On Wednesday what appeared to be overwhelmingly peaceful protests compared to earlier days persisted across the U.S.

Also Wednesday, prosecutors said the Minneapolis police officer who compressed George Floyd's neck for more than eight minutes as he was dying will face an increased charge of second-degree murder, and that the three other former officers who were involved will face charges of aiding and abetting murder.

Demonstrators gathered again, protesting against the killing of Floyd and other black Americans.

Here's what's happening across the country:

Washington, D.C.

Sizable crowds took to the streets in Washington, D.C., peacefully protesting, while state and federal officers showed up in force.

As the sun set, hundreds laid down on the street, chanting "I can't breathe," some of the last words Floyd uttered.

"The military and law enforcement presence is overwhelming," NPR journalist Alana Wise said in a tweet, who was on the ground near the White House.

About 1,600 active-duty troops were deployed in Washington earlier this week, and Wise observed Wednesday that military forces were being bused in.

Peaceful protesters took a knee and a moment of silence near the White House.

The curfew was pushed back to 11 p.m. on Wednesday from 7 p.m. earlier in the week.

New York

In New York City, as darkness fell and an 8 p.m. curfew loomed, protesters also dropped to their knees for a moment of silence, that lasted over 20 minutes, according to local reports.

While the city saw ransacking and vandalism in previous protest days, on Wednesday it seems there were few early reports of damage.

This is a developing story. Some things reported by the media will later turn out to be wrong. We will focus on reports from officials and other authorities, credible news outlets and reporters who are at the scene. We will update as the situation develops.

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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