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George Floyd's Death Resulting To Burning Police Department and Some Businesses Nearby; President Trump On Signing An Executive Order Against Social Media; President Trump On New Measures On China; France On Reopening Some Businesses; George Floyd's Death Spark Nationwide Outrage; President Trump Threaten to Intervene in Minneapolis; CDC Warns Coronavirus Will Claim More Lives; Latin America Reaps What They Sow. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired May 29, 2020 - 03:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[03:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NATALIE ALLEN, CNN ANCHOR: And we begin with breaking news, right now in the U.S. State of Minnesota where angry protests in the cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul have escalated into volatile scenes of fires, looting, tear gas, and pepper spray.

A police station and numerous other buildings are now in flames. The governor has called in the National Guard to try and restore order. It is a chaotic situation that has been building ever since an African- American man, George Floyd, died Monday in police custody after video showed an officer kneeling on his neck.

Protests are also underway in other cities across the United States. President Trump tweeted his disdain for the situation dismissing the protesters as thugs. And he took a swipe at the Minneapolis mayor, saying he would step in if the city did not get the violence under control. The Minneapolis mayor fired back a short time ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR JACOB FREY, MINNEAPOLIS: Donald Trump knows nothing about the strength of Minneapolis. We are strong as hell. Is this a difficult time period? Yes, but you better be damn sure that we're going to get through this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALLEN: One flash point behind the unrest is that no charges have yet been filed against the four police officers involved in George Floyd's death, although they have been fired.

CNN's Josh Campbell has been on the scene, all day. Here is his report.

There were a number of protesters that gathered outside this precinct, precinct three is the name, just not far from where the death of George Floyd occurred, which is when the African-American man, who that dramatic video that we showed before showed him on the ground with the police officer his knee on his neck. He later died.

That's obviously been the subject of a robust investigation by local officials as well as the FBI, but it's that incident that has now spark such outrage in this community leading to a number of protesters gathering outside this police station. What started as peaceful, then turned into very confrontational situation where you had protesters outside who were throwing rocks at the police station.

We did see a number of police officers on the roof who were returning fire not with lethal weapons but with tear gas. We ourselves were gassed at one point and had to move back. But they were trying to push people back from this police station, that continued to escalate through the night as night fell here in Minneapolis into the scene that you see on your TV there with flames, ravaging this building outside.

And protesters clearly unhappy with the police, clearly taking their frustration and outrage out on this police department. I think it's important to note also, that as we've been covering this and been there on the ground, there appeared to be different camps.

You have people that are just clearly focused on this criminal activity. They're trying to burn down this government building, but we've also seen protesters out there who are nonviolent that have been expressing their outrage at the death of this black man at the hands of the police.

[03:05:02]

ALLEN: There was more violence in neighboring Saint Paul. Our Miguel Marquez was on the scene there. Here is what he saw.

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Two more fires have started down university toward the state capital down there. I don't know if you can see that. But I want to show you what's happening here where protesters have been challenging police at this -- at this fire.

Several businesses including a Napa auto parts are on fire up here. A large group of protestors just came up. It looked like they had been marching perhaps downtown. And they came up. Very young protesters as well.

They have now moved towards police not realizing just how liberal they're being used they are with the use of mace, tear gas, pepper balls, and flash bang grenades. So, I'm guessing that police are shortly are going to try to disperse this crowd.

This is what we've seen the entire day with the crowds that are growing surging towards the police up here. And then when they deploy some of those non-lethal types of weapons, then the crowd then shrinks back.

And it's really gotten much, much bigger in the last few minutes. It's little unclear what police do -- I want to stop over here. Because this is an area, there's a large number of protesters here. You can see them shooting pepper balls here at those individuals.

Take a step back a second. We have another fire truck coming through here. It's not clear what direction they are headed. They're probably headed down to this -- I can see two, it appears to be two different fires about two blocks away towards the state capitol from where we are. And I assume where is that fire truck is headed right now.

