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Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey had to make a "Game of Thrones"-style walk of shame when protesters turned on him for refusing to defund the police department.

Mayor Frey was right in the thick of a Saturday demonstration when a protest organizer demanded a "yes or no" answer to this question: "Will you commit to defunding Minneapolis Police Dept.?"

He responded, "I do not support the full abolition of the police," and that's when it got ugly. The organizer said, "Get the f**k outta here" ... and chants of "Go home Jacob" went up from the crowd, and that he did.

Taking a long, loud walk through a sea of protesters.

It's a stunning turn for Mayor Frey who almost immediately called for the firing and prosecution of the 4 officers involved in killing George Floyd.

He was also kneeling and weeping next to George's casket during Thursday's emotional funeral service.

Defunding police departments has now become a flashpoint during many protests across the country, and nowhere is that more evident than in this video.

President Trump is rallying troops around him, literally ... soldiers are lining parts of the White House perimeter as the largest George Floyd protest yet is about to begin.

More than 100,000 people are expected to rally in the National Mall Saturday to protest the killing of George Floyd, specifically, and police brutality in general. While there have been protesters near the White House for more than a week now ... it appears Trump's administration is preparing for the worst.

As it is, 8-foot high fencing was erected this week around most of the White House grounds' perimeter, and will reportedly remain there until at least the middle of next week.

Washington D.C. police have closed off several streets, allowing the immense groups of protesters to march by the landmarks of the Mall ... such as the Lincoln Memorial, The National Museum of African-American History, Lafayette Park and, of course, the White House.

Remember, last week the President ordered law enforcement to clear streets by opening fire on peaceful protesters with rubber bullets and pepper spray ... so he could get to St. John's Episcopal Church for a photo op.

President Trump's attempt to embrace George Floyd is clearly BS when you see what he retweeted -- a claim from Candace Owens that Floyd is a symbol of black America's "broken culture."

The President showed strong support for the conservative talking head's disgusting beliefs with 2 retweets on Friday ... promoting a theory she spewed about George on Glenn Beck's radio show. Owens said, "The fact that he has been held up as a martyr sickens me."

Their point is absolutely outrageous -- that just because George Floyd had previous trouble with the law, protesters shouldn't be chanting his name.

Beck and Owens quickly glossed over the fact accused murderer Derek Chauvin had pressed his kneed into Floyd's neck for nearly 9 minutes -- and almost 3 of those after Floyd was dead -- which is, of course, what millions of people around the world are actually protesting.

To say they're completely missing the point is a gross understatement.

Even more appalling is the fact the President stood in the Rose Garden on Friday and claimed George Floyd would be looking down and smiling because this was a "great day" for him and for America.

President Trump invoked the name of George Floyd while touting America's economic comeback, and praising police response to looting and protests ... by suggesting George would approve of all of the above.

After POTUS gave proud shout-outs to the National Guard, Secret Service and Washington, D.C. cops for keeping the White House safe all week ... he recommended certain Governors -- particularly New York's -- call him to get help squashing looters and rioters.

He repeated the phrase he used all week, saying law enforcement and the military need to "dominate the streets" -- but then quickly pivoted to calling for equal justice for all Americans "in every encounter with law enforcement regardless of race, color, gender or creed."

To that ideal, Trump said he hoped George is looking down right now, saying, "This is a great thing that's happening for our country. It's a great day for him. It's a great day for everybody ... in terms of equality."

What's odd is ... the President was in the Rose Garden to sign a bill devoted to small business loan flexibility, and not anything to do with justice reform.

Justifiably, Trump's comments have been met with backlash from some public officials who saw the speech as a gross attempt to politicize George Floyd's name. Especially, because we've seen multiple incidents of police brutality with peaceful protesters this week

Joe Biden called Trump's words "despicable," and Sen. Kamala Harris tweeted ... "keep George Floyd’s name out of your mouth until you can say Black Lives Matter."

