Return to Transcripts main page

The Situation Room

11th Day of Protests over Floyd Death Under Way; New Video of Tacoma Arrest Appears to Show Police Striking Manuel Ellis Before he Died in their Custody; Ahead: Wolf one-on-one with Buffalo Mayor; U.S. Park Police Acknowledge Protesters were Tear-Gassed after Trump and White House Denied It; Videos Surface Showing Disturbing Confrontations with Police; CA Gov Calls For End To Police Being Trained In Type Of Chokehold; D.C. Mayor Names Street Near W.H. "Black Lives Matter Plaza"; U.S. Coronavirus Death Toll Nearing 109,000. Aired 5-6p ET

Aired June 05, 2020 - 17:00   ET

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

[17:00:00]

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: My guests will be General Colin Powell, as well as current HUD Secretary Ben Carson, and head of the Congressional Black Caucus, Congresswoman Karen Bass. It's at 9:00 a.m. and noon Eastern on Sunday, only on CNN.

You can follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @jaketapper. You can tweet the show @theleadcnn. We actually read them.

Our coverage on CNN continues right now. Have a healthy and safe weekend.

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: Welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer in THE SITUATION ROOM.

We're following breaking news. America in crisis. Cities across the United States are seeing an 11th day of protests over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. He was in Minneapolis police custody. A short time ago the Minneapolis City Council voted to ban the use of chokeholds by its police so one day after the first of several planned memorial services for Floyd.

And in Buffalo, New York, I've just confirmed that 57 police officers have resigned from the department's Emergency Response Team after two officers were suspended over a video showing a 75-year-old man being knocked to the ground during a protest and bleeding from his head.

Let's get some more on all of the breaking news out of Buffalo. Our congressional - excuse me, our national correspondent Miguel Marquez is joining us right now. Miguel, a major new development after this disturbing, very disturbing video came to light.

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It is a big development, and I think people will be very surprised that 57 officers decided to take the side of the two officers who were suspended because when you watch the video of that 75-year-old being pushed to the ground and then realize that the police department there in Buffalo didn't exactly tell the truth about what happened. It is the exact same sort of situation that people here in Minneapolis are dealing with.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARQUEZ (voice-over): Peaceful protesting nationwide with police, in some places and sometimes, joining in.

UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTERS: Black lives matter!

MARQUEZ (voice-over): The fight for justice taking another step forward today in Minneapolis. But meaningful police reform won't be easy or fast.

GEORGE FLOYD: I can't breathe.

MARQUEZ (voice-over): The Minneapolis City Council banning the use of police chokeholds like the one used on George Floyd and requiring officers to not only report but intervene when they witness the use of the now-banned practice. The use of crowd control weapons like rubber bullets and flash bang grenades will now require approval from the chief of police. And disciplined decisions must be timely and there are now must be civilian review of body cam footage. Two rookie officers charged in the George Floyd death are now seeking to blame the more senior policeman on the scene, Derek Chauvin.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You've got to have criminal intent for second- degree murder. And frankly this (bleep).

MARQUEZ (voice-over): This while new allegations of police brutality now emerging from several cities.

GOV. ANDREW CUOMO (D-NY): It's not a question of public safety or civil rights. Whose side are you on, public safety or civil rights? It can't be either/or.

MARQUEZ (voice-over): In Buffalo, New York, Thursday, police knocked this 75-year-old man to the ground. Blood poured from head as an officer appears to be discouraged from checking on him.

The video contradicts the department's initial explanation that the man tripped on his own.

CUOMO: It disturbs your basic sense of decency and humanity. Why? Why? Why was that necessary?

MARQUEZ (voice-over): Buffalo's mayor says two of the officers have been suspended without pay and the injured man is in serious but stable condition.

In Georgia, video from "The Atlanta Journal-Constitution" shows a woman thrown down by police, breaking her collarbone, during an arrest as her lawyer says she was trying to leave a protest.

