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Protests and Anger Grows Over George Floyd's Death Under Police Custody; Floyd Protests Hark Back to 1968 U.S. Civil Unrest; President Trump Threatens Military Force if Violence Isn't Stopped; Corporate Community Donating to Fight Racism in United States; China Calls Racial Discrimination in the U.S. a "Social Ill," Adding "Black Lives Matter" and Human Rights Should be Protected; Young Sports Stars Speak Out After George Floyd's Death; Moments of Light Amid a Week of Chaos; Looters Take Advantage of the Chaos; Curfews Fell on Deaf Ears; Police Makes Way for POTUS' Photo-Op; Police Chief Kicked Out Over Protestor's Death; Story Repeats Itself. Aired 3-4a ET
Aired June 02, 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)
JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from here in the United States and around the world. Just around three a.m. on the West Coast.
I'm John Vause.
NATALIE ALLEN, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Natalie Allen. We appreciate you being with us.
VAUSE: Right now, major cities across the U.S. are under curfew orders, but the protests, violence, and looting has continued well into the night.
And the U.S. president has warned if state governors cannot restore calm then he will order troops to do so.
ALLEN: From New York to California demonstrators are out on the street again, asking for justice in the tragic death of George Floyd, the unarmed black man allegedly at the hands of police in Minneapolis.
But as the U.S. hurts, protesters are violating curfews to make their voices heard. Some of the most extraordinary scenes we're seeing are unfolding in the U.S. capital itself. Take a look at this.
Military helicopters hovering over protests earlier in Washington. Right over them as you can see. They were patrolling the skies, trying to disperse the crowds. And, just hours before we saw the United States in a new way. Police fired tear gas on peaceful protests outside the White House, all so Donald Trump could stage a photo-op.
Dana Bash has more about it.
DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Demonstrations at Lafayette Park across from the White House peaceful until this.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: And all of a sudden, they're eyeball to eyeball.
BASH: Law enforcement in riot gear approached barrier. Protesters on the other side hands up in the air chanting, don't shoot. But that's exactly what they did, shooting tear gas and rubber bullets. These horrifying sounds heard in the White House Rose Garden where the president starts to speak.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: I am your president of law and order, and an ally of all peaceful protesters.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: The real-time split screen tells a different story. Peaceful protesters forcibly moved. The president mostly sidestepped the frustration and despair triggered by George Floyd's death at the knee of a white police officer. Instead, condemning violence in cities across the country.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: These are acts of domestic terror, the destruction of innocent life, and this spilling of innocent blood is an offense to humanity, and a crime against God. America needs creation not destruction.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: And a warning to governors and mayors where protests are erupting. Not coincidentally, largely run by Democrats.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: 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.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: Then, the reason peaceful protesters were forcibly moved became more clear. To make way for the president to stage a photo-op.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Now I'm going to pay my respects to a very, very special place. Thank you very much.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: A walk across the street for the cameras, aides in tow through Lafayette Park. Destination, historic St. John's Church where presidents have prayed since James Madison. But this president did not come to pray. A fire damage part of it the night before, a useful backdrop.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: We have a great country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: He didn't use many words, but they weren't necessary. The image holding up a bible in front of that church was what he wanted to convey. Inviting up staff, all white, perhaps not part of the script he intended but a stark visual nonetheless.
VAUSE: Our thanks to Dana Bash for that report. Now religious leaders from various faiths have all condemned the U.S. president for that photo-op in front of St. John's Episcopal.
My colleague Anderson Cooper spoke earlier to the bishop of the episcopal diocese in Washington.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARIANN EDGAR BUDDE, BISHOP, EPISCOPAL DIOCESE OF WASHINGTON: Let me be clear, the president just used a bible, and a sacred text of the Judeo Christian tradition and one of the churches of my diocese without permission as a backdrop for a message antithetical to the teachings of Jesus, and everything that our churches stand for.
And to do so, as you just said, he, thanks to the use of tear gas by police officers in riot gear to clear the churchyard. I am outraged. The president did not pray when he came to St. John's, nor as you just articulated, did he acknowledge the agony of our country right now.
[03:04:52]
And in particular, that of the people of color in our nation who wonder if anyone ever, anyone in public power will ever acknowledge their sacred words and who are rightfully demanding an end of 400 years of systemic racism and white supremacy in our country.
