BLM activists burn the American flag in NYC on anniversary of George Floyd’s death

Floyd died while in the custody of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in 2020, which sparked nationwide civil unrest. Chauvin, who kneeled on Floyd's neck as he muttered the famous words, "I can't breathe," was convicted of second and third-degree murder last year.

BLM activists kicked off the anniversary at Union Square Park where they held speeches and a vigil. The group then began marching through the streets of the city chanting, "Every city, every town, burnt the precinct to the ground," which is a common chant that can be heard across the country by anti-police protesters.

As the march went on, the group paused to burn an American flag, according to a video recorded by independent journalist Leeroy Press. The crowd huddled around the flag as flames burned through the white and red stripes.

Members of the group gave speeches as they leaned over the sparks of the burning US flag. One of the speakers alleged that police officers are out "to kill" every single black and brown person in America, according to the video.

Another member of the group spoke through a megaphone and denounced the tragic mass shooting that occurred earlier this month at a supermarket in a predominantly black neighborhood in Buffalo, New York.

"I swear to God. I would have been in f***ing hell with that little white motherf***er," the activist said, explaining that he would have confronted the Buffalo shooter had he been at the supermarket that day.

After the group paused for speeches, they continued marching through the city while chanting anti-police rhetoric such as, "Hey hey, ho ho, these racist cops have got to go."

Earlier in the day, President Barack Obama was heavily criticized after he attempted to link the Texas school shooting massacre to the anniversary of George Floyd's death.

The tragedy that occurred at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas left nineteen children and two teachers dead after a gunman entered the 4th grade classroom and shot them to death with a rifle.

"As we grieve the children of Uvalde today, we should take time to recognize that two years have passed since the murder of George Floyd under the knee of a police officer," Obama said in a tweet on Wednesday. "His killing stays with us all to this day, especially those who loved him."

"In the aftermath of his murder, a new generation of activists rose up to channel their anguish into organized action, launching a movement to raise awareness of systemic racism and the need for criminal justice and police reform," the former democratic president continued.

The post caused backlash across social media and critics were quick to respond to Obama's "tone-deaf" comparison between the mass shooting and police brutality.

Obama praised the "new generation of activists," like Black Lives Matter, then proceeded to shamelessly plug his foundation.