ANDRE WILLIAMS, FIANCE OF WOMAN IN VIDEO: They took my fiance and they pinned me against the car, and they slammed her. And then they put us in the car and made us sit. And they made her sit on a broke shoulder, in handcuffs.

MARQUEZ (voice-over): The Atlanta police department has not responded to CNN requests for comment.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He was a blessed child. OK? He was blessed and did not deserve to be murdered at the hands of the police.

MARQUEZ (voice-over): In Tacoma, Washington, 33-year-old Manuel Ellis died in what the mayor has called a police homicide in March.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He contacted the police and obviously was in distress. So, he got out to talk to them. And when they did that, he assaulted one of the officers.

MARQUEZ (voice-over): He can be heard on the 911 call saying "I can't breathe" before he died.

[17:05:01]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He said he can breathe. They roll him on the side. And he was breathing, and he was talking.

MARQUEZ (voice-over): Autopsy reports show Ellis died of respiratory arrest due to hypoxia and had methamphetamine in his system at the time. The mayor, Victoria Woodards, is outraged.

And the officers who committed this crime should be fired and hypoxia and had methamphetamine in his system at the time. The mayor, Victoria Woodards, is outraged.

MAYOR VICTORIA WOODARDS (D-WA), TACOMA: And the officers who committed this crime should be fired and prosecuted to the full extent of the law. I don't get to take this skin color off every day. And my life could be taken. And today it stops in Tacoma.

MARQUEZ (voice-over): That promise echoed not just by protesters but by officials nationwide.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MARQUEZ: Now, look, I have no doubt in my mind that it is difficult to be a police officer every single day in this country. But what people here see are those practices and policies that too often aren't addressed. They feel, after today's ruling by the city council here and these new rules that have been put in place, that they're beginning, first step towards seeing real change across an entire system bent against them. Wolf?

BLITZER: Miguel in Marquez in Minneapolis for us. Miguel, thank you very much. In the next hour, I'll speak live with the mayor of Buffalo, Byron Brown. We'll discuss that really, really disturbing video that we just saw.

But let's go to the White House right now. Our chief White House correspondent Jim Acosta is joining us. Jim, the president invoked George Floyd's name during a Rose Garden event earlier today that was supposed to be about the U.S. economy.

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Wolf. The president today made the claim that police killing victim George Floyd somehow approves of Mr. Trump's job performance this week. The president is still hiding from reporters. Questions though about his handling of this weeks' protests. And the president tried to turn reporters into props earlier today as White House staffers rearranged the chairs at a news conference this morning to make journalists sit closer to one another in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA (voice-over): It could be the most Trumpian departure from reality yet as the president suggested police killing victim George Floyd is giving a thumbs up to Mr. Trump for his job performance this week.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Hopefully, George is looking down right now and saying there's a great thing that's happening for our country. This is a great day for him. It's a great day for everybody.

ACOSTA (voice-over): Just days after his administration tear gassed and pummeled demonstrators outside the White House, the president defended his harsh tactics, urging other mayors and governors to militarize their response to the protest.

TRUMP: This was like a piece of cake. And I really am suggesting, because if you look at Minnesota and the great success we had there and other places, you'll end up looking much better in the end. Call in the National Guard, call me. We'll have so many people, more people than you have to dominate the streets. You can't let what's happening happen. It's called dominate the street.

ACOSTA (voice-over): The president pointed to the latest unemployment numbers as a success story, comparing the economic hardship during the coronavirus pandemic to a hurricane.

TRUMP: You have a horrible hurricane in Florida or Texas. And it's devastating. And then the hurricane goes away and within two hours everyone's rebuilding and fixing and cleaning and cutting their grass. And I've seen it in Texas. I've seen it everywhere.

ACOSTA (voice-over): Mr. Trump is also touting the jobless numbers as proof of African American prosperity. But hold on. While the jobless rate dropped to just above 13 percent and white unemployment is on the decline as well, black unemployment is not. A reporter tried to ask about that but was cut off.

