TOP OF THE HOUR:
— Florida state attorney won't prosecute peaceful protesters.
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TOP OF THE HOUR:
— UK’s leader creates anti-racism panel; critics want more.
The prosecutor’s office will also work to expunge the arrest records of the protesters who were taken into custody, he said.
Under Florida law, an “unlawful assembly” is a gathering of three or more people with a “common unlawful purpose” that must have an “intent to do an unlawful act which threatens the peace.”
Mayor Mike Duggan “decided it ought to be placed in storage to give us time to evaluate the appropriate long-term disposition of the statue,” spokesman John Roach said Monday.
The inscription reads, “Christopher Columbus, a great son of Italy. Born 1435 — Died 1506. Discovered America October 12, 1492.”
— Detroit removes a bust of Christopher Columbus from a prominent downtown spot after 110 years.
— Twenty-member panel will review Chicago Police Department’s policy governing when officers can use force.
Gymaco Brooks, a cousin of Rayshard Brooks, is overcome by emotion while speaking during a family press conference on Monday, June 15, 2020, in Atlanta. Brooks was killed by an APD officer Friday and the heartbroken family is determined that the tragedy of his death spark positive change.( Curtis ComptonAtlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)
— UK’s leader creates anti-racism panel; critics want more.
TAMPA, Fla. — More than five dozen peaceful protesters in Florida who were arrested earlier this month for unlawful assembly while demonstrating against police abuse following the death of George Floyd in Minnesota won’t be prosecuted, a State Attorney said Monday.
State Attorney Andrew Warren in Tampa said that his office won’t be filing charges against 67 protesters who were arrested two weeks ago in downtown Tampa.
Tiara Brooks, the cousin of Rayshard Brooks, speaks during the family press conference on Monday, June 15, 2020, in Atlanta. Brooks was killed by an APD officer Friday and the heartbroken family is determined that the tragedy of his death spark positive change. (Curtis ComptonAtlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)
The prosecutor’s office will also work to expunge the arrest records of the protesters who were taken into custody, he said.
“In these unlawful assembly cases, there is no value in filing charges,” Warren said at a news conference. “Prosecuting people for exercising their First Amendment rights creates problems rather than solving them. It can weaken the bonds between law enforcement and the community, while undermining faith in our system.”
Warren warned, though, that his office would prosecute anybody who takes advantage of the protests to cause destruction or commit crimes. He said his office is still reviewing another 133 arrests starting from the night of May 30, including cases of arson and vandalism from that night when a gas station was set ablaze and store windows were smashed.
Tomika Miller, the wife of Rayshard Brooks, hugs their daughter Memory, 2, during the family press conference on Monday, June 15, 2020, in Atlanta. Brooks was killed by an APD officer Friday and the heartbroken family was determined that his death spark positive change. (Curtis ComptonAtlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)
Under Florida law, an “unlawful assembly” is a gathering of three or more people with a “common unlawful purpose” that must have an “intent to do an unlawful act which threatens the peace.”
“There was no evidence that anyone was intending to commit a crime,” Warren said. “They were just there to protest.”
The city of Detroit has removed a bust of explorer Christopher Columbus from a prominent downtown spot after 110 years.
Gymaco Brooks, the cousin of Rayshard Brooks, gets choked up overcome with emotion while speaking during the family news conference on Monday, June 15, 2020, in Atlanta. An autopsy found that 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks was shot twice in the back late Friday by an Atlanta officer trying to arrest him for being intoxicated behind the wheel of his car. Brooks tried to flee after wrestling with officers and grabbing a Taser from one of them. (Curtis ComptonAtlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)
Mayor Mike Duggan “decided it ought to be placed in storage to give us time to evaluate the appropriate long-term disposition of the statue,” spokesman John Roach said Monday.
The move in Detroit comes while other cities and states have removed Confederate Civil War statues and other public monuments to people with a racist past.
The bust, which was unveiled in 1910, was a gift from the readers of the Italian newspaper La Tribuna Italiana d’America, according to historicdetroit.org.
A crowd of demonstrators march to the Capitol Monday, June 15, 2020 in Atlanta. The NAACP March to the Capitol coincided with the restart of the Georgia 2020 General Assembly. Lawmakers returned wearing masks and followed new rules to restart the session during the pandemic. (Steve SchaeferAtlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)
The inscription reads, “Christopher Columbus, a great son of Italy. Born 1435 — Died 1506. Discovered America October 12, 1492.”
CHICAGO — A 20-member panel will review the Chicago Police Department’s policy governing when officers can use force, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Monday.
The panel held its first meeting last week and plans to meet virtually for the next eight weeks before making recommendations to the police superintendent and other leaders, officials said. Residents, activists and one high-ranking police official are among the group’s members.
A crowd of demonstrators march to the Capitol. The NAACP March to the Capitol coincided with the restart of the Georgia 2020 General Assembly Monday, June 15, 2020 in Atlanta. The NAACP March to the Capitol coincided with the restart of the Georgia 2020 General Assembly. Lawmakers returned wearing masks and followed new rules to restart the session during the pandemic. (Steve SchaeferAtlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)
Lightfoot has said Chicago needs to speed up its police reform timeline following the death of George Floyd. On Monday, Lightfoot said the new working group was part of that effort.
The U.S. Justice Department investigated the city’s police department following the 2015 release of video showing white police officer Jason Van Dyke shooting black teenager Laquan McDonald 16 times. That video was made public more than a year after McDonald’s death.
The city negotiated an extensive agreement for court-supervised reforms within the police department, which include opportunities for community input on its use of force policy. Van Dyke was later convicted of murder and sent to prison.
LONDON — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says he will establish a commission to look at racial equality in Britain, after two weeks of protests spurred by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Writing in the Daily Telegraph newspaper, Johnson said the body would look at “all aspects of inequality — in employment, in health outcomes, in academic and all other walks of life.”
Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets in hundreds of demonstrations across the U.K. since Floyd died on May 25, demanding the U.K. confront its own history of imperialism and racial inequality.
Opposition politicians accused the government of opting for words rather than action. Labour Party lawmaker David Lammy said “the time for review is over and the time for action is now.”
Follow all AP coverage of protests against racial injustice and police brutality at https://apnews.com/GeorgeFloyd.