05 November 2020
Supporters of President Trump protested outside an Arizona election center late Wednesday, chanting "count the votes!" as elections officials continued to tabulate ballots in a state that Joe Biden is projected to win.
Why it matters: The Trump campaign was furious that Fox News and AP called Arizona for Biden on Tuesday night with hundreds of thousands of votes still outstanding, as a victory for the Democrat would significantly narrow President Trump's possible paths to 270 electoral votes.
Driving the news: Sheriff's deputies in tactical gear moved inside the Maricopa County Elections center as the protest crowd continued to grow, per CBS News. The elections department tweeted its staff "will continue our job" and release results again Wednesday night local time as planned, despite the intimidation.
ARIZONA PROTEST: Sheriff’s deputies moved media inside the Maricopa Co. Elections Center for safety as the crowd grew. We have now left the premises for safety.
— Briana Whitney (@BrianaWhitney) November 5, 2020
The craziest part of this is Arizona ballots are still being counted inside, while this happens outside... #azfamilypic.twitter.com/1u91ejccf8
- The protesters had earlier abused members of the media, who were moved inside the center for safety, per CBS reporter Briana Whitney.
The big picture: Election protests continued in dozens of U.S. cities well into the night. Dozens of protesters were also marching in Los Angeles, Portland, Ore., and Raleigh, N.C., per USA Today.
In Minneapolis, officers on Interstate 94 surrounded members of the media and demonstrators protesting issues including Trump and his vow to contest the election, racism and police brutality, per the Minnesota Daily.
- Minnesota Daily reporter Samantha Hendrickson said in a livestream just before 11 p.m. ET that as police continued to surround her, other media teams and demonstrators, protest organizers were urging those gathered to remain calm.
- Officers were not communicating with them beyond saying they were being arrested for offenses including holding an unlawful protest, Hendrickson said.
- Minnesota State Patrol said in a statement that its troopers were working with the Minneapolis Police Department to arrest the protesters for blocking the road.
In Denver, Colorado, police and protesters clashed late Wednesday.
- Police said they arrested protesters, who at one point appeared to use a flare to burn a "Thin Blue Line" and Trump flag, per CBS News.
In Philadelphia, a "count every vote" protest was also held, as the race outcome in Pennsylvania remained too close to call.
In Detroit earlier, Trump supporters marched to a ballot-counting center chanting "stop the count" before AP projected that Joe Biden would win Michigan.
Go deeper ... In photos: America on edge amid fears of election violence
Editor's note: This is a developing news story. Please check back for updates.
Transcripts show George Floyd told police "I can't breathe" over 20 times
Section2Newly released transcripts of bodycam footage from the Minneapolis Police Department show that George Floyd told officers he could not breathe more than 20 times in the moments leading up to his death.
Why it matters: Floyd's killing sparked a national wave of Black Lives Matter protests and an ongoing reckoning over systemic racism in the United States. The transcripts "offer one the most thorough and dramatic accounts" before Floyd's death, The New York Times writes.
The state of play: The transcripts were released as former officer Thomas Lane seeks to have the charges that he aided in Floyd's death thrown out in court, per the Times. He is one of four officers who have been charged.
- The filings also include a 60-page transcript of an interview with Lane. He said he "felt maybe that something was going on" when asked if he believed that Floyd was having a medical emergency at the time.
What the transcripts say:
- Floyd told the officers he was claustrophobic as they tried to get him into the squad car.
- The transcripts also show Floyd saying, "Momma, I love you. Tell my kids I love them. I'm dead."
- Former officer Derek Chauvin, who had his knee on Floyd's neck for over eight minutes, told Floyd, "Then stop talking, stop yelling, it takes a heck of a lot of oxygen to talk."
Read the transcripts via DocumentCloud.