The murder of an unarmed black man sparked a wave of chaotic scenes in the United States, after George Floyd was brutally mistreated by a Minneapolis police officers.
The Death of George Floyd
When will it stop, the injustices faced by people of colour (POC) on a disproportionate scale when dealing with the police? The idea of "protecting and serving" citizens sounds like a fairy tale once you've witnessed the brutality and "murder" of the unharmed African-American man, George Floyd.
Floyd was taken from us on May 25th 2020, in a neighbourhood south of downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. He didn't stand a chance as he laid cuffed face down during an arrest, whilst a white Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin, nonchalantly placed his knee on Floyd's neck for approximately 9 minutes.
Officer Chauvin was accompanied by fellow officers Thomas K. Lane, J. Alexander Kueng, and Tou Thao who all participated in Floyd's demise. If the very thought of Chauvin "taking the knee" on Floyd's neck sickens you, imagine Kueng holding Floyd's back, Lane holding his legs, and Thao standing by allowing it to happen.
In the midst of the chaos filmed on camera by bystanders, whilst Floyd was being pinned to the ground, he began repeatedly pleading with the police. Floyd was heard saying "please", "don't kill me", and "I can't breathe", but there was no reasoning with law enforcement as they casually suppressed him.
Floyd's torture was a consequence of an alleged attempt to use a $20 bill in a deli, identified as counterfeit by an employee. The officers stated that Floyd "physically resisted" and become non-compliant as they tried to remove him from the vehicle. This account "apparently" occurred before the video was filmed, however CCTV from a nearby restaurant contradicted their claims.
The police complaint stated that Floyd "did not voluntarily get in the car and struggled with the officers, intentionally falling down, saying he was not going in the car, and refusing to stand still". This was supposedly based on body cameras worn by Officers Lane and Kueng.
Thanks to the virality of content on social media, the video was broadly circulated online and mainstream news. Floyd's death caused an outrage and was quickly compared to the 2014 death of Eric Garner who disturbingly repeated "I can't breathe" eleven times