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Churchill Statue Boarded Up Against Protesters; Trump Threatens Action Against "Autonomous Zone"; U.K. GDP and Dow Jones Suffer Under Lockdowns. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired June 12, 2020 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:00:40]
ISA SOARES, CNN ANCHOR: Hello. A warm welcome to CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Isa Soares, sitting in for Becky Anderson today.
We've got Sir Winston Churchill's statue is boarded up. Monuments to Nelson Mandela and Gandhi are also under close watch, as London's historic center
is prepares for another weekend of demonstration.
The U.K. prime minister, meanwhile, said it's absurd as well as shameful.
Back in the country where anti-racism protesters started, several blocks of Seattle, Washington, are occupied, and Donald Trump is threatening legal
action.
Then, lockdowns start to bite. The U.K. GDP sees a record drop, while the Dow tries to bounce back from its worst day in months.
(MUSIC)
SOARES: Now, a surge of protests following the death of American George Floyd is leading to really demand for change right and the world.
And I want to take you first here in London, I want to show you these images because several statues as well as the monuments have been
barricaded and boarded up for protection ahead of anti-racism demonstrations.
This statue of Britain's war time prime minister, many of you would have recognized it when you come to visit London, Winston Churchill was
vandalized with a statement, Churchill was a racist. That happened during last weekend's protests.
Now, the current prime minister said it's absurd, shameful that this memorial is a target for attack. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BORIS JOHNSON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: And what makes me sad about what's happening today is that you've got a situation in which the statue of
Winston Churchill who is a national hero has had to be boarded up for fear of violent attack. And that to me is both absurd and wrong. You should not
have a situation which people who are protesting or one basis with violently attacking the police or public property.
I'm afraid what's happened with these demonstrations is that a tiny minority or actually a growing minority unfortunately have hijacked them
and they are using them as a pretext to attack the police, to cause violence and to cause damage to public property.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaking.
Let's go to Max Foster who joins me now live from London. We are expecting protests later on today.
Max, give me a sense of what you are seeing.
MAX FOSTER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, this is -- you'll recognize we are outside of parliament. It is a flash point at time during
the largely peaceful protests but sometimes in the evenings, things do start kicking off a bit. As you were referring to there, we have the
Churchill statue currently boarded up as you were describing.
So what happened over the weekend was some vandals came in -- not part of the main protest necessarily but they daubed on there that Churchill was a
racist.
So the mayor has come in and boarded it up, he says, to protect the monument but it's caused outrage on the right of politics largely, among
some conservative MPs as well, because they feel effectively what you're doing is taking Churchill, you're hiding him and hiding his place in
history. And these monuments were built by previous generations.
Then in response to what happened there, the far right have said they're going to start attacking other monuments. So, the mayor's office is now
telling me that Mandela on the other corner of Parliament Square, he's going to be covered up later on. Not with the quite the same level of
boarding, I don't think.
Also, Gandhi is going to be covered up, to protect these monuments, these sort of great men of history, but it's clearly become a culture battle as
much as, you know, this political battle, this race battle that we have seen playing out over the last couple of weeks.
SOARES: And I suspect, Max, we don't know how long these statutes, these monuments will be closed for, right, at this point?
[10:05:04]
Because we are expecting more protests over the weekend.
FOSTER: Exactly. And the protests are now beginning to sort of coalesce around the monuments. These monuments, we're told, it's temporary. If you
look at the structure there, Isa, around Churchill, it's pretty -- it's a pretty major structure. I was quite surprised when I saw it. You'd expect
it to be cordoned off, perhaps.
And I know some conservatives would have preferred to see police surrounding it. It's a real -- it's a very sensitive debate.
And what -- I think what you will see is the protests perhaps coming this way as they -- some of the protesters suggested they might do and then you
might have this very awkward tension between the black lives matter protesters and the far right protesters. The far right protesters, there
are some here, they have been milling around, we're expected to see more of them tomorrow. But we haven't seen big numbers today.
The main protest groups have said they have been liaising with the police, so some -- most of the protesters don't want to be part of something that
isn't condoned by the police. So, we're waiting to see what happens, but it's interesting to see how statues have become a very big part of this
debate and how Britain's history is playing into all of the tensions right now here in the U.K.
But we're seeing that in other countries as well.
SOARES: Max, I know you have been covering the protests for the last two weekends or so. Give me a sense of what the protesters want. What are their
goals here?
FOSTER: Their goals are quite profound and the debates are very big. But what we've got now is the far right, the sort of the right wing of politics
coming in as well. And there, you know, we need to look at the mainstream right. Their big concern right now is taking down statues and then denying
history.
And there's a very rational argument to that, they argue which is that we learn from history. If you take down monuments you don't believe in, then
you can't -- then you take it out of the history for future generations. So, that's the big concern there.
