American actor, John Cusack, has been attacked by police in Chicago after filming protests and riots in the city.

Cusack took to social media to document the demonstrations in response to the death of George Floyd.

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"Cops didn’t like me filming the burning car so they came at me with batons. Hitting my bike," he wrote on Twitter. In the accompanying video, shared by the actor, a police officer can be heard shouting at Cusack to move along, as well as the sound of metal hitting metal.

"Alright, alright," Cusack can be heard replying.

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In another tweet, Cusack claimed that he had also been "hit by pepper spray".

"Would be very surprised if this is a one or two day event," he added. "This may well be the beginning of end of Trump loathsome era. Thank god, feels like many streams of outrage coming to a head, a wave peaking [sic]."

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George Floyd, an African-American man, was arrested by Minneapolis police on Monday, May 25th, for reportedly using a counterfeit $20 note in a store. While being detained, officer Derek Chauvin - a 19 year veteran of the force - knelt on his neck for eight minutes, which resulted in him losing consciousness, and later passing away.

Protests, both peaceful and violent, have since broken out across the country, with people demanding that all four officers involved be brought to justice.

On Friday it was revealed that Chauvin had been detained and charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter. He was arrested by the state’s bureau of criminal apprehension.

More on Chauvin's arrest below:

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Hennepin County attorney Mike Freeman revealed in a statement: "We are in the process of continuing to review the evidence. There may be additional charges later."

Floyd's family has since released a statement calling Chauvin's arrest a "welcome but overdue step on the road to justice” and added that members “expected a first-degree murder charge" - which they still demand.

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"The pain that the black community feels over this murder and what it reflects about the treatment of black people in America is raw and spilling out on to streets across [the country]," the statement added.

The statement concluded by saying:

"Today, George Floyd's family is having to explain to his children why their father was executed by police on video. It's essential that the City closely examines and changes its policing policies and training procedures to correct for the lack of proper field supervision; the use of appropriate, non-lethal restraint techniques; the ability to recognize medical signs associated with the restriction of airflow, and the legal duty to seek emergency medical care and stop a civil rights violation."

Under Minnesota law, a first-degree murder charge would require prosecutors to prove Chauvin’s actions were willful and premeditated.

In footage of the arrest, George Floyd can be heard pleading for help - repeatedly telling officers that he couldn't breathe. He then became unresponsive during the arrest and was later pronounced dead.

Watch a news report on protests in Minneapolis below, where a white CNN journalist describes how differently he was treated by police at the demonstration:

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John Cusack 'attacked by Chicago police' while filming protests