Trump under fire for invoking George Floyd while talking about US job figures

Joe Biden said the president's words were 'despicable'

US President Donald Trump was lambasted on Friday for invoking George Floyd when discussing jobs figures. AP

US President Donald Trump was widely condemned on Friday for invoking George Floyd's name as he touted US jobs figures.

In a White House Garden speech Mr Trump said Floyd, an unarmed black man allegedly murdered by a Minneapolis policeman, is "looking down" and "saying this a great day".

"Equal justice under the law must mean that every American receives equal treatment in every encounter with law enforcement regardless of race, colour, gender or creed," Mr Trump said.

"They have to receive fair treatment from law enforcement. They have to receive it."

"We all saw what happened last week. We can't let that happen," he added.

"Hopefully George [Floyd] is looking down and saying this is a great thing that's happening for our country. A great day for him. It's a great day for everybody."

"This is a great, great day in terms of equality," Mr Trump added.

Critics said the president appeared to be tastelessly inferring that Floyd was celebrating positive jobs figures posthumously, while his defenders said he was referring to the police viewing US citizens equally.

Mr Trump's Democratic challenger for president, Joe Biden, called him "despicable"  in a campaign speech in Dover, Delaware.

"George Floyd's last words, 'I can't breathe, I can't breathe' echoed all across this nation and quite frankly around the world.

"For the president to try to put any other words in the mouth of George Floyd I frankly think is despicable."

Protests in the US over the police custody death of Floyd were more subdued for a second night on Thursday after a memorial service that saw calls for reform of a criminal justice system seen as discriminatory against black Americans.

Thousands of people still turned out on the streets of major cities including Washington, New York, Boston and in Minneapolis, where Floyd died on May 25 soon after being arrested, but the mood was sombre as the anger over his death that led to widespread violence gave way to resolve for a long-term struggle for change.

In several cities police even took part in marches or expressed support for the protests. However, a video of police pushing over a protester in Buffalo, New York sparked fresh anger and led to the suspension of two officers involved.

New York state Governor Andrew Cuomo endorsed the officers' suspensions, tweeting that what was seen on video was “wholly unjustified and utterly disgraceful”.

Police take a knee

After more than a week of confrontations between police and protesters, law enforcement officials in several cities publicly acknowledged people's anger over death of Floyd.

In Los Angeles, where protests were largely peaceful after several nights of violence, arson and looting last week, police chief Michel Moore came out to speak to protesters and ask forgiveness for suggesting that looters bore some responsibility for Floyd's death.

In Texas, protesters cheered as Fort Worth officers joined the front of a march, while police in Austin  walked with members of the University of Texas football team from the campus to the state Capitol to honour Floyd's memory. Once there, the players and police officers took a knee for nine minutes in recognition of the time Floyd spent pinned to the ground under a policeman's knee shortly before his death.

Nate Saint, a protester in Atlanta, said the reduction in violence could be attributed in part to the  police.

“Cops are recognising that the more passive they become, the more receptive, the more they listen, the less the protesters are going to react,” he told Associated Press.

The Georgia state capital experienced widespread vandalism and looting following a peaceful demonstration last Friday.

Along with a more conciliatory approach by police, protesters said the upgrading of charges against the main arresting officer and the charging of three others involved in Floyd's arrest also helped to reduce anger. There is also a feeling that their expression of rage is not sustainable.

“Personally, I think you can’t riot every day for almost a week,” said Costa Smith, 26, who was protesting in downtown Atlanta.

In for the long haul

Despite being subdued, the protests show no sign of going away.

Miguel Fernandes, a protester in In New York City, told Associated Press there were “a lot more nights to go” of marching because the protesters had not got what they wanted.

At a memorial for Floyd in Minneapolis on Thursday, civil rights activist and Baptist minister Al Sharpton, 65, vowed that the protests would become a movement to "change the whole system of justice".

In Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms walked with protesters in the city centre and told the crowd “there is something better on the other side of this”.

“We are in the midst of a movement in this country,” she said. “But it’s going to be incumbent upon all of us to be able to get together and articulate more than our anger. We got to be able to articulate what we want as our solutions.”