George Floyd Death Celebs Join Protests In L.A. ... Support #BLM

Hollywood is showing support for the Black Lives Matter movement ... with tons of huge celebs taking to the streets of Los Angeles to protest in the wake of George Floyd's death.

Machine Gun Kelly carried a sign that read, "Stop Arresting Protesters! Arrest Killer Cops!!" as he marched alongside Travis Barker, who had his own sign saying, "NO JUSTICE NO PEACE."

Logan Paul reunited with his ex, Josie Canseco, for the protest through Hollywood ... and Halsey walked alongside her ex, Yungblud, for their second L.A. protest together. As you can see, Logan busted out a "BLACK LIVES MATTER" sign.

Other celebs joining the massive protest included ... Emily Ratajkowski and her husband, Sebastian McClard, plus Mod Sun, Cara Santana, DeRay Davis and Tinashe.

Ben Affleck and girlfriend Ana De Armas also joined the protest ranks ... with Ben carrying signs in support of #BLM and a Baptist church in Venice.

Check out the gallery ... and see the outpouring of support for Floyd and BLM.

George Floyd Hometown of Houston Protests ... Bun B Leads the Way

George Floyd's hometown is honoring him, and joining the national cries for justice by staging a large, peaceful march rally and March on the streets of Houston.

H-town rappers Bun B and Trae tha Truth joined throngs of people flooding Downtown Houston Tuesday for a march that ended at City Hall. George spent most of his life in Houston and still has family there. He hailed from the Third Ward and was an active member of the rap scene there.

Ben Crump, attorney for Floyd's family, announced earlier Tuesday the first memorial service will be Thursday from 1 to 3 PM in Minneapolis with another one scheduled in North Carolina Saturday at 3 PM.

Later, there will be a public viewing in Houston from 12 to 6 PM before he's buried there. Presidential candidate Joe Biden's expected to attend the funeral.

Bun B told a local reporter he was marching because George "was a human being and wasn't treated like one." Former classmates of Floyd from nearby Jack Yates HS also held a vigil over the weekend. People attending the vigil wore school colors and shirts that read, "I can't breathe."

Tuesday's protests also included an urban trail riding club dubbed Nonstop Riders. A reporter there got video of them showing up to the protest and they were met with boisterous applause. One of the riders said, “We’re here representing for all our black brothers and sisters.”

The protests in Houston come in the wake of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz announcing the launch of a civil rights investigation ... which will not only look at the 4 officers involved in Floyd's fatal arrest, but also examine the department's behavior, in general, over the last decade.

Trump Hotel Vegas Ex-Employee Sues ... And the Lord Said, No Sunday Shifts!!!

A housekeeping employee who used to work for the Trump Hotel in Vegas claims she was kept out of church (and on the clock) for years, despite being a devout Christian ... now, she's suing.

The woman's name is Sonia Torres, and according to a lawsuit she just filed against her former bosses in Sin City ... she'd been working in the hotel's housekeeping division without issue for years. That's until a new housekeeping regime came in, and allegedly screwed up her Sunday appointments with God by switching up her schedule.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, Torres claims she was hired in 2010 with an explicit understanding she would not work Sundays, so she could observe her faith. Torres says management, at the time, said no problemo ... and hired her.

Fast-forward to 2015, and Ms. Torres alleges a new boss started giving her Sundays off to a dude who had less seniority than her. Torres says she complained to her superiors and HR, but nothing changed.

Eventually, she says the issue came to a head, and after talking it out with union reps ... they suggested she go on call for Sundays, but she refused. Torres says she just stopped showing up on Sundays, which got her fired in 2018.

Now, she's suing for religious discrimination and hostile work environment, demanding damages and back pay.

NYPD Scanner Calls for Violence Against Protesters ... 'Shoot Motherf*****s' Heard, But Who Said It?

NY'S FINEST

NYPD officers allegedly urged police to shoot and run over protesters -- at least that's what was heard over the citywide police scanner ... but the question now is whether those words came from a cop or someone who stole a radio.

As protesters marched toward the 77th Precinct in Brooklyn, you could hear someone on the scanner calling in to describe the scene before another voice urges cops to, "Shoot those motherf*****s."

Later in the evening, the scanner picked up what sounded like officers saying they were surrounded by protesters near the intersection of Albany and Dean Streets in Crown Heights. A voice on the scanner responds, "Run them over."

Obviously, the scanner broadcasts are beyond alarming IF they really came from police officers. NYPD tells us ... they're aware of the comments and are looking into it.