And I just want the world to know that we in the diocese of Washington, following Jesus in his way of love, do not, we distance ourselves, from the incendiary language of this president. We follow someone who lived a life of non-violence, and sacrificial love.
We align ourselves with those seeking justice for the death of George Floyd and countless others through the sacred act of peaceful protests. And I -- I just can't believe what my eyes have seen tonight.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: You had no idea he was going to do that?
BUDDE: I have no idea. I was -- I was watching the news with everyone else, and as you might imagine, I have been filling out just phone calls and e-mails and texts of outrage from my people and from people across the country wondering what on earth did we just witnessed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: And the head of the National Episcopal Church, Bishop Michael Curry issued a statement which read in part. This evening, the President of the United States stood in front of St. John's Episcopal Church lifted up a bible and had pictures of himself taken. In so doing, he used a church building and the Holy Bible for partisan and political purposes. This was done in a time of deep hurt and pain in our country, and his action did nothing to help us or to heal us.
ALLEN: An independent autopsy and a local county medical examiner both agree George Floyd's death was a homicide, but they differ on what caused it.
CNN's Sara Sidner is in Minnesota.
SARA SIDNER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: George Floyd died of asphyxiation. That is according to a private autopsy obtained by George Floyd's family. Results that are in contrast with the Minnesota medical examiner's preliminary report.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There is no evidence of traumatic asphyxia. This is the point in which we do disagree.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TERRENCE FLOYD, GEORGE FLOYD'S BROTHER: Hear my brother's name (Inaudible).
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SIDNER: This, as Terrence Floyd visited the site of his brother's death for the first time, calling for calm.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FLOYD: If I'm not over here messing up my community, what do you all are doing? What are you all doing? You are doing nothing.
(CROWD CHANTING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SIDNER: Demands for justice are expanding across the country. Still, just one of the four Minnesota police officers fired after Floyd's death has been charged.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MEDARIA ARRADONDO, CHIEF, MINNEAPOLIS POLICE DEPARTMENT: In my mind, this was a violation of humanity.
SIDNER: The Minneapolis police chief took a knee in solidarity with demonstrators Sunday, calling out his own officers for not intervening as Floyd struggle to breathe. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARRADONDO: To the Floyd family, being silent or not intervening, to me, you're complicit.
KEITH ELLISON, ATTORNEY GENERAL, MINNESOTA: I'm in charge of the prosecution, and helping work on the investigation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SIDNER: The state's Attorney General, Keith Ellison is now assigned to prosecute the case against Derek Chauvin, the officer who kneel down on Floyd's neck.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can't breathe.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SIDNER: The clear video evidence Ellison telling SiriusXM Radio is not necessarily enough for a murder conviction.
(BEGIN VOICE CLIP)
ELLISON: I don't deny that your eyes are working well and you saw what you saw. But that doesn't mean that when we get to a courtroom that it's going to be some sort of easy slam dunk. History proves that it isn't.
(END VOICE CLIP)
SIDNER: But pressure is mounting. Protests continue nationwide today, pleading for drastic changes in America's law enforcement.
Over the weekend, demonstrations were reported in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. And in more than half the country, the National Guard has been called in to keep the peace.
A slew of video is now emerging showing a semi-driving through protesters at Minneapolis at some 70 miles per hour, according to police. No one though was seriously injured. Just one of several similar incidents in Minnesota and New York.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CANDACE LEWIS, MINNEAPOLIS DEMONSTRATOR: I knew I was in Ground Zero. I knew I was in danger potentially, but we kept walking. We kept marching.
SIDNER: When you see Ground Zero, that is a term used in war. Is that what it feels like here?
LEWIS: It kind of does.
(END VIDEO CLIP) SIDNER: As Americans nears a full-week of unwavering unrest, peaceful protesters and police are also kneeling together. Marching together, and embracing.
VAUSE: Our thanks to Sara Sidner for that report.
Now the city that never sleeps has been under curfew for about four hours now, but that 11 p.m. order to clear New York streets did not deter looting and vandalism which has been widespread across Manhattan. We're hearing there are dozens of arrests so far.
Shimon Prokupecz shows us the latest with the situation.
[03:09:57]
SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN CRIME AND JUSTICE REPORTER: For the last several hours, all you could hear in the city are police cars racing to the different scenes where this looting is taking place. And it's not that the police are outnumbered, but it's really in some ways, just sheer chaos. I've never experienced anything like this.
