The George Floyd protests are an ongoing series of protests and demonstrations against police

brutality and racism in policing, which began in the United States in Minneapolis on May 26, 2020.
[3]
 These followed the killing of George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, after Derek Chauvin,
a white police officer, knelt on Floyd's neck for almost eight minutes during an arrest the previous
day.[4]
The unrest began as local protests in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area
of Minnesota before quickly spreading across the entire nation and internationally in support of
the Black Lives Matter movement. While the majority of protests have been peaceful,[5]
[6]
 demonstrations in some cities descended into riots, widespread looting, and street skirmishes with
police.[7][8] At least 200 cities imposed curfews by June 3, while at least more than 30 states and
Washington, D.C, activated over 24,000 National Guard personnel due to the mass unrest.[9][10][11]
[12]
 From the beginning of the protests to June 3, at least 11,000 people had been arrested,[2]
[13]
 including all four police officers involved in the arrest which led to Floyd's death.[14]
The Trump administration has drawn widespread criticism for its hardline, militarized response and
aggressive rhetoric.[15] The unrest is also occurring during the global COVID-19 pandemic, with
health experts warning that the protests will likely facilitate an accelerated spread or rebound of the
virus.[16][17] The economic impact of the protests exacerbated the 2020 coronavirus recession by
sharply curtailing consumer confidence, straining local businesses, and overwhelming public
infrastructure with large-scale property damage.[18][19][20] The protests have led to numerous legislative
proposals on all levels to combat police misconduct, systemic racial bias, and police brutality in the
United States.[21][22]