For the Black Lives Matter protesters around the world, I think it's moved on a bit from George Floyd. Obviously, that's the story in which they're
latching on to. But they've got their local issues, their local concerns, the local police relations issues as well which they want to address. They
have that here in the U.K. It's a very big debate about institutions, you know, how black communities are often underserved by the health service,
perhaps, or that they aren't -- they don't have such a big stake in the economy. Unemployment rate is higher, all of this.
You know, black people's positions in society and how they aren't being served in the same way as white communities, then you have the far right
trying to argue against that as well. So, it is complex. It doesn't need -- a debate that doesn't need to be had, of course. But when it turns into
violence I think that that's -- that does very much work towards -- work against the peaceful protesters on both sides, and that's -- you know,
really, what we're seeing articulated behind us, and I don't think anybody wanted to see the situation where you saw Churchill's monument really
hidden from public view.
SOARES: Yeah. There may be some that may argue that you don't need monuments to learn from history, but that's for another day discussion.
Thanks very much, Max Foster, there. Great to see you.
Now, back in the country where this wave of protests began, there's a battle really brewing between the U.S. federal government as well as one of
its cities. It's all over this four-block area in Seattle that is now being called the Capitol Hill autonomous zone. Protesters blocked off the area in
the wake of the George Floyd's death, when they moved in, police moved out.
Now, that's got President Donald Trump angry. He tweeted to the governor of Washington and Seattle's mayor: Take back your city now. If you don't do it
I will -- as you can see there on that tweet.
Well, Seattle's mayor has been speaking to CNN and saying that the protesters are mostly peaceful and she adds, negotiations are under way to
resolve the situation in a positive manner without the threat of military force. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JENNY DURKAN, SEATTLE MAYOR: I think the president, number one, there is no threat right now to the public and we're looking -- we're taking that very
seriously. We're meeting with businesses and residents, but what the president threatened is illegal and unconstitutional. And the fact that he
can think he can just tweet that and not have ramifications is just wrong.
We take public safety very seriously. We met with businesses and residents today. We don't have to sacrifice public safety for First Amendment rights.
Both can exist and we'll make sure that both exist in Seattle.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: The mayor of Seattle there.
Well, Dan Simon is in Seattle and has filed this report.
[10:10:00]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, hi, Isa.
We are in the heart of the occupation area, or the Capitol Hill autonomous zone, which authorities are calling it or short for CHAZ. You can see the
police department behind me that has essentially been occupied by these protesters. You can see the graffiti on the side. It now says the Seattle
people department.
The way this all unfolded is on Monday, you did have the police department, they essentially abandoned this area. They abandoned their police station
to sort of de-escalate the situation that had been unfolding between officers and protesters. Things had gotten violent, tear gas was deployed,
so they decided to leave the area and it had the intended effect. This has been a peaceful protest ever since on Monday.
That said, you did of course see the president's tweets where he's saying that the mayor and the governor of Washington really need to crack down and
try to clear this area.
The mayor of Seattle responding to Mr. Trump's rhetoric. Take a look.
DURKAN: We've got four blocks in Seattle that you just saw pictures of that is more like a block party atmosphere. It's not an armed takeover. It's not
a military junta.
The chief of police was in the precinct today with her command staff looking and assessing on operational plans.
What the president threatened is illegal and unconstitutional, and the fact that he can think he can just tweet that and not have ramifications is just
wrong.
SIMON: While city leaders do acknowledge that the protests have largely been peaceful, one problem right now is that the chief of the department is
saying that it now takes officers triple the amount of time to respond to calls in this area and at this point, there appears to be no clear strategy
coming forward in terms of when officers will eventually reclaim the station -- Isa.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Dan Simon, thank you very much.
Well, as President Trump sends divisive tweets, his party is looking for common ground on police reform. And are they heading crucially in different
directions?
White House correspondent John Harwood joins me live from Washington.
And, John, the president as we have just heard continuing to dig in his heels, downplaying the protesters' complaints.
What is his reaction to what, first of all, is unfolding in Seattle?
JOHN HARWOOD, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, the president has portrayed that as an anarchy uprising. He has threatened to impose federal
force to try to solve the problem. Of course, Jay Inslee, the governor of Washington, has told him to stay out.
But the president, by and large, is -- he represents a party of racially conservative whites and in particular, his base is the most racially
conservative of those people -- blue collar, white voters, represent his base. These are people who think that racism against blacks is largely a
problem of the past.
And so, the president yesterday when he was in Dallas on this subject of police reform spoke up for them and said, well, we're not going to get
anywhere by falsely accusing good people of racism. That is a -- that is a signal to his base.
Republican senators are going to some degree in the opposite direction. They're responding to this broad public sentiment across racial lines that
we have identified through the Floyd killing and other police abuses that have been exposed a broad problem that needs action. And so, you have a
pretty aggressive Democratic piece of legislation in the Senate, in the Congress. You have a less robust piece of Republican legislation, but at
least room to talk.