I was talking to someone earlier here who said that he hasn't seen anything like this since the '77 blackout. That's how widespread some of this looting is. Everywhere from of the upper east side to lower Manhattan.
We ourselves caught images of people looting a store. And what I'm seeing and from what I can tell it's a very organized effort. I've seen people walking with duffel bags, like duffel bags that they brought with them to Manhattan, where they've stuffed items that they've looted from different stores.
I'm behind Macy's here, this is the famous Macy's here on Harold Square 34th Street, it was boarded up to protect it from looters, they got inside. Police actually chased the looters in there and they arrested five of them.
And you still see, there's a curfew here at 11 o'clock. There are people still on the street walking. No one has been arrested for violating the curfew, and that could be because the police are dealing with all the looters. And that is what is taking up a lot of their time.
A source also told me there what he described as tons of arrest. And they are dealing with a pretty chaotic situation. It has been quiet now. I'm not hearing the same sirens that I was hearing earlier.
ALLEN: So how do you get the situation across the country under control when it comes to the violence and the looting? How can you -- the U.S. find peace and justice amid scenes like this? We'll talk with our guest about that ahead.
[03:15:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) ALLEN: As the United States boils over with rage after the killing of George Floyd, we're following another police killing in Louisville, Kentucky. The city's police chief has been fired after a black protester was shot and killed early Monday morning. The two police officers involved in the shooting did not have their body cameras turned on.
VAUSE: Regular vantage seems in Louisville. Now, David McAtee, the owner of the Louisville barbeque restaurant was killed in what officials described an exchange of gunfire between police and protesters demanding justice for George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.
ALLEN: Another very sad and tragic outcome of where we're at right now. Let's bring in politics and pop culture journalist Jarrett Hill, joining me live from L.A. Jarrett, good to see you. Thanks for coming on.
JARRETT HILL, POLITICS & POP CULTURE JOURNALIST: Of course. Thanks for having me.
ALLEN: We just said, there are protests in all 50 states now seven days on. Are you more heartened by the outpouring from the American people, or disheartened by what we're seeing with all the noise surrounding it? Some of it not pleasant with the police.
HILL: Absolutely. I would say it's a very mixed bag to be quite honest with you, Natalie, because, you know, it's very nice to see how many people are turning out and how sustained these protests have been that really show that there is a lot of movement in this. And especially when we're looking at companies and brands, they're also coming out and speaking in addition to just people and celebrities in Hollywood.
But it's also disheartening because we see the President of the United States coming out on a day like today where, you know, he came out and spoke in a manner that did not p bring people together. That was not about speaking to the issue in a moment when black people are just asking to be treated well, right? To just to be treated like full human beings.
The response was not yes, we want to -- we want to work on being better. The response was we will be bringing the military out just to quite you. That's not an encouraging message, so it's definitely a mixed bag.
ALLEN: Right. Defense Secretary Mark Esper even said in a call lead to United States, I think the sooner, that you mask and dominate the battle space, these were his words, the quicker this dissipates and we can get back to the right normal.
I mean, when you have dialog coming from the White House like that, where do you go from here?
HILL: Absolutely. I mean, the president and the administration are both talking about black people, and protesters who are out there talking about racism. Right? Ending anti blackness in the way that it manifests itself in policing in various different ways throughout our system.
He's literally talking about those people as enemy combatants. Right? He's talking about them in a way that is about them being the enemy. As opposed to Americans that are really struggling or that are really frustrated, that are really tired, that are upset. And I don't know what kind of message they are trying to send but I can tell you the ones that's being received is not one that says we care about you or your issues or your lives, most importantly.
ALLEN: Right. Because we also saw as we've been reporting peaceful protesters that were tear gassed to get out of the way so the president could have his photo-op with the bible in front of the church which really much enraged the bishops of that church. It was kind of a surreal moment, and certainly, a bizarre photo-op.
HILL: Absolutely. Absolutely. And to see peaceful protesters, there is no violence, there is no vandalism, there was nothing happening, and to see them tear gassed not just pushed back, not us to move out of the way because the president was coming. To see them tear gassed in the moment that the president was talking about being an ally alongside all of these different people that were protesting, it's a really stark message.
