00:00:04:17         00:00:05:23         Lafayette Square is usually

00:00:05:23         00:00:09:08         a quiet little park

in front of the White House.

00:00:09:09         00:00:11:08         But not this Saturday night.

00:00:11:08         00:00:13:13         George Floyd died six days

ago, and the pressure's mounting

00:00:13:14         00:00:15:02         everywhere in the country.

00:00:23:12         00:00:25:18         - It's sad, people are dying.

- Yeah.

00:00:25:19         00:00:27:20         and we can't even protest.

00:00:27:20         00:00:29:15         We're being robbed

of the First Amendment

00:00:29:15         00:00:31:14         on freedom of expression.

00:00:31:14         00:00:34:20         We're not getting any respect,

no dignity,

00:00:34:20         00:00:36:21         our lives are worthless.

00:00:37:00         00:00:40:10         They don't care,

they're throwing gas at us.

00:00:43:16         00:00:45:18         Policemen and demonstrators

are on the edge.

00:00:45:18         00:00:50:17         This young woman is taking

the megaphone to stop a fight.

00:00:51:13         00:00:53:10         STOP!

00:00:53:19         00:00:56:20         They don't put people

like me on television.

00:00:57:01         00:01:00:12         They put people like that, and

say that's what black people do.

00:01:00:17         00:01:03:03         We're creative, awesome, smart.

00:01:03:08         00:01:06:00         But if you don't show

our excellence,

00:01:06:05         00:01:10:07         they will only exhibit

our destruction!

00:01:14:02         00:01:15:23         The next day, on Sunday, the

00:01:15:23         00:01:18:10         answer of law

enforcement escalated.

00:01:18:14         00:01:21:23         The following Monday, activists

were dispersed with tear gas.

00:01:22:04         00:01:26:02         Lafayette Square was closed

so Donald Trump could walk

00:01:26:07         00:01:29:23         to the church

on the other side of the square.

00:01:33:12         00:01:36:17         Washington

is a capital city under siege.

00:01:36:17         00:01:40:21         The White House has built a

fence around Lafayette Square.

00:01:40:22         00:01:44:06         The city has imposed a curfew

for several days.

00:01:44:16         00:01:47:10         But the demonstrators have

continued to pour in.

00:01:49:22         00:01:54:07         The Disunited States of America

00:01:58:02         00:02:01:03         It all started around this

Minneapolis block

00:02:01:03         00:02:03:03         with George Floyd's arrest.

00:02:03:07         00:02:05:16         The 46-year-old man was killed,

asphyxiated on the pavement.

00:02:06:03         00:02:09:18         "I can't breathe"

became their slogan.

00:02:09:19         00:02:11:20         Every single day,

hundreds of people

00:02:11:21         00:02:15:03         come to pay tribute to the

one they called Big George.

00:02:15:14         00:02:18:03         For African-Americans

who grew up here,

00:02:18:10         00:02:20:12         this death comes as no surprise.

00:02:20:22         00:02:23:09         Things must change.

00:02:23:09         00:02:26:23         within the police departments.

00:02:27:20         00:02:29:11         In broad daylight, the street is

00:02:29:12         00:02:31:09         occupied by peaceful protesters.

00:02:31:18         00:02:35:02         But the mood is likely to change

in a few hours.

00:02:36:03         00:02:40:01         When the sun goes down,

everything becomes ruthless.

00:02:41:16         00:02:44:03         Time for destruction.

00:02:46:06         00:02:48:15         I'm not in favor of it,

00:02:48:15         00:02:52:04         but I understand

pain and frustration,

00:02:52:04         00:02:55:14         how much people

are tired of what's going on.

00:02:55:23         00:02:58:14         It's been going on for so long.

00:03:01:03         00:03:04:06         The curfew starts at 8:00 PM.

00:03:04:06         00:03:07:23         but activists brave what

has been forbidden by law.

00:03:07:23         00:03:11:08         Protesters have decided

to march downtown.

00:03:11:09         00:03:16:03         The police are deployed

quickly and block access.

00:03:17:01         00:03:21:04         NO JUSTICE NO PEACE!

00:03:29:03         00:03:31:12         We're going backwards

with the protesters.

00:03:31:13         00:03:34:08         When they disperse,

we're moving towards the dam

00:03:34:09         00:03:37:03         with our press cards

shouting "media."

00:03:37:04         00:03:40:16         The police response is clear:

rubber bullets thrown at us.

00:03:43:18         00:03:46:00         The night of riots continues,

00:03:46:01         00:03:48:22         marked by new

confrontations with the police,

00:03:48:23         00:03:51:16         fire outbreaks and looting.

