JUDY WOODRUFF: The formal
mourning has begun for
the Minneapolis man
whose death last week
touched off a torrent
of national outrage.
At the same time, President
Trump is facing a torrent of
criticism over his talk of using
the military to quell violence.
John Yang begins our coverage.
JOHN YANG: In Minneapolis today,
the first of several memorial
services across the country
for George Floyd.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey
knelt at Floyd's coffin.
The Reverend Al Sharpton
delivered the eulogy.
REV. AL SHARPTON, Civil Rights
Activist: ... is George Floyd's
story has been the story of
black folks, because, ever since
401 years ago, the reason we
could never be who we wanted
and dreamed to be is, you
kept your knee on our neck.
(APPLAUSE)
JOHN YANG: And across the
country, a virtual moment of
silence for eight minutes and 46
seconds, the amount of
time former Minneapolis
police officer Derek
Chauvin was seen pinning
his knee onto Floyd's neck.
Chauvin has been charged
with second-degree murder.
In Washington, Attorney General
William Barr and FBI Director
Christopher Wray announced
new actions to address the
unrest that has gripped
the nation for 10 days.
CHRISTOPHER WRAY, FBI Director:
We have directed our 200 Joint
Terrorism Task Forces around
the country to assist law
enforcement with apprehending
and charging violent agitators.
JOHN YANG: Barr blamed
extremist groups.
WILLIAM BARR, U.S.
Attorney General: We have
evidence that Antifa and
other similar extremist
groups, as well as actors
of a variety of different
political persuasions, have been
involved in instigating
and participating in
the violent activity.
JOHN YANG: But, last
night, protests remained
largely peaceful. In
Washington, hundreds
marched to the Capitol beside
National Guard troops. At one
point, some demonstrators knelt
and sang.
In New York City, protesters
were largely peaceful as well.
But, as nighttime fell on
the rainy city streets, police
in riot gear moved in to
enforce a curfew, sometimes by
force. Dozens were arrested.
Amid the chaos, a confrontation
in Brooklyn left three
policeman wounded, one stabbed
and two shot, and their
suspected attacker
shot. The officers are
expected to recover.
The suspect is in
critical condition.
In Minnesota, Governor Tim Walz
ordered the National Guard to
the state's western border,
saying that violence from
planned protests in North Dakota
could spill into his state.
Leaders in 32 states and
the District of Columbia
have deployed more than
3,200 members of the
National Guard. President Trump
is prepared to use active-duty
troops, if necessary, according
to Deputy White House Press
Secretary Hogan Gidley, who
used language usually reserved
to describe potential
overseas military operations.
HOGAN GIDLEY, White House
Deputy Press Secretary:
Safety and security are
the number one thing
Donald Trump cares about,
period. All options are
on the table when the
lives of the American
people are at stake.
JOHN YANG: The idea drew new
pushback last night, this time
from President Trump's former
Defense Secretary James Mattis.
In his essay for "The Atlantic,"
the retired Marine general
delivered perhaps his harshest
public criticism of the
president yet, accusing
Mr. Trump of dividing
the country. And he
called the use of National Guard
troops near the White House
on Monday to forcefully clear
crowds for a presidential
photo-op an abuse of
executive authority.
The president fired back with
a tweet calling Mattis "the
world's most overrated general."
And President Trump's
support among congressional
Republicans showed signs
of strain, as Senator
Lisa Murkowski of Alaska said
Mattis' remarks were "necessary
and overdue," and suggested
she may not vote to
reelect the president.
SEN. LISA MURKOWSKI (R-AK): I
am struggling with it. I have
struggled with it for a long
time. I think you know that.
I didn't support the president
in the initial election.
JOHN YANG: Meanwhile,
there's new attention
on police treatment of
minorities across the
country. The fatal shooting
an unarmed Latino man
early Wednesday morning
by Vallejo, California,
police responding to a
report that a drugstore
was being looted, and
a video of a Sarasota,
Florida, police officer pressing
his knee into the neck of a
handcuffed black man being
arrested in May on
domestic violence charges.
That incident is now
under investigation.
In Georgia today, a video court
hearing for two men charged
in the February killing of
Ahmaud Arbery. A state
investigator testified
one of the accused men
used a racial slur.
RICHARD DIAL, Georgia Bureau
of Investigation Special Agent:
After the shooting took place,
before police arrival, while
Mr. Arbery was on the ground,
that he heard Travis McMichael
make a statement,
(EXPLETIVE DELETED).
JOHN YANG: Tonight,
demonstrators are gathering
across the country for
another round of protests.
And mayors of cities like Los
Angeles, San Francisco, and
Washington, D.C., have lifted
nighttime curfews, hoping
last night's calm holds.
For the "PBS NewsHour,"
I'm John Yang.