A variety of people and organizations reacted to the murder of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, during an arrest by Minneapolis police. This includes his family and friends, politicians and other political organizations, the police, and other institutions and businesses, including internationally. This is aside from the George Floyd protests.
Floyd's cousin, Tera Brown, said police "were supposed to be there to serve and to protect and I didn't see a single one of them lift a finger to do anything to help while he was begging for his life". One of Floyd's brothers said: "They could have tased him; they could have maced him. Instead, they put their knee in his neck and just sat on him and then carried on. They treated him worse than they treat animals." [1] Floyd's brother, Philonese, called for peace and said, "Everybody has a lot of pain right now, that's why this is happening, I'm tired of seeing black people dying." [2]
Floyd's longtime friend, former professional basketball player Stephen Jackson, expressed anger and sadness, saying video of Floyd's murder "just destroyed me". [3] [4] Floyd's girlfriend, Courtney Ross, asked for the community to respond to his murder in a way that honors him: "You can't fight fire with fire. Everything just burns, and I've seen it all day –people hate, they're hating, they're hating, they're mad. And he would not want that." [5] Selwyn Jones, the brother of Floyd's mother, said that what disturbed him most was "hearing him on video call for my sister". [6]
Minneapolis city councillor Andrea Jenkins, who represented Ward 8, where Floyd was murdered, was quoted as saying: "My heart is breaking for the tragic loss of life last night near 38th and Chicago. Our community continues to be traumatized again, and again and again. We must demand answers." [7] On May 26, Minnesota governor Tim Walz and lieutenant governor Peggy Flanagan demanded justice and called the video "disturbing". [8] Walz elaborated, "The lack of humanity in this disturbing video is sickening. We will get answers and seek justice". [8]
Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey said: "Being black in America should not be a death sentence. For five minutes, we watched a white officer press his knee into a black man's neck ... When you hear someone calling for help, you're supposed to help. This officer failed in the most basic, human sense." [9] [10] Two days after Floyd's murder, he commented: "If most people, particularly people of color, had done what a police officer did late Monday, they'd already be behind bars." [11] He has said that he believes Floyd's death was a murder. [12]
U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar (whose district includes Minneapolis) called for a federal investigation and said: "It is sickening to watch this black man be killed while helplessly begging for help." [13] She later added: "The police officer who killed George Floyd should be charged with murder." Senator Tina Smith and Governor Tim Walz also called for immediate action. [13] Senator Amy Klobuchar reacted on the following day, saying: "We heard his repeated calls for help. We heard him say over and over again that he could not breathe. And now we have seen yet another horrifying and gut wrenching instance of an African American man dying." She called for "a complete and thorough outside investigation into what occurred, and those involved in this incident must be held accountable." [14] [15] However, as a former Hennepin County attorney, she was criticized for declining to press criminal charges against police during her eight years in that office, including against Chauvin; some called for her resignation from the Senate. [16] [17] [18]
At a June 7 rally, nine of the Minneapolis City Council's thirteen members pledged to disband the city's police department, [19] though significant reductions in police staffing may require amending the city's charter [20] [21] and Frey has expressed opposition to it. [22] [23] On June 12 the council unanimously adopted a resolution to begin a year-long project to develop "strategies for building [a] new model for cultivating community safety". [24] After the City Council banned police chokeholds, Walz called for similar reforms in other communities, [25] called the Minnesota legislature into a special session on police reform and economic equality [26] and proposed a police reform package. [27]
On June 26, 2020, the Minneapolis City Council approved a proposed charter amendment to alter the Minneapolis Police Department. [28] The proposed amendment was drafted by council members Jeremiah Ellison, Alondra Cano, Cam Gordon, Steve Fletcher and council President Lisa Bender. [28] Despite previous pledges by city council members to "end" the Minneapolis Police Department, Star Tribune reporter Liz Navratil afterwards revealed that the proposed amendment, which allows the continuation of "licensed officers," [28] would not fulfill this objective if approved by voters, but would only rename the Minneapolis Police Department and change its structure. [28] On August 5, 2020, Minneapolis City Charter Commission subjugated the city council's proposal to a lengthy, undisclosed period of review. [29] The city council's proposal also did not appear on the general election ballot in 2020. [30]
President Donald Trump sent his condolences on May 27 via Twitter, saying he requested that the FBI conduct a thorough investigation. He added, "My heart goes out to George's family and friends. Justice will be served!" [31] Trump also described Floyd's murder as "sad and tragic". [32]
On May 29, President Trump denounced rioting, violence and looting occurring during nationwide protests, tweeting: "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!" [33] On June 1, in response to continued protests, President Trump threatened to deploy the military by invoking the Insurrection Act of 1807. [34]
U.S. Ambassadors in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Tanzania, and China expressed concern and condemned the murder. [35]
On June 13, the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, South Korea, put up a large Black Lives Matter banner to show "our support for the fight against racial injustice and police brutality as we strive to be a more inclusive & just society.” [36]
Proposals were made in the House by the Congressional Black Caucus and in the Senate by Tim Scott of South Carolina, the Senate's only black Republican, to address police reforms. [37] The Senate bill failed to advance to the House. The House bill was passed June 25 with support from three House Republicans. [37]
Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser had the words BLACK LIVES MATTER painted on a street immediately in front of the White House. [38]
All living former United States presidents released statements.