TMZ independently found the radio transmissions on a website that records police scanners -- so the audio is legit. However, law enforcement sources tell us ... during this latest wave of civil unrest, police radios have gone missing, and there is a possibility the transmissions on the scanner did not originate from police.

As you know ... NYPD officers have been physically clashing with protesters for days, with an officer appearing to pull a gun on demonstrators, and cops appearing to drive a police car into a crowd of protesters behind a barricade.

HIT AND RUN
@MylesMill/NBCNewYork

Additionally, 2 NYPD officers were injured -- one of them seriously -- Monday night in separate incidents in the Bronx.

NY Governor Andrew Cuomo has also ripped Mayor Bill de Blasio and the NYPD for their response to protests.

Minneapolis PD Now Investigated for Floyd Death ... And Other Cases

The Minnesota Department of Human Rights has filed a complaint against the Minneapolis PD in the wake of George Floyd's killing.

Governor Tim Walz announced the launch of the civil rights investigation, which will look into last week's incident involving the 4 officers who arrested Floyd ... in which one of them, Derek Chauvin, pressed his knee on George's neck for nearly 9 minutes, and long after he became unresponsive.

All 4 officers have been fired and Chauvin's been arrested and charged with third-degree murder ... but the other ex-cops have not been charged yet.

The investigation will not only focus on the Floyd incident, though. Gov. Walz says it will examine the practices, policies and patterns of the department over the past 10 years to determine if police have engaged in systemic violations of human and civil rights.

The Minneapolis PD has faced allegations of brutality, discrimination and unfair treatment of minorities for years, but clearly ... Floyd's death could be the catalyst to finally do something about it.

Killer Mike Grassroots Leaders Speak Up ... Here's How We're Battling Racism

SHARING MY PLATFORM
UPDATE

12:13 PM PT -- Killer Mike's call with the community leaders and grassroots organizers has wrapped up, and his mission was accomplished ... they had a large platform to inform the public of vital work being done to end racism, and how people can help.

UPDATE

Among the main talking points were the importance of voting out politicians who don't support the cause, supporting black businesses, and striving to end police brutality ... but there was so much more. The speakers also included Gary Davis and Latonya Gates, along with the others below.

Killer Mike's hosting a virtual meeting with grassroots leaders to highlight all the ways they're working to address systemic racism ... and TMZ's live streaming it.

The rapper and activist's media call comes as the U.S. just experienced the 7th straight night of protests and unrest over the brutal killing of George Floyd and the mistreatment of black people in America.

The discussion will include the following grassroots organizers -- Judith Browne Dianis of the Advancement Project National Office, Pastor Michael McBride of Black Church PAC and LIVE FREE gun violence prevention campaign, Nse Ufot of the New Georgia Project, Zakiya Sankara-Jabar of Racial Justice NOW, and Desmond Meade of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition.

Mike mesmerized the country a few days back -- as violent riots broke out in Atlanta and across the country -- with an impassioned speech at a news conference with Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.

"I'M MAD AS HELL"
WSB-TV 2 Atlanta

He made it clear he empathized with the rage being demonstrated but urged people to work toward a solution without violence ... advising them to "plot, plan, strategize, organize and mobilize."

Mike's call with the grassroots leaders is intended to elevate that message even more. The Zoom call's scheduled to begin at 2 PM ET.

Originally published -- 10:30 AM PT

Colin Kaepernick The Weeknd Donates $200k To Legal Defense Initiative

The Weeknd just stepped up BIG for Colin Kaepernick -- shelling out $200,000 to the QB's campaign to cover legal costs for people who get arrested while protesting for George Floyd.

Just last week, Kaepernick's Know Your Rights Camp launched a "legal defense initiative" aiming to cover legal bills for the "freedom fighters" on the ground in Minnesota.

Kap says he's already put together a team of "top" defense attorneys to help out -- but they also asked for donations from outside supporters.

Well, Weeknd -- real name Abel Tesfaye -- has answered the call with a HUGE donation ... and Team Kap couldn't be happier.

"A HUGE thank you to @theweeknd for donating $200,000 to our Legal Defense Initiative to support Freedom Fighters on the ground!"

"This is amazing."

The donation to Kap's initiative is part of The Weekend's $500k contribution to several Black Lives Matter campaigns ... including the BLM Global Network and National Bail Out.

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

"Keep supporting our brothers and sisters out there risking everything to push for actual change for our black lives," Abel said when announcing his donation.

