The exact origins of the group are unknown, but Antifa can be traced to Nazi Germany and Anti-Fascist Action, a militant group founded in the 1980s in the United Kingdom.

"What they're trying to do now is not only become prominent through violence at these high-profile rallies, but also to reach out through small meetings and through social networking to cultivate disenfranchised progressives who heretofore were peaceful," Levin said.

Earlier that year, Antifa protested the appearance of Milo Yiannopoulos, an alt-right provocateur, at the University of California, Berkeley. They also protested President Donald Trump's inauguration in January 2017.

Crow, who was involved with Antifa for almost 30 years, said members use violence as a means of self-defense and they believe property destruction does not equate to violence.

Peter Cvjetanovic, a white nationalist who attended the Virginia protests, said he believes the far left, including Antifa, are "just as dangerous, if not more dangerous than the right wing could ever be."

But Crow said the philosophy of Antifa is based on the idea of direct action. "The idea in Antifa is that we go where they (right-wingers) go. That hate speech is not free speech. That if you are endangering people with what you say and the actions that are behind them, then you do not have the right to do that.

"I am a mother to four black children in America, one of whom is 18 years old. And when I saw the murder of George Floyd, I hurt like a mother would hurt," Bottoms said. "And yesterday when I heard there were rumors about violent protests in Atlanta, I did what a mother would do, I called my son and I said, 'Where are you?' I said, 'I cannot protect you and black boys shouldn't be out today.'"

In July of 2019, Bottoms spoke out forcefully against planned Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in Atlanta, and other cities, telling CNN at the time that her city was "not complicit in what's happening."

"Our officers don't enforce immigration borders," Bottoms said. "We've closed our city detention centers to ICE because we don't want to be complicit in family separation."

Every word of this is true. We must confront the deep legacy of bigotry that leads too many black and brown and immigrant lives to be treated with callous disregard and sometimes become the victims of pure hate. But the answer does not lie in demonizing all police officers or indiscriminately destroying property. That will only spur a backlash and lead some to see moral equivalence between the two sides in the larger struggle between right and wrong. The riots in the late 1960s only succeeded in burning out inner cities and electing Richard Nixon on the back of his Southern strategy.

As cable news networks carried images of fires and destructive protests in Minneapolis, the president tweeted at 12:53 a.m. ET: "these THUGS are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd, and I won't let that happen. Just spoke to Governor Tim Walz and told him that the Military is with him all the way. Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts. Thank you!"

Less than two-and-a-half hours later, Twitter took action. "This Tweet violates our policies regarding the glorification of violence based on the historical context of the last line, its connection to violence, and the risk it could inspire similar actions today," the company said.

Facebook came under scrutiny last year for saying it would not fact-check politicians' posts.

Across the US, a familiar chant echoed during a fifth day of protests: "No justice, no peace."

Outside groups are behind some of the violence, officials say

On Sunday, President Donald Trump announced the US will designate Antifa as a terrorist organization.

Antifa positions can be hard to define, but many members support oppressed populations and protest the amassing of wealth by corporations and elites. Some employ radical or militant tactics to get their message across.

Hundreds arrested across the US

About four dozen police vehicles were damaged or destroyed, and more than 340 people were arrested, the official said.

"Nothing we do to provide justice for George Floyd ... matter(s) to any of these people who are out here firing upon National Guard, burning businesses of our communities," Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz told reporters on Saturday.

Garner's daughter said it's "heartbreaking" that the Floyd family must endure what her family has suffered.

Cities set curfews and deploy National Guard

In Nashville, where a 10 p.m. curfew was set and Mayor John Cooper declared a state of civil emergency, officers used tear gas to disperse a crowd that turned violent.

At least 13 states and the District of Columbia have activated the National Guard to respond to the unrest, a defense official told CNN.

In Atlanta, which saw widespread destruction, looting and large blazes Friday night, Kemp authorized at least 3,000 National Guard troops ahead of protests expected Sunday.

When Trump's rambling suggestion that disinfectants could be injected or otherwise consumed to deal with coronavirus led to a spike in calls to poison control centers, Trump shrugged off any responsibility. When he attacked the military service of the late Sen. John McCain in 2015, Trump insisted he didn't need to apologize because the media had twisted his words. (They had not.)

Now, that's not to say Walz's reaction to the death of George Floyd has been perfect. Far from it. He clearly didn't fully grasp the amount of anger and outrage in the community, and has struggled to get the ongoing protests under control -- all the while trying to ensure that the investigation into what exactly happened leading to Floyd's death.

