Minneapolis commemorates George Floyd, a year after his death below the knee of a white city policeman, an affair that sparked worldwide commotion and sparked an anti-racism surge in the United States.
On the eve of the first anniversary of the tragedy, about 1,500 people walked on Sunday, May 23, in this metropolis in the north of the country, and joined the members of the family of this 46-year-old African-American. was filmed suffocating for nearly ten minutes under the weight of policeman Derek Chauvin. Relatives of other blacks who died in confrontations with police were part of the procession, such as the mother of Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old African-American who was killed on April 11, 2021 by a police officer in Brooklyn Center, a city of the suburbs of Minneapolis.
The rally began in front of the building where Derek Chauvin was convicted of murder on April 20. The former police officer, now incarcerated, will be fixed on his sentence on June 25.
In the midst of the usual chants ” No justice, no peace ! “ and “Say his name”, many people carried signs, along with portraits of George Floyd and other victims. Democratic Governor of Minnesota Tim Walz, Mayor of Minneapolis Jacob Frey and Mayor of St. Paul Melvin Carter listened to speakers demand justice for the families of black people killed by police.
“Make my brother’s name ring out”
“It’s been a long year. It has been a painful year ”, said his sister, Bridgett Floyd. “It has been very frustrating for me and my family that our lives change in the blink of an eye. I still don’t know why ”, she added.
Speakers for the day included lawyer Ben Crump, who represents the Floyd family and many African-American families bereaved by police violence, as well as Pastor Al Sharpton who calls on the US Senate to pass the George Floyd law. in order to bring about changes within the police institution.
“What happened to George Floyd, along with so many others, is causing change not only across America but the world as well”this veteran activist told the crowd, calling the murder “One of the greatest disgraces in American history”. “We want something out of Washington. We want something that will change federal law ”, he added.
The rally and the march that followed are part of a series of events organized throughout the weekend and earlier this week by the George Floyd Memorial Foundation, an organization based in Fayetteville, North Carolina, where Floyd was born. The nonprofit was started by Floyd’s siblings in September 2020 to help tackle racial inequalities towards black communities.
Also on Sunday, Terrence Floyd attended a rally in memory of his brother in New York. “If you keep ringing my brother’s name, you’re going to ring everyone’s name”, did he declare. “Breonna Taylor, Sean Bell, Ahmaud Arbery, you could go through the whole list. There are many “, he added, listing the names of people of color who have died in circumstances believed to be racist.
Minneapolis still marked by violence
Other commemorations are planned in the coming days, including Tuesday, the anniversary of the murder, when President Joe Biden could welcome George Floyd’s family to the White House, according to US media.
A year later, Minneapolis is still marred by violence and an outbreak of homicides and armed assaults – three children were recently injured by stray bullets. Residents of the city have even organized themselves into citizen patrols. But on Sunday, religious leaders and patrols pledged to join efforts with police to bring down the violence.
Mayor Jacob Frey, who plans to create 200 additional police posts, said he supported the efforts of the population, including citizen patrols. “Our greatest strength is when we all work together to ensure safety in our city”local police chief Medaria Arradondo said on Saturday after another shootout left two dead.
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