And it's unclear where the president is exactly going to come down on this. He's talking about an executive order that he might issue. But nobody
expects too much from that. In the end, it is likely to be Republican senators, what they're willing to go along with, in this election year that
will determine where -- how far the president goes.
SOARES: John Harwood there for us in Washington, thanks very much.
And still ahead right here on the show, Wall Street is on the rebound today after the worst one-day sell-off in three months. So, what's behind these
latest wild market swings? Julia Chatterley joins us for more.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:16:15]
SOARES: Now U.S. stocks opened from the last hour, investors were expecting a rebound. We can bring up the numbers to see what the numbers are looking
like. I have a look on the screen as well.
And there you go. That's a bit of rebound, 2.5 percent of the Dow Jones. Similar picture for the Nasdaq and S&P 500 which took quite a beating
yesterday. Green arrows all across the board.
Very different picture there from what we saw on Thursday. They suffered their worst day since March 16th, really plummeting into the close. Wall
Street unnerved it seemed by a possible second wave of COVID-19, and really, a somber outlook from the federal reserve.
Now, confirmed cases in the U.S. have surpassed 2 million, as states ease social distancing measures.
Our Nick Watt has more on which areas are struggling the most.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DR. LINDA BELL, SOUTH CAROLINA STATE EPIDEMIOLOGIST: I am more concerned about COVID-19 in South Carolina than I have ever been before.
NICK WATT, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): She's not alone.
And South Carolina, where the average daily case count just doubled inside of a week, is also not alone.
In Texas, 2,100 were hospitalized yesterday, the highest number since this pandemic began.
DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: We are seeing the appearance of additional infections
particularly in the areas that are opening. If we handle them well, we could be okay. If not, then we really have a significant problem.
WATT: In Maricopa County, Arizona, a quarter of all of their COVID cases have come in just this past week.
KATE GALLEGO, PHOENIX, ARIZONA MAYOR: We have hit so many of the records you don't want to be hitting for COVID-19. From my perspective we opened
too much, too early and so our hospitals are really struggling.
WATT: A reminder of how bad this virus can be. A woman in her 20s with COVID just had a double lung transplant. A first.
DR. ANKIT BHARAT, CHIEF OF THORACIC SURGERY, NORTHWESTERN MEMORIAL HOSPITAL: She smiled and told me just one sentence. She said, doc, thank
you for not giving up on me.
WATT: Those modelers say that the daily death toll will drop in June and July, stabilize in August, and rise sharply. By October 1, they project
nearly 170,000 Americans will be dead, killed by COVID.
DR. ASHISH JHA, DIRECTOR, HARVARD GLOBAL HEALTH INSTITUTE: And we won't be done, right? We'll have many, many more months to go. It's really stunning
to me that ever with this much suffering and death, and we're just not doing enough about it.
WATT: But what can we do as individuals?
ANDY SLAVITT, FORMER ACTING ADMINISTRATION, CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES: If you have the majority of people wearing masks, the virus has
no place to go.
WATT: Take this hair salon in Missouri. The stylists exposed 140 people to the virus but none of them has since tested positive. Officials think that
might be because everyone wore masks.
SLAVITT: If President Trump did one thing, if he wore a mask and encouraged his supporters to wear a mask for three weeks straight, he would be -- we
would be sitting here four weeks from now, five weeks from now, six weeks from now with much of this virus behind us.
WATT (on camera): Here in L.A. County we have seen the case count nearly double, but on Friday, zoos, gyms, movie theaters, movie production will
reopen again, but masks were, are, and will continue to be mandatory in L.A. County whenever you leave your house.
Nick Watt, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Now, the U.K.'s economy has taken a record hit as a result of the pandemic and really nationwide lockdown.
Take a look at this. The GDP really fell by just over 20 percent in April. That makes it the worst monthly fall on record. Look at that slide, a real
plunge there.
[10:20:00]
Everything from pubs, education, health, and car sales were hit the hardest and that's according to the Office for National Statistics.
This economic fallout is having a huge impact on people around the country. As you can imagine, coronavirus has robbed many of their livelihoods.
CNN's Phil Black has a look at how people in the U.K. are grappling with this as well as the emotional strain.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PHIL BLACK, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Tourists don't come to Trafalgar Square anymore, but there is still crowds. The vast space
is now being used to feed the homeless, while ensuring social distancing.
Most of the people who stayed on London's streets, through the pandemic our long term rough sleepers, but the charity still working here reports a
recent trend, there are many new faces. People suddenly homeless because of COVID-19.
There are the obvious economic causes, London's lockdown made lots of already in secure casual work, quickly disappear. But vulnerable families
have also splinted under the emotional strain of living through this pandemic.
