now on bbc news, panorama. the death of george floyd at the hands of the minneapolis police.... chanting: black lives matter! ..has sparked america's biggest series of protests over race in a generation. ..highlighting once again the deep divide between black and white. we don't want no more police! with violent scenes — and police forces seemingly out of control. get in the house! the protests have gone global, spreading to britain. it's racism against the world. and if you're not with us, you're against us. and if you're not with us, you're racist. after reporting from america

for almost 25 years, on tonight's panorama, i'll be asking — could all the soul—searching now lead to change? could george floyd's death finally force america to confront the scourge of racism within? please. i can't breathe, officer. so today, we will be in the front of the march. and we're not here to be hostile, we're only here to be supporting the march, really. but if anything do pop off, we want to make sure they know we're here to stand, all right? it's come to this. a major american city, where ordinary citizens have taken it upon themselves to police their own streets. this is minneapolis, in the heart of the mid west. many african americans here don't

trust the city's police. thanks for holding it down for the city, man. thanks for holding it down for the city. tyrone hartwell helps run this group — the minnesota freedom riders. it was set up days after the death of george floyd. dozens of people wanted to join. we have a ground team that respond and we have an air team, just to make sure that we're all secure and all protected. we just want to make sure our people are safe. today, they're patrolling a march commemorating george floyd's death. the freedom riders say they're afraid for their community. hey, brother, you gotta go out. thank you. some black—owned businesses in their neighbourhoods were attacked during the unrest after the killing. and the freedom riders

believe it was caused by white supremacists — though that hasn't been proved. we all came together and said, "listen, we're not going to allow this in our community. other minority groups in minneapolis — latinos, native americans — they have informal patrols too. they've all lost faith in the police. we've allowed them to do theirjobs for years and every time we allow them to do theirjobs, another black man is dead. and not just a black man or black children or black women, we as a race, it's like the war is against us. the open carrying of weapons — handguns, semi—automatic rifles — is legal here, as it is in so many other parts of america. not everyone in their neighbourhood approves, but the freedom riders insist they're here to stay. i used to think that people would feel some type of way seeing us with big rifles. but a lot people have warmed up to it, a lot of people are like, "hey, thank you for being a part of the community, thank you for protecting us".

protester: george floyd! we are lost, we are lost and i'm not saying "we", us as a race, but us as a people, us as a world. we've got to understand that we are a human race before we are a colour. these are people who say they have no option but to defend themselves, a consequence of events one warm monday evening exactly three weeks ago. what's his name? george floyd! george floyd's death that day in minneapolis, caught on camera, is a very public record of police inhumanity. with the help of people from the neighbourhood where he died, we've pieced together what happened. and it all started here at the cup foods grocery store. george came in our establishment maybe once or twice a week. george was a very

bigger sized person. so he was an intimidating individual, but he was a very nice person. mahmoud abumayyaleh is the owner of the store, but wasn't there on the evening of may 25th when it's alleged george floyd and two friends attempted to pay for cigarettes with counterfeit 20—dollar bills. after mr floyd left the establishment, that's when the authorities were called. here, across the road from the store, two shop assistants can be seen challenging the group. they call the police, claiming floyd is drunk. later, it was discovered he had taken drugs. these cctv images from rashad west's restaurant then capture the police arriving. so, from what i see, they're just talking

through it with the people. to me they'rejust like, "0k, let's hurry this up "and get this situation under control or handled", so they can carry on with their day. another driver pulls up and films what happens next. george floyd is singled out, we don't know why, with two officers pulling him out of the driver's seat and handcuffing him. he's then led across the road to a police car where officer derek chauvin and a colleague are waiting. what happens next is very distressing to watch. donald williams was there and witnessed it all. once i pulled up to the store, you know, iseen, erm, two... two or three police cars. i was like "uh, police are up here, must be something's going on."