And I can tell you, I can't say that the president wants to make it worse, but I can definitely tell you all of the indicators are there, that he did not want to make it better.
ALLEN: Well, without leadership from the top, and black and whites coming together, the leaders in our country, how does the U.S. emerge from this morass?
HILL: I have to be honest with you, I'm not incredibly hopeful. This is not the first time that we've been in this situation, this is not the first time we've been in this situation in the last five years. Right?
[03:20:05]
And so, for us to have any real hope that something different is going to happen, when we look to the White House, I just don't see any indicators that this is going to make a significant difference.
And to be honest with you, if we look at the ways that people have protested over in the past, there's always this message that black people are not protesting in the way that is correct. And there is no correct way to protest. We have seen people -- we have black people across this nation take a knee, we've seen them lay down, we've seen them walk, we've seen them stand, we've seen them march.
We've seen them and then go into these even more dramatic forms of protest. And never before is it the right way to protest. They say well, you should've been more peaceful. You mean back when we are taking a knee? You mean back when we were lying down in the street? What is it going to take to get black people to be able to get acknowledged as just full human beings and treated as such? I don't see any indicators that this is going to be the moment that
changes that, especially when we're looking at what's coming out of the White House.
ALLEN: Well, unfortunately, we have to end it there, so we'll talk with you again and see if things start to turn at some point. They just have to. Jarrett Hill, thank you so much.
HILL: Thanks, Natalie.
ALLEN: Take care.
VAUSE: Well a judge touch on this. One reason why these protests have seen so many people in the streets and so many cities and for so many days, because what happened to George Floyd at the hands of Minnesota police has become part of life and death for so many African-American. It's been happening for years.
Four men who lived through the Civil Rights movement share their thoughts now on what has changed and the progress which is still needed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PENIEL JOSEPH, SCHOLAR, CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF RACE AND DEMOCRACY, UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS: I don't feel afraid, I don't live my life with fear, but I do live my life with caution.
AJANI CARR, ACTOR AND ARTIST: We still deserve the chance to grow and to learn and to love others, you know. And to be a person with a heartbeat, with a breath to take.
ED WHITFIELD, CO-MANAGING DIRECTOR, FUND FOR DEMOCRATIC COMMUNITIES: There have been activists involved in the civil rights movement in the 60s, Sammy Younge, who was murdered in Selma, Alabama killed because he used the wrong restroom. Or, he used the 'white-only' restroom. Shot and killed, nothing was done. So, there's nothing new about this part. It's certainly news that some people are able to see it on video.
MIKE MOSBY, ART THERAPIST AND DJ: You would think it's 1965. You know, we're just, like we just got out of segregation, now we're trying for civil rights, you know what I mean? That's what it feels like. I swear it's like we're stuck in a time capsule.
WHITFIELD: I chose not to watch the video. It makes me very, very uncomfortable to see people being killed. I don't want to say, to see people dying, because that could be a natural process. It's part of life.
But to see people being murdered that way in the street is not a natural process. Should not be part of life. And I don't want to witness it. I don't, I don't get anything out of looking at it.
CARR: When I see it, I didn't instantly get hurt by it. You know that mean? I kind of seen it as normal. And that concerns me a lot. As a black man specifically, when these things happen, they happen so much that you start to lose your sight of how valuable you are as a person.
And I, I have to step back and allow myself to see this is not normal.
MOSBY: When I go outside, what are some of my fears as a black man? Being profiled, being followed by police officers, being called disgusting names. When I ride in my bike, being afraid that somebody might try to run off the road.
Because up state you see confederate flags literally flying in the air, which is ridiculous. You're seeing, you know, these signs of this racism.
JOSEPH: If there was a tape like this of a young white man or a young white woman being choked to death, I don't think that people would just want to, want to just watch that on social media in the same way because they value that single individual's family, that single individual's story, much more than George Floyd.
CARR: If I interact with police, which I have, before being 17, they don't see me as a kid, they see me as a man. You now, they see me as somebody who could potentially be a threat to them. My mom, the other people in my life, they have to think about the fact that when I'm outside, there's a danger or a factor that I have to think about and they have to be stuck with for as long as I'm alive.
WHITFIELD: There are lot of points of progress. The fact that the police officers in Minnesota got fired, is progress. But it's nowhere near enough. And if I didn't recognize the progress, I would feel that the incredible struggles that people have been engaging was a struggle in vain.