Right up until lockdown, Colin Reynolds lived with his elderly parents.
(on camera): What did they say to you?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They asked me to leave. So I left. Because my parents are high-risk. It wasn't a good idea for me to say that, so, I left, and
came to London, because there's more help here.
BLACK (voice-over): Life that Colin and his family was never easy. He has a long history of crippling depression and anxiety. Now, the further
pressures of this crisis have torn him from support he desperately needs.
On Weymouth Beach, along England southern coast, there is no obvious sign people in this community are struggling, but Andy Price knows the truth.
His community cafe set up to help traumatized military veterans, has quickly embraced a new purpose.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) passing out milk and cereal.
BLACK: He is feeding people, the isolated, the poor, the suddenly jobless, owners of what were recently thriving businesses, anyone who needs it. And
the need is great.
As he hits home across Weymouth, Andy knows many of those he now helps are actually resilient against the idea of receiving charity.
ANDY PRICE, CO-DIRECTOR, THE VETERANS HUB: You think you are going to fail. You're failing as a parent, your failing as an individual. I'm really like,
it's like we're kind of discovering now, you're only one paycheck away from needing support.
BLACK: Carrie Watts and her husband Michael are grateful for Andy's help, but accepting it is hard.
MICHAEL WATTS, MK CLASSICS: I should be earning, providing for my family. But, I'm just not. I just sat, doing nothing, pretty much, just sat here
wondering, if one day I'm ever going to be able to go back to what I love doing. And, generally, that upset me.
BLACK: Soon after lockdown, people stop bringing Michael to fix their cars, and carry needed hospital treatment for COVID-19. They almost lost
everything.
CARRIE WATTS: Just to see what we can do, to see how long things can go, before maybe just hitting rock-bottom.
BLACK: In the northern city of Sheffield we find the same pain. People who just a few months ago had independent lives and plans for the future, now
patiently waiting in the rain for handouts.
Phil Barrett is a self-employed electrician.
PHIL BARRETT, ELECTRICIAN: In the initial start of the lockdown, we were selling food up here, for people. We never expected we would be on the
receiving end of some of it towards the end of this.
BLACK: Back in central London, Collin Reynolds walks back to his sleep spot. At the entrance of one of the city's iconic theaters. He doesn't know
when he will sleep in a bed again. When or how, he will see his parents.
(on camera): Have you ever been the chapter of your life this uncertain before?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. Not this bad.
BLACK: One day at a time?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, yes, that's all I can do.
BLACK (voice-over): COVID-19 has killed more than 40,000 people in the U.K.
It's stolen the emotional and financial security of many more.
Phil Black, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Financial stress, really emotional strains all there in that piece from our Phil Black.
Well, I talked about the numbers earlier, Wall Street is having a bit of a rebound, one day after the worst sell-off since March. A brief look at the
numbers if we can bring them up. Dow Industrials doing pretty well, now at 2.5 percent, 25,000.
Let's get more on this. Julia Chatterley is joining me now.
Julia, great to have you with me.
Look, let's talk about this rebound because what we saw yesterday was a pretty brutal day. I know volatility is high. The VIX index is pretty high,
but what's driving this volatility, because we have so many factors here, didn't we? We got mass unemployment. We got pandemic, we got recession. We
got social unrest.
So, what's behind this?
JULIA CHATTERLEY, CNN BUSINESS ANCHOR, FIRST MOVE: All of the above, I think, Isa, at least for 24 hours, and that was when we saw those pretty
dramatic losses in the stock market yesterday. As you quite rightly point out today we're taking back some of those losses.
The VIX volatility index is a measure of fear. It's called the fear gauge in the market and suddenly yesterday we were talking about rising cases of
COVID-19 in the United States, greater hospitalizations in 12 states. We also have that warning, of course, from Jay Powell saying, look, this
recovery is going to be slow.
If you looked at the stock market bounce that we have seen since March, we're up more than 40 percent to where we were since the bottom. We have
not really paused.
To see some consolidation, to see pullback in stock prices makes sense, and I hate the word healthy but we need that. The stock market does not reflect
the underlying weakness in the economy. That's just the case when you have seen trillions of dollars of cash thrown at the system here. It benefits
stocks far quicker than it does the economy.
SOARES: We heard Steve Mnuchin say, and correct me if I'm wrong, he basically warned about the shutting down the economy again. How much are
investors, Julia, drawing comfort if at all from his comments?
CHATTERLEY: It's a great question, because I thought about this myself. We know that the shutdown was done for a purpose, to try and suppress the
virus, but the economic consequences of shutdown have been devastating.
So I do think it was a message to workers, to businesses -- look, the bar here for shutting down the economy again is incredibly high. We can't do
it. If we have to do it for the virus, then that's a separate issue, but he was trying to dampen down concerns.