The union representing Minneapolis police pledged "full support to the involved officers ... Now is not the time to rush to judgement and immediately condemn our officers." [49] [50] [51] After union president Bob Kroll called Floyd a "violent criminal" and protesters "terrorists", [52] [53] the Minnesota AFL–CIO and the Minneapolis branch of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees called for him to resign. [54] [55]
The Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association endorsed the firing of the officers involved. [56]
Police across the country were sharply critical of Chauvin's actions. Leaders from organizations which include hundreds of thousands of police officers condemned the four officers' conduct. National Association of Police Organizations Executive Director William Johnson called the incident egregious, and said: "I don't know the entire story, but I can't see any legal justification, any self-defense justification, or any moral justification." [57] Fraternal Order of Police President Patrick Yoes said authorities must ensure justice is served in Floyd's murder, "whatever the consequences". [58]
Police chief associations from across the country expressed dismay at Floyd's treatment. [59] The heads of both the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and the Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA) condemned what was seen on the video. The MCCA, led by Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo, said: "The death of Mr. Floyd is deeply disturbing and should be of concern to all Americans. The officer's actions are inconsistent with the training and protocols of our profession and MCCA commends Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo for his swift and decisive action to terminate the employment of the officers involved." The National Police Foundation President said: "These actions, and inaction, jeopardize the gains that have been made through the sacrifices and courage of many." [59] Leaders of individual police departments from around the United States spoke out against the officer at the center of the video, with what The Washington Post called "disgust", and the Los Angeles Times called "blunt criticism". [59] [60] The Los Angeles Times said: "It was a rare moment when police leaders were unequivocal in their public disdain for the conduct of one of their own." [60] Leaders condemning the officer's actions included the New York City Police Commissioner, [60] the Sheriffs of Los Angeles [60] and San Diego counties, [61] and the Police Chiefs of Los Angeles, [59] [60] Boston, [62] Miami, [59] Houston, [59] [60] and Austin, [63] as well as a former Police Chief from Seattle. [56] Police chiefs of smaller cities spoke out as well: Chiefs of Police from Buffalo Grove, Illinois; [59] Tucson, Arizona; [59] Round Rock, Texas; [63] the University of Texas at Austin; [63] Pflugerville, Texas; [64] and Omaha, Nebraska; [65] all issued statements against Floyd's treatment.