So, to recognize that there's progress, is to recognize the struggle is worthwhile.
[03:25:03]
On the other hand, we have to be clear that there hasn't been enough progress. And so, the struggle continues to be necessary.
MOSBY: People are fearful of seeing people who were oppressed for so long be productive and have, and own land and business and, you know, which is ludicrous. let that person live. Let that person support their family and generate generational wealth like you have over the 401 years. You know, like, can we get the same freaking piece of pie, you know, American pie?
JOSEPH: So, I'd like to see an America that has decarcerated, that has transformed the criminal justice system into a true justice system. But that has used the resources for the militarization of our police, and the incarceration of young black men and women into producing thriving, racially integrated communities.
CARR: A lot of people are angry or concerned about rioting or protesting. When really this is the result of what happens when people are constantly attacked and belittled. And this is something that I feel like, we need to recognize, you know, who's on our side in this world.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ALLEN: Welcome back. Thousands of Americans from coast to coast were out in the street for a seventh straight night of protests.
[03:30:00]
JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: And in New York City, joined by looters. The violence and widespread vandalism now mean New York's curfew will take effect three hours earlier on Tuesday from 8:00 p.m. A number of high- profile businesses were targeted, including a flagship Macy's department store.
NATALIE ALLEN, CNN ANCHOR: In Los Angeles, dozens were arrested for burglary after looting a number of businesses there like this, with many rushing into a drugstore. A witness says the group appeared organized and not part of initial protests as we have seen across the country. And in Washington, military helicopters were hovering over people. They were used to try and disperse protesters who are out past curfew.
VAUSE: Not since the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. has the United States seen this type of red-hot anger, filling the nation by protests. For 10 days in 1968, nearly 200 American cities were rocked by violence. More than 40 people were killed and almost 4,000 arrested.
Indianapolis though was among the few cities which remained calm. King's death was announced by Robert Kennedy, who is campaigning there for the democratic presidential nomination. In front of a mostly black audience, standing on a flatbed truck, he threw away prepared remarks and delivered what is considered one of the great political speeches of the 20th century. Here is part of it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT KENNEDY, FORMER UNITED STATES ATTORNEY GENERAL: You can be filled with bitterness, with hatred, and a desire for revenge. We can move in that direction as a country, in great polarization -- black people amongst blacks, whites amongst whites, filled with hatred toward one another.
Or we can make an effort as Martin Luther King did to understand and to comprehend, and replace that violence, that stain of bloodshed that has spread across our land, with an effort to understand with compassion and love.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Just a few hours ago, the 45th U.S. president, doing his first remarks on camera, about the protests and racial tensions tearing this country apart.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: As we speak, 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. We are putting everybody on warning.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Joining us now is CNN's senior political analyst David Gergen, who has been an adviser to four U.S. presidents. David, it is good to see you. Thank you for being with us.
DAVID GERGEN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Thank you, John.
VAUSE: Now, whether the words are said by a man who wants to be president or said by the man who is in fact the president, for better or for worse, they have a very real impact. Is it possible that what Donald Trump is trying to do here is to escalate the confrontations because he certainly doesn't seem to be making any attempt to de- escalate?
GERGEN: He is trying to escalate and for very purposeful reasons. Let me thank you, John, for going back and showing those clips from the Kennedy speech. That was one of the most memorable speeches in American political history. I ask my students here at the Harvard Kennedy School to read it every year, to study it.
You know, Bobby was in a situation -- he was coming to the speech when he learned that Martin Luther King had not only been shot but had just died. And it was left to him to go in front of a crowd in Indianapolis. Large crowd, primarily black citizens, who did not know when Kennedy got there that King was dead.
(INAUDIBLE) told him, don't go up there, you're going to get shot, people are going to be so angry when they hear you speak and tell them, you just can't go. And he said -- he insisted upon giving the speech. It was extremely poetic. It's just really one of the wonderful speeches in the 20th century.
But it also stands to the preposition that in a moment of crisis like this, the responsibility of the speaker is to unify people, not to divide them. It is to bring them together, to comfort them, to give meaning to the occasion.
That is what Bobby Kennedy did. He showed a lot of empathy and talked about the fact that he, too, had lost someone really important to him, his brother, to an assassination. He, too, had had many of the same -- much the same anger and despair in his heart, but he learned to deal with it.