The protestors on this other side of the street they have really been challenging the police. And this is where most of the activity has been today. These young protestors who have just showed up, I'm afraid there may be an effort by police to move them back using non-lethal means here very shortly.

ALLEN: It is very rare to see a police precinct set on fire in America.

CNN spoke with the Minneapolis fire chief earlier and he says it is frustrating to watch parts of his city burn.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN FRUETEL, CHIEF, MINNEAPOLIS FIRE DEPARTMENT: Yes. We have great community in Minneapolis. And to see, you know, the type of communities that have, you know, such a need for, you know, for groceries, for a sort to buy clothing and buy medications especially during a pandemic time and to see these structures that are being destroyed in a community that applied such an important service to, and they have such a need, that it is really extremely disappointing, and it's very frustrating.

But then, I would just hope that we can come to a point where we (Inaudible) this level of angst in this destructive action, just sort of just stops. I just, I really would like it to stop. Being -- I grew up in Minneapolis, a longtime resident of Minneapolis. So, you hate to see your city burn, and that's what -- it's really disappointing not only to me but all my firefighters and all my staff and everybody all of the rest of the city, it's very disappointing seeing all of this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALLEN: Dozens of people were arrested during demonstrations over Floyd's death in New York City. Authorities said nearly 40 people face charges ranging from obstruction to criminal possession of a weapon. Several police officers were injured as well, including one who suffered a possible concussion.

There were reports of shots fired in Louisville, Kentucky where outrage over Floyd's death combined with anger over a different shooting, an African- American woman named Breanna Taylor who was killed in a police raid in March.

And there were also demonstrations in other parts of the United States. In Phoenix, Arizona, Denver, Colorado, and Memphis, Tennessee.

There is much more ahead here. We'll check in with CNN's Brian Stelter about President Trump's incendiary tweets on the unrest in Minneapolis taking a direct target at the mayor, and the mayor reacted harshly. Much more ahead on our breaking news right after this.

[03:10:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ALLEN: U.S. President Donald Trump is weighing in on the unrest in Minnesota on Twitter. And here is his quote. "I can't stand back and watch this happen to a great American city, Minneapolis. A total lack of leadership. Either the very weak radical left Mayor, Jacob Frey, get his act together and bring the city under control, or I will send in the National Guard and get the job done right."

And then he added. "These thugs are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd and I won't let that happen." Mr. Trump went on. "Any difficulty and we will assume control but when the looting starts, the shooting starts."

That's a historical reference. And let's talk about it with our chief media correspondent, Brian Stelter there. Brian, harsh words from this president. And talk about what he had to say, and the tone.

BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: Obviously, incendiary words from the president. Not what you want to hear in a situation like this. It is reminiscent, in some ways, of Charlottesville. The day of the riots in Charlottesville when the city was very much still on edge and the president made a bad situation worse.

I fear that he is making a bad situation worse right now. I don't claim that the protesters who were in Minneapolis right now are monitoring everywhere the president says, that's certainly not the case. However, a lack of leadership is going to be a problem in the hours and days to come.

[03:15:02]

We know that cars are still being flipped over. We know that fires are still being set. We know windows are still being shattered here at 2.15 Central Time in Minneapolis. And so, a lack of leadership is a real concern.

Let me show you, Natalie, what we're seeing from some of the president's political rivals. For example, Symone Sanders, one of Joe Biden's aides and surrogates, saying on Twitter in response to the president, this is the President of the United States, threatening to shoot people in Minneapolis. Vote please. That's Symone Sanders message.

We're seeing others also condemning the president's rhetoric. And I have to say, though, even though this is disturbing as the president, not surprising to see from him given the playbook that he usually heads toward at a moment like this.

ALLEN: Right, Brian. One recalls when members of the militia went to the Michigan State House, upset about the pandemic lockdown, arm to the teeth, we didn't see the same incendiary rhetoric coming --

STELTER: Right.

