Dozens of protesters took to the streets of downtown Los Angeles Thursday night, during a second night of demonstrations over the killing of George Floyd.
Tensions between the black community and police escalated after a black man died in custody after a white police officer knelt on his neck for several minutes in Minneapolis earlier this week.
Live video from the local KTLA news channel showed that around 70 protesters congregated in front of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) headquarters at about 5 p.m. Some kneeled, some sat cross-legged on the road, while others banged skateboards onto the ground or stood to chant "black lives matter" and "justice for George."
Hours later, the demonstrators left the headquarters and continued marching along downtown streets, eventually reaching a stand-off with a group of police who ordered the crowd to disperse, calling the protest an unlawful assembly.
Thursday's rally ended by 10 p.m. with marchers leaving behind the police blockade. No protesters were arrested or injured.
During Wednesday's demonstration, protesters spilled onto the downtown 101 Freeway, blocking traffic in both directions. Two men were injured in the chaos.
Footage of Floyd's death on Monday evening captured by a bystander shows Floyd laying on the ground screaming that he can't breath, while a white police officer kneels on the man's neck until he loses consciousness. Floyd later died in hospital, igniting outrage in cities across the nation.
"What we saw in that video was inconsistent and contrary to everything we have been taught, not just as an academy recruit or a police officer, but as human beings," said the Los Angeles Police Protective League's Board of Directors in a statement Thursday
"George Floyd was killed before our eyes -- and we have every reason to be angry, to cry out for justice, to say never again," Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti tweeted Thursday morning. Enditem
