Tear gas, fires outside White House

Tear gas, fires outside White House

Police tried to push protesters back in Washington DC on Sunday (May 31) in a sixth day of protests over the death of George Floyd, a black man killed by police in Minneapolis.

Video obtained by Reuters showed clouds of tear gas being deployed just outside the White House as protesters gathered ahead of a curfew in the city, which was set to begin at 11pm local time (0300 GMT).

"Most (of the protesters) dispersed as the police started using flashbangs and pushed protesters back due to several buildings on fire," said Kyle McFadden, who was at the scene close to Lafayette Park.

The police deployed tear gas several times during the protests, according to McFadden.

Widespread protests have occurred across major U.S. cities over the death of Floyd, which has sparked outrage that has swept a politically and racially divided nation.