the violence was fairly widespread. It’s possible that relatively small groups may be fanning the flames – much less likely that any have been a driving force.

  6. Amid protests, Confederate monument to come downpublished at 21:30 British Summer Time 4 June 2020

    Monument to Robert E Lee in VirginiaImage source, Getty Images

    As the protests against racism and police brutality continue across the US, in Virginia state governor Ralph Northam has announced that a prominent Confederate Civil War monument will come down.

    The Confederacy was the group of southern states that supported slavery and seceded from the US, sparking the Civil War. The 18-meter tall monument to Confederate General Robert E Lee has stood in Richmond since 1890.

    Our North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher says: "In recent years, such Confederate statues have become the focus of protests from those who say they celebrate a tradition of slavery and racism."

    "In 2017, a right-wing pro-monument demonstration in Charlottesville, Virginia, turned violent, prompting then-candidate Northam to push for removal of Confederate statues across his state. The Democrat’s call prompted opposition from some who view the statues as part of the South’s historical heritage.

    "With the nation’s attention focused on racial injustice following George Floyd’s death, however, demands for the removal of monuments are being made with new urgency."

    The announcement of the removal comes on the heels of similar action in Alabama and Alexandria, Virginia. Also on Thursday, the mayor of Indianapolis announced that the city would remove a statue dedicated to Confederate soldiers who died in a camp there.

  7. The federal men of mysterypublished at 21:29 British Summer Time 4 June 2020

    Tara McKelvey
    BBC News, Washington

    Law enforcement members hold a position as peaceful protests continueImage source, Getty Images

    White House critics have compared Trump’s aggressive tactics during the protests to those of Vladimir Putin in Russia, and the presence of unmarked tactical units in Washington have added fuel to the fire.

    Standing outside of downtown buildings, members of the units carry weapons but have no markings on their uniforms.

    The officers have been reluctant to explain whom they work for – aside from saying they are under the purview of the justice department, a federal agency led by Attorney General William Barr.

    Their caginess has set off speculation. People joked on Twitter they were “Barr's Little Green Men”, a reference to unmarked soldiers in Crimea in 2014 who turned out to be Russian armed forces.

    In fact, many of them were part of an emergency response force, they explained to a reporter for Defense One, which covers national security.

    In addition, agents from other justice department divisions, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, have been deployed, as officials explained in a Thursday briefing.

    Whatever their names or titles, they have certainly contributed to a sense of foreboding in the city.

  8. Memorial service concludespublished at 21:08 British Summer Time 4 June 2020

    Following the reverend's eulogy, the crowd stands and claps along to another round of gospel music.

    After the lively chorus winds down, Reverend Sharpton calls for a moment of silence - for eight minutes and 46 seconds, the same amount of time George Floyd was on the ground with an officer's knee on his neck.

    "As you go through these long eight minutes, think about what George was going through laying there for those eight minutes, begging for his life," Rev Sharpton says.

    "We can't let this go. We can't keep living like this."

    Many members of the audience close their eyes, reach out to comfort each other, and bend their heads in prayer.

    "That's a long time," Rev Sharpton says after as attendees wipe away tears.

    "There's no excuse. They had enough time. Now what do we do with the time we have?"

    With a final benediction, the memorial service has now concluded.

  9. He was 'like a father figure'published at 20:52 British Summer Time 4 June 2020

    Memorial serviceImage source, Reuters

    George Floyd's youngest brother, Rodney, says he was "like a father figure" who taught his brothers how to be men.

    "He was teaching us how to be a man and he gave us a lot of great lessons," Rodney says.

    "He'd stand up for his family and friends and I wanted you to know that he'd stand up for any injustice for anyone."

    Rodney pauses and asks with emotion: "Can y'all please say his name?"

    The crowd responds: "George Floyd."

  10. 'Get your knee off our necks'published at 20:34 British Summer Time 4 June 2020

    Reverend Al Sharpton is speaking now.

    He reflects on the events leading to the memorial service today, noting that he gave the eulogy at Eric Garner's funeral, who died in a police chokehold in New York.

    He said he went to the place where George Floyd died when he arrived in Minneapolis.

    "When I stood at that spot, the reason it got to me because George Floyd's story has been the story of black folks. Ever since 401 years ago, the reason we could never be who we wanted and dreamed of being is you kept your knee on our neck," he says as the crowd applauds.

    "It's time for us to stand up in George's name and say get your knee off our necks."

    "The reason why we're marching all over the world is we were like George. We couldn't breathe - not because there was something wrong with our lungs, but because you wouldn't take your knee off our neck.

    "We don't want no favours. Just get up off of us, and we can do and be whatever we can be."

    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post
  11. 'The best opportunity I have seen in a long time'published at 20:30 British Summer Time 4 June 2020

    The audience stands and applauds as lawyer Benjamin Crump names a number of black Americans who have died in similar circumstances of police violence, including Eric Garner, Stephon Clark, Philando Castile, Breonna Taylor, and Michael Brown.

