Protests were largely peaceful across the US and the streets were calmer than they have been in days since the killing of George Floyd set off demonstrations around the world.

There were scattered reports of looting in New York City overnight on Wednesday, and there have been over 9 000 arrests nationwide since the unrest began following Floyd’s death in Minneapolis set off 8 days of protests. But there was a marked quiet compared with the unrest of the past few nights, which included fires and shootings in some cities.

The calmer night came as many cities intensified their curfews, with authorities in New York and Washington ordering people off streets while it was still daylight.

At least 13 people have been killed amid protests in cities across the US in the past week - many of them African Americans.

More than 20 000 National Guard members have been called up in 29 states to deal with the violence, with almost 10 000 people having reportedly been arrested in the eight days of unrest.