World News for Students of English

03-06-2020 15:00

On Monday, George Floyd, an African American man from Minneapolis, US, died after he had been detained by police for allegedly using fake money in a store.

A police officer held Floyd on the ground with his knee on Floyd’s neck for at least seven minutes. Floyd repeated several times that he couldn’t breathe. Then he fell silent, and he was later pronounced dead at a hospital.

The four white police officers involved in the detention were fired; however, protesters are calling for stronger action. The Minneapolis mayor, Jacob Frey, said that the officer, who kneeled on Floyd, must face criminal charges.

On Tuesday night, protesters gathered outside a Minneapolis police station and fought with officers. A second night of protests turned violent with demonstrators setting fire to local businesses and looting. Police officers used tear gas and plastic bullets to disperse the crowd.

Difficult words: detain (when the police stop someone), pronounce dead (to say formally that someone has died), loot (to steal goods from stores or houses during a protest or war), disperse (to spread over a wide area).

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