I think that's playing into the rebound that we're seeing today. I also think talk that Congress is going to do more to support the economy as well
in the coming -- and they're coming to more decisions about what that's going to look like, it is needed.
For many people, recovery is going to feel like recession because that's what we're in for the lowest earners, those workers, recovery is going to
feel like economic depression, because that's the reality for many people too, not just in the United States, but around the world. More support is
needed, stock market valuation aside.
SOARES: Julia Chatterley there for us, great to have you with me. Thanks, Julia. Great to see you.
CHATTERLEY: Thank you.
SOARES: Coming up right here on the show, Twitter is going head to head with the world power, taking action against what it says is false
information, but China is claiming to be the real victim. We'll explain.
Plus, media companies are taking notice, as anti-racism protesters are calling for change. I'll speak to a British comedian __ as the industry
distances itself from several TV shows due to their racist depictions. We'll bring you those stories after a very short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Welcome back. I'm Isa Soares. You are watching CONNECT THE WORLD.
Twitter has shut down more than 170,000 accounts for violating its platform manipulation policy. All were linked to the Chinese government and Twitter
says they were pushing deceptive narratives as well as disinformation about Hong Kong and COVID-19.
In response, the Chinese government is calling on Twitter to delete accounts that attack and smear China, claiming that China is the largest
victim of disinformation.
Joining us now is CNN business reporter, Donie O'Sullivan, from New York.
Donie, talk to us a bit more about these narratives and the topics that these accounts were pushing and crucially, whether these accounts were
actually core accounts or were they amplifiers?
DONIE O'SULLIVAN, CNN BUSINESS REPORTER: Sure, Isa, this was a massive network of Chinese accounts that Twitter -- Twitter is able to make this
assessment, by the way, because they have access to nonpublic information like IP addresses, email addresses, phone numbers used to register
accounts. So, that's how they were able to make this assessment and tie these accounts to Beijing.
In total, there was about 170,000 accounts that Twitter took down, that they said was tied to the Chinese government. About 20,000 of those
accounts were accounts which they described as core accounts. These are accounts that were actually tweeting propaganda, putting out talking
points, what they were tweeting about, praising China's handling of the coronavirus saying that the country had acted responsibly to COVID-19, and
also, of course, attacking protesters in Hong Kong.
Now, twitter said most of the tweets were in Chinese languages but some were also in English. I mentioned there were about 20,000 core accounts and
then further, 150,000 accounts that were used as amplifiers, which meant they were retweeting these tweets and liking them, making them appear more
popular than they actually were -- Isa.
SOARES: It's not the first time and correct me if I'm wrong here, Donie, it's not the first time that we have seen Twitter do this, when it comes to
China. But I also believe they're deleting accounts from other countries as well.
O'SULLIVAN: That's right. I mean, this really is incredible. If you think about this, this is 170,000 accounts. Yesterday, Twitter also took down
accounts that they said were tied to the Russian and to the Turkish governments. In both cases, those accounts were praising the ruling parties
respectively in both countries.
But, yes, you're right, we see Twitter and other social media doing takedowns like this a few times a year. So, if you think about that, this
is a big business that a lot of governments and other groups are running, trying to covertly and sometimes overtly have influence on social media.
So, I mean, it's really important for our viewers and for all of us that as we scroll through our Facebook and Twitter feeds, that we're aware that a
lot of what we're seeing may not be what it seems and there are a whole lot of people spending a whole lot of money and putting a whole lot of
resources into trying to influence us and to shape our thinking on issues all across the world.
SOARES: Very -- so true. Something we have seen before and as we near a U.S. election, I wonder whether those accounts -- we're going to see a
higher number of the core or amplified accounts.
Donie O'Sullivan there for us -- thank very much. Donie, great to see -- great to see you.
O'SULLIVAN: Thank you.
SOARES: Now, the U.S. president's first rally since states started to reopening is scheduled for one week from now. And it's already causing
controversy. Both the location of the rally and the date of June 19th have deep racial symbolism.
As CNN's Brian Todd explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PROTESTERS: It is our duty to fight for our freedom. It is our duty to fight for our freedom!
BRIAN TODD, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: At a rally of black activists in Tulsa, Oklahoma, noticeable tension over President Trump's upcoming
visit to the city, where next week he'll stage his first political rally in months. Protesters are anxious about the date Trump chose for the rally,
June 19, known as Juneteenth, the day which marks the end of slavery in the U.S.
LAUREN BETHLY, RESIDENT, TULSA, OKLAHOMA: Just knowing the comments that he makes and how he -- how he speaks to people, I just don't see it being very
positive, especially not by our community.
TODD: But Senator Kamala Harris, a leading contender to be Joe Biden's running mate is decidedly more blunt, tweeting: This isn't just a wink to
white supremacist -- he's throwing them a welcome home party.
