People take items from a store hours after a solidarity rally calling for justice over the death of George Floyd in New York. Photo / AP
People take items from a store hours after a solidarity rally calling for justice over the death of George Floyd in New York. Photo / AP
The streets of New York City have been overrun by hundreds of people wielding baseball bats and other weapons as they loot and destroy luxury stores across Manhattan.
Disturbing images are emerging from across the nation - showing looting in New York City, a police officer pointing a rubber bullet gun at a child and protesters scrambling from teargas.
Some described "anarchy" on New York streets as hundreds of people looted stores, including luxury outlets.
A person carries merchandise from a 7-Eleven store in New York. Photo / AP
TV images showed throngs looting luxury stores along Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, one of the cities busiest shopping districts, before the city's 11pm curfew.
Social media footage also showed people grabbing items from electronics store Best Buy before police arrived wielding batons.
TOTAL ANARCHY: The night @NYCMayor decided to make a phony curfew start at 11PM and once again refused the National Guard. This video by @NY1 was taken at a #Manhattan@BestBuy & is just one of DOZENS of businesses destroyed in NYC tonight.pic.twitter.com/sV47bXOGay
In Midtown Manhattan, there was widespread looting along the eastern portion of the neighbourhood along the high-end shopping district Fifth Avenue and Madison Ave, close to Trump Tower.
West 34th street is out of control after FootLocker was looted with ten under dozens of looters swarmed 34th street and took to a Sprint store 50 feet from the Foot Locker where detectives were still processing the scene. pic.twitter.com/XHQSG2sNqq
The looting also extended further south into Herald Square and the iconic Macy's building, which was broken into. CNN reports there were also fires set and buildings vandalised.
"I witnessed an eyeglass shop being looted. In some cases, just windows being smashed. And other cases stores are being broken into. This has been going on for at least two hours," CNN reporter Brian Stelter said. "Between 9 and 11pm, it was a real sense of anarchy on the streets in Midtown Manhattan."
The curfew deadline has now passed there but thousands remain on the streets.
People take items from a store hours after a solidarity rally calling for justice over the death of George Floyd in New York. Photo / AP
Mayor Bill de Blasio said the curfew would be moved to 8pm tomorrow.
The images come as US President Donald Trump walked around Lafayette Square and posed in front of a boarded up church near the White House after making a brief statement.
The President made the appearance after protesters were cleared from the area with tear gas and horses, moments before he spoke, vowing to restore "law and order".
People take items from a store hours after a solidarity rally calling for justice over the death of George Floyd in New York. Photo / AP
He has vowed to use the US military to halt protests over the death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old African American who died in Minneapolis police custody after being pinned beneath a white officer's knee for nearly nine minutes.
Derek Chauvin, the 44-year-old Minneapolis police officer who kneeled on Floyd, has been arrested on third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter charges.
Three other officers involved in the arrest have not been charged.
Floyd's death was the latest case of police brutality against black men caught on videotape and prompting an outcry over racism in US law enforcement.