00:03:54:05         00:03:56:22         The following day, students

00:03:56:22         00:03:59:18         have taken a day off

to go out and demonstrate.

00:03:59:19         00:04:02:23         Racial tensions are being

expressed among activists.

00:04:02:23         00:04:06:10         We're asking a white man

questions and are interrupted.

00:04:06:20         00:04:09:14         You shouldn't be

in front of the camera.

00:04:09:14         00:04:12:07         This isn't about you.

00:04:12:08         00:04:14:08         We want justice.

00:04:14:12         00:04:19:03         I don't want people talking,

I want action!

00:04:20:02         00:04:23:10         We're protesting because it was

a cold-blooded murder.

00:04:23:11         00:04:27:08         And they're not

gonna get justice.

00:04:27:17         00:04:31:15         They prefer to gas people,

shooting rubber bullets,

00:04:31:20         00:04:34:12         than arresting those cops.

00:04:34:17         00:04:38:03         They're protecting racists cops

against 10,000 people.

00:04:38:03         00:04:40:21         Why? Because they're cops?

00:04:42:11         00:04:45:18         George Floyd

had learned to fear the police.

00:04:45:19         00:04:50:00         This 46-year-old family man

was a driver and a bouncer.

00:04:50:00         00:04:53:01         He had served

five years in prison

00:04:53:02         00:04:54:19         for armed robbery.

00:04:57:11         00:05:01:12         On Monday, May 25th,

George Floyd bought cigarettes

00:05:01:12         00:05:03:14         with a counterfeit $20 bill.

00:05:03:18         00:05:05:19         When the store clerks

complained about it,

00:05:05:20         00:05:08:14         he refused to give

the cigarettes back.

00:05:08:15         00:05:10:20         The store called

the police, indicating

00:05:10:20         00:05:12:12         that the man was intoxicated.

00:05:13:09         00:05:16:06         George Floyd seems to panic.

00:05:16:07         00:05:18:23         He suffered from claustrophobia

00:05:19:00         00:05:21:16         and refused to get

in the police car.

00:05:22:03         00:05:23:19         The situation is

getting out of hand

00:05:23:20         00:05:25:07         with the arrival

of reinforcements.

00:05:25:12         00:05:28:09         There are now

four officers on the scene.

00:05:28:18         00:05:31:23         George Floyd is being held down,

knee on the neck.

00:05:32:08         00:05:36:13         He repeats 16 times

that he can't breathe.

00:05:36:14         00:05:42:13         I can't breathe.

00:05:42:19         00:05:46:11         Passers are filming the scene

and ask the police to arrest

00:05:46:12         00:05:50:15         but the knee stays on the neck

for 8 minutes and 46 seconds.

00:05:50:16         00:05:52:00         The other three agents

00:05:52:00         00:05:54:18         shield

to protect their colleague.

00:05:55:10         00:05:57:13         I can't breathe.

00:05:58:22         00:06:04:19         For 2 minutes and 53 seconds,

George Floyd isn't answering.

00:06:14:06         00:06:16:13         We hear him say

00:06:16:14         00:06:17:22         "I can't breathe."

00:06:18:00         00:06:20:20         I was taught

not until you arrest a person,

00:06:20:21         00:06:23:01         its survival is

your responsibility.

00:06:25:11         00:06:28:03         Rodney Parks is captain

retired police officer.

00:06:28:03         00:06:30:22         He served in

Washington for 31 years.

00:06:30:22         00:06:33:21         He's surprised at

the methods used.

00:06:35:06         00:06:38:01         The neck is considered

like a hot spot.

00:06:38:17         00:06:41:15         What's wrong, is

the over-application

00:06:41:16         00:06:44:17         impeded to a

non-combatant individual.

00:06:45:19         00:06:48:05         Depending on the resistance,

00:06:48:06         00:06:53:01         you must answer with the

necessary force, not excessive.

00:06:55:12         00:06:57:16         When you hold a man

down while he's handcuffed,

00:06:57:17         00:07:00:23         one wonders: where

could he possibly go?

00:07:00:23         00:07:02:12         If that man had been white,

00:07:02:12         00:07:04:14         would the policeman

have acted like that?

00:07:04:18         00:07:07:00         Would his approach have changed?

00:07:08:10         00:07:13:03         The problem: the police

often get away with it in court,

00:07:13:04         00:07:15:15         as after the beating

of Rodney King.

00:07:15:15         00:07:17:06         Acquittal of officers

00:07:17:06         00:07:19:04         had triggered the

Los Angeles riots.