Numerous experts on law enforcement technique and training severely criticized the use of the choke hold maneuver known as a "neck restraint" in general, and in Floyd's case in particular. [66] [67] [68] The neck restraint was used in Minneapolis 237 times in the previous five years but was banned in the wake of Floyd's murder. [66] [69]
A deputy sheriff in Jones County, Mississippi was fired for posting on social media: "If he can scream he can breathe, something else was going on." [70]
The New York State Legislature voted to make police disciplinary records public. [71]
Soon after Floyd's murder, a number of institutions and organizations announced that they would be limiting or cutting ties with the Minneapolis Police Department, and no longer hiring its officers for event security. These included the University of Minnesota, [72] [73] the Minneapolis School Board, [74] the Walker Art Center and the Minneapolis Institute of Art. [75]
The United States Marine Corps, United States Navy and the US Army general in charge of U.S. Forces Korea have banned public display of the Confederate flag in their facilities. [76] [77] [78]
National Football League commissioner Roger Goodell issued an apology "for not listening to NFL players earlier and encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest." [79] The United States Soccer Federation repealed a 2017 rule requiring players to stand during the national anthem. [80]
The Boy Scouts of America condemned the murders of Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery, and the shooting of Breonna Taylor; made a new Diversity/Inclusion merit badge a requirement for the rank of Eagle Scout; and promised a "review of property names, events and insignia ... to build on and enhance the organization's nearly 30-year ban on use of the Confederate flag". [81] [82]
In December 2020, PEN America gave the PEN/Benenson Courage Award to Darnella Frazier, the 17-year-old who filmed Floyd's restraint on her cell phone. [83] In June 2021, Frazier also received a special citation from the Pulitzer Prize committee in 2021 for her video; [84] the staff of the Star Tribune received the prize for Breaking News Reporting for their coverage of protests. [85]
The Wikimedia Foundation made a blog post announcing their support for racial justice and condemned the murder of Floyd and the killings of Taylor, Arbery and David McAtee. [86]
Aunt Jemima, Uncle Ben's, Cream of Wheat, Mrs. Butterworth, Eskimo Pie, Redskins, Cleveland Indians, and Chicos announced that they will retire their brand images or names based on racial stereotypes. [87] [88] [89] [90] [91] [92] [93]
Target and Best Buy made Juneteenth a company holiday. [94]
In December 2021, "Floydies", a non-fungible token (NFT) collection was created by an individual known only as "Floydie" on Telegram. [95] The NFTs consist of cartoon drawings of George Floyd with varied appearances, such as that of a slave, a monkey or dressed as Kyle Rittenhouse. [96] The NFT collection was widely condemned, with the creator themself denying accusations of racism, referring to themself instead as an "opportunist". [97] [98] [99] Floydies have since been banned from OpenSea, having made the creator almost $5,000. [100] [101]
In a June 2020 article, Stephen Harrison from Slate noted that the English Wikipedia had become "a Battleground for Racial Justice" and that the encyclopedia’s volunteer editors were "rethinking what Wikipedia’s commitment to neutrality actually means." [102] A proposal to "black out" the English Wikipedia in response to Floyd's murder was rejected due to fears that it would compromise Wikipedia's neutrality. [102]
Conspiracy theories regarding the nature of Floyd's death and subsequent protests began spreading soon after the murder. [129] [130] Winnie Heartstrong, a Republican candidate for Congress, asserted that the footage of Floyd's murder was "created using deepfake technology – digital composites of two or more real persons", that the "real" Floyd had died in 2016, and that actors had been substituted in the roles of Floyd and Chauvin. [131] [132] Misinformation was spread about the presence of Antifa at protests after the murder, including assertions that they had been given a "training manual" on tactics to cause unrest by Democrats; some, including Texan agricultural commissioner Sid Miller, claimed that the protests were funded by George Soros. [133] According to Zignal Labs, 873,000 pieces of misinformation were linked to the protests; 575,800 of those mentioned Antifa. [133] The Los Angeles Times said on June 22, 2020, that some theories had been "amplified by a growing number of people on the far right, including some Republican leaders" but that "some Republicans (had) begun pushing back" on false claims and those spreading rumors. [130]
On several occasions before Chauvin's trial, conservative political commentators Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens said that Floyd had died of drug-related complications or an overdose. [134] [135] Cynthia Brehm, the head of the Republican Party in Bexar County, Texas, said that the murder was a "staged event." [136] Other conspiracy theories include the assertion that Darnella Frazier was paid to film the arrest, that those involved were crisis actors and a nearby building to the location of the murder was a Freemason lodge involved in the killing. [137] During the initial stages of the protests, then-president Donald Trump tweeted that "ANTIFA led anarchists" were the causes of unrest. [133] [138] He also pledged, in other tweets, to have Antifa designated as a "terrorist organization", [139] and used the phrase "when the looting starts, the shooting starts", an expression associated with Miami police chief Walter E. Headley, who said, in 1967, [140] that his department "didn't mind being accused of police brutality". [140] [141]
Black Lives Matter (BLM) is a decentralized political and social movement that seeks to highlight racism, discrimination, and racial inequality experienced by black people and to promote anti-racism. Its primary concerns are police brutality and racially motivated violence against black people. The movement began in response to the killings of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, and Rekia Boyd, among others. BLM and its related organizations typically advocate for various policy changes related to black liberation and criminal justice reform. While there are specific organizations that label themselves "Black Lives Matter", such as the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, the overall movement is a decentralized network with no formal hierarchy. As of 2021, there are about 40 chapters in the United States and Canada. The slogan "Black Lives Matter" itself has not been trademarked by any group.
