Demonstrators burn flag in downtown Los Angeles to protest death of George Floyd

Demonstrators gathered in Los Angeles on Wednesday and burned the U.S. flag as part of a protest in response to the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died in police custody in Minneapolis earlier this week after an officer knelt on his neck.

Footage of the moment that has racked up more than 330,000 views on Twitter in the past day shows a protester holding the upside-down flag on a stick as another man sets it alight. 

Protestors burning the American flag in Downtown LA #GeorgeFloyd @ABC7 pic.twitter.com/x8qt4dcA3C

— Veronica Miracle (@ABC7Veronica) May 28, 2020

According to a local ABC affiliate station, the demonstration occurred amid a larger Black Lives Matter protest that was held in the city that evening, during which protesters in the same crowd could were also seen blocking a California Highway Patrol (CHP) vehicle, climbing atop it and breaking its window before.

In that same video, protesters could be seen surrounding and hitting another CHP vehicle before it sped off after its back window was shattered.

The station reported that the 101 freeway was shut down temporarily after some of the protesters gathered there.

According to the station, hundreds of protesters, many of whom were not black, participated in the Black Lives Matter demonstration.

Floyd died at the age of 46 in Minneapolis on Monday after an officer knelt on his neck during an arrest. Footage of the moment, which has drawn bipartisan condemnation, showed Floyd telling the officer, “I can’t breathe.”

That officer and three others who were involved in the arrest have since been fired.

President Trump has called for the Justice Department and FBI to expedite an investigation into the matter.

….I have asked for this investigation to be expedited and greatly appreciate all of the work done by local law enforcement. My heart goes out to George’s family and friends. Justice will be served!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 27, 2020

The protest in Los Angeles comes as similar demonstrations continued in Minneapolis for a second night on Wednesday.

Footage of those demonstrations that was trending at the top of Twitter into early Thursday showed people looting a local Target store and an AutoZone store in the city being set on fire.