00:07:21:10         00:07:22:23         One of the reasons for the anger

00:07:23:00         00:07:24:11         that's been going up for years,

00:07:24:11         00:07:26:16         and that's why that there

are as many demonstrations,

00:07:26:17         00:07:29:19         is that the agents are

not held responsible.

00:07:31:20         00:07:35:01         Police officers in this video

00:07:35:01         00:07:37:17         didn't get up that morning

00:07:37:18         00:07:41:02         thinking they were going

to do which they did.

00:07:41:02         00:07:44:06         And that's why that

it's so hard to get

00:07:44:07         00:07:47:05         one conviction for

voluntary manslaughter.

00:07:49:06         00:07:51:11         In solidarity with

the protesters,

00:07:51:12         00:07:54:08         agents took a

knee to the ground,

00:07:54:09         00:07:56:20         battle icon against

police brutality.

00:07:58:17         00:08:02:01         It's in the interactions

on a day-to-day basis

00:08:02:01         00:08:07:17         the difference is not by

celebrating with the community.

00:08:09:17         00:08:10:23         Gaining trust

00:08:10:23         00:08:14:22         to stop the riots that have

spread all over the country.

00:08:25:08         00:08:28:01         In the aftermath

of the protests,

00:08:28:02         00:08:30:09         we meet Nasiy in Saint Paul,

00:08:30:10         00:08:33:17         the city next to

Minneapolis, also affected.

00:08:33:23         00:08:35:07         It's a shoe store,

00:08:35:08         00:08:39:21         they set fire to it.

and then looted it.

00:08:42:16         00:08:46:23         Destruction that has not been

caused only by black activists.

00:08:46:23         00:08:49:09         Some of the people

arrested by the police

00:08:49:10         00:08:51:06         were from out of town.

00:08:51:18         00:08:53:05         There are anarchists,

00:08:53:06         00:08:55:21         antifascists, white

supremacists.

00:08:55:22         00:09:00:22         Now, we have to drive

all the way to the suburbs

00:09:00:22         00:09:04:21         just to go to the grocery

store or to find a sandwich.

00:09:05:10         00:09:06:16         We can't do it here anymore.

00:09:06:16         00:09:08:11         when it looks like this.

00:09:14:08         00:09:15:21         Nasiy is convinced that

the United States

00:09:15:22         00:09:18:08         remains a racist country.

00:09:18:09         00:09:21:09         And it shows until in

the geography of cities.

00:09:21:10         00:09:28:19         In the 1940s and 1950s, those

called African-Americans...

00:09:28:20         00:09:30:20         could not use the toilet

00:09:30:23         00:09:33:09         or live with the

Caucasians, white people.

00:09:34:14         00:09:36:20         Everything was divided.

00:09:36:22         00:09:44:22         Today it's the same,

but in a more twisted way.

00:09:45:11         00:09:48:14         Here, we're in the

Red Line neighborhood,

00:09:48:14         00:09:52:20         this is the downtown area where

you'll see mainly minorities.

00:09:53:19         00:09:58:01         But if you get out,

you get to the suburbs.

00:09:58:02         00:10:01:02         This is Summit Avenue.

00:10:01:10         00:10:03:21         Look at the properties,

00:10:03:21         00:10:08:06         look at the houses,

look at the grass.

00:10:09:04         00:10:12:10         If you're black, do you

have a chance of living here?

00:10:12:23         00:10:18:02         Here? Unless I

have a lot of money!

00:10:18:02         00:10:21:17         Even if I had that money,

00:10:21:18         00:10:24:05         it would be... it's hard

to find a house here.

00:10:24:06         00:10:27:08         Many owners are racist.

00:10:28:03         00:10:34:15         I've never met a black

man who lived here.

00:10:38:12         00:10:40:06         On returning to Minneapolis

00:10:40:07         00:10:44:00         we come across this store

monitored by the National Guard.

00:10:44:00         00:10:47:12         The military is

deployed all over town.

00:10:48:00         00:10:49:16         The looting scenes,

00:10:49:17         00:10:51:14         Ted Baker has been watching

them ever since his balcony,

00:10:51:15         00:10:54:08         fear in his stomach.

00:10:54:09         00:10:57:19         People were running around,

00:10:57:19         00:11:01:00         dozens and dozens.

00:11:01:00         00:11:03:17         Running, screaming, flying.

00:11:04:15         00:11:06:08         I believe in demonstrations

00:11:06:08         00:11:11:12         if you have a valid reason to

protest, and if by protesting,

00:11:12:22         00:11:14:23         you don't bother others

00:11:14:23         00:11:22:06         and you don't give

their difficult lives.