On May 25, 2020, George Floyd, a 46-year-old black American man, was murdered in Minneapolis by Derek Chauvin, a 44-year-old white police officer. Floyd had been arrested after a store clerk alleged that he made a purchase using a counterfeit $20 bill. Chauvin knelt on Floyd's neck for over nine minutes while Floyd was handcuffed and lying face-down in a street. Two other police officers, J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane, assisted Chauvin in restraining Floyd. Lane had also pointed a gun at Floyd's head before Floyd was handcuffed. A fourth police officer, Tou Thao, prevented bystanders from intervening.
The George Floyd protests were a series of riots and demonstrations against police brutality that began in Minneapolis in the United States on May 26, 2020. The protests and civil unrest began in Minneapolis as reactions to the murder of George Floyd, a 46-year-old unarmed African American man, by city police during an arrest. They spread nationally and internationally. Veteran officer Derek Chauvin was recorded as kneeling on Floyd's neck for 9 minutes and 29 seconds; Floyd complained of not being able to breathe, but three other officers looked on and prevented passers-by from intervening. Chauvin and the other three officers involved were later arrested. In April 2021, Chauvin was found guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter. In June 2021, Chauvin was sentenced to 22+1⁄2 years in prison.
Civil unrest over the murder of George Floyd began as local protests in Minneapolis–Saint Paul on May 26, 2020, the day after George Floyd was killed by a Minneapolis police officer. Protests and civil disorder quickly spread to other locations in the U.S. state of Minnesota, the United States, and internationally. This list includes notable protests and events of civil disorder in Minnesota in the aftermath of George Floyd's murder.
George Perry Floyd Jr. was an African American man who was murdered by a white police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota, during an arrest made after a store clerk suspected Floyd might have used a counterfeit twenty-dollar bill, on May 25, 2020. Derek Chauvin, one of four police officers who arrived on the scene, knelt on Floyd's neck and back for 9 minutes and 29 seconds, causing his death from a lack of oxygen. After his murder, a series of protests against police brutality, especially towards black people, quickly spread across the United States and globally. His dying words, "I can't breathe", became a rallying slogan.
Robert J. Kroll is an American former police officer and member of the Minneapolis Police Department. He was the president of the Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis, the police union for the police department, from 2015 to 2021. Over the course of his career, Kroll was involved in three officer-involved shootings, had 20 internal affairs complaints, and was the subject of several lawsuits. Kroll has been a longtime opponent to reforms of the police department, including calls to address racial bias within the force and reduce the number of people killed by police. Kroll has generated controversy on a number of occasions. In particular, his comments following the murder of George Floyd in May 2020 resulted in calls for his resignation, including from a number of unions, several former mayors of Minneapolis, and a former police chief. Kroll's comments were "Now is not the time rush to judgement and immediately condemn our officers. An in-depth investigation is underway. Our officers are fully cooperating. We must review all video. We must wait for the medical examiner’s report."
This is a list of protests in New York following the murder of George Floyd in 2020.
This is a list of protests related to the murder of George Floyd that took place in Maryland, United States.
Individuals and organizations throughout the United States and the world responded to the murder of George Floyd and the subsequent protests and riots.
Local protests over the murder of George Floyd, sometimes called the Minneapolis riots or the Minneapolis uprising, began on May 26, 2020, and within a few days had inspired a global protest movement against police brutality and racial inequality. The initial events were a reaction to a video filmed the day before and circulated widely in the media of police officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on Floyd's neck for several minutes while Floyd struggled to breathe, begged for help, lost consciousness, and died. Public outrage over the content of the video gave way to widespread civil disorder in Minneapolis, Saint Paul, and other cities in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area over the five-day period of May 26 to 30 after Floyd's murder.
