June 20 Black Lives Matter protest news

President Donald Trump returned to the campaign trail in Tulsa on Saturday, as protests over racism and police brutality swept the country.

Trump held his first rally since the coronavirus pandemic began on a tense Juneteenth weekend in the Oklahoma city, where the 1921 Tulsa race massacre left up to 300 Black residents dead and the Black Greenwood District in ruins.

Thousands of people, many wearing MAGA hats and waving American flags, arrived at Tulsa’s Bank of Oklahoma Center arena, while a group of protesters chanted “Black lives matter” near one of the site’s entrances.

After the number of people at Saturday’s rally was smaller than initially expected, Trump thanked those who attended the event.

“You are warriors. We had some very bad people outside. They were doing bad things. But I really do appreciate it,” Trump said.

Later, the President said there were “very bad people” outside, describing protesters as “thugs.”

There were large groups of protesters in downtown Tulsa near the site of the rally, police said, but they were demonstrating peacefully.

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National Guards form a line in front of "Black Lives Matter" protestors while Trump supporters scream from accross the line in Tulsa, Oklahoma where Donald Trump holds a campaign rally at the BOK Center on June 20, 2020.

Related article Nationwide protests coincide with Trump rally in Tulsa

National Guards form a line in front of "Black Lives Matter" protestors in Tulsa, Oklahoma where Donald Trump holds a campaign rally at the BOK Center on June 20.

There are large groups of demonstrators walking around downtown Tulsa near where President Donald Trump is holding his rally tonight, according to a tweet by the Tulsa Police Department.

“These groups are causing traffic issues, however, they have been demonstrating peacefully,” Tulsa police tweeted.

Police are asking people to avoid the downtown Tulsa, if possible.

Protesters burn a flag outside the CNN Center on May 29, in Atlanta, Georgia.

President Donald Trump suggested passing legislation to make flag-burning illegal during his remarks at his rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, lamenting demonstrations he’s seen across the country.

“Tonight, we know leftist radicals in Portland, Oregon, ripped down a statue of George Washington, and wrapped it in an American flag, and set the American flag on fire. Democrats! All Democrats!” Trump told supporters gathered in the half-filled arena.

Trump told governors on a call earlier this month he thought the Supreme Court Decision that protected flag burning as free speech should be revisited, calling the act a “disgrace.”

“We have a different court and I think that it’s time that we review that again. Because when I see flags being burned – they wanted to crawl up flag poles in Washington and try and burn flags but we stopped them,” the President told governors, according to audio of the call obtained by CNN.

The pedestal where the statue of Confederate general Albert Pike remains empty after it was toppled by protesters at Judiciary square in Washington, DC on June 20.

During his remarks at tonight’s Tulsa rally, President Trump slammed movements across the country looking to remove or replace monuments honoring Confederate generals, telling supporters:

Trump went on to add: “This cruel campaign of censorship and exclusion violates everything we hold dear as Americans. They want to demolish our heritage so they can impose a new oppressive regime it its place.”

On Wednesday, an official pushed back against reports the Trump administration was considering renaming bases named for Confederate generals, telling CNN’s Jason Hoffman: “This is incorrect. The President reiterated today that we won’t be erasing our history and isn’t considering changing the names of bases.”

Some context: The death of George Floyd is leading to the removal — by protesters, in some cases, and city leaders, in others — of contentious statues that have riled some residents for decades, if not longer.

Controversial monuments, especially Confederate monuments, have been the subject of nationwide debate, particularly since Dylann Roof killed nine African Americans in a Charleston, South Carolina, church in 2015 in an effort to “start a race war.”

And it flared up again after white nationalists marched in 2017 to protest the removal of a Robert E. Lee statue in Charlottesville, Virginia, where a counter protester was killed amid violent clashes between demonstrators.

Some say they mark history and honor heritage. Others argue they are racist symbols of America’s dark legacy of slavery. While some cities have already made efforts to remove them, others have passed laws to protect them.

Another person has been shot at the intersection near the Wendy’s restaurant where Rayshard Brooks was fatally shot by an Atlanta police officer.

Atlanta Police spokesman Anthony Grant told CNN the incident happened around 6 p.m. when officers found a 35-year-old man shot in the leg at the intersection of University Avenue and Pryor Road NW.

The man, alert and conscious, was taken to a hospital for treatment. Preliminary investigation shows the man was shot by a suspect driving a gray Dodge Challenger, police said.

Atlanta police tell CNN they are investigating the shooting as a drive-by.

Interim Atlanta Police Chief Rodney Bryant speaks to the Associated Press on Thursday, June 18.

“If you call 911, an officer will respond,” interim Atlanta Police Chief Rodney Bryant said during a press conference Saturday afternoon.

He said he was addressing both “officers who serve the Atlanta Police Department and the community that we serve.”