ALLEN: -- from President Trump on that point. I want to play for you the response from Mayor Frey just about 45 minutes ago to President Trump's tweet.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FREY: Donald Trump knows nothing about the strength of Minneapolis. We are strong as hell. Is this the difficult time period? Yes. But you better be damn sure that we're going to get through this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALLEN: So, there you go. Very angry when he was read the tweet, he hadn't seen it yet during that press conference --

(CROSSTALK)

STELTER: He hadn't seen it, yes.

ALLEN: -- and that was his immediate response.

STELTER: I think your point about the armed protesters at state houses in several parts of this country are very important. It's very notable. Because what have we seen over the past few months? We've seen this rhetoric about reopening the country, we've seen these protesters, mostly Trump supporters showing up at state houses.

And now, all of this is unfolding as the pandemic still rages throughout the United States and much of the world.

One of the reporters for the Star Tribune there in Minneapolis took a photo of a graffiti on the wall near the burning third precinct. The graffiti says, two countries, one virus. I think that is exactly what we are seeing.

We are seeing the collision of one national emergency, the pandemic and a collision with another national emergency, which is this ongoing issue involving police violence and minority groups in this country who feel they are not safe in their own communities.

You see protesters out there wearing masks because of the pandemic, but also because of the threat of tear gas. It is almost a -- it's surreal, it's almost apocalyptic and I think for folks who are going to wake up and see this, they are going to -- they are not going to recognize necessarily what country this is.

It's once again going back to this gaping wound in American society that never quite seems to heal and always comes back to the forefront every so often.

ALLEN: Right. Gaping wound is right. And it's just, and it's a problem that goes on and on in this country. No one wants to see violence, but people are at a breaking point over this.

Brian Stelter for us live in New York. Brian, as always, I appreciate your perspective.

STELTER: Thank you.

ALLEN: We want to point you now to a new CNN special examining race relations and police brutality in the United States. It is called I Can't Breathe: Black Men Living and Dying in America. It airs Sunday evening at eight in New York. That's Monday at eight in the morning in Hong Kong right here, only here on CNN. We invite you to watch.

The protests we've been seeing in Minneapolis and other cities are of course happening in the middle of a devastating global pandemic, as Brian was just referencing. The coronavirus has now killed more than 101,000 people in the United States.

And as CNN's Nick Watt reports it is getting worse with new cases of the virus still increasing in many states.

NICK WATT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This morning in Montgomery Alabama, there were just two ICU beds unoccupied. COVID-19 cases have more than quadrupled in this county since reopening began across the state.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR STEVEN REED (D), MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA: We can't fast forward to the end of this movie. And we're trying to do right now and the way we approach this process and I think that's why we are seeing the spikes, not only in Montgomery, but also throughout Alabama.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATT: California today reporting its biggest ever daily uptick in new cases, 2,617. In every southern state, except Florida and Texas, new case counts are climbing. Nationally, ticking down slowly for now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CRYSTAL WATSON, SENIOR SCHOLAR, JOHNS HOPKINS CENTER FOR HEALTH SECURITY: As we reopen, if we relax too much and we don't take these physical distancing measures and take the precautions that we can, then we may see this start to go up again, not just in the fall, as there may be a fall wave, but in the next few weeks as well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[03:20:01]

WATT: The CDC posted a model predicting an uptick in hospital admissions around June 10th. It also issued new reopening guidelines for employers, let lots of fresh air in, no communal coffee pots, no handshakes, not even fist bumps.

And bad news today for a big event, the Boston marathon already moved to mid-September, now canceled. The Wisconsin state fair which usually draws over a million people, also just canceled.

New York City, still trying to make its mass transit a safe as possible. The city is not quite ready to reopen, but very close.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR BILL DE BLASIO (D-NY): I think it is time that New Yorker see their hard work rewarded.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATT: The hope between two and 400,000 New Yorkers could be back at work by maybe mid-June. Since mid-March, more than 40 million Americans have lost their jobs. That's one in four workers. And reopening won't be the end of that movie, either.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. ANDREW CUOMO (D-NY): You hear these corporations now talking about, well, we're going to take this opportunity to restructure. We are going to get lean. You know what that means? That means they are going to lay off workers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATT: California just recorded its highest number of new cases in a 24- hour period, 2,617. There is more testing, people have been out on the beaches when they shouldn't have been, there has been some protesting, there has also been reopening.

