Black Lives Matter

The city of Detroit has filed a lawsuit against the Black Lives Matter movement. The lawsuit alleges that demonstrators were part of "civil conspiracy to disturb the peace, engage in disorderly conduct, incite riots, destroy public property," and resist police orders, among other "illegal acts."

US Attorney General William Barr reportedly asked prosecutors of the justice department if Seattle mayor Jenny Durkan (D) could be charged for allowing BLM protests to continue in an autonomous police-free zone without police oversight, the New York Times reports, citing two sources familiar with the conversation.

Barr also wanted prosecutors to consider charging protestors with sedition, a charge usually used for people who conspire against the state.

President Donald Trump decried Black Lives Matter as a "Marxist organisation" that is "so discriminatory" and "bad for Black people."

"Black Lives Matter is a Marxist organisation. The first time I ever heard of Black Lives Matter, I said, 'That’s a terrible name.' It’s so discriminatory. It’s bad for Black people. It’s bad for everybody," so Trump.

During Tuesday's second night of the Republican National Convention, Melania Trump directly referenced the Covid-19 pandemic, offering her "deepest sympathy goes out to everyone who has lost a loved one and my prayers are with those who are ill or suffering," while other speakers mentioned it only as a vanquished threat. The first lady further claimed that "Donald will not rest until he has done all he can to take care of everyone impacted by this terrible pandemic."

Addressing the BLM protests, Mrs. Trump called to "stop the violence and looting being done in the name of justice" and urged people to "never judge anyone based on the color of their skin."

According to a press release by Amnesty International, US law enforcement committed at least 125 incidents of police violence against "protestors, medics, journalists and legal observers in 40 states and D.C." during the Black Lives Matter protests in May and June.

The NGO further stated that US law enforcement "repeatedly used physical force, chemical irritants such as tear gas and pepper spray, and kinetic impact projectiles as a first resort tactic against peaceful protestors rather than as a response to any sort of actual threat or violence." Amnesty recorded 89 cases of use of tear gas, six incidents of the use of batons, 13 instances of the use of rubber bullets and 31 cases of unlawful pepper spray.

Far-right protestors, mostly middle-aged white men, attacked the police with bottles and occasionally scuffled violently with officers as they staged a counter-protest to anti-racism Black Lives Matter (BLM) demonstrations in central London.

British Home Secretary Priti Patel described the violence as "thoroughly unacceptable thuggery" with London Mayor Sadiq Khan urging residents to stay away from protests this weekend amid a "high" risk of violence in the city.

Thousands of people have taken part in Black Lives Matter protests across Australia. Health officials and leaders in Australia have warned that mass gatherings in support of racial equality risk inadvertently re-sparking the virus. A protester who attended a Black Lives Matter rally in Melbourne last weekend tested positive for the coronavirus, according to state authorities.

A separate series of protests were held in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne against the treatment of refugees being held in detention centres. The Sydney event -- organized by the Refugee Action Coalition -- took place despite a court ban.

Many US companies have pulled advertising from Fox News' Tucker Carlson Tonight after Carlson's comment on the recent Black Lives Matter protests following the death of George Floyd. In his show on June 6, Carlson told viewers: "It is definitely not about black lives, and remember that when they come for you, and at this rate, they will."

The list of companies that are distancing themselves from Carlson, include Disney, Papa John's Pizza and T-Mobile. Asked whether T-Mobile would support Carlon's message on Twitter, T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert replied: "It definitely is not. Bye-bye Tucker Carlson! #BlackLivesMatter"

Canadian pilot Dimitri Neonakis took a different approach to show his support for the BLM movement: he designed a flight path that 'drew' the outline of the raised BLM fist. In a post to Facebook, the pilot shared a screenshot of his path alongside a photograph of George Floyd and adding "For George". FlightAware also shared the route timelapse on Twitter.

The Black Lives Matter mural in D.C. was spotted by Planet, a SF-based observation satellite company. Planet posted an image to Twitter, showing a satellite view of downtown D.C. with the Black Lives Matter mural painted on the newly renamed Black Lives Matter Plaza clearly visible. The company has also voiced support for the BLM movement earlier this month.

South Korean K-Pop band BTS together with the band's management company Big Hit Entertainment has donated one million dollar to Black Lives Matter. Neither the band nor Big Hit Entertainment didn't announce the donation but confirmed it after Kailee Scales, managing director of Black Lives Matter, told Variety that they were "moved by the generosity of BTS and allies all over the world who stand in solidarity in the fight for Black lives".

BTS shared a message on Twitter earlier this week, stating "We stand against racial discrimination. We condemn violence. You, I and we all have the right to be respected. We will stand together. #BlackLivesMatter".

Black Lives Matter protesters in Bristol, England, pulled down the statue of Edward Colston and then rolled it into the city's harbour.

Colson, a slave trader that was on the board of the Royal African Company in the 17th century and his statue was erected in the centre of Bristol in 1895.