Bryant’s comments come after three days of reports saying Atlanta police officers weren’t showing up for their shifts in the wake of two officers being charged in the fatal shooting of Rayshard Brooks.

Bryant added that “over the past few days we stretched our resources to address demonstrators, simultaneously responding to 911 calls. This volume of activity can be taxing on any department. We have the largest police department in the state and have the resources to ensure safety.”

R&B Singer Trey Songz is hosting a three-day fundraiser in his hometown of Petersburg, Virginia, which is south of Richmond, according to CNN affiliate WRIC-TV.

Songz hosted a candlelight vigil Friday in Richmond. On Saturday, he held the “Feed the City Challenge,” a food drive in Petersburg to help feed those affected by Covid-19. Saturday’s event also provided groceries and essential PPE to community members via a non-contact drive-thru, according to a city of Petersburg news release.

Sunday he’ll be hosting a Father’s Day Black Lives Matter Bike Ride in Richmond.

Rapper Pusha T, who is from Virginia Beach, attended Saturday’s event in Petersburg.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz voiced frustration after a police reform bill failed to pass the state Legislature Saturday.

“I don’t know how in this regard for me to stay kind of above that as a statesman in this other than finding myself as a really angry citizen,” Walz said. “That is just irresponsible and malpractice of what should have happened here.” 

Walz said he’ll own his share of the blame for why the bill wasn’t passed, but he is still there to get the deal done while others have gone home. 

The governor said that he felt that relationships were being repaired before the bill failed.

“I have to tell you I question how serious it was to reach some type of deal,” Walz said. 

Walz said he is worried that the public will be mad that the bill wasn’t finished and urged his counterparts to “come back to this Capitol and we’ll decide on this.”

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper ordered that all Confederate monuments on capitol grounds be removed to protect public safety, according to a statement released by his office on Saturday.

Some context: Cooper’s sentiments on Confederate monuments are not new. In 2017, he called for Confederate monuments on state capitol grounds to be relocated to museums or related historical sites where they could be viewed in context, according to the statement. 

A small crowd, of about 50 to 75 people, is gathering in Foley Square in Manhattan for a Black Lives Matter protest.

The protesters had just walked from Brooklyn, over the Brooklyn Bridge, into Manhattan’s Foley Square, according to a CNN producer on scene.

People gather for a Black Lives Matter protest in Manhattan.

People gather for a Black Lives Matter protest in Manhattan.

Tristan Walker speaks during TechCrunch Disrupt in New York in 2015.

Tristan Walker, the founder and CEO of Walker & Company Brands, a company focused on selling personal care products for people of color, said businesses need to take a three-step process to address racism: acknowledge, lead and act.

Acknowledge: Walker said the first step is to understand and recognize the trauma that people of color face relating to fairness and equity, specifically those who work for the company.

Lead: He said the second step is for businesses to put in practices that serve as a model.

“A lot of companies really talk about the values that they have at their companies. And I challenge those companies to see do those employees even know what those values are? Are they standing firm in those values?” he said, adding the only way to stand firm is to make decisions with those values in mind.

Act: The third step is not about just donating to a few organizations, but instead following up and taking steps that make the workplace more diverse and representative, he said.

“Are you hiring folks who represent the audience that you’re serving? Are you putting folks on your boards that represent the audience that you’re serving?” Walker said. “When I think about folks of color more broadly, we’re already the majority of the world. It is our duty to serve these folks in ways that they deserve to be treated.”

Demonstrators watch a Wendy's restaurant burn in Atlanta during a protest over the shooting of Rayshard Brooks.

Atlanta Fire and Rescue issued an arrest warrant for Natalie White who has been identified as a suspect in the arson that burned down an Atlanta Wendy’s restaurant last Saturday evening.

The arson occurred one day after Atlanta police shot and killed Rayshard Brooks in the Wendy’s parking lot.

Investigators are working with the idea that Rayshard Brooks had a relationship with Natalie White, a source told CNN.

In bodycam video that police released last Saturday, Rayshard Brooks tells police that Natalie White is his girlfriend.

Bobby Mitchell runs the ball during a game between the Cleveland Browns and Washington Redskins in 1963.

The Washington Redskins announced in a news release on Saturday that the NFL franchise will honor the late Bobby Mitchell by retiring his number 49. 

This move marks only the second time in the team’s 88-year history a jersey number will be retired.

The team also revealed the lower level of Fedex Field will now don Mitchell’s name as a tribute to the Hall of Fame running back and receiver.

Some more background: Mitchell, who passed away in April, played seven of his 11 NFL seasons in Washington.

In 1961, Mitchell was traded to Washington from the Cleveland Browns, and became the first African American to play for the franchise. 

“Bobby was our Jackie Robinson. He had to handle the pressure of being the first African American football player to integrate the Washington Redskins,” said former Redskins safety Brig Owens in the release. “In the face of great adversity, he served as a role model for the Washington, DC, community, The Redskins, its fan base and the NFL.”

