George Floyd protests - live: Attorney says three officers will be charged over killing, as bishops from church express outrage over Trump photo op

Amazon shoppers are buying up pepper spray as demonstrations continue across the US and self-defence becomes front-of-mind for some Americans.

Macy's broken into as New York curfew ignored

(Mikal Daskivich/via Reuters)New York City's late-night curfew failed to prevent another night of destruction, including arrests after a break-in at Manhattan's flagship Macy's store on 34th Street.

As the 11pm deadline to get off the streets approached, protesters marched peacefully through Manhattan and Brooklyn.

However, police responded to numerous reports of roving groups of people smashing their way into shops and emptying them of merchandise.

Police were seen pulling two handcuffed men out of Macy's and putting them in a van after people managed to break through the store's doors.

People also rushed into a Nike store and carried out armloads of clothing. 

Video footage posted on social media showed some protesters arguing with people breaking windows, urging them to stop, but instances of vandalism and smash-and-grab thefts mounted as the night went on.

PA

Here's our editorial on the current situation in the US: European nations need not try to appear superior about the situation in the US

The police killing of an unarmed man like George Floyd was a result of a racist system that cannot be looked at only within the context of policing, according to Andre Perry.

In the Minneapolis area, where protests have turned violent in the wake of Mr Floyd's death, the median income for black households is less than half of white ones - $38,200 (£30,200) compared to $85,000 (£68,000), Eli Rosenberg and Andrew Van Dam report.

The mayor of Birmingham, Alabama, ordered the removal of the contentious 115-year-old Confederate Soldiers & Sailors Monument in Linn Park after it was targeted by protesters.

EU top diplomat calls George Floyd's death an abuse of power

(Olivier Hoslet/Pool/AFP)The European Union's top diplomat has said the death of George Floyd was the result of an abuse of power and that the 27-nation bloc is "shocked and appalled" by it.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told reporters that "like the people of the United States, we are shocked and appalled by the death of George Floyd".

Mr Borrell says law and order officials must not be "using their capacities in the way that has been used in this very, very unhappy death of George Floyd", adding: "This is an abuse of power and this has to be denounced."

He underlined that Europeans "support the right to peaceful protest, and also we condemn violence and racism of any kind, and for sure, we call for a de-escalation of tensions".

Mr Borrell said: "We trust in the ability of the Americans to come together, to heal as a nation and to address these important issues during these difficult times."

He added: "All lives matter. Black lives also matter."

AP

This Morning presenter Alison Hammond cried as she spoke to Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield about about how George Floyd's death has affected her.

Speaking over the phone, Ms Hammond whose parents are from Jamaica, said: "This is wonderful you have given this a platform on national TV. I think that's absolutely wonderful.

"First, I am a mother to black boys so when I saw that image of George Floyd I saw my brother, I saw my father, I saw my son.

"I saw everybody's son, and I was disgusted to my core. It hurt me to the pit of my stomach to think that this is 2020 and we are seeing that. Let's be honest. This has been going on for ever."

She added: "It does have an effect on your mental health, of course it does.

"When I see those images on the telly of George Floyd that are put out all the time, especially when he is lying on the floor dead, that has an effect, deeply on my mental health.

"I appeal to the media departments, just be careful with the images that are put out."

Virgil Abloh apologises after backlash over looting comments

Virgil Abloh, the designer for Louis Vuitton's menswear collections and founder of streetwear label Off-White, has apologised after being criticised for chastising looting by US protesters.

Mr Abloh, the highest-profile black designer in fashion, said in an Instagram post that he supported "every movement to eradicate racism and police violence".

"I am a black man. A dark black man. Like dark-dark. On an average trip to the grocery store in Chicago I fear I will die. Any interaction with the police could be fatal to me," he wrote.

The 39-year-old had been attacked on social media for criticising the looting of shops in Chicago and Los Angeles to which he had a connection amid protests against the killing of George Floyd.

In a post after a store owned by a fellow streetwear designer was damaged Abloh wrote:

"This disgusts me. To the kids that ransacked his store and RSVP DTLA, and all our stores in our scene just know, that product staring at you in your home/apartment right now is tainted and a reminder of a person I hope you aren't."

Mr Abloh was also criticised for donating $50 to an organisation helping with protesters' legal expenses when his creations can cost several hundred dollars or more.

"Yesterday I spoke about how my stores and stores of friends were looted. I apologize that it seemed like my concern for those stores outweighed my concern for our right to protest injustice and express our anger and rage in this moment," he said on Monday.

He said his contributions to causes related to the protest movement totalled $20,500.

Reuters

Racial tensions are careful balancing act for Biden as they turn violent

The demonstrations across the US have forced Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden to strike a careful balance between validating anger over police mistreatment of minorities while condemning violence as a response.

In one city after another, thousands have vented outrage in sometimes violent clashes over last week's death of George Floyd.

For Biden, the protests represent a chance to advance his campaign's core argument: that he is an empathetic leader who will bring a sense of calm after years of deep polarisation under president Donald Trump.

But the moment is also fraught for a candidate whose path to victory relies on stitching together a coalition that includes both young activists seeking sweeping policing reform as well as more moderate voters who want order restored to their neighbourhoods.

"This is the case for Joe Biden: He can be a uniter, he can be a safe, trusted voice, but he can also signal a return to some sanity around race politics for some people who have been turned off by the Trump era," said Joel Payne, a political strategist who oversaw African-American advertising for Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign.

Reuters

Riverdale actor Cole Sprouse has revealed he was zip tied and arrested while “peacefully protesting” for Black Lives Matter.