Interestingly, we heard from London Breed, the Mayor of San Francisco, we got in some granular detail about how she is going to open her city. Remember that is perhaps, one of the most cautious places in the country when it comes to preventing the spread of COVID.

So, mid-June, she is going to allow sports, no fans, religious services and summer camps. Mid-July, indoor dining and haircuts, mid- August, schools, that's good news, and gyms with some modifications.

Interestingly, she did not even give a date for when we're going to have fans back, watching sports, watching concerts in big venues altogether. No date.

ALLEN: A troubling trend in the COVID crisis is emerging in Latin America while much of the world is seeing a decline or leveling off of deaths and infections. Countries there are moving in the opposite direction.

Our Matt Rivers reports from Mexico City.

MATT RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: As the coronavirus sweeps around the world, the eye of this storm has landed on Latin America.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RIVERS: Describe the pandemic in Latin America?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's the epicenter of the pandemic now.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

RIVERS: Death rates in many Latin American countries are already on the rise. While the average seven-day death toll for the U.S., the U.K., and Italy are all headed down, in Brazil, Mexico, and Peru the death tolls are spiking.

So why Latin America, and why now? Start in Brazil with about 410,000 confirmed cases, the second highest in the world behind the U.S. President Jair Bolsonaro has all but ignored the virus threat and still attends large rallies, saying that the true problems are quarantine measures hurting the economy. Many disagree.

"The virus is everywhere," says this woman in Rio de Janeiro. "I only go out when it's absolutely necessary."

State governors have tried to make up for a lack of action at the federal level but it's been at best a patchwork response nationwide as massive COVID-19 cemeteries now dot the tropical landscape.

In Mexico, President Lopez Obrador also downplayed the threat early on, he since urge people to stay home but resisted implementing strict quarantine measures. And just two days ago, Mexico reported its largest single day increase in deaths.

But even swish shutdowns haven't helped everywhere. Cases have skyrocketed in Peru, even though it enacted a strict quarantine on March 16th. Streets there and across Latin America have remained full because simply put, people can't afford not to work.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LUIS GUILLERMO SOLIS, FORMER PRESIDENT OF COSTA RICA: It's a daily challenge. They don't have savings. They live in very inadequate quarters.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RIVERS: Poverty is rampant in many of the region's massive cities. Not only do people have to go out and earn a living, but at home, densely packed neighborhoods make social distancing all but impossible. It all adds up to a region starting to buckle under the weight of a global pandemic it is not equipped to fight.

Matt Rivers, CNN, Mexico City.

ALLEN: With the stroke of a pen and some stiff rhetoric, U.S. President Donald Trump announced he is cracking down on social media. We explain what his action means and why critics say he doesn't have the authority.

Also, the U.S. president is set to speak in the coming hours on China, and the world is waiting to see how hard a line he is going to take against the country for its latest action on Hong Kong.

[03:25:07]

We'll take you there, just ahead here.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ALLEN: Welcome back to our viewers here in the U.S. and around the world. I'm Natalie Allen. You are watching CNN Newsroom live from Atlanta.

And we want to go back now to our breaking news from the U.S. State of Minnesota. Chaos erupted in Minneapolis as thousands of protesters flooded the streets. A police precinct was torched, and there was looting. The mayor calls the actions unacceptable.

[03:30:00]

ALLEN: The outrage of course sparked over the death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man who died in police custody. The four officers involved have been fired but no charges have been filed.

CNN's Miguel Marquez takes a look at how it got to this point and a warning of video of Mr. Floyd's arrest is disturbing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A night of anger turns to rage. Protesters surrounding the Minneapolis Police Department's third precinct, businesses nearby looted and burned. It started with this, the arrest that left 46-year-old George Floyd dead.

ERICA MACDONALD, UNITED STATES ATTORNEY, MINNESOTA: Our nation has witnessed this incredibly and disturbing loss of life. My heart goes out to George Floyd. My heart goes out to his family.