Local protests in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area quickly spread nationwide in more than 2,000 cities and towns, as well as over 60 countries internationally in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. In Minneapolis, destruction of property began on May 26, 2020, with the protests involving vandalism and arson. Demonstrations in many other cities also descended into riots and widespread looting. There was police brutality against protesters and journalists. Property damage estimates resulting from arson, vandalism and looting ranged from $1 to $2 billion, eclipsing the highest inflation adjusted totals for the 1992 Los Angeles riots.
A wave of civil unrest in the United States, initially triggered by the murder of George Floyd during his arrest by Minneapolis police officers on May 25, 2020, led to protests and riots against systemic racism in the United States, including police brutality and other forms of violence. Since the initial national wave and peak ended towards the end of 2020, numerous other incidents of police violence have drawn continued attention and lower intensity unrest in various parts of the country.
As a reaction to the murder of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, racial justice activists and some residents of the Powderhorn community in Minneapolis staged an occupation protest at the intersection of East 38th Street and Chicago Avenue with a blockade of the streetway lasting over a year. The intersection is where Derek Chauvin, a white police officer with the Minneapolis Police Department, murdered George Floyd, an unarmed 46-year-old Black man. Activists erected barricades to block vehicular traffic and transformed the intersection and surrounding structures with amenities, social services, and public art depicting Floyd and other racial justice themes. The community called the unofficial memorial and protest zone at the intersection "George Floyd Square". The controversial street occupation in 2020 and 2021 was described as an "autonomous zone" and a "no-go" place for police, but local officials disputed the extent of such characterizations.
State of Minnesota v. Derek Michael Chauvin was an American criminal case in the District Court of Minnesota in 2021. Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was tried and convicted for the murder of George Floyd, which occurred during an arrest on May 25, 2020, and led to global protests over racial injustice and police brutality. A 12-member jury found Chauvin guilty of unintentional second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter. It was the first conviction of a white police officer in Minnesota for the murder of a black person.
The aftermath of the George Floyd protests in Minneapolis–Saint Paul describes the result of civil disorder between May 26 and June 7, 2020, in the Twin Cities metropolitan area of the U.S. state of Minnesota. Protests began as a response to the murder of George Floyd, a 46-year-old African-American man on May 25, after Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on Floyd's neck for 9 minutes and 29 seconds as three other officers assisted during an arrest. The incident was captured on a bystander's video and it drew public outrage as video quickly circulated in the news media by the following day.
Darnella Frazier is an American woman who recorded the murder of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, posting her video on Facebook and Instagram. The video undermined the initial account of Floyd's death by the Minneapolis Police Department, and served as evidence leading to criminal charges against four police officers. Frazier testified during the trial, which ended with the conviction of Derek Chauvin on murder charges, and the convictions of the other three officers on manslaughter. She received a special award and citation from the Pulitzer Prize board in 2021.
In 2020 and 2021, several protests were held in the U.S. city of Minneapolis that coincided with judicial proceedings and the criminal trial of Derek Chauvin. As an officer with the Minneapolis Police Department, Chauvin was charged with the murder of George Floyd, an unarmed African American man who died during an arrest incident on May 25, 2020. A bystander's video captured Chauvin kneeling on Floyd's neck for over nine minutes while Floyd struggled to breathe, lost consciousness, and died. Protesters opposed Chauvin's pre-trial release from jail on bail in October 2020. In the lead up to and during the criminal trial in early 2021, demonstrators sought conviction and maximum sentencing for Chauvin, and the enactment of police reform measures.
George Floyd Square, officially George Perry Floyd Square, is a memorialized streetway in Minneapolis for the section of Chicago Avenue that intersects East 38th Street. It is named after George Floyd, a black man who was murdered there by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin on May 25, 2020. The commemorative street name is signed along Chicago Avenue between East 37th Street to East 39th Street and includes the 38th and Chicago intersection.
In the early 2020s, the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area in U.S. state of Minnesota experienced a wave of civil unrest, comprising peaceful demonstrations and riots, against systemic racism toward black Americans, notably in the form of police violence. A number of events occurred, beginning soon after the murder of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, by a white Minneapolis police officer on May 25, 2020. National Public Radio characterized the events as cultural reckoning on topics of racial injustice.
While lying facedown on the road, Floyd repeatedly groans and says he can't breathe.
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