TRUMP: I would like to sign this bill. This is a very -- and by the way, what's happened to our country and what you now see has been happening is the greatest thing that can happen for race relations, for the African American community, for the Asian Americans, for the Hispanic American community, for women, for everything. ACOSTA (voice-over): As for the brutal clearing of Lafayette Park on Monday ordered by the Trump administration, the U.S. park police is now acknowledging protesters were tear gassed, after initially denying tear gas was used in a press release, a park police spokesman told the Vox website, "It was a mistake on our part for using tear gas because we just assumed people would think C.S. or C.N." Two types of tear gas. The spokesman acknowledged other agents were used. Adding, "I'm not saying it's not a tear gas, but I'm just saying we use a pepper ball that shoots a powder." Tell that to the White House.

KAYLEIGH MCENANY, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: So, again, no tear gas was used, no rubber bullets were used.

ACOSTA: Others say they were tear gassed in that area.

MCENANY: No one was tear gassed.

ACOSTA (voice-over): The D.C. government is making its own statement about the protests adding a "Black Lives Matter" mural and streets signs to the area across from the park.

The president lashed out on Twitter complaining, the incompetent mayor of Washington, D.C. is constantly coming back to us for handouts.

Mayor Muriel Bowser who learned the Pentagon is now beginning to pull U.S. troops out of Washington after her request to withdraw all extraordinary law enforcement and military presence from the district fired back at the president.

[17:10:01]

MAYOR MURIEL BOWSER (D), WASHINGTON D.C.: You know the thing about the pot and the kettle.

ACOSTA (voice-over): The president is also getting feedback from former White House Chief of Staff John Kelly who echoed the stinging criticism from former Defense Secretary James Mattis who accused Mr. Trump of dividing Americans.

GEN. JOHN KELLY (RET.), FORMER WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF: I think we need to look harder as who we elect. I think we should start, all of us, regardless of what our views are in politics. I think we should look at people that are running for office and put them through the filter. What is their character like? What is their -- what are their ethics?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA: Now, White House officials are brushing off public health concerns over the seating arrangement for the news conference in the Rose Garden earlier today. Take a look at these photos.

The seats for the journalists in the Rose Garden were initially set up spaced apart for social distancing, we've all been told to practice social distancing. Then at the last minute, White House staffers rearranged the seats, that's right, they rearranged the seats, making sure reporters were sitting closer to one another, about a foot apart. I was in the Rose Garden and saw the whole thing firsthand. Despite these health risks during the coronavirus pandemic. It appears aides to the president were trying to use reporters as props earlier this morning to make some kind of statement about the virus.

The White House Correspondents' Association has since released a statement saying the administration should not be putting the lives of reporters in jeopardy. And, Wolf, we asked a White House official for a response to all this. A White House spokesman said that in their view it just looks better with the seats closer together. Wolf, we felt like we were used as props. Wolf?

BLITZER: And potentially it's a lot more dangerous as well. Jim Acosta, thank you very much. Let's bring in our chief political correspondent Dana Bash along with CNN political commentator Van Jones.

Van, I've just confirmed that 57 members of the Buffalo Police Emergency Response Team have resigned from that unit. They haven't resigned from the police force, but from that unit to show solidarity with those two police officers who were suspended for pushing the man in that video. That 75-year-old man in Buffalo. So, what does that tell you?

VAN JONES, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: They've taken a small stain by two officers who did the wrong thing and should face discipline. And they've spread it across the entire department and across the entire profession of law enforcement. And this is the problem.

Right now, you are seeing both the best of U.S. law enforcement and the worst of U.S. law enforcement. So, those of you who don't deal with the police often, pay attention. I think some people who assume the worst about law enforcement, you've got cops out there kneeling with folks, you've got cops out there you know helping protesters. And love is rising from the ashes. On the other hand, you have police officers who are brutalizing people in broad daylight, in front of protesters and TV cameras, and are surprised when they have to pay any cost at all.