a prosecutor's report said george floyd told police he was claustrophobic, so didn't want to get into the car. but there's a struggle with the officers and he somehow ends up on the other side of the vehicle, on the ground. floyd: please. please! please, i can't breathe! please, man, please! one eyewitness films while crossing the road. the footage reveals derek chauvin and two other officers pinning floyd to the ground, applying pressure to his neck, chest and legs. floyd: i can't breathe, officer! they will kill me! they will kill me, man! i noticed the position of how his knee is on george floyd's neck, that it's actually cutting off

the circulation of his breathing so he actually can't breathe. you're a tough guy, you're a tough guy, huh? he's not even resisting arrest. his whole nose is bleeding. they're, you know, verbally, you know... verbally addressing him, verbally abusing him, he ain't doing nothing. why don't you just put him in the car? the officer, he looked at me in my eyes, he had no feeling, no heart, no nothing. floyd: i can't breathe, i can't breathe. interaction with the police to what i was seeing about a man struggling or fighting with the cops and then getting killed. i was like, the two scenarios don't match up. like a ju—jitsu move, bro, you're trapping his breathing right there, bro. right, you don't think that's what it is, bro? once i said he was doing a blood choke, he just looked at me in my face and he put his head back

down, he continued to do what he was doing. derek chauvin keeps his knee on george floyd's neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds. in minneapolis, officers were permitted to use neck restraints, but only if the suspect is actively resisting arrest. it's clear that wasn't the case with george floyd, who's handcuffed and says he can't breathe 16 times. it doesn't make sense. if you were to look at the video, you can see it for yourself. because it's. .. it's just so unjust. it's sickening. there are several people watching now. some are filming. despite this, derek chauvin continued to keep his knee pressed down on george floyd, even after they call for an ambulance. police scanner: ems required — code 2. he's bleeding from his mouth. copy. get off of his neck!

why are you still on him? a paramedic arrives and takes george floyd's pulse. he is now unconscious. completely unresponsive. but chauvin continues the neck restraint for another minute. you just gonna let him keep his hand on his neck, bro? right. he's black, they don't care. an hour later, in hospital, george floyd is pronounced dead. i can't do nothing but grieve for george floyd and his family at this moment and let the world know his story and the unjustice that we have in this country towards african americans. the world needs to understand what's really going on. i think if myself or one of the owners were here, we wouldn't have had

to call the authorities. and calling the police on someone shouldn't equate to a death sentence. minneapolis police has sacked all four officers. derek chauvin has been charged with second degree murder. three other officers have been charged with aiding and abetting murder. george floyd's death is all the more shocking because it isjust the latest in an endless line of lives taken by violent cops. it is part of the black experience, an american tragedy. how best to bring change? the protests for justice after george floyd's death are the biggest in half a century. in minneapolis and elsewhere, the first few nights turned violent. and the police responded. a curfew was announced, and the national guard deployed with the police.

police: get inside. light them up! woman screams peace may now have returned to the city, but the protests continue. fanta diallo was a university student until last year. racism in minnesota is subtle. it's micro—aggressions and "where are you from"? in the two weeks after george floyd's death, she went to protests every day. and now she and her friends arejoining another. protesters: we are gun dying! say it like you mean it — we are gun dying. it's now a grim ritual — the banner waving and calls forjustice, an all too familiar scene in a land where some lives have always been cheaper than others.

the reason it hit the way it did was because george floyd died. and the thing is, this happens so many times. there are so many george floyds who don't die. and we're alljust like "whatever" about it. but we shouldn't even get to the point where a life is taken or where a police officer has their knee on the neck of someone. all chant: hey hey, ho ho, these killer cops have got to go! shut it down! it's a really weird experience to be in a crowd of people and have to yell that black lives matter when you're black. because you're begging, you're literally begging, systems to believe that your life matters.

i wanna take main street, basically. that would be dope. but we gotta cross the bridge, though. george floyd's death's been the catalyst for so many people to become activists. former pro basketball player royce white has organised some of minneapolis‘ biggest protests. when the video first came out, i was obviously angered, but as the days followed, it changed. it went from being, you know, outrage to being actionable, that something had to be done. we proved that we can protest in peace, despite all the stories that they've shown on the news. soon after contacting other former players, royce was leading many hundreds of people on a protest... down a highway. we need of kind to transform the police department from the inside. we're absolutely going to keep marching. there's no reason why we can't march out onto a freeway and stop it if we want to.