So, it is I think -- the Trump speech today was like the anecdote, total opposite. I've never heard a president frankly in a crisis incite people to more violence rather than drawing them and bringing out the best nature and having them calm down.
[03:35:02]
GERGEN: And I think he is going to be remembered in the history, as well, but for the very wrong reasons.
VAUSE: I want you to listen to president's phone call with governors earlier in the day. He makes perfectly clear the direction he wants to take. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
D. TRUMP (voice-over): You have to dominate, if you don't dominate, you're wasting your time. They're going to run all over you, you'll look like a bunch of jerks. Now the harder you are, the tougher you are, the less likely it is that you're going to be hit. It's happened before, it's happened numerous times. And the only time it's successful is when you're weak. And most of you are weak.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Also the call with the defense secretary. He referred to places where there are protests as battle space. He said, "I think the sooner that you mask and dominate the battle space, the quicker this dissipates, and we get back to a -- the right normal."
The former Joint Chiefs of Staff Martin Dempsey took to Twitter. He said, "America is not a battleground. Our fellow citizens are not the enemy." David, how concerning is it to you when you hear the administration talking in these terms?
GERGEN: Well, I must say when a president calls himself a "law and order president," that is really a form of race-baiting (ph). He is really trying to appeal to blind (ph) racists that he is their savior and he is their leader. It is pretty raw stuff (ph). It is what gives despair to a lot of people.
Most Americans feel they won't have a chance to speak out in the way they'd like until they get to a ballot next November. But even that may not settle things. We're so divided as a people right now. There is so much poison in the air. There is so much disinformation.
But I must tell you, I was asked a couple of days ago on CNN, should Trump give a speech? I said, you know, it is the first time in my life I would tell a president not to give a speech. And I felt today, he shouldn't have given that. He would've been a lot better off the country, been a lot better off maybe moving toward healing.
What has been lost (INAUDIBLE) of this crisis is the underlying fundamental issue, and that is the pain and the unfulfilled promises that have been made to the black community in this country year after year, decade after decade, and how much has never been, you know, delivered.
It was like what Martin Luther King said in his famous march in Washington speech. We got this check from the government 100 years ago, and it's bounced. They just haven't delivered.
VAUSE: David, we're out of time. David, thank you so much. We really appreciate you being here.
GERGEN: Good to talk to you again.
VAUSE: Thank you, you too.
GERGEN: Thank you.
VAUSE: Take care.
ALLEN: Top music executives are leading an effort right now to pause business operations in a movement called "Blackout Tuesday." They are encouraging workers and artists to use this day to reflect on racism and inequality in the United States. On his Instagram account, artist Quincy Jones asked his followers to disconnect from work and reconnect with our community.
Big labels like Sony Music, Columbia Records and Interscope are expected to participate, as well. CNN's parent company, WarnerMedia, is also joining in. And other major companies are feeling the pressure to take a stand.
CNN's John Defterios is with me now from Abu Dhabi. Hello to you, John. You know, there have been passed efforts with --
JOHN DEFTERIOS, CNN ANCHOR AND EMERGING MARKETS EDITOR: Thanks.
ALLEN: -- Black Lives Matter, similar to this. Does this seem different and the response broader based from the business community?
DEFTERIOS: I think it is different because it's so widespread, the protesting coming right after COVID-19, which is causing an economic shock and even higher unemployment within the minority communities, particularly the black communities across America.
I've been taken aback by how widespread the responses been overall from Wall Street to Silicon Valley. But even big industrial groups and lobbying groups, the business round table usually stays clear of anything having to do with race relations, coming forward and saying we represent 10 percent of the working population in the United States. This cannot go on in this sort of state of play.
The CEO of Dow Chemical, major petrochemical player, says there has to be the most diverse company in its sector. Even Shake Shack which recently went public over the last couple of years, Randy Garutti, the CEO, said, look, I am a white CEO being very frank about it, but I can serve as a platform for change with our customer interface and employing minorities throughout our organization.
Tweeter is suggesting by 2025, a quarter of its workforce will indeed be from nine (ph) minority communities going forward and mostly (ph) clear the politics.
Natalie, I would say that Box, which is a Cloud storage maker out of California, said and -- were suggesting that it was the president who is responsible for the protest and stoking the fires, and saying that President Trump has no compunction to try to heal the nation. He does not have the capability.