[10:35:05]
The White House staunchly defending the president's choice of Tulsa and that date. His press secretary saying African-Americans are, quote, very
near and dear to his heart, and he wants to highlight what he's done for them.
KAYLEIGH MCENANY, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: It's a meaningful day to him. And it's a day where he wants to share some of the progress that's
been made as we look forward and more that needs to be done.
TODD: Tulsa is also really from the kinds of racial tensions that the president has been known to stoke.
A city police major being blistered by the mayor and black leaders for his comment on a radio show this week about the rates of police shooting
African-Americans in Tulsa.
TRAVIS YATES, POLICE MAJOR, TULSA POLICE DEPARTMENT: We're shooting after Americans about 24 percent less than we probably ought to be based on the
crimes being committed.
TODD: The major then refused to apologize. Speaking to CNN, Travis Yates said that he meant that systemic racism and policing doesn't exist. But he
said he recognized racism does exist and calls it our, quote, sin nature. He also said that he stands by his comments and added he was just quoting
research.
And last week, Tulsa police were criticized when they arrested a black teenager and handcuffed another for jaywalking on a street that had no
sidewalks.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why are you putting handcuffs on my friend?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All he was doing was jaywalking. We just want to talk with him. And then he had to act a fool like that.
TODD: It all comes against the backdrop of a horrible moment in history that Tulsa has never recovered from. In 1921, a white mob massacred
hundreds of black residents of Tulsa, torched several businesses and homes in a successful African American community. The terrifying attack depicted
in the HBO series "Watchmen".
One local African American leader believes Trump's rally will stunt Tulsa's progress in recovering from the 1921 massacre and the recent tensions.
PLEAS THOMPSON, PRESIDENT, NAACP TULSA CHAPTER: I'm sure the president is going to say something that's going to be divisive. This is just to throw
cold water on all the days we were trying to do all the things we were trying to do and put a halt to the momentum that's going.
TODD (on camera): President Trump's campaign manager defended the Juneteenth rally in Tulsa, tweeting that, quote: As the party of Lincoln,
Republicans are proud of what Juneteenth represents, and the Emancipation Proclamation.
But given the fallout over the president's handling of the George Floyd killing, and those two recent racially divisive incidents involving police
in Tulsa, there's still a lot of angst in that city over the President's rally next week.
Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Ahead on CONNECT THE WORLD: fresh protests have hit the streets of Lebanon with economic turmoil there worsening. We'll bring you an update in
just a moment.
You are watching CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Anti-government protests have erupted again in Lebanon as the country's currency really free-falls.
[10:40:01]
Thousands you can see took to the streets for largely peaceful demonstrations. They are angry over the lira losing a whopping 70 percent
of its value. That's the local currency, since October 2019.
As you heard there, protesters -- protesters cheered as fires were set in front of the central bank in Tripoli, while burning barricades forced road
closures in and out of the major cities. The government is being blamed for not doing enough, meanwhile. For the Lebanese president now says the
central bank will start pumping U.S. dollars into the market.
CNN correspondent Jomana Karadsheh has covered the region extensively for us. She joins me now live.
And, Jomana, we have been here before. So what has changed?
JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, as you look at the situation, Isa, on the ground for the Lebanese people, it has gotten worse. Life has
become unbearable for most Lebanese and this is why. You have had these protests that have been taking place on and off since that popular uprising
back in October.
And what is different about these protests that we saw on Thursday is how widespread they are. You have seen the protests taking place in the
capital, in Beirut, in the north, Tripoli and cities like Sidon (ph). And at times, this turns into rioting.
And what is also interesting, Isa, is how diverse the crowd is. You know, you have seen some of the Shia working class supporters of Hezbollah who
have taken part in the protests.
This is very rare. This is something we haven't seen in a long time. Protests taking place in Hezbollah strongholds, in the capital, Beirut.
Perhaps an indication here that Hezbollah is really not objecting to these protests going ahead. Not stopping the supporters from taking part in the
protests, an indication of how dire the situation is on the ground.
This realization of how angry the population is right now because if you look at the figures, Isa, we are talking about the Lebanese lira taking
this nosedive in recent days. It's lost about 70 percent of the value since October. But what does this mean?
This means that the Lebanese population in a country that depends on importing a lot of its goods, people have struggled to afford basic goods.
So, the prices of some of the most basic necessities have skyrocketed with this inflation people are unable to pretty much feed their children and we
have seen over the past few weeks talking to the protesters people tell you they are now facing starvation.
According to the World Bank, the poverty level in Lebanon for this year is about 50 percent. And who did these people blame? The population blames
years of economic mismanagement, entrenched corruption. Their ruling elite, these politicians, governments that have come and gone and have not
delivered, they have not changed the situation and we are right now at this situation where the anger is rising on the streets. People want to see
change.