MARQUEZ: The video runs more than seven minutes, Floyd into the ground, a knee to his neck, unable to move or breathe.

GEORGE FLOYD, DIED IN MINNEAPOLIS POLICE CUSTODY : Please, I can't breathe.

MARQUEZ: You can't see every vantage point but the video doesn't come close to what police initially described, that Floyd was resisting. Surveillance video obtained by CNN from a nearby restaurant also doesn't show him resisting arrest. Donald Williams witnessed Floyd's brutal arrest.

DONALD WILLIAMS, WITNESS TO GEORGE FLOYD'S DEATH: His blood coming out of his nose and I'm noticing it now at that point his eyes is turning a different color and somewhat his belly hurts which is pretty much your last bowel movement in your life. And so that's when I started, you know, pleading with the officers.

MARQUEZ: Courtney Ross was Floyd's girlfriend.

COURTNEY ROSS, GEORGE FLOYD'S GIRLFRIEND: This is nothing but an angel that was sent to us on earth. And we demonized him and we killed him. I just want to get on the phone and call my baby and hear his voice. He cannot die in vain. He can't. MARQUEZ: The four police officers now all fired, many calling for them

to face charges. The officer with his knee to Floyd's neck, Officer Derek Chauvin, had 18 complaints lodged against him. It's not clear what for. He was punished for two of them. Another of the officers was sued for excessive force in the past. That sue settled by the city.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you think that was murder?

MAYOR JACOB FREY, MINNEAPOLIS: I do.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You do?

FREY: I'm not a prosecutor but let me be clear, the arresting officer killed someone.

MARQUEZ: With businesses looted and burned overnight, Floyd's friends and family are pleading for justice and calm.

PHILONISE FLOYD, GEORGE FLOYD'S BROTHER: I want, you know, everybody to be peaceful right now, but people are torn and hurt because they're tired of seeing black men die.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALLEN: We want to turn now to another issue involving President Trump. He has carried out his threat to sign an executive order to reign in social media companies like Twitter. Mr. Trump is taking the action even though he has tweeted thousands of times to communicate directly with Americans whether what he is saying is factual, misleading or flat-out wrong. He blames the companies for censoring conservative views.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: As president, I'll not allow the American people to be bullied by these giant corporations and it's unfair and it's been very unfair. I think this -- if Twitter were not honorable, if you are going to have a guy like this to be your judge and jury, I think you shut it down as far as I'm concerned, but I'd have to go through a legal process to do that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How would you shutdown an American company?

TRUMP: I don't know. I'd have to ask the lawyers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALLEN: It's unclear whether the executive order could hold up in a court of law. Let's talk more about it with our business reporter, Hadas Gold. She joins me now from London. This could be an explosive issue involving this president, Hadas, because Twitter has been critical to his presidency.

HADAS GOLD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. I mean, this Donald Trump himself has credited social media, Twitter and Facebook, for example, as being one of the reasons he won in the election. But he and his allies have been complaining about what they say on social media buys for some time they've threatened actions like this, but this is finally happening. This is indirect retaliation to Twitter putting a fact- checking label on some of Trump's tweets about mail-in ballots.

They didn't take the tweets down. All they did was just add a link and they said providing more contexts, but this order essentially wants to change a 1996 law that means that social media platforms, Internet providers and the like are not responsible for what appears on their platforms. They are not to be treated like publishers.

This pretty much gives them immunity. Somebody can not sue them if something appears, for example, on Facebook and sue Facebook itself. Facebook is just the media.

[03:35:00]

Now, this would -- if this goes through, it would affect every Internet platform not just the social media companies that Trump wants to target.

Now, there have been a lot of talks for years about trying to regulate social media more. We see this happening for example here in Europe. France and Germany have some strict laws now when it comes to things like hate speech opinions on social media where the platforms have to take that sort of speech down in a matter of time.

