In Pictures

‘Justice for George Floyd’: US protests in pictures

A Lincoln Memorial rally and march to the White House marked the largest protests since the killing of George Floyd.

Mike D''angelo speaks to a crowd surrounding him near Lafayette Park adjacent to the White House during a demonstration against racism and police brutality, in Washington, DC on June 6, 2020. - Demonst — Mike D'angelo speaks to a crowd near Lafayette Park adjacent to the White House. [Roberto Schmidt/AFP]

Tens of thousands of demonstrators rallied in Washington, DC, and other US cities on Saturday, demanding an end to racism and brutality by law enforcement, as protests sparked by the police killing of George Floyd stretched into the 12th day.

A Lincoln Memorial rally and march to the White House marked the largest outpouring yet of protests nationwide since video footage emerged showing Floyd, an unarmed Black man in handcuffs, lying face down and struggling to breathe as a white police officer knelt on his neck.

“It feels like I get to be a part of history and a part of the group of people who are trying to change the world for everyone,” said Jamilah Muahyman, a Washington resident at a demonstration near the White House.

Floyd’s May 25 death has sparked a storm of protests in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, thrusting the highly charged debate over racial justice back to the forefront of the political agenda five months before the November US presidential election.

An almost festive atmosphere prevailed among protesters assembled at an outdoor strip newly rechristened Black Lives Matter Plaza – the phrase “Black Lives Matter” painted in large yellow letters on the pavement – a block from the White House.

It was near the spot where US Park Police and military personnel cleared Lafayette Square of peaceful demonstrators with chemical spray and smoke grenades on Monday night, so President Donald Trump could walk from the White House through the park to a church to hold a bible aloft for cameras.

On Saturday, Washington, DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser, a vocal critic of Trump’s response to the protests this week, was spotted in the crowd while songs such as “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond and “Alright” by Kendrick Lamar blared from loudspeakers.

A protester kneels and holds up a fist on a giant Black Lives Matter banner near the White House during a demonstration against racism and police brutality, in Washington, DC on June 6, 2020. - Demons — Geroge Floyd's May 25 killing has sparked a storm of protests in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, thrusting the highly charged debate over racial justice back to the forefront of the political agenda. [Jose Luis Magana/AFP]

WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 06: Demonstrators march on Constitution Avenue near the Dirksen Senate Office Building during a protest against police brutality and racism on June 6, 2020 in Washington, DC. Thi — Demonstrators march on Constitution Avenue near the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington. [Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images/AFP]

Demonstrators lie on the pavement during a peaceful protest against police brutality and racism, on June 6, 2020 in Washington, DC. - Demonstrations are being held across the US following the death of — The demonstrators come from varied racial and ethnic backgrounds, young and old, with many wearing mandatory masks because of the coronavirus pandemic. [Brendan Smialowski/AFP]

WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 06: Demonstrators gather on the newly named Black Lives Plaza while protesting peacefully against police brutality and racism on June 6, 2020 in Washington, DC. This is the 12th — The size of the crowds in the capital on Saturday indicated that the momentum of demonstrations calling for meaningful change to end racism and police brutality in the US has not dimmed. [Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images/AFP]

epa08470030 A family walks with protesters along Constitution Avenue near the US Capitol, towards the White House where there has been a week of protests over the death of George Floyd, who died in po — A family walks with protesters along Constitution Avenue near the US Capitol, towards the White House. [Sarah Silbiger/EPA]

DC National Guard soldiers and other law enforcement personnel watch as demonstrators protest Saturday, June 6, 2020, along Independence Avenue in Washington, over the death of George Floyd, a black m — Military vehicles and officers in fatigues had closed off much of downtown Washington, DC, to traffic. [Alex Brandon/AP Photo]

Demonstrators take part in a protest against racial inequality in the aftermath of the death in Minneapolis police custody of George Floyd, near the Lafayette Park, in Washington, U.S. June 6, 2020. R — The rally followed a week of largely peaceful protests in the capital. [Lucas Jackson/Reuters]

Demonstrators march from the U.S. Capitol Building during a protest against racial inequality in the aftermath of the death in Minneapolis police custody of George Floyd, in Washington, U.S., June 6, — Protesters chanting "Black Lives Matter" and "George Floyd" converged on the United States capital on Saturday thronging the streets from the Capitol building to a barricaded White House and Lincoln Memorial. [Lucas Jackson/Reuters]

epa08470331 A photo made available by MAXAR Technologies shows a satellite image of ''Black Lives Matter'' painted on the pavement of 16th Street near the White House (not pictured), the location of eig — A satellite image of "Black Lives Matter" painted on the pavement of 16th Street near the White House, the location of eight days of protests over the death of George Floyd. [Maxar Technologies Handout via EPA]