you're stopping other citizens from going about their daily life. your life should be interrupted, because his is over. we don't think that this george floyd thing is over by a long shot. and through the nation's turmoil, what of its leader? i am your president of law and order. donald trump declared it a security crisis, raising the stakes with his demand that state governors dominate violent protesters. he conjured few words to salve racial wounds. if a city or state refuses to take the actions that are necessary to defend the life and property of their residents, then i will deploy the united states military and quickly solve the problem for them.

and in washington dc, a crowd of peaceful protesters near the white house was forcibly dispersed, allowing mr trump to make his way to a church for a photo opportunity. it was a damning moment, not only for his presidency. it is an image that will last for a long time in american history. you have a president who has not been working to bring more americans together, and infact, dilute the flames around division, but about stoking those flames. the tragedy of george floyd's life and death is that it reflected the misfortune of a disproportionate number of black americans. he'd been successful in houston's hip hop scene,

but spent time in prison for armed robbery and drug offences before moving to minneapolis to start a new life. but the recent lockdown meant he lost his job as a bouncer at a restaurant. at his memorial service, leading civil rights figures lamented black society's continued failure to be allowed to enjoy the american dream. what happened to floyd happens every day in every area of american life. it's time for us to stand up in george's name and say, "get your knee off our necks". but is america finally listening? many blue chip companies have come out in support of the protests.

the american football league, the nfl, has apologised for not listening to players who were protesting about racism. and the multi billion dollar stock car championships, nascar, has banned the flying of the confederate flag at race meetings — seen by many as a symbol of america's slave past. i was gobsmacked that nascar said no more waving confederate flags. it's amazing. you know, corporate america is behaving differently. if you had asked me if, if so many of these corporations would come out and say black lives matter, two months ago i would have said you're nuts. but there is one section of society that protesters say needs the most fundamental of overhauls — policing. donald williams, who tried

to intervene on the day george floyd died, says many african americans are simply tired of the everyday racism they face at the hands of the police. i'm telling my son this since he was a young kid so he can understand. when it comes to the police, we talk a lot about understanding that he's a black male and that you are targeted as a black male, that you are not considered a human being. america's police developed from the patrols that captured runaway slaves. it's the police that enforced segregation. they were the personification of white supremacy. and still today, african americans are two and a half times more likely to die at the hands of a cop than whites. for too long, some forces have considered themselves separate from the communities they serve — somehow for the people, but not of the people.

i always said that most of the cops that minneapolis hire, the first time they saw a black person was on tv. eric lukes served in the minneapolis police for 28 years until 2016. the other black officers, we knew about racism, we talked about racism. the white counterparts, some of ‘em don't believe it existed. you know, they believed that there's no racism on the... on the police department. you know. they swept it under the table. he's got no doubt the events of that day should not have happened. i've used that knee on the neck several times. i've used that technique basically as resisting arrest — you've gotta handcuff somebody. the training is, control the head, you control the body. but eight minutes and 46 seconds, that's the big issue.

the officer who knelt on george floyd's neck had faced 18 misconduct complaints in a 19 year career. the last police chief of minneapolis says she and others tried hard to transform the force, but powerful police unions resisted change. when you have union leadership who frankly have so many tools at their disposal to help officers get theirjobs back, they actually end up having more influence over culture than a police chief ever will. she wants national guidelines, better training and a reduction of union power. frankly, i would have a line of officers and say, "i first and foremost need you to denounce the actions of the officers that killed george floyd. if you can do that, you go here. if not, turn in your badge, you go there". i'm ok with that. the city council now says it wants to dismantle this 800—strong force,

with money diverted to mental health and other services. a so—called "community—led public safety system" is proposed. do you believe this could be a turning point, notjust in policing, but the debate over racism in america? i do. the right people are having conversations and understanding that this is not the black and brown issue to fix. this is for the rest of us who have power that should be making those changes. it is a fact of life that when you think about it, while racism is a black issue, it's actually a white problem. good morning, wisconsin, you're listening to news radio 620, wtmj, i'm charlie skyes. charlie sykes is a dyed in the wool conservative and republican, though not a supporter of donald trump. i first met him four years ago. and now after george floyd's death, his outlook on the police

