New York, May 31 (RHC)-- Several U.S. states have called in National Guard troops to help quell the protests, some of which have turned violent.  Cities nationwide have also implemented curfews, but protesters appear undeterred.

Protesters in Minneapolis, Minnesota, have pledged to continue until all four officers involved in the death of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man, are charged.  Floyd died on Monday after a white officer knelt on his neck.  Officer Derek Chauvin has been charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter.  The other officers have not been charged.

Political analysts say that there is a long history of police violence against people of color, particularly Blacks and Latinos.  

Between 2013 and 2019, police in the United States killed 7,666 people, according to data compiled by Mapping Police Violence, a research and advocacy group.  On May 26, 2020 at 9:25p.m., George Floyd, a 46-year-old resident of Minnesota, became yet another victim of police brutality as he was killed by an officer while unarmed.

Floyd's death has prompted thousands of protesters to march in cities around the country demanding justice and an end to police violence. 

The number of police killings in the U.S. disproportionately affects African Americans.  Despite only making up 13 percent of the U.S. population, Black Americans are two-and-a-half times as likely as white Americans to be shot and killed by the police.