Tuesday morning news - June 2, 2020

Peaceful and violent protest continue as Trump vows to stop lawlessness » AUDIO: [Sound of protest]

Demonstrators were out in force again on Monday. And once again, in some places, chaos overshadowed peaceful protests.

AUDIO: [Sound of protest]

Police heard there, arresting a protester in Washington D.C., which, like many other cities, imposed a strict curfew last night. 

AUDIO: A citywide curfew is in effect from 7 p.m. tonight till 6 a.m. tomorrow morning. You are currently in violation of the mayor’s curfew.

Just before the 7 p.m. curfew took effect, the National Guard used tear gas to sweep protesters out of a park near the White House. 

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser criticized the use of force by federal authorities to clear Lafayette Square. She noted that protesters there were peaceful and said it will make the job of local police more difficult.

Hours earlier, President Trump addressed the nation from the Rose Garden. He condemned the death of George Floyd while in police custody and said his administration is committed to seeing justice done. But he drew a very hard line on lawlessness amid the unrest. 

TRUMP: I am dispatching thousands and thousands of heavily armed soldiers, military personnel, and law enforcement officers to stop the rioting, looting, vandalism, assaults, and the wanton destruction of property. 

Trump urged governors to deploy the National Guard in sufficient numbers to—quote—“dominate the streets.” 

And with that show of force on display near the White House, the president later walked through an empty Lafayette Square to view a church partially set ablaze by rioters on Sunday.

Chauvin moved to maximum security prison as Floyd family releases independent autopsy » The former police officer charged with murder in Floyd’s death has reportedly been transferred to a maximum security prison. 

Video footage of last week’s arrest showed Derek Chauvin with his knee pressed against Floyd’s neck. Authorities were holding him at the Ramsey County Jail. But due to heightened safety concerns, he’s now at the Minnesota Correctional Facility – Oak Park Heights, the most secure prison in the state.

Meantime, an autopsy commissioned for George Floyd’s family found that he died of asphyxiation due to neck and back compression. 

The family’s autopsy differs from the government’s findings. The official autopsy included the effects of being restrained, along with underlying health issues and potential intoxicants in Floyd’s system. But it also said it found nothing—quote—“to support a diagnosis of traumatic asphyxia or strangulation.”

Hong Kong police turn away candlelight vigil marking Tiananmen Square massacre » Hong Kong police rejected an application Monday for a candlelight vigil marking the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre. WORLD’s Anna Johansen has more. 

ANNA JOHANSEN, REPORTER: The yearly vigil commemorates China’s deadly military crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square on June 4, 1989. 

This would be the first time in 30 years that the vigil is not held in Hong Kong. 

Police say they denied the application over fears that a crowd could gather without social distancing, triggering another coronavirus outbreak. But activists say authorities are using the virus as an excuse to stifle free speech. 

The decision follows a move by China to impose a sweeping so-called national security law in Hong Kong. Many experts believe the law will strip away the semi-autonomous region’s remaining independence from Beijing. 

Thousands of Hong Kong residents are now applying for passports that could allow them to move to the U.K. 

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Anna Johansen. 

Atlantic hurricane season off to a busy start » The Atlantic hurricane season is officially underway. It runs from the first of June through November 30th. And the National Hurricane Center says it’s “off to a busy start!” 

So far this year, two tropical storms have already swirled over the Atlantic, Arthur and Bertha. 

An average hurricane season produces 12 named storms. But this year, forecasters are predicting as many as 13 to 19. And they say 6 to 10 of those could become hurricanes. 

U.S. ships millions of Hydroxychloroquine doses to Brazil » The United States has sent more than 2 million doses of hydroxychloroquine to Brazil as the country battles a worsening coronavirus outbreak. WORLD’s Kristen Flavin has that story. 

KRISTEN FLAVIN, REPORTER: Brazil is already Latin America’s hardest-hit country and COVID-19 cases continue to surge.

The White House said the U.S. government sent the hydroxychloroquine shipment to Brazil as a prophylactic for front-line health workers and as a therapeutic for patients. The United States is also sending a thousand ventilators to Brazil.

Trump revealed in May that he took a two-week course of the drug to protect against the coronavirus. 

Hydroxychloroquine is primarily used as an antimalarial drug. Studies examining its effectiveness against COVID-19, generally paired with an antibiotic, have produced mixed results. 

No large, rigorous studies have proven the drug to be effective for preventing or treating COVID-19.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Kristen Flavin.

(AP Photo/John Locher, File) This Monday, April 6, 2020 file photo shows an arrangement of hydroxychloroquine pills in Las Vegas. 

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