has been transformed. i mean, i have been stopped by the police for a variety of things, you know. mainly, you know things like, you know, not having my tail light on, or speeding. i never once thought the police officer was going to throw me to the ground and handcuff me. did you need to see it, charlie? did you need this kind of thing to perhaps make you understand what african americans have been talking about for decade after decade after decade? unfortunately, yes, yes, i did. if you're a white american, you might think, "ok, this happens, but it's random, it's a few bad apples here and there". but i think what you've been seeing over the last couple of weeks is the, the recognition that it's not just a few bad apples. it is systemic, it's incredibly widespread and that, that this, you know, this situation, in fact, we've been in denial on it. what has been so striking and unprecedented about

the george floyd protests is the number of white americans taking to the streets. people who saw him die, and now feel moved to act. i think back to the ‘80s. my friends were dating black men. and it was like, "race doesn't matter any more". and i was so pleased with us and thought we had really solved this big problem. penny sitz lives in one of minneapolis's comfortable suburbs. what has surprised me in the past week has been seeing how widespread the abuse is and the brutality is. this is something i had no idea about. i knew it happened in a few big cities. but i did not think it was as widespread as it is. protesters: people united will never be defeated. two weeks ago, for the first time in her life, shejoined a protest with herfamily. there was no good reason not to stand up for this.

it is the time to speak out. i feel like, just like we learnt with these police officers, that silence is complicit. i feel like my silence is complicit. she and her daughter proclaim their allegiance. but for penny, that's not enough — she now agrees policing needs an overhaul. we absolutely cannot go back to just doing things the way we have done them and say that we need more training. it is not about more training, because it doesn't happen to white men. it doesn't happen to white men. why wouldn't it happen to white men? not everyone in minneapolis agrees. mike lehman once stood locally for the republican party. i do not believe minneapolis has a racism problem. i believe a few individuals in the police department may have biases, but i don't know with everything that's been going on.

er, maybe he reacted stronger to george floyd because he was black than he would've otherwise. but, er, i can't see it as a racial thing. he believes the officer did use excessive force, but he's most worried about the looting and rioting that accompanied some protests. the destruction was... was ridiculous. i mean, it makes no sense. we're gonna turn down and burn down and loot and all this to all our businesses? he supports president trump's call to deploy the military to restore law and order. i mean, the president had to take action. he threatened it and then suddenly the national guard showed up in force. they weren't enforcing anything to begin with, i mean, they werejust going to let it go. then after more burning and looting they sent in more national guard,

then it became under control. but mike lehman's views now represent a minority in america. polls suggest most people believe police forces do have systemic problems with racial bias. even conservatives who have been consistently pro—police in their rhetoric, i think, are taken aback by this. and they're willing to rethink a lot of things we might have thought and said in the past. you now also have large majorities of americans, particularly college—educated white americans, who say racial matters and division is going to play a major part in how they vote this coming november, right? so racism and division is going to be on the ballot in america this november. that's what this movement has meant, that's what this movement has done. george floyd's brutal death held up a mirror to this country —

and most americans didn't like what they saw. it spoke to black people as the most compelling of cries for equality. and it spoke to white america too, imploring people not to look away, to face the legacy of racism this country endures. if lasting change does come, it will be because of one man's death — which, in eight minutes and 46 seconds, raised hopes of bridging a racial divide.

this is bbc news. welcome if you're watching here in the uk, on pbs in america or around the globe. i'm lewis vaughan jones. our top stories: president trump's attempt to make it easier to deport young immigrants fails in the supreme court. the news is welcomed by the so—called dreamers — those who came to the us as children. i have cried, i think, many more times in the past four years than in my whole life. australia's prime minister says his country is being targeted in a major cyber attack. frontline medical staff across the world take to the streets, angry at the lack of protection in the battle against covid—i9.