Along with the new fencing around the White House to keep protesters at bay, President Trump should have a good view of a city block-long painting spelling out Black Lives Matter.

The local Washington D.C. government reportedly gave the green light to muralists to make the large BLM display along 16th Street NW ... which leads straight into Lafayette Park and the President's home.

The work started early Friday and will take several hours, but it looks like the artists are making great progress. And, in addition to the new display ... Mayor Muriel Bowser has officially renamed the section of the street "Black Lives Matter Plaza."

The bold, yellow lettering of the mural is a stark contrast to the black fencing put up Thursday around The White House complex on 17th Street NW. Remember, an 8-foot high fence was already erected around Lafayette Square earlier this week.

The White House is now surrounded by nearly 2 miles of fencing in response to demonstrations and unrest in the nation's capital. Of course, that caused POTUS to take shelter in a bunker for a bit ... and also instruct law enforcement to open fire on peaceful protesters so he could get to a photo-op.

It seems more than unlikely he'd seek another photo-op next to the mural when it's completed.

Obama invoked the names of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Cesar Chavez and Malcolm X when discussing young people and the inspiration they've become during this movement. He said what's happening right now "reminds people of the 1960s and the chaos, the discord and distrust throughout the country." But he added, "I have to tell you, I know enough about that history to say there is something different here. You look at these protesters, and that is far more representative across America, peacefully protesting; who felt moved to do something because of the injustices they have seen."

Obama said the mobilization in peaceful protesting across America -- and frankly, across the world -- didn't exist back in the day. He said, despite the riots, the majority of Americans agree these protests are justified. And, that's the change he's seen so far in these protests.

The Prez said he wanted to talk directly to people of color and say "I want you to know that you matter; that your lives matter. Your dreams matter." He also challenged local officials on how to bring about real change, while urging young people to vote in local elections.

It should be noted ... Obama acknowledged law enforcement and the "vast majority who protect and serve. I've been heartened to see those in law enforcement who recognize, 'Let me march along with these protesters.' Those who recognize they want to be part of the solution. Those who listen. Change will require everyone’s participation."

Former President Barack Obama is making his first on-camera remarks about the death of George Floyd ... and TMZ is streaming live.

Obama is set to speak Wednesday during a virtual town hall sponsored by My Brother's Keeper Alliance -- an org that partners with his Obama Foundation. Barack is expected to address Floyd's killing, police practices ... and the racial bias still ingrained in the justice system.

Organizers have dubbed the event, "Reimagining policing in the wake of continued police violence" ... and it's supposed to kick off at 2 PM PT. This will be Obama's first time publicly discussing George Floyd's case on camera -- he's already addressed his death on social media and in a Medium essay.

44 tackled issues surrounding police brutality while in office -- he rolled out a number of policies intending to curb those incidents, such as creating a task force with guidelines on 21st century policing, as well as limiting the transfer of military equipment to police departments.

Donald Trump's administration has rolled back some of those reforms, so ya gotta wonder if BO will directly call out the President during the town hall.

Obama also addressed the slaying of Ahmaud Arbery a few weeks ago during a speech to the graduating class of 2020 -- HBCU students, specifically.

Bernice King has a message for the people who aren't protesting in the streets right now -- that's perfectly fine ... there are other ways to help.

The youngest child of Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King tells TMZ ... being a protester requires a certain character and discipline -- and not everyone fits the bill -- but EVERYONE can be a part of the movement.

For the George Floyd protests, King says there are many roles to fill ... like donating to help bail out peaceful protesters who were arrested, or helping with research, or simply being vocal about wanting to end racism in this country.

Bernice points out she's not on the front lines with protesters in this case either, because she's focused on achieving the desired results of positive change ... so the protests aren't in vain.

King suggests there's a lot of work to be done, but lucky for us ... her father set a pretty stellar example, and she's striving to follow his lead and get others in line, as well.

Bernice is CEO of The King Center, which helps teach tactics and strategies for advocacy and peaceful protesting ... which the U.S. can use a lot more of.