There is a huge void, Natalie, and I think it's corporate America ironically that feels it needs to fill that void, whether it's social media or an industrial group to do so.
[03:40:05]
DEFTERIOS: It is pretty shocking, actually.
ALLEN: Right, someone has to. What are real actions that some are suggesting to close this inequality gap, John?
DEFTERIOS: Well, I think you raised an interesting point here because they see the donations from half a million dollars to $10 million. The Verizon, the telecom group, $10 million is quite generous, but it's a $230 billion market cap company, and there is a danger this money gets dispersed and doesn't really make a change.
The CEO of the Black Entertainment network, Robert Johnson, who has always been very forthright, said it is time for reparations of $14 trillion to the black communities. That is a big number. It can serve as a stimulus going forward.
Others were suggesting a brand new tax code, more progressive tax rate, race estate taxes here, and even have truth and reconciliation committees in the United States. I don't see it, Natalie, but I'm glad people are talking about it finally.
ALLEN: Absolutely. We need every avenue we can to emerge with something concrete and positive from all of this. John Defterios, as always, thanks so much.
VAUSE: Serial human rights abuse? China has seized on the protests in the U.S. to accuse the White House of a double standard, comparing the violent clashes in some American cities with their own handling of demonstrations in Hong Kong. But the chairman of the U.S. Senate Intel Committee has accused Beijing of playing a major role in provoking the recent unrest.
CNN's Steven Jiang is live in Beijing for us this hour. Steven, it is unusual for China to try to turn the tables on the U.S., if you like, when it comes to human rights. But what is different this time is China's involvement here. What specifically is Beijing accused of doing?
STEVEN JIANG, CNN SENIOR PRODUCER: John, some U.S. politicians and officials have been alleging or at least alluding to China's attempt to stoke chaos in the U.S. with, for example, National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien pointing to Chinese social media reactions to the events in the U.S., saying they have been gloating about chaos in the U.S., and there is also some indication from social media monitoring agencies that there is very active engagement from clusters of social media accounts from China.
Now, of course, when I asked about this at the foreign ministry's press briefing on Monday, the spokesman flatly denied all these accusations, calling them baseless and saying that China does not interfere in other country's internal affairs. But he added the whole world is watching what has been unraveling in the U.S. and that U.S. officials and politicians better get their own house in order.
As you can imagine, though, the state media has been covering these events in the U.S. in a breathless fashion, and this is also being extensively discussed across Chinese social media with many posts and reports which are focusing on racial discrimination and other social ails in the U.S., also the eruption of violence and chaos across American cities with acts of looting and rioting, as well as sometimes heavy-handed responses from local police departments.
And this, of course, in a way is seen as a major propaganda, a victory handed to Beijing leadership by Washington, because remember, as you mentioned, for months, Washington has been voicing its support for the Hong Kong protesters, saying they have the right to take to the streets, to demand a greater autonomy and freedom.
And, of course, now, tables have turned. The Chinese state media is really highlighting the Trump administration's response, including the president's threat to use the military to crush this violence as the ultimate example of the hypocrisy and double standard. John?
VAUSE: Steven, thank you. I have to admit I am disappointed they didn't turn out the -- it's Cold War thinking line, when it comes to accusation of interference, but I guess that stays forever. Steven Jiang is live for us in Beijing. Thanks, Steven.
ALLEN: Coming up next here, the new generation of sports stars who are finding their voice amidst the chaos of this past week.
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[03:45:00]
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ALLEN: Boxer Floyd Mayweather will pay for George Floyd's funeral. That is according to ESPN, who was quoting a representative of Mayweather.
VAUSE: That representative adds that Mayweather will not talk further about this. Mr. Floyd's funeral is scheduled for June 9th in Texas.
ALLEN: Sports stars have long been taking a stand against inequality and injustice, but the events of the last week have seen a new generation find their voice and use their platform. CNN world sports Alex Thomas takes a look at some of the emotional sentiments we've seen around the world.
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ALEX THOMAS, CNN WORLD SPORT ANCHOR (voice-over): Celebrating a goal with a "justice for George Floyd" slogan on his jersey, Jadon Sancho, a 20-year-old Englishman, is playing in Germany's top football league.
