Protest erupts outside Brooklyn’s Barclays Center over death of George Floyd

Demonstrators clashed with police on Friday outside the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., over the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, during an arrest in Minneapolis earlier this week. 

Thousands of protesters gathered outside the Brooklyn arena carrying signs that read, “Black Lives Matter” and “I can’t breathe,” among other messages advocating to end police violence. 

Video captured from the protest also showed demonstrators chanting while some threw water bottles and what appeared to be paint at police at the scene, according to CNN.

Huge protests at Barclays center in Brooklyn. #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/YJVhzqOaRv

— Amber Tamblyn (@ambertamblyn) May 29, 2020 

Other footage captured by journalist Jon Campbell showed police using their batons on protesters who can be seen rolling around on the concrete. Additional officers can be seen boxing out demonstrators and pushing people down who are trying to intervene with police arrests. 

A lot just popped off at the protest for George Floyd at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Pepper spray, batons, and several arrests. pic.twitter.com/ZuciQA82fe

— Jon Campbell (@j0ncampbell) May 29, 2020

Floyd, 46, died during his arrest in Minneapolis on Monday. Bystander video of his arrest sparked outrage as an officer from the Minneapolis Police Department can be seen pinning Floyd down on the ground near his police car with his knee weighing on his neck.

Floyd appeared to plead for air in the video, but the officer kept his knee on Floyd’s neck. Minutes later, Floyd’s body went limp. He was pronounced dead 90 minutes after his arrest. 

The officer who had his knee on his neck, Derek Chauvin, was dismissed from his post at the MPD and was arrested and charged on Friday with third-degree murder and manslaughter following three nights of protest and unrest in the city. Three other officers have also been fired.

Floyd’s death has sparked protests across the country, including in Washington, D.C., prompting the White House to go on lockdown for a period of time Friday evening.