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.

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.

President Trump says he is the President of law and order, and that's why he's deploying thousands of military troops to shut down rioters and looters ... across the country, if necessary -- but his first action was to have military and police pepper spray and shoot rubber bullets at peaceful protesters.

The President said justice will be served for George Floyd and his family, but in the meantime ... he will not allow the "angry mob" to drown out the peaceful protesters. He said the looting was mostly victimizing peace-loving citizens "in our poorest communities."

Speaking from the White House grounds, he vowed to fight to keep those citizens safe, and then said he is "Your President of law and order, and an ally of all peaceful protesters." Trump then called out local law enforcement for not protecting citizens and small businesses.

As a result, POTUS said he was making a move to shut down "domestic terror," and if Mayors and Governors don't "dominate" the streets, he would step in for them. He said he is mobilizing "thousands and thousands of heavily armed soldiers" to stop the "wanton destruction of property."  Here's the problem -- Trump's wrong on the law.  He does NOT have authority to send in troops UNLESS THE GOVERNORS ASK HIM.  Governor Cuomo, for one, has already said, "Thanks but no thanks."

Just over 4 minutes into the President's speech ... rubber bullets and pepper spray were being fired on a group of protesters across the street at Lafayette Park -- it almost seemed like a scripted made-for-TV moment.  It was also an outrageous overreach, because these were not rioters or vandals ... they were peaceful demonstrators who were showing their disdain for the brutal killing of black men at the foot of the symbol of government.  And for that they were shot at and gassed.

Donald Trump excoriated governors on a conference call Monday morning for not being way more aggressive with rioters.

Trump was on a video conference call with various governors, and audio of the conversation leaked. Trump says the goal is "domination" over the rioters.

Trump says Minnesota has become "the laughing stock" of the world because of the violence on the streets. Ditto for New York City and Los Angeles ... Trump says the police response has been anemic and rioters were walking all over them.

Trump then went on to take credit for sending the National Guard into Minneapolis, saying when the Guard stepped in, the looting stopped.

He's suggesting that the National Guard is the solution, yet in Los Angeles and Long Beach the rioters were undeterred. BTW ... there are way more police officers in most big cities than National Guard -- the ratio in L.A. was 10 to 1, so the Guard isn't the panacea.

Donald Trump said something Saturday that is gonna be hard to swallow for millions of Americans ... he said MAGA loves black people.

Trump's statement came just hours after he tweeted with glee how the Secret Service was about to open a can of whup-ass on demonstrators who were confronting authorities near the White House. Trump says the young agents were itchin' for some action, with the help of some vicious attack dogs.

And, the day before he harkened back to a proclamation from another leader back in the 60's ... when the looting starts, the shooting starts.

Martin Luther King III says the rioters burning buildings over George Floyd's death have real reason to be upset with cops -- but he's still stopping short of condoning the violence.

MLK3 tells TMZ ... folks across the country, and particularly in Minneapolis, have a right to be frustrated and tired of police killing black people, and he's ripping President Trump for fanning the flames with that tweet seemingly calling for protesters to be shot.

King III says he understands why rioters resorted to setting fire to a Minneapolis police station and several other buildings the night before ex-cop Derek Chauvin was arrested and charged with Floyd's murder. Still, you can hear his father when he says the years of pent up frustration don't justify violence.

At the same time, King notes torched buildings can be rebuilt ... but George can't be given new life.

While King III says he simply can't condone violent acts of rebellion, he says it's hard for people to think about peace in today's environment ... and tells us why it's difficult to get people on board with non-violent protests these days.

MLK3 also drops some timeless knowledge from Martin Luther King Jr. ... and explains how Americans can prevail in the fight against evil.

Amid the chaos, confusion and division being stoked by the current occupant in the White House, Barack Obama's voice of calm and reason is chiming in ... calling George Floyd's death tragic and painful.

The 44th President of the United States says what happened to Floyd "shouldn't be 'normal' in 2020 America" ... while also invoking the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery and what recently went down at Central Park. Obama also shared parts of conversations he says he's had with friends over the last couple of days following Floyd's death.

Check it out ... he shared a friend's email from a middle-aged African-American businessman who wrote to him, "I cried when I saw the video." Obama also said a friend used the powerful song that went viral after 12-year-old Keedron Bryant posted his video on Instagram earlier this week.

Keedron, BTW, captioned it simply saying, "Just singing what's on my heart...hope this blesses someone." Some of the lyrics include, "I'm a young black man, doing all that I can to stand. Oh, but when I look around and I see what's being done to my kind every day, I'm being hunted as prey."

Obama said it's normal for everyone wishing for everything to "just get back to normal" as a pandemic and economic crisis ravages this country. He added, "But we have to remember that for millions of Americans, being treated differently on account of race is tragically, painfully, maddeningly 'normal' — whether it’s while dealing with the health care system, or interacting with the criminal justice system, or jogging down the street, or just watching birds in a park."

The former Prez went on to say what went down in Minneapolis is something officials there will have to handle to ensure justice is done, "but it falls on all of us regardless of our race or nation ... to work together to create a 'new normal' in which the legacy of bigotry and unequal treatment no longer infects our institutions or our hearts."

Obama's statement is a stark difference to what President Trump tweeted earlier Friday ... calling for looters to be shot.

Julia Roberts is making a political statement with her face mask -- one that's sure to irk President Trump ... on so many levels.

The actress stepped out Thursday wearing a face covering with former President Barack Obama's face on it. Julia was strolling around the Malibu Country Mart as she did her part to mitigate the spreading of the coronavirus.

Let's face it, she was also further politicizing face coverings -- something the current POTUS started by refusing to wear one ... even though his own administration's guidelines say everyone should in public. Arguably, Trump's adamant stance is why we've seen clashes around the country over face masks.

Of course, 45 trashes 44 every chance he gets ... so the Oscar winner's pandemic fashion statement would no doubt get a thumbs down from the White House.

We're confident in saying ... Julia wouldn't give a crap.

Keisha Lance Bottoms believes the majority of Americans know the man in charge is "not very smart" ... and she's urging everyone to use common sense and good judgment to get through this pandemic safely instead of following his political lead ... especially over masks.

The Mayor of Atlanta joined "TMZ Live" to talk about the politicization of COVID -- which is just crazy -- and the alarming images in her fair city, showing hundreds of people partying in close quarters without masks.

Bottoms says the silent majority has been responsible, and it would be a tragedy for a relatively small group to trigger a resurgence of the virus.

The problem, of course ... some people -- probably many -- are taking their cues from President Trump, who is clearly using masks as a moniker for his re-election campaign ... defying doctors and scientists and instead relying on untrained, gut instinct on what drugs to take and how to stay safe. Mayor Bottoms couldn't make sense of it ... because it doesn't make sense.

President Trump is speaking out about the killing of George Floyd, saying federal law enforcement is on the case ... and promising there will be justice.

POTUS tweeted Wednesday about George's death, saying ... "At my request, the FBI and the Department of Justice are already well into an investigation as to the very sad and tragic death in Minnesota of George Floyd."

He went on to say, "I have asked for this investigation to be expedited and greatly appreciate all of the work done by local law enforcement. My heart goes out to George’s family and friends. Justice will be served!"

It's interesting ... we already knew the FBI was involved, but the fact the DOJ is jumping in right away as well is pretty telling. Seems the President is aware of how angry and fed up millions of Americans are after seeing the video of George's killing.

It's a more emphatic reaction than he had several days after the video surfaced of Ahmaud Arbery getting shot to death -- saying it was a horrible thing, and he was awaiting the results of several investigations.

In any case, it's good to see the case has caught the attention of the most powerful person in the country ... who can actually do something about this at the highest level.