Elsewhere in the booth this league (ph) is 22-year-old Frenchman Marcus Thuram, kneeling while playing. The young men are from different nations with different cultural backgrounds, united in solidarity, with protesters thousands of miles away, angry at George Floyd's death in Minneapolis last week.
DARREN LEWIS, CNN SPORTS CONTRIBUTOR: I must say I am full of admiration for the -- I have spoken out thus far -- Dortmund's Jadon Sancho, Borussia Monchengladbach's Marcus Thuramm, Manchester United's Marcus Rashford, and of course, Liverpool's Rhian Brewster. They are the future of the game. And appropriately enough, they are showing the way forward with their messages of solidarity with the family of George Floyd and their calls for racial equality.
THOMAS (voice-over): In Japan, Naomi Osaka, already with two grand slam tennis titles to her name and just 22, tweeted, "Just because it isn't happening to you doesn't mean it isn't happening at all."
A theme echoed by the NFL's number one Draft pick, Joe Burrow, who wrote, "The black community needs our help. They have been unheard for far too long. Open your ears, listen, and speak. This isn't politics. This is human rights."
Eloquence and maturity, from a 23-year-old quarterback, yet to throw a pass in a Cincinnati Bengals game.
Clearly the unrest is closer to home for American athletes. NBA god Jaylen Brown, driving more than 15 hours from Boston where he plays for the Celtics back to his home state of Georgia to join protests in Atlanta.
JAYLEN BROWN, BOSTON CELTICS GUARD: Some of the injustices that we have been seeing, it's not OK. As a young person, you got to listen to our perspective. Our voices need to be heard. I'm 23 years old, I don't know all the answers, but I'm feeling what everybody else is feeling.
THOMAS (voice-over): Rising U.S. tennis star, Cori Gauff, posted a TikTok video, listing some of the many black American deaths that have led to this point and asking, am I next?
[03:50:04]
THOMAS (voice-over): She is just 16. Her generation will be the one to decide where we go from here. Alex Thomas, CNN.
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VAUSE: Coming up, it has been seven long days full of hurt, anger, and frenzy of grief, but there have also been moments that bring some hope.
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VAUSE: Welcome back. Well, it is often the case. The darkness of days can bring up the best to this country. In some cities, demonstrators worked to keep the peace. Elsewhere, police stood in solidarity with protesters. CNN' Tom Foreman has more.
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TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): That is a Target store in New York, and those are not police but protesters protecting it, standing up to potential looters and vandals, telling them to go away, and that is happening in communities all across the land.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: People like to harm, to harm. You will not do it in front of me.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Don't push the gate! Stop! Stop! When you do that, they don't come after you, they come after us.
FOREMAN (voice-over): Amid the images of destruction, these moments of people incongruously fighting to keep the peace are captivating.
[03:55:04]
FOREMAN (voice-over): In D.C., a hooded man is breaking a pavement, what some have thrown. Protesters rushed him. In moments, they strip away his mask and drag him to the police, yelling, take him, he is yours.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I want to make this a parade, not a protest.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE/UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Walk with us! Walk with us!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's walk! Let's move!
FOREMAN (voice-over): In other places, the quest for cooperation is gone even further.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We hear you all.
FOREMAN (voice-over): With officers lowering their guard, taking knees, exchanging handshakes with protesters and marching for the cause.
DANA WINGERT, CHIEF, DES MOINES, IOWA: What we had tonight was a peaceful protest and us joining them in a symbolic way to kind of recognize what had happened. That's least we can do.
FOREMAN (voice-over): Even comforting the weary.
JASMINE NIVENS, OFFICER, CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA: I'm hurt the same way you hurt, like you hurt, like everybody out here is hurt.
FOREMAN (voice-over): These quiet little acts of kindness and pleas for peace are easily lost amid all the noise, but they are occurring everywhere, giving hope to those looking for someone to lean on amid the fear and fury.
(On camera): Without a doubt, there are good intentions and good efforts in many places by many people concerned about their communities. The question is, how long can all that goodwill last amid the much tougher talk now boiling into the streets? Tom Foreman, CNN, Bethesda, Maryland.
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VAUSE: Thank you for joining us. I'm John Vause.
ALLEN: And I'm Natalie Allen. That's a good one to end on this hour. Good to be with you. "Early Start" is next. See you soon.
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