"Urging everyone with big pockets to give and give big and if you have less please give what you can even if it's a small amount."

George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery Lawyers Urge Nation to 'Take a Breath for Peace' ... Details on Floyd's Funeral Services

LET'S ALL TAKE A BREATH
UPDATE

9:38 AM PT -- Crump and Merritt just spoke and briefly offered some opinions and updates regarding Floyd and Arbery's cases. Crump talked about both autopsies and compared each one's findings. He also said the Minnesota AG confirmed he'll look at the independent autopsy as part of his case building. What's more ... Crump said, "What [Floyd] needed was a breath. The family's [now] asking for everyone to take a breath for peace, take a break for justice, take a breath to heal our country and take a breath for George."

UPDATE

Crump also offered some details about Floyd's upcoming memorial and funeral services slated to begin Thursday in Minneapolis and culminate with his burial in Houston. Crump said former VP Joe Biden plans to attend.

UPDATE

Merritt announced the three suspects charged with Arbery's murder will have a bond hearing Thursday morning in Georgia. Merritt said it's appalling that a bond hearing will take place, adding, "We don’t think any bond is reasonable for these brutal suspects." He says he's assured the family "we're confident they will not get bond. We believe in the rule of law." Merritt confirmed the family will attend Thursday's hearing.

The attorneys representing the families of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery are holding a news conference to discuss getting justice in the courts AND the United Nations ... and TMZ's streaming live.

Attorneys Ben Crump and Lee Merritt will speak Tuesday morning -- along with criminal justice advocate and CNN analyst, Van Jones -- in an online forum set up by Team Roc.

We're told Crump and Merritt will take questions from reporters and hit topics including the upcoming bond hearing for Ahmaud's alleged murderers, Minnesota AG Keith Ellison taking on George Floyd's case and the next steps for bringing the 3 cases to the United Nations. Presumably, they want the U.N. to deem all three killings human rights violations.

As we previously reported ... the attorneys held a similar virtual news conference last week and not only touched on Floyd and Arbery's murders, but also discussed the tragic killing of Breonna Taylor in Louisville. Merritt also suggested it was time for economic boycotts and sanctions in the communities where these events had unfolded in hopes of conveying their message that racism and police brutality will no longer be tolerated.

The lawyers are also representing Taylor's family and pursuing justice after police killed her in a case of mistaken identity. The virtual news conference begins at 9 AM PT.

Originally published -- 8:41 AM PT

George Floyd Protests Army Helicopters Used to Disperse Crowds at White House

BRINGIN' IN THE ARMY
@anabananaaaah/Twitter

President Donald Trump has declared war on peaceful protests, doubling down Monday night with military helicopters buzzing a crowd of protesters after soldiers pepper sprayed them and shot them with rubber bullets.

NOT IN MY HOUSE
AP

It was a shocking scene ... first, as Trump was delivering his law-and-order speech -- preparing for his bizarre walk across the street from The White House -- the military outside the gates began attacking the crowd. It was violent and swift, and mind it, this was BEFORE the D.C. curfew went into effect.

Trump then walked across the street to St. John's Episcopal Church, which was partially set on fire the night before. He stood there with a bible ... and there's not much doubt why he did it. Trump was reportedly ticked off when reports surfaced he was taken to a bunker for his safety over the weekend.

The bishop of the church is appalled at Trump's stunt, saying it's antithetical to the bible.

As for the military helicopters ... they were flying so low the rotors were kicking up dirt, which made the crowd disperse. This is a tactic usually used by military jets in war zones.

BTW ... as for Trump's claim he can call in the military to cities and states where there's violence. No, he can't. He needs the permission of the governors, and some have already said no thank you.

NYPD Sergeant Struck by Car and Hurled in Air

HIT AND RUN
@MylesMill/NBCNewYork

An NYPD officer was hit by a car and propelled in the air during disturbances early Tuesday morning in the Bronx.

An unmarked police car was responding to a commercial burglary at around 12:45 AM when cops saw a bunch of people at the location. A sergeant got out of his car and just as he stepped out a black sedan peeled off, striking the Sgt. ... hurling him into the air.

The sergeant -- a 30-year veteran of the NYPD -- was taken to the hospital where he's in serious but stable condition. Cops are looking for the sedan and the occupants.

RUTHLESS ATTACK
@SBANYPD/Twitter

Also in the Bronx Monday night ... another NYPD officer was beaten by at least 3 different attackers who smashed him in the head with what looks to be a trash can. Unclear what the officer's condition is ... he was able to stand under his own power as his assailants fled the scene.