Owens added, “He was more than an exceptional football player and athlete, he was an exceptional human being. He was like a brother to me.”

Mitchell was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1983.

He was selected to the Pro Bowl four times during his career and was a three-time First Team All Pro selection.

Upon Mitchell’s retirement in 1968, his 14,078 all-purpose yards were the second most in NFL history, according to team’s news release. He also served in the team’s front office totaling 41 years with the franchise while capturing three Super Bowl titles.

The team will officially retire Mitchell’s jersey number during a ceremony at a future home game.

A Richmond Airport police officer was charged for trespassing outside the Robert E. Lee monument in Richmond, Virginia, on Saturday, according to a Richmond Police press release. 

Riley O’Shaughnessey, 38, was charged with trespassing after he was allegedly spotted with a handgun on the roof of an unoccupied building that overlooks the monument around 7 a.m., the release said. 

O’Shaughnessey “is employed as an officer with the Richmond International Airport Police Department,” the release said. He was not carrying any law enforcement identification, according to the release. 

O’Shaughnessey was “charged with trespassing, a class one misdemeanor which is a releasable summons. There is no weapons charge as it was being carried lawfully,” the release said. 

The exterior of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia.

Details for Rayshard Brooks’ funeral service at Ebenezer Baptist Church on Tuesday were released today. 

Dr. Bernice King and Rev. Raphael Warnock will speak at the service.

Warnock is the senior pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church and is running for the Senate seat currently held by Kelly Loeffler.

Some background: Brooks, 27, was shot dead by an officer last week at a Wendy’s drive-thru in the city of Atlanta after police moved to handcuff him for suspected driving under the influence, according to videos from the scene.

Since the killing of George Floyd, police brutality and institutional racism have been at the forefront of protests across the US.

Here’s what you need to know this afternoon:

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo released a statement this morning criticizing the United Nations Human Rights Council as a “grave disappointment” after it adopted a resolution condemning racially discriminatory and violent practices by law enforcement officials.

Pompeo said “the council’s decision to vote yesterday on a resolution focusing on policing and race in the United States marks a new low.”

Pompeo attacked the UN body, saying that it has “long been and remains a haven for dictators and democracies that indulge them,” noting the addition of Venezuela, China and Cuba to the organization.

“The ongoing civic discourse about the tragic death of George Floyd in the United States is a sign of our democracy’s strength and maturity,” Pompeo said. 

He then pointed the organization to places with “legitimate needs for its attention,” including “systemic racial disparities in places like Cuba, China and Iran.”

A Wendy's restaurant in Atlanta burns on June 13.

An arrest warrant has been issued for the person identified as a suspect in the arson fire that burned down a Wendy’s in Atlanta last week, according to a tweet from Atlanta Fire Rescue.

The arrest warrant issued by Atlanta Fire Investigators for Natalie White is for first degree arson, Atlanta Fire Sgt. Cortez Stafford told CNN.

The warrant was issued based on evidence that they believe shows White starting the fire at Wendy’s last week and being in the area at the time, Stafford said. Stafford added that more suspects could be out there.

Stafford said the Wendy’s burning down should not take away from what the peaceful protesters were out there for.

The Wendy’s was destroyed in the wake of the officer involved shooting that killed Rayshard Brooks.

Read the tweet:

Supporters of President Donald Trump walk around as people wait for a campaign rally tonight in Tulsa.

Oklahoma Republican Sen. James Lankford described a festive atmosphere outside the stadium where the President will hold his rally tonight in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Lankford expects President Trump to speak about the issue of race because, “only the President can speak to this issue unlike any other American can speak to this issue,” the senator said on Fox News this morning.

Lankford said that he believes Trump will also discuss China in his remarks, not only because of the coronavirus, but because of ongoing trade issues with the country. 

“I can’t imagine he’s not going to talk about the economy,” the senator said.

An inspection crew from the Virginia Department of General Services takes measurements of the Robert E. Lee statue in Richmond, Virginia, on June 8.

Police in Richmond,Virginia, have arrested an armed individual near the Robert E. Lee monument and have cleared the area, according to a tweet sent by police Saturday morning.

No shots were fired during the incident and officers are currently searching the building where the suspect was first reported to check for any other threats, police said.

Some background: CNN affiliate WTVR reported that several armed and unarmed citizens were guarding the statue from being defaced.

All this comes after more recent calls from for removal of the Confederate general by residents in the area. 

A new lawsuit filed last week by six residents who own property on Richmond’s Monument Avenue claims that the statue’s removal would adversely affect the plaintiffs by nullifying the neighborhood’s status as a National Historic Landmark district, resulting in “the loss of favorable tax treatment and reduction in property values.”

Read the tweet from Richmond Police: