Following the death of George Floyd, an African American man who died after an incident (which has been captured in video) where a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck as he lay on the ground, the world has stood up and demanded justice for the way that people of colour are routinely treated by police authorities. Tara Pilkington reports.
The FBI and authorities in Minnesota have launched investigations into the death of George Floyd, following outrange around the globe from both the public and high profile individuals across the entertainment industry.
On Tuesday, hundreds of protesters, many in face masks, lined the Minneapolis intersection where Floyd died, with some carried signs reading “I can’t breathe” and “jail killer KKKops”, chanting: “Prosecute the police.”
The Minneapolis mayor, Jacob Frey, said in a press conference: “For five minutes we watched as a white officer pressed his knee to the neck of a black man. For five minutes. This officer failed in the most basic human sense.”
He added: “[Floyd] should not have died,” and apologised to the family and the black community in Minneapolis.
Floyd’s family have retained prominent civil rights attorney, Benjamin Crump, who in a statement has said that Floyd’s death was the result of “abusive, excessive and inhumane use of force”.
Crump added: “We will seek justice for the family of George Floyd, as we demand answers from the Minnesota police department”.
- The FBI is now investigating the incident for possible civil rights violations.