LeBron James Rips Social Media Clout Chasers ... Using L.A. Chaos For Content

"They’ll Do ANYTHING for Clout!! Cardi and Offset tried to tell y’all."

That's LeBron James taking aim at two women who used the chaos in L.A. as photo opportunities ... and yeah, the King is BIG MAD over it all!!

Here's the deal ... rioters and looters wreaked havoc on stores and shops in Santa Monica all day and night Sunday -- and on Monday, two women showed up to take pics with the rubble.

While citizens aided in the rebuilding effort ... one woman faked the use of a power tool on storefront plywood and then bolted off.

"This lady stopped someone boarding up a store in Santa Monica so she could hold the drill for a picture, then drove away," one witness said of the scene. "Please don’t do this."

Another woman posed in front of a store that had been ransacked just hours earlier ... with a witness there saying, "This girl is making her boyfriend take a picture of her in front of a smashed T-Mobile. Oh my God!"

Both scenes were blasted HARD on social media ... with LeBron calling them out as clout chasers -- and P!nk lashing out at the fake power drill woman as well.

"What is wrong with these entitled a**holes?!" the "What About Us" singer said. "Who the f*ck are you and who are your parents you horrible person. How can anyone defend this???!!!"

For their part, the alleged women in both videos have yet to go public explaining their sides of the story.

Carole Baskin Taking Over Joe Exotic's Old Zoo!!! Judge Gives Jeff Lowe the Boot

Joe Exotic isn't gonna sleep well tonight -- his nemesis, Carole Baskin, now has control of the Oklahoma zoo that used to be his, thanks to a judge's ruling.

The short story is Carole won a $1 million judgment against Joe and his mom many years ago, but she never got the dough. According to docs, obtained by TMZ, the judge said Joe's transfer of the zoo land to his mother and Jeff Lowe was fraudulent. So, now the judge is granting Carole control of the land to help satisfy that $1 mil judgment from the old trademark lawsuit.

The federal judge's ruling says Jeff has 120 days to get himself and all of the animals off the property. You'll recall, he had just re-opened last month and renamed the zoo, Tiger King Park.

Doesn't sound like Jeff is too busted up about the loss of land. He and his wife, Lauren, tell TMZ, "We have long anticipated that the judge would eventually undo the 2016 land transfer. We are thankful that he dragged out his decision this long and allowed us time to complete the new Tiger King Park in Thackerville Oklahoma, behind the World’s largest casino."

If you hadn't heard, Jeff was already planning to ditch Joe's old Tiger King Park property in Wynnewood, OK.

Jeff and Lauren continued, "Considering [Carole] spent approximately 2.5M chasing her 1M judgment, we congratulate her on her new acquisition of 16 acres in rural Oklahoma."

They took one parting shot, saying, "The possibility of human remains being buried on this land should make her feel right at home."

Yeah, we think Joe would second that emotion.

L.A. Store Good Samaritans Cuffed and Detained ... Woman Explains Why She was There to Protect

DID THIS JUST HAPPEN?
FOX 11
UPDATE

6:26 AM PT -- The woman in the blue shirt at the center of the video -- her name is Monette -- later explained to the Fox11 reporter what happened ... and why she wasn't going to let looters get into the liquor store owned by her longtime friend.

UPDATE
WE JUST WANT JUSTICE
FOX 11
UPDATE

Monette says her husband and brother-in-law were detained along with her before cops realized they were trying to help. Monette adds that she understands what these protests are all about and supports them ... but she doesn't want her community destroyed. She warns, though, that there will be further unrest until justice for George Floyd is served.

It's one of the most incredible things so far to play out on live TV following the brutal killing of George Floyd.

Several people who were protecting their community liquor store from would-be looters were grabbed, put up against a wall and cuffed ... and it might even underscore the root problems that have been festering for decades.

As you see in the video ... an African-American woman tries to protect the store. She's a community leader who was trying to restore peace, and she was joined by one or two people who either owned or worked in the store.

There were people right in their faces, and it's reasonable to believe the store was in danger. The woman ran for help, calling out for the police. When they came, they targeted her. The reporter, Christina Gonzalez, from Fox11, was pleading with the police to let them go, explaining they were not the looters. The police, who knew Christina well, were unmoved, at least temporarily.

Words don't do this justice ... watch the video.