But the way Trump is doing this is, a, unlikely to get bipartisan support. And also, it's going to run into some legal road blocks. First of all, these social media companies Internet providers will likely challenge these in court and actually say that they are -- the government is trying to infringe on their first amendment rights because the government can not infringe based on the first amendment on what you want to say.

But ironically, also I would like to point out, this could likely actually make it -- more likely the companies will sensor content. Because in order to protect themselves, they might just take content down in order to not face lawsuits or anything like this.

Also ironically, Donald Trump by actually putting this order though -- if it goes through, could actually cause more censorship which seems to be the opposite of what he wants.

ALLEN: All right, Hadas Gold. It is a story that is unfolding. We will continue to follow the next development. Thank you. Next here, the U.S. President is set to speak in the coming hours and the world is waiting to see how hard aligned he's going take against China for its latest action on Hongkong. We'll go live there in just a moment.

[03:40:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ALLEN: U.S. President Trump is expected in the coming hours to slap new measures on China. They come amid his flurry of accusations suggesting that China was responsible for letting the coronavirus outbreak become a pandemic and maybe even caused it.

It also follows the Chinese Parliament approval on Thursday to go ahead with the controversial security law for Hong Kong that critics say would threaten the city's autonomy.

For it's part, China has just announced, "it will take necessary counter measures," that's in quote, in response to what it describes as foreign meddling in Hong Kong affairs.

CNN's Kristie Lu Stout standing by for us in Hong Kong to give perspective. This is a situation that is moving forward with nobody really knows what's going to happen here but it's moving forward very quickly.

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Moving forward quickly and on multiple fronts. International pressure is being applied on Beijing, but the pressure point is Hong Kong.

And all eyes right now on the United States and what is going to be U.S. President Donald Trump's next move especially after the U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made that declaration to Congress saying that Hong Kong is no longer autonomous, thus, opening the door to significant U.S. action against China and Hong Kong in one form, perhaps revoking the special trade status of Hong Kong which would jeopardize billions of dollars with the trade between the U.S. Hong Kong and also undermined the status of this international financial hub.

Also, all eyes on the U.K. where the British government is considering a citizenship pass for 300 Hong Kong residents unless China scraps the National Security Law.

Earlier today, the embattled top leader of Hong Kong, Carrie Lam, with supports this legislation of course, she issued this letter which just published in newspapers all across the territory with the exception of the pro-democracy app (ph) daily newspaper, which she urged and made an appeal to Hong Kongers to accept this legislation now that it's passed. And she also condemned external forces.

This is what she says, quote, "external forces have intensified their interference in Hong Kong's internal affairs, passed laws relating to Hong Kong and flagrantly glorified the illegal acts of radicals all of which seriously jeopardized our nation's sovereignty, security and development interests. Hong Kong has become a gaping hole in national security, and our city's prosperity and stability are at risk."

Now, Beijing is currently hashing out the details of the national security law in the weeks ahead. Beijing believes the law is necessary to fill a gaping security hole. It points to the unrest of violent clashes of the Hong Kong protest. Chinese officials view the Hong Kong protests as a direct challenge to its sovereignty. Natalie?

ALLEN: All right. Kristie Lu Stout. Again, the president speaking out on this in the coming hours. Thank you.

Now, we want to bring you an update on a story involving President Trump of a few moments ago. Earlier we told you how he weighed in on the unrest in Minnesota. On Twitter, he had this to say about the protest. Here is his tweet, these thugs are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd, and I won't let that happen. Mr. Trump went on, any difficulty and we will assume control, but when the looting starts, the shooting starts.

And it looks like Twitter took note, which of course something Twitter is starting to do when it deems a tweet by the president is not factual. This is what they said, a short time ago with flag of that tweet same, quote, "this tweet violated the Twitter rules about glorifying violence. However, Twitter has determined that it may be in the public's interest for the tweet to remain accessible."

[03:45:02]

We'll have more in the coming hour. That is from Twitter. You're watching CNN Newsroom. Next here, it is back to school for some students in England. We go live to London as part of the U.K prepares for further easing.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ALLEN: England is going ahead with further easing of restrictions as coronavirus cases there continued to decline, U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson saying nurseries and some schools could reopen beginning Monday.