And then you have the politicians. As you mentioned the Lebanese presidency, the president in the past hour or so announcing these new
measures coming out after these emergency meetings saying that everyone basically, the government, the central bank, the banking sector will all
take responsibility for this current financial crisis, for this mess the country is in. They say as of Monday, they're going to start to pump
dollars into the market to try to stop the lira from further -- from sliding further.
So it does seem if you look at this announcement, Isa, this is pretty much something that's too little, too late. Something of a temporary fix in the
face of this anger that is mounting on the streets.
SOARES: And I imagine, Jomana, as we have seen the protests before, the exact root of it, which is the economy, that it's gone from anger to
desperation. I imagine COVID -- as the coronavirus pandemic has driven the economic situation even -- made it even worse for so many people.
KARADSHEH: Absolutely. And we have heard this from people on the streets. You know, you have people who have depended on, you know, their -- they're
laborers who work day to day to get wages to feed their family.
So, you had Lebanon with a very strict lockdown where you have a lot of businesses that were shuttered, people lost work and that had a huge impact
on a lot of the population.
[10:45:06]
You know, we heard from the Lebanese government they expect as a result of the financial crisis, the economic crisis exasperated by the COVID
lockdown, they expect 70 percent of the population is going to be in need of aid.
So, I mean, you look at it, it's such a very complex situation. Isa, it's very hard to see how they're going to get out of this. We know that the
government has been in talks with the IMF to try to get some sort of a bailout agreement, but this is still in the very early stages and you look
at the scenes on the streets. People just fed up with the situation facing hunger and starvation now.
SOARES: Jomana Karadsheh there for us -- thank you very much, Jomana. I know you'll keep on top of that story.
You are watching CONNECT TEH WORLD. We'll be back after a very quick break. Do stay right here with CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Now the murder of George Floyd at the hands of police has sparked protests and meaningful dialogue on racism right around the world.
CNN producer Stephanie Busari reports on her experiences from Nigeria to London.
(BEGIN VIDDEOTAPE)
STEPHANIE BUSARI, CNN LAGOS SUPERVISING PRODUCER: Living in Nigeria, the George Floyd protests seemed a thousand miles away, until I had the
unexpected conversation with my 9-year-old daughter.
She had seen the protests and was upset that I didn't tell her. She told me that it was important for her to know because she had to be ready to deal
with this because she was black.
I was saddened and shocked that my little girl was preparing herself for others to dislike or hate her, simply because of her skin color.
I was born in Nigeria and when I was at her age, I had no idea of my skin color. It wasn't until I moved to the U.K. when I was 12 years old that I
became black. I experienced racism for the first time there. I was called a dirty African and I once had a dog kicked in my face.
A career's adviser tried to discourage me from journalism because there were not many black journalists at the time.
I lived in London for three decades and when the chance came to move back to lead CNN's bureau in Nigeria, I jumped at a chance. I wanted to raise my
daughter to be free from the burden of oppression that many black people abroad face. She's part of a majority here and not a tolerated minority
here, and she's gaining a strong sense of her roots and who she is.
Nigeria is far from perfect and has its own divisions. But it's a relief not to deal with racism and daily micro-aggressions anymore.
As Africans, there's a tendency for us to dismiss the black American struggle. But we too have race privilege and we need to empathize and stand
with black Americans because an encounter with the police should not become a death sentence. Black lives matter.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Fascinating piece there from Stephanie Busari.
Now in Washington, staff as well as volunteers at the Smithsonian Museum are capturing this moment in history. They are collecting signs as well as
artwork from the fences surrounding the White House. And museum say George Floyd's death has spurred a transformative time in U.S. history, and they
want to ensure they're able to accurately document this moment for years to come.
[10:50:10]
Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AARON BYRANT, NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AFRICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE CURATOR: We have been thinking about it from the very beginning of the protests
happening across the country. You know, how do we collect and tell the story? It's really not just about today, but collecting so that people can
tell the story 50, 100, 200 years from now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Now -- right now, I want to go to Latin America because as you all know as we have been reporting here on CNN, it's been at the center of the
coronavirus pandemic.
And in Colombia, it's just adding to the misery for people who are already struggling with income inequality as well as unemployment, as well as
homelessness.
Stefano Pozzebon reports for you now.
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STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Three months ago, Lilybeth Fori had a job and a house, but the pandemic took
nearly everything away from her.
Like almost half of the entire Colombian labor force, Lilybeth worked informally, first as a caregiver in private homes, and then, as a street
vendor. Lockdown measures against coronavirus meant she has seen no income since March.
And to make things worse, her House was bulldozed at the beginning of May. The city says it was unsafe. But now, she can't find a home. She has no
job, and rental accommodations are sparse during the pandemic. Now she can only look at what remains of her House.