And that's where we are as a country. But it's the latter one that's the greater threat. As promising as those good images are, the idea that you have this herd mentality, this sort of blue wall of silence, that you'll support officers even when they do the wrong thing, that is lawlessness. We have lawlessness that's taken root in law enforcement.

And you see, the idea that you can knock a man down, of that age, and leave him there and then lie about it, and then you're going to band together to support the cops that did that, against the police chief who is trying to impose some order? That is a problem that we face every day as African Americans and you're seeing the best and the worst of law enforcement right now playing out in front of the country on television every day.

BLITZER: He clearly was pushed, that 75-year-old protester. He was clearly pushed. He hadn't been doing anything wrong. He went on his back, fell, he hit his head and then you see blood actually coming out of his head and for a long time, none of the police stop, none of them went over to try to help him. It was really awful.

And it's just, Van, one of many videos showing police responding to protesters with disproportionate force. The president of the Georgia NAACP is calling for Atlanta's police chief, for example, to resign over incidents like this. One incident showing a woman body slammed to the ground. Do videos like this show why protesters are out in the first place? Clearly, they do.

JONES: They do. And again, you have so many officers who are doing a good job, who are showing restraint under real stress. And even going above and beyond the call of duty to reach out to the protesters. So, it's going well in some places. The problem is, when somebody does something wrong, and of course in any large group of people you're going to have people who do stuff wrong. Can there be discipline? Can officers be disciplined, demoted, and fired for doing the wrong thing? Can they be prosecuted? Can they be sued? All too often the answer is no.

[17:15:00]

So, what does that mean? In any human system that does not have adequate checks and balances is going to tend toward corruption and abuse. That's why you have meat inspectors. Not because you hate butchers but because somebody's got to be on the lookout for bad actors. That's why you have building inspectors. Not because you hate construction workers, but somebody's got to be on the lookout for bad actors.

So, the same thing with police. It's not that you hate police, but you know that if nobody can be disciplined, demoted, fired, incarcerated, or sued, then even a small number of bad actors are going to commit tremendous harm. And you're seeing it play out. I feel so bad for those officers who are showing restraint and who are reaching out to continue to have their efforts completely marginalized by these folks who act badly. But those officers who are standing with the cops, who pushed that man down, should be ashamed of themselves. I'm from a law enforcement family. They are a shame on the profession. Then they should reconsider their course.

BLITZER: You know, Dana, we're showing our viewers some live pictures coming in from more protests on the streets of New York City right now and protests continue elsewhere of course as well. Huge ones planned for tomorrow here in Washington, D.C. Earlier this week, Dana, the former Defense Secretary James Mattis wrote that President Trump, in his words, tries to divide us. Was that statement proven by the president's remarks, his speech today in the Rose Garden, taking a victory lap on the jobs numbers?

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: You know, the jobs numbers and him trying to, as you said, take a victory lap, almost getting pretty dangerously close to "mission accomplished." I think that was more traditional politics that you would maybe see from a president who in times like this when you're seeing protests like this on the street, tends to be more inclusive, unlike the president that we have in the White House right now, on issues like this.

I think what Mattis was talking about wasn't so much about economic numbers, and even about the coronavirus, but about the fact that he has been tweeting things that have been meant to stand with, in his terminology, law enforcement, but is really viewed as much more strident than that. And he's used terms that were used by racists, by segregationists you know in the '60s. And that's the kind of thing that Mattis was talking about and the kind of thing that John Kelly, his former chief of staff who was very close with Mattis, stood by in an interview today.

BLITZER: He certainly did. Let's not forget James Mattis not only President Trump's first defense secretary but also a retired four-star marine corps general as well. Dana and Van, guys, thanks very much.

We have an important programming note for our viewers. Please be sure to join Van and Erica Hill tomorrow morning as they team up with the cast of "Sesame Street" for an important conversation with kids about racism, the nationwide protests, and diversity. Saturday morning, 10:00 a.m. Eastern, right here on CNN.

Up next, new details emerging about Attorney General Bill Barr's role in the crackdown on protesters here in the nation's capital.