00:11:22:06         00:11:26:03         (Sirens)

00:11:27:04         00:11:30:00         During the interview,

the National Guard lands

00:11:30:00         00:11:33:06         under Ted's windows

to protect a fire truck.

00:11:33:06         00:11:36:02         It's very reassuring

to see them.

00:11:36:02         00:11:37:02         Yes, it is.

00:11:38:18         00:11:43:05         A fire just started in

the local liquor store.

00:11:43:05         00:11:45:23         Fire, is the anguish

of the inhabitants.

00:11:47:13         00:11:50:00         To deter breakers

to go after the building

00:11:50:00         00:11:51:16         and bring some colour

back to the street,

00:11:51:16         00:11:55:06         this neighbor of Ted's invited

demonstrators painting slogans

00:11:55:07         00:11:58:04         on display cases from the

grocery store downstairs.

00:12:00:05         00:12:03:12         People of all races,

ethnically diverse

00:12:03:12         00:12:06:04         have come to paint

their messages of hope.

00:12:06:04         00:12:10:14         They could do what they wanted,

as long as it was positive.

00:12:11:10         00:12:13:01         Beyond the slogans,

00:12:13:02         00:12:16:12         few illusions about the

possibilities of real change.

00:12:17:05         00:12:21:06         I'm an optimistic guy.

00:12:21:06         00:12:23:04         I have hope.

00:12:23:04         00:12:27:21         But it's a big

challenge, for this town,

00:12:27:21         00:12:30:19         for this community, and

for the whole country.

00:12:30:20         00:12:33:04         It's a complex problem.

00:12:38:09         00:12:42:07         How to rebuild on the ruins

still smoking from Minneapolis?

00:12:42:08         00:12:44:00         Every morning after

the nights of the riots,

00:12:44:00         00:12:47:19         the inhabitants take

brooms and shovels

00:12:47:19         00:12:52:02         to pick up the ashes

and clear away the rubble,

00:12:52:03         00:12:55:06         like those three sisters

from the neighborhood.

00:12:55:09         00:12:57:07         These buildings were

supposed to burn down

00:12:57:08         00:13:00:05         because our voices

weren't being heard.

00:13:00:06         00:13:04:03         I don't know how we can change

things, if people don't open up

00:13:04:03         00:13:07:06         eyes to realize that taking

the life of an unarmed man,

00:13:07:07         00:13:09:01         for no reason, it's not fair.

00:13:09:05         00:13:12:21         After the destruction

comes reconstruction.

00:13:12:21         00:13:17:15         It's not because this

street looks like this

00:13:17:16         00:13:20:01         that she can't go back

to the way things were.

00:13:21:12         00:13:24:01         The street is left

to its own devices.

00:13:24:01         00:13:26:02         Red lights are

no longer working.

00:13:26:02         00:13:28:15         Well, then, we make ourselves

out to be traffic wardens.

00:13:28:16         00:13:32:13         When you see these

people, you realize...

00:13:32:14         00:13:34:11         Yeah. that the majority

wants what's good.

00:13:34:12         00:13:36:16         It's only a small

minority that breaks.

00:13:36:16         00:13:40:20         The world is a horrible place

but also a good place.

00:13:40:21         00:13:43:19         Some of these volunteers

come from far away.

00:13:43:19         00:13:46:06         This student drove

for seven hours

00:13:46:06         00:13:47:09         to lend a hand.

00:13:47:09         00:13:50:23         There are people

from all sides here.

00:13:51:00         00:13:54:15         They're gathering to help.

00:13:54:16         00:13:58:19         The destruction don't

solve the problem,

00:13:58:20         00:14:01:21         but are they the catalyst

that gets people to solve it?

00:14:01:22         00:14:03:12         That's the question.

00:14:03:13         00:14:06:06         We need to get to the

heart of the system and fix it.

00:14:07:23         00:14:10:05         War decor around the corner.

00:14:11:15         00:14:15:08         This department store was looted

and burned for several nights.

00:14:15:08         00:14:18:12         Hundreds of metres of

shelving to be cleared.

00:14:21:09         00:14:26:03         If there's no one there

to try, nobody's gonna try.

00:14:30:10         00:14:34:20         Paul and his friends

start the movement.

00:14:34:20         00:14:38:12         A human chain where color

of skin doesn't matter anymore.

00:14:38:13         00:14:42:13         They're cleaning up, hoping that

the police will imitate them.

00:14:42:18         00:14:45:09         In order for the don't

turn around too quickly,

00:14:45:10         00:14:49:00         and that America can

finally start breathing again.