Trump faced his own charges of racism in the 1970s when Richard Nixon's Justice Department sued the Trump family's real estate firm for discriminatory rental practices against black people. Instead of working to make things right, Trump employed what became his signature move: he went on the attack. He hired the notorious Roy Cohn -- a defense attorney who had been Sen. Joseph McCarthy's top aide during his red-baiting campaign -- to file a $100 million countersuit for making false statements (those allegations were dismissed by the court). The original lawsuit was eventually settled and the Trumps signed a consent decree.

From the White House, Trump has made his attitudes on race clear with his comments about "s**thole countries." He also targeted Democratic congresswomen of color and said that they should "go back and help fix the crime infested places from which they came" (three of the four women were born in the US).

Now, in 2020, Donald Trump is a President whose re-election prospects are burdened by the weight of his failed response to the Covid-19 pandemic. More than 100,000 Americans were killed by the virus while Trump denied the severity of the public health threat, boosted an unproven treatment that studies suggest could be dangerous, and mused about quack cures involving household cleaners and light. Though his rival Joe Biden has, for the most part, remained at home in Delaware, the former VP has managed to build a lead in many polls, causing Trump's advisers to warn he is in trouble with the voters.

As the evening raged on, Hafsa said locals did their best to protect Gandhi Mahal by standing in front of it, but within hours, its windows were broken and by morning their restaurant had turned into ashes.

"I grew up in a Third World country surrounded by the violence I'm seeing now," he said. "I don't want to see it here. I don't want a police state traumatizing its people. It's time to make a change. We can't make any more excuses for police. This is America. We are here for justice."

They transformed their bookstore into a safe space

Schwesnedl hung an "Abolish the Police" sign in a window and refused to allow officers to use their parking lot and outdoor space as a staging ground.

The couple transformed their space into a "harm free zone," where people set up medic stations for injured protesters to wash out tear gas and clean their wounds.

They're using their tattoo parlor to inspire protesters

While Nijiya said they knew protesters could still damage their parlor, it did not change their stance on the protests.

One thinks, too, of Bill Clinton traveling to Oklahoma City after the bombing there of a federal building in 1995. Clinton, like Reagan, was at his best when he captured tangled emotions and gave meaning to deaths of some of our finest citizens. He not only consoled families in private but moved the nation when he mourned them publicly. As I recall, that's when presidents were first called "Mourners in Chief" -- a phrase that has been applied repeatedly to presidents since. (Not coincidentally, Clinton's speech of mourning in Oklahoma City is widely credited with resurrecting his presidency, then in the doldrums.)

Historians generally agree that Washington, Lincoln and FDR were our greatest presidents. All three are remembered for their empathy and steadfastness in caring for the lives of average Americans. They continue to set the standard.

Lincoln began his presidency during great uncertainty about his leadership. He won the election of 1860 with the smallest plurality ever (39%), and his military experience was virtually nil. But over time, he kindled a special relationship with Union soldiers, many of whom called him "Father Abraham." Historians say his homespun ways, common manner and kindly empathy converted them. In his re-election, soldiers were his greatest supporters.

Why has our current "Mourner in Chief" gone AWOL? God knows. But his flight from responsibility is yet another sadness among this week's tragic losses.

"What we see manifesting right now is not just a reaction to a live or caught-on-tape murder but a deep wound within our society, within our body politic that are festering in our country and must be addressed," said Booker, who represents New Jersey.

"Imagine if every time your husband or son, wife or daughter left the house, you feared for their safety from bad actors and bad police," Biden said.

JJ Milliken, another Swanson supporter, said via Twitter: "#WalkWithUs is how we change a system that murdered #GeorgeFloyd. It requires mindfulness of our actions and beliefs. Chris Swanson exemplifies the deputies and officers I know and respect. Community-first mentality and lead by example. This is a mindful action. This is change."

CNN is attempting to reach the Genesee County Sheriff's office for comment.

On Saturday, Trump wrongly accused Bowser in a tweet of not allowing the DC Metropolitan Police Department to help the Secret Service keep control of the situation with protesters in Lafayette Square on Friday night. That claim was later refuted by the US Secret Service who confirmed in a statement that the DC police department and US Park police were on the scene.

In a press conference Saturday, Bowser noted how Trump's reference to the "ominous dogs" was "no subtle reminder" of segregationists who would attack African Americans with dogs.

Some protesters continued to gather in downtown Washington, DC, at Lafayette Square, which is across from the White House, into Saturday evening, but additional protesters were not being allowed in by police.

White House executive office staff received an email urging them to stay away from the White House complex, if possible, due to "ongoing demonstrations."

Elected officials on both sides of the aisle said on Sunday that the President should instead focus on unifying the nation or decline to address the country at all.

The protests this weekend came after Officer Derek Chauvin, the white Minneapolis police officer who thrust his knee into Floyd's neck as he begged for air for more than 8 minutes, was arrested and charged with murder. The Department of Justice has vowed to quickly proceed with a federal investigation into Floyd's death. Protesters say they want to see charges for all four police officers involved in Floyd's death.