And we're also following the continuing protests across the United States over the death of George Floyd.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:22:40]

BLITZER: Protests clearly are continuing around the country. Right now, peaceful protests here in Washington, D.C. You see the St. John's Church on the left part of your screen. People gathering. I anticipate there will be more people coming to that scene right outside of Lafayette Park across the street from the White House.

And there's a huge crowd gathering in Miami right now as well. On the right part of your screen, you can see that aerial shot. We're monitoring all of these protests around the country.

Tonight, we also have some new details emerging about the Attorney General William Barr's role in this week's heavy-handed crackdown on protesters here on the streets of Washington, D.C. right outside of the White House.

Let's go to our senior justice correspondent Evan Perez. So, Evan, you're getting new information. What are you learning?

EVAN PEREZ, CNN SENIOR JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, we've seen some of the military officials try to distance themselves from some of the military aspects of the crackdown that happened especially on Monday here in Washington. But one other general here in the city, Attorney General Bill Barr has not distanced himself from any of this.

As a matter of fact, we have learned that over the weekend, he was working the phones, advocating with the president to try to present a more forceful federal response to some of the chaos and the looting that was an accompanying or that was an outgrowth of some of the peaceful protests that were happening here in Washington. Some of it happening just steps away from the White House near Lafayette Square.

But you can see from some of the language that the attorney general has been using, he's very much embraced a lot of the use of force that the federal government has deployed here in Washington. He's talked about tactical plans, expanding perimeters, things that you often hear from the military.

And they're quite pleased now, Wolf, at what's happened, the city has calmed down. The attorney general did not actually ever get any executive order - any written executive order from the president to be able to command all these thousands of forces, both law enforcement and military in the city. We're told that he was simply carrying out the president's verbal order that he coordinate all of his response. Wolf?

BLITZER: All right. Evan, thanks very much for that update. We're joined now by the Brooklyn Borough president Eric Adams. He's a former New York police captain. Thanks so much for joining us, Eric. Let's talk a little bit about the Manhattan district attorney, that his office won't prosecute protesters arrested on charges of unlawful assembly and disorderly conduct. You're the Brooklyn Borough president. Is your Borough doing the same thing?

[17:25:00]

ERIC ADAMS, BROOKLYN BOROUGH PRESIDENT: No, I'm not sure yet. I'm going to reach out to the Brooklyn district attorney, Eric Gonzalez, and find out what his position is. This is new information that just came out, I believe. It's out of respect for the rights, for peaceful protests.

BLITZER: I want to show you some video from my hometown of Buffalo, two of the police officers involved were suspended, as you know, but now 57 other Buffalo police officers have resigned from their Emergency Response Unit in solidarity with those two police officers. They haven't resigned from the police force, just from that unit. You're a former NYPD captain. What message does that resignation send to everyone out there protesting police brutality?

ADAMS: It really strikes at the heart of what the problem is of far too many people in law enforcement. They want to display solidarity for those who do wrongful behavior. You should be showing solidarity for the people what you are sworn to serve and protect. And so, I say those who don't want to do the job correctly, don't only resign from the unit, resign from the department. This is a new day in policing and you must adjust or you're not going to be part of the law enforcement community in America.

BLITZER: I'm going to be speaking with Byron Brown, the mayor of Buffalo, in the next hour. As you know, Eric, several incidents involving NYPD officers are now under investigation, including this video of a woman being shoved to the ground by a police officer and this video that NYPD vehicle moving in on protesters. What do you think should happen to those police officers?

ADAMS: I think their actions are unacceptable. And clearly, when you are at a protest, you are there in a defensive posture, you're not in an offensive posture. There's no reason (AUDIO GAP) unless someone is aggressively attempting to attack you. When you look at a car mowing down bystanders or individuals standing there, even if they're in front of the truck, you do not do that. If a truck is damaged, then you know what we can get another truck. We can't get another human being. And I think those actions were unacceptable. And I think the Internal Affairs Bureau should investigate as well as any outside entity. We have here in the city an inspector general. He should also look at this as well.