Originally Published -- 6/1 7:14 PM PT

George Floyd Protests TX Homeless Man Replenished Anew After Rioters Screw Him

THANK YOU, AUSTIN!
@uncorked / TikTok
UPDATE

6:41 AM PT -- 6/2 -- The homeless man based out of Austin who had his literal street-side home and belongings torched by out of control looters just got blessed and then some by good people who came to his rescue.

UPDATE

Somebody followed up with the dude, and he told them he'd been gifted a brand new tent to sleep in, as well as an air mattress, new clothes, food and even some cash. Looks like folks saw the video of his stuff getting burned up this week and jumped on the good deed train.

UPDATE

It's a full 180 to how this guy sounded when it was all happening in real-time -- he sounded so broken and hurt ... now, he's overjoyed, and ya love to see it. Just goes to show you that, yes, even during these unruly times ... love trumps hate in the end. Good stuff.

HEARTLESS DESTRUCTION

This is heartbreaking and so hard to watch ... but rioters in Austin destroyed the small comfort of a homeless man by setting his mattress ablaze, and you hear his anger and torment.

It happened over the weekend ... you see a rioter toss the mattress onto a bonfire on the sidewalk, and the homeless man cries out, "I live here!"

He says, "I live here. What the f*** are you doing?" He's not yelling at the perpetrator ... that person fled as soon as he did the damage. The homeless man was speaking to the camera ... as if pleading for help from anyone who would listen.

Originally Published -- 6/1 9:24 AM PT

Kobe Bryant Murals Untouched Amid L.A. Chaos ... Vanessa Appreciative

Despite nearly a full week of chaos, looting and vandalism in L.A. ... one thing has remained untouched in the city -- street art dedicated to remembering Kobe Bryant.

The city Mamba played in for 20 years has been turned upside down in the wake of George Floyd's death ... with protests turning aggressive and violent in several neighborhoods.

In fact, areas just miles from Staples Center have been devastated ... with shops and stores being smashed, burned and sprayed with graffiti.

But, as looters and agitators tore through parts of town ... they carefully passed over tagging and destroying Kobe murals -- and the former NBA star's wife sure appreciated the gesture.

Vanessa Bryant shared pictures of untouched Kobe and Gianna murals on her social media page Monday night ... most with heart emojis and captions expressing gratitude.

Of course, all the art was put up in the days after Kobe and Gianna's tragic deaths in late January ... and it's successfully stayed in place since.

Social media users have issued threats of violence for any kind of Kobe art tampering in the future ... with one Twitter user even writing, "tagging over a Kobe mural is asking to catch a 6pc w a side."

George Floyd Video Teen Who Recorded It ... Getting Psychological Help

The girl who captured George Floyd's killing by Minneapolis PD officers on video is getting through the trauma of the ordeal thanks to therapy and a change of scenery, while remaining an important part of the case ... TMZ has learned.

We broke the story ... 17-year-old Darnella Frazier says she's utterly traumatized after recording the incident in which officer Derek Chauvin used his knee to suffocate George, largely because she's been the target of unfair criticism and backlash since the video got released.

She's also been facing a media frenzy -- dealing with reporters and an onslaught of attention -- and, of course, there's the trauma of just witnessing George's death firsthand.

Darnella's attorney, Seth B. Cobin, tells us that she and her family are no longer staying at her house in South Minneapolis, which is literally around the corner from the scene where Floyd was brutally killed.

We're told the family decided to relocate to an undisclosed spot -- police were not involved -- to remove themselves from the constant attention and strangers coming to their door.

Darnella's neighborhood has understandably become a flashpoint for Minneapolis protests, so the family felt it was best to get away from that for now.

Cobin tells us Darnella's also begun seeing a therapist who specializes in trauma, and it's working for her. Otherwise, she's keeping her mind busy with her school work.

5/25/20
EXCESSIVE FORCE
Facebook/ Darnella Frazier

As for her role in Floyd's murder case ... Darnella -- along with her mother and Attorney Cobin -- met with investigators from the FBI Civil Rights Divison and Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension on Saturday to give them her statement.

Cobin says it was a very important step for them to speak to the main witness, and Darnella is doing her part. Cobin says, "It's not an easy story to tell. You're going back to that place in your head and that's not an easy way to go back. It was emotional for her to recount her story, and for all of us to hear it."

Darnella's phone was taken to a crime lab so they can extract the original video and use it as evidence in Chauvin's trial. We're told investigators are trying to get in touch with other witnesses seen or heard in her video, as well.

For all that she's been through, a GoFundMe campaign's been started to help Darnella get some peace and healing ... it's raised nearly $50k in 2 days.

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