LILYBETH FORI, INFORMAL WORKER (through translator): Before the virus, we had a life. Now, we don't. We don't know what we're going to eat, or what's
going to happen to us.
POZZEBON (on camera): Colombia may have been spared the worst of the health crisis, but the economy is suffering. Unemployment almost doubled in
Columbian cities since the beginning of the lockdown. And without a job, the people who are displaced from this area are saying that they're facing
life on the street.
(voice-over): Lilybeth and 60 other people now live in tents, an impromptu settlement just meters away from their houses used to stand.
Now, the pandemic has only added to the frustration of people like Lilybeth, who says she took to the streets in November last year, to demand
social change.
It has also increased the disparity between those who can afford the quarantine, and work from home, and those who cannot.
By one estimate, as many as 7 million Colombians could fall back below the poverty line by the end of the year -- a level not seen since 2002.
Fabian Marroquin also took part in the protests last year, when he was working as a cook. Now unemployed, his home near Lilybeth also demolished,
he thinks a return to the streets is the only way for things to change for the better.
FABIAN SERGIO MARROQUIN, INFORMAL WORKER (through translator): The government's slogan is stay at home, but where should I stay if they took
away my home?
POZZEBON: The Colombian government has so far pledged $74 million to prevent lay-offs, but little of those resources are designed to help the
informal economy. Colombia is now lifting some quarantine measures, while still trying to control the virus. It's a thin line between a health crisis
and the economy collapse.
Stefano Pozzebon, CNN, Bogota.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: So how will future generations remember the coronavirus pandemic? And what will it teach them?
Cyril Vanier tells us how museums around the world are finding ways to document life during the COVID crisis.
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CYRIL VANIER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Once- bustling city streets, sitting deserted. A conversation between generations forced
to stay apart. Grocery shopping dressed in a makeshift Hazmat. A healthcare worker, clearly exhausted, on the front lines.
These are some of the images that capture a pivotal time in history as museums and cultural institutions around the globe work to document the
coronavirus pandemic.
ELLEN HARRISON, HEAD OF CREATIVE PROGRAMMES & CAMPAIGNS, HISTORIC ENGLAND: It's really important for future generations they're able to look back and
see what had to happen in order for us all to be safe. And I also think it's a useful way of processing some of the really difficult feelings and
frustration that we all experienced.
VANIER: In late April, Historic England asked people for photos of life on lockdown, in their first call for public submissions since World War II. In
one week, they received nearly 3,000 entries from around the country, illustrating an adverse collective experience.
HARRISON: We've seen a lot of rainbows. That's become a real symbol in the U.K. of a kind of solidarity within this time.
We've seen a lot of examples of people coming out to clap for carers. We've had some very lovely images of people communicating to their elderly
relatives. And really pleasingly, we've seen a real example of the kind of British sense of humor. One couple recreated the John Lennon and Yoko Ono
bed-in, but it had "stay home" messages behind it.
So, it's really good to see that, even in the face of this adversity, people are still keeping their sense of humor.
[10:55:05]
VANIER: Elsewhere, curators focus not only on visual display, but physical objects iconic of an unprecedented time.
MARGI HOFER, VICE PRESIDENT & MUSEUM DIRECTOR, NEW YORK HISTORICAL SOCIETY: Certainly, a recurring object is face masks. They have become the most
powerful visual symbol of the crisis.
Also, they've become a political statement, as well. Whether you decide to wear one or not can signal how you feel about the government's efforts to
reopen.
And another category that is growing is objects that are made by businesses who have pivoted their production in order to serve need during the crisis.
VANIER: The New York Historical Society launched their coronavirus collection in March, starting with a single bottle of hand sanitizer. Their
focus is physical artifacts of the pandemic: evidence defining a painful time that may become instructive in the future.
HOFER: Look at how we are going back to the flu pandemic of 1918 for lessons learned from that experience. You know, we look at the public
health measures that were taken, and the government interventions that were taken, or not taken, for guidance on what might be the right thing to do
now.
VANIER: Signage offering gloves to those who can't afford it, a playground cordoned off to keep children from gathering, computer screens used to
socialize in the age of social distancing. These are the items and images that will tell the story of our unprecedented time, shaping how the world
remembers the coronavirus pandemic.
Cyril Vanier, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: And CNN and "Sesame Street" are teaming up again to host a special coronavirus town hall, "The ABCs of COVID-19". A CNN-Sesame Street town
hall for kids as well as for parents will air Saturday at 10:00 a.m., 3:00 p.m. if you are watching here in London.
And there's much more ahead on the next hour of CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Isa Soares. Do join me in a few minutes. See you in a minute.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Hello and a very warm welcome back. I'm Isa Soares in for Becky Anderson.
I want to get straight to our top story this hour, the antiracism protests really sweeping the world. Is it a peaceful rally or a battle zone?
END