BLITZER: And the governor in New York, Governor Cuomo, is pushing a new New York state law, he's pushing a police reform bill. Here are the four main pillars of this bill, which he's calling the "say your name" bill. One, release police disciplinary records. Two, ban the use of chokeholds. Three, make false race-based 911 reports a hate crime. And have the attorney general act as independent prosecutor for police murders. Do you think this bill would be effective or are there other areas of reform that you want to see as well?

ADAMS: We want to go deeper. I think those four bills are important. The New York state senate, they are introducing a number of bills. I know many of my colleagues, when I was in the state senate, talked about several of the police reform bills. I think the repeal of 50-a is important. That allows people to see the record of those officers who are abusive.

But I believe there's other areas that we can look at. Vice training, for one. We need to really have a cultural change in policing. This is an amazing opportunity for us. We can make peaceful changes without the violence that we're seeing on any side of this conversation.

BLITZER: Eric Adams is the Brooklyn Borough president. Eric, thanks so much for joining us.

ADAMS: Thank you.

BLITZER: Good luck in Brooklyn. it's a tense situation all over the country, as you know.

In Los Angeles, there are demonstrations unfolding. You can see live pictures coming in from L.A. right now.

Up next, I'll get an update from the mayor of L.A.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:34:01]

BLITZER: We're following breaking news here in "The Situation Room" in 11th day of protests across the United States over the death of George Floyd. Joining us now to discuss this and more, the Mayor of Los Angeles, Eric Garcetti. Mayor, thank you so much for joining us, especially on these very, very busy days. As you know, the California Governor Gavin Newsom is now ordering that police officers stopped being trained in a type of stranglehold that could cut off blood, the blood flow to the brain. First of all, do you support this step? Are you considering other police reforms in Los Angeles right now?

MAYOR ERIC GARCETTI (D-CA), LOS ANGELES: 100 percent, and we've actually implemented that here in Los Angeles, as well as the other eight can't wait steps that can be taken based in data that can reduce killings by as much as 72 percent preserve life, help people live. That's what this is about, that every life is sacred. Here in Los Angeles, we've been working hard reduced our fatal police shootings by more than 45 percent in just four years.

There's always more to do. But, Wolf, we either are going to meet this moment or we're going to miss this moment. And every leader in America to every member of America, the public, we cannot miss this moment.

[17:35:03]

And every leader in America to every member of America, the public, we cannot miss this moment. And there are concrete things to do, so it's great to see the governor saying that. And I do believe we can do these together. There's common ground that we found in the appalling outrage that we felt in George Floyd's murder and Breonna Taylor, whose birthday would have been today. It's time for us to act, not just talk, but to do the things that will save lives in America and rewrite the embedded racism that has been a part of our story for too long.

BLITZER: This is clearly a critical moment right now that the whole country is going through. As you know, the Los Angeles Police Chief has apologized for a comment that was made. I want to play it for our viewers. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHEL MOORE, CHIEF OF POLICE, LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT: We didn't have protests last night. We had criminal acts. We didn't have people mourning the death of this man, George Floyd. We had people capitalizing. His death is on their hands as much as it is those officers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: So clearly, you and the LAPD had a difficult situation on your hands with the looting that was going on. But what impact does a comment like that from the police chief have on the relationship between protesters and the police?

GARCETTI: Well obviously that's not helpful and I'm glad that a couple minutes later and you probably don't have the clip, he said, I misspoke. On his own recognizance here, he went in and immediately corrected that the next day. I told him you better apologize. He did apologize. This is a man who reformed rampart after the rampart scandal, and who's going to continue to move forward not only reforms and improvements but bringing people together with impatience. There is not a moral equivalent of looting and murder. All of us know that and that was restated. But we do need to look very carefully and making sure this isn't just a policing issue.

This is a health issue and education issue. This is an issue that starts, and racism doesn't just live in encounters that wind up with black men and women dying. This is on all of us. Why in my city, if you live in one neighborhood, you have 12 years less life than in another neighborhood. And that first one is a black and brown neighborhood, predominantly and the other one isn't.