    He says the goal is to have "America be America for all Americans".

    "What we endeavor to achieve is equal justice for the United States of America and George Floyd is the moment that gives us the best opportunity I have seen in a long time of reaching that high ideal that this country was founded on."

    The Reverend Sharpton has taken the stage to address the mourners, delivering a fiery eulogy addressing racial pain, but also optimism for change, throughout the world.

  12. YouTuber Jake Paul charged over Arizona unrestpublished at 20:18 British Summer Time 4 June 2020

    Jake PaulImage source, Getty Images

    YouTuber Jake Paul has been charged with criminal trespass and unlawful assembly during unrest at a mall in Arizona.

    The 23 year old has denied any involvement in looting or vandalism at the mall in Scottsdale on Sunday.

    Local police said they had received hundreds of tips about his presence.

    At least 20 people have been arrested in the incident, part of widespread unrest across US cities in the wake of the death of George Floyd.

    Read more here.

  13. Family lawyer calls on people to protestpublished at 20:11 British Summer Time 4 June 2020

    Family lawyer Benjamin Crump is speaking again.

    "The plea for justice is simply this," he says.

    "Dr Martin Luther King said: he who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps the person perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really like co-operating with it."

    He calls on America to not co-operate with evil.

    "Protest against evil. Join the young people in the streets protesting against the evil, the inhumane, the torture that they witnessed on that video."

  14. Three police officers make first court appearance over Floyd deathpublished at 20:02 British Summer Time 4 June 2020

    Tou Thao, J Alexander Kueng and Thomas LaneImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Tou Thao, J Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane

    As George Floyd's memorial service continues, three Minneapolis police officers have appeared in court over his death.

    Thomas Lane, J Alexander Kueng, and Tou Thao have been charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder, and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.

    If convicted, they face up to 40 years in prison. Their bail has been set at $1m (£792,000).

    Derek Chauvin, the officer who knelt on Floyd's neck, has been charged with second-degree murder and is due to appear separately in court on 8 June.

  15. 'He was powerful'published at 20:00 British Summer Time 4 June 2020

    Philonise Floyd describes his brother as someone everyone wanted to be around.

    "George, he was like a general. Every day he walks outside there'd be a line of people - just like when we came in - who wanted to greet him and have fun with him."

    He says people "felt like they were the president [when talking to George] because that's how he made you feel".

    "He was a powerful man," Philonise says. "He had a way with words."

    He concludes by saying: "Everybody wants justice, we want justice for George. He's going to get it. He's going to get it."

  16. Floyd's brother speakingpublished at 19:56 British Summer Time 4 June 2020

    Philonise Floyd, George's brother, is speaking now, sharing memories of their childhood, like playing together.

    "My brother, we did a lot of things together," he says.

    "Talking with my mom, dancing with my mom, cooking with my mom, brothers and sisters. We made banana mayonnaise sandwiches together, you know, it was a family thing."

  17. Family lawyer speakspublished at 19:53 British Summer Time 4 June 2020

    George Floyd"s girlfriend, pays respect during a memorial serviceImage source, Reuters

    Benjamin Crump, the attorney for George Floyd's family, has just spoken.

    He thanked the other lawyers working on the team to fight for justice.

    "It's going to take a united effort fighting in the courtroom and outside the courtroom to get justice for George Floyd."

    "It was not the coronavirus pandemic that killed George Floyd," he adds.

    "It was the pandemic of racism and discrimination that killed George Floyd."

  18. University president announces scholarship fundpublished at 19:41 British Summer Time 4 June 2020

    North Central University President Scott Hagan calls it an "undeserved honour" to have the memorial service on the school's campus.

    "Before I offer that brief prayer, I just want to announce that as president of this school, the institution of the George Floyd memorial scholarship," he says.

    "Even before announcing this scholarship yesterday, unsolicited, over $53,000 was handed to me to contribute toward the educational promise of aspiring young black American leaders."

    Hagan then challenges all university presidents in the US to establish similar George Floyd memorial scholarship funds. The audience stands and applauds.

  19. Service beginspublished at 19:37 British Summer Time 4 June 2020

    The service has begun with a reading of scripture by Reverend Jerry McAffey of the New Salem Missionary Baptist Church.

  20. George Floyd's family and friends arrivepublished at 19:34 British Summer Time 4 June 2020

    George Floyd's family members and friends are now arriving and taking their seats for the memorial service.

    The service is also being attended by a number of lawmakers, actors and musicians.

    Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Congresswoman Ilhan Omar are some of the politicians in attendance.

    Ludacris, TI, Tiffany Haddish and Kevin Hart are among the celebrities present.

    Attendees have also been reminded to socially distance themselves to prevent the spread of Covid-19.