[03:50:05]

And groups of up to six people will be allowed to meet outdoors while socially distancing. Scotland also easing some of its restrictions for the first time as well.

Let's go now to Nic Robertson joining us from London. He's following these developments for us. Hello, Nic.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes. Hello Natalie. Well we heard from the governments' chief scientific adviser, chief medical officer yesterday saying that the odd number in the U.K. is between 0.7 and 0.9. Although in some areas, they say it's placed to one where one person can reinfect another one person, which is a sort of breakout point, if you, will for the virus to go ahead and expand at concerning levels.

The prime minister had said on the basis of this and other facts that some of this lockdown easing can begin. And I think the thing that people in the U.K. were most hopeful for was this getting together in groups. Six people now able to meet in gardens, this is a breakthrough. Until now, it was just two people who could meet today in open space but not in garden.

So, this is something people in the U.K. have been looking forward to. However, some of the other statistics presented showed just how tenuous this sort of situation is with the scale of coronavirus still in the U.K. There are about 8,000 people infected every day, we're told; 0.24 percent of the population are infected at the moment. So, these are still significant numbers.

The government also saying that about one in 15 people in the U.K, they assess, have now had the coronavirus. But all of this leads to concerns by some groups, some scientists and other organizations to say that perhaps these easing of lockdowns are coming a little too soon.

The government's test and trace program isn't fully up and running yet and they're concerned with this meeting of people, if the social distancing isn't maintained, because meeting in the gardens, meeting in the fields, they would a barbecue together with six people, the instructions are maintained the two-meter social distancing.

But the reality and the concern is if that doesn't happen then the country is still primed for an increase in the spread of the coronavirus. So, while many people welcome this, there's still a lot of concern about it. Natalie.

ALLEN: All right, Nic Robertson there in London. Now, we turn to France. Restaurants and bars are getting ready to reopen next week but with restrictions in areas categorized as green, businesses will be allowed to fully reopen. Those in the orange zone, however, will only be able to serve customers outside. Masks will be required for everyone and room will be limited regardless of zone.

For more about it let's go to CNNs Melissa Bell. She joins me live from Paris. Good morning to you, Melissa.

MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Natalie. We had already seen here this easing of the restrictions but with France very much cut in two, you say that red zone and that green zone that changes from Tuesday. That was the announcement from the French prime minister yesterday. What happens now is that France becomes practically all green apart from two overseas territories and here around Paris.

The Ile-de-France, which remains orange, so more restrictions here, but what you will from Tuesday is a real return to French life, although many businesses, shops for instance have reopened. Bars, cafes and restaurants remained closed. From next Tuesday, they'll be open all over the country here in Paris. Only the terraces will be open but it will be an important return for France to something like normality.

And this, as the figures continued to improve, Natalie, what we're seeing is when you consider the height of the crisis about six weeks ago, the number of people in ICUs was more than 7,000 and that's when the system was really stretched practically to breaking point. Now we're at fewer than 1500. So, steady progress is being made, hence, the latest announcement on the further lifting of restrictions.

ALLEN: All right, Melissa Bell, we'll be watching how France evolves in its colored zones this coming week. Melissa, thank you.

That is our first hour, I'm Natalie Allen. I invite you to follow me on social media. I'll be right back with the latest on the unrest in Minneapolis and the coronavirus. Please stay with us. [03:55:00]

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ALLEN: And welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm Natalie Allen coming to you live from Atlanta.

And we begin with the explosion of anger over the death of George Floyd, a black American in police custody in Minnesota. While many protesters, they were peaceful, this one was not.

This is the Minneapolis Police Department third precinct building going up in flames. The officer who placed his knee on Floyd's neck last Monday and held it there until he died worked out of this precinct here.

St. Paul Police say more than 170 businesses were damaged or looted Thursday night. Tear gas, pepper spray and rubber bullets were deployed against demonstrators in both cities. Now, the Minnesota National Guard is deploying 500 soldiers to the area. No charges have been filed against the officers.

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