In an interview on CNN's "State of the Union," Robert O'Brien, the White House national security adviser, defended Trump, saying the White House and the President support peaceful demonstrations. He went as far to deny that there is systemic racism in America among police agencies.

"The death of George Floyd on the streets of Minneapolis was a grave tragedy. It should never have happened," the President said. "It has filled Americans all over the country with horror, anger and grief."

The President said he had spoken to Floyd's family on Friday, the same day he tweeted that "THUGS" are "dishonoring" his memory. "Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts," he tweeted.

"Every time I respond to Donald Trump, I do it from a place where I realize he doesn't deserve a response, he doesn't deserve my attention or my emotion. Our people do," Booker said on CNN. "Donald Trump no longer has the capacity to break my heart, to surprise me."

"If you're President of the United States and if you vote in Florida, and you can't be there, you should be able to send in a ballot," he said last week at a factory in Michigan.

"The President is, after all, the President, which means he's here in Washington; he's unable to cast his vote down in Florida, his state of residence," press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said. "So, for him, that's why he had to do a mail-in vote. But he supports mail-in voting for a reason, when you have a reason that you are unable to be present."

Early voting in the county began on March 7, and lasted through March 15, the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections confirmed to CNN on Wednesday. Polls were open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

In the past, presidents have used a mix of in-person and absentee voting to cast ballots while in office. President Barack Obama, who sought to use his appearances at polling locations to inspire Americans to vote themselves, voted early in Chicago during the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections. He voted absentee in other contests. His wife, Michelle Obama, is headlining an effort this year to expand mail-in and early voting.

In the statement, McEnany did not accurately describe the voting system in Florida. According to the Florida Division of Elections, people can vote by mail without offering an excuse -- a more expansive definition than "absentee voting."

"Our acquisition of JUMP was a direct investment in the idea that the best way to get around a city is sometimes not in a car at all," Khosrowshahi said in a Sept. 2018 blog post. By 2019, Uber users were taking six times as many trips on Jump's vehicles compared with the year before.

Shared bikes like Jump's are generally made with proprietary parts, which better protects them from theft and vandalism, but makes it all but impossible for a local bike shop to perform maintenance.

Bikeshare companies have donated bikes in the past, and some groups told CNN Business they would have been interested in such an offer.

Unlike Spin and Ofo bicycles, Jump's bikes have the additional wrinkle of an electric battery, which wasn't designed to be charged in someone's home. The battery could be removed, but the bikes weigh about 75 pounds, making them difficult to pedal.

Cris Moffitt, who posted online videos of Jump bikes being scrapped, said he hoped to spur the company to donate any remaining bikes to a non-profit. Moffitt said he depended on a bike in college to get to work and school after he wrecked his car.

Allbirds is also largely known for everyday, "athleisure" sneakers, rather than performance sports shoes. The new partnership will combine its background in sustainability with Adidas' expertise in performance footwear.

Making a standard sneaker creates, on average, about 12.5 kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions, a common measurement for carbon footprint. Allbirds' products average 7.6 kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions, according to the company's website.

Adidas and Allbirds are aiming for between 2 and 3 kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions in the first version of their shoe collaboration, with later iterations moving toward zero emissions, Adidas' Carnes said.

Already, the President has said he'll head west this year to view fireworks above Mount Rushmore in South Dakota on July 3 — a display that hasn't happened in more than a decade.

"Given the number of individuals that would try to attend such an event, logistically such an event would be impossible to put on safely," read the letter, which was organized by Rep. Don Beyer of Virginia and signed by Washington's non-voting delegate to the House of Representatives along with lawmakers from neighboring districts in Virginia and Maryland.

But because most of Washington's monuments are administered by the National Park Service, Trump would not necessarily be bound by the city's restrictions in planning his July 4 event — just as he ignored the mayor of Baltimore's request to cancel a Memorial Day ceremony held this weekend at Fort McHenry, which is also a national park.

But I'm not predicting anything here. Between the coronavirus pandemic and now the protests and riots taking place nationwide, we're obviously in a volatile news environment.

As aides debate how and whether to confront the situation, Trump's back-and-forth between violent rhetoric and a more measured tone has weighed in the deliberations, one official said. Some advisers wonder whether a presidential address calling for calm would be quickly erased by Trump's own penchant for escalation and instigation.

Trump has been hesitant to hold another Oval address after his last one regarding the coronavirus was widely panned. Within minutes, Trump made several inaccurate claims that his administration was later forced to clarify. Since January, the coronavirus pandemic has taken the lives of more than 103,000 Americans, according to the latest tally by Johns Hopkins University.