Why is it if you're a black woman, you're four to six times more likely to die in childbirth giving a life to this world than if you are a white woman? What can we all do collectively, make sure you're not more 10 times more likely to be homeless, more likely to be sick, incarcerated, under educated, unemployed. This is about policing very much. And I'm glad that Los Angeles is not only adopting the reforms we need to but pledging to go even further.

But this is also about creating a culture between all of us of eliminating racism, not just in a heart of a police officer, but in the heart of an everyday citizen, from people who are political leaders to people who are business leaders. If we don't take this moment, it will pass us by. But I do believe in this tragedy, in many ways, this is the moment America has been waiting for to finally birth a multiracial democracy in America that recognizes the ills of the past and puts our resources towards changing that once and for all,

BLITZER: You know, and they were in the middle of all of this. The country is still going through a coronavirus pandemic right now. Almost 109,000 Americans have died over the past three months, another thousand Americans have died over the past 24 hours. Are you preparing in Los Angeles for a potential, and I hope it doesn't happen, an uptick in coronavirus cases as a result of these protests, these gatherings because we see a lot of protesters very close together and many of them not wearing face masks even.

GARCETTI: It absolutely is a concern and thank you for bringing that up, Wolf. We don't have to choose between spreading the coronavirus and having our voices heard. Practicing physical distancing, wearing face masks, washing our hands or bringing hand sanitizer out there. It's absolutely critical.

We're doing 9,000 plus tests today here in Los Angeles. I've encouraged protesters to go to our free testing sites. The biggest in the country. We have the capacity to do. Sorry 19,000, I misspoke not nine, 19,000 tests today. And we've done 50,000 this week.

And do them next week because this disease just dates and it can wait. It can come back in the next two weeks, maybe take three tests. That is something that we'll make sure that we don't see another tragedy come out of a moment of change, a moment of rage but also a moment, I believe, fundamentally of progress. BLITZER: Mayor Garcetti, good luck to you, good luck to everybody in L.A. Thanks so much for joining us.

GARCETTI: Thank you as always, Wolf. God bless.

BLITZER: All right. Thank you. Be safe and be careful out there.

Meanwhile, there are new protests emerging right now near the heavily fortified White House. You're looking at live pictures coming into "The Situation Room". We'll get you an update when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:44:23]

BLITZER: Protesters are gathering near the White House once again right near Lafayette Park across the street from the White House. Brian Todd is on the scene for us. Brian, tell us what's going on.

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, a very peaceful and positive atmosphere right here. And a big part of the story at the spot where I'm standing is what you're seeing now. This is, got a new name, 16th Street, this part of 16th Street is now known as Black Lives Matter Plaza painted in huge yellow block letters.

Our photojournalist Wayne Cross and Eddie Gross (ph) are kind of doing a tag team handoff here. Wayne is coming over with me here showing you the letters that were just painted this morning early by order of D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser. It is now called Black Lives Matter Plaza.

[17:45:01]

There's a formal street sign that was erected just above the K street sign there. We can see a street sign. You may not be able to see much of it there. But anyway, look, this is a big part of the story today. And part of that is the positive message that's going on here. A departure from earlier in the week and late last week.

This has got the look of park protest and park street festival down here towards the south part -- of the south side of 16th Street. They've had music playing, they've had people dancing and singing, making speeches. Again, the protest, just about every night has started down here near the White House and then gone different places.

Last night, we went to the Lincoln Memorial, we're not sure where they may march to tonight. That may be affected by the weather because there's some rain rolling in here, so we'll see what happens there. Also, we have to tell you a large-scale protest planned in Washington, D.C. tomorrow.

So, this is not ending. This message of positivity and really putting the message across. This is what these people really want. They wanted a departure from what happened earlier in this week and late last week where there were confrontations with police and tear gas and people getting hurt. This is completely the opposite. The trend has been toward peaceful protests. Mayor Muriel Bowser said the last two nights, each night, no arrests. Last few nights, no curfew. Tonight, no curfew.

Now she's had a battle of words with President Trump over the National Guard. She wants them out. She wants extraneous law enforcement out of the city. President Trump has brushed back on her. That's been a battle of words. But right now, on the street tonight, a very positive message of protest, Wolf.

BLITZER: I will stay on top of it together with you, Brian Todd, near the White House. Thank you.

There's more breaking news coming up next. The U.S. now approaching another grim milestone in the coronavirus pandemic as the number of cases continues to climb. We'll update you on that when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:51:43]

BLITZER: Mixed (ph) all the protests and the demonstrations against the death of George Floyd. Happening right now, you see live pictures coming in, protesters gathering in Washington, D.C. right near the White House as well as in Los Angeles, other major cities as well.

We're following new developments in the coronavirus of pandemic. Tonight, the U.S. death toll is nearing 109,000 people, about 1,000 Americans have died from coronavirus over the past 24 hours alone.

I want to bring in our Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta. Sanjay, obviously, very large crowds of protesters. To be clear, many of them are wearing masks, but there are, as we just heard from Mayor Garcetti in Los Angeles, serious concerns about COVID-19 spreading through some of these large crowds we're seeing. What do you think?

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I mean, it's a concern. I mean, there's no question about it, Wolf. It's one of these things where -- I mean, the protests are important. You know, people obviously want to be out there. But there's the concern, the virus is still out there.

So the idea that it's outside is helpful. The idea that people are wearing masks is helpful. But people obviously congregating in large groups like you're seeing there for large -- for long periods of time, longer than 15 minutes, for example, is going to increase the risk. We don't know, you know, how this will sort of play out over the next few weeks. I mean, people who are exposed now may not get tested for a couple three weeks. We hope there's not any kind of big super spreader events at these protests.

People, when they go home, they may need to quarantine themselves so as to not get people in their own home possibly infected. This is all real, and superimposed on that, Wolf, at the same time states are reopening. So you have sort of two things happening simultaneously and it's going to affect the infection rate. We're just going to have to see how much. BLITZER: Well, the number of new cases in the past week here in the United States, Sanjay, is up in 21 states. Twenty states, the number of new cases is up. So what does that tell you about where we are right now with this pandemic?

GUPTA: Well, you know, we're still very much in this. If you talk to some infectious disease experts like Michael Osterholm, they'll say, you know, we're in the second or third inning. I mean, if you want to give it some sort of timeframe like that, it's hard to know.

I mean, I will say this, Wolf. Obviously, we know that we've learned a lot about the virus, but there's still a lot of things we don't know we're better than we've been even in places that are reopening and maintaining that physical distance and wearing masks and doing things to reduce the spread. But it's still out there very much, you know, 1,000 people have died over the last 24 hours. 4,000 since this past Sunday.

Keep in mind when we decided to implement the-stay-at-home orders in the first place, Wolf, back in the middle of March, fewer than 80 people had died, fewer than 5,000 people had been infected. And now we see those numbers that are dramatically higher, at the same time that we're seeing images like this on the screen and we're opening up. So it's concerning. I think we're still very much in the middle of this. Hopefully, you know, even in places that are reopening, people will still do their best to slow the spread.

BLITZER: Yes, because it's a serious, serious situation. This pandemic is by no means over. Dr. Sanjay Gupta, as usual, thank you very, very much.

GUPTA: Yes.

BLITZER: We're going to continue to follow the breaking news. Next, we're going to get live update on the 11th night of protests over the death of George Floyd taking place across the country right now.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:59:42]

BLITZER: We want to welcome our viewers here in the United States and around the world, I'm Wolf Blitzer in "The Situation Room". We're following breaking news on the demand for change after George Floyd's death, as protests are underway for an 11th straight night. The Minneapolis city council now has agreed to ban chokeholds like the one use on Floyd. The city also plans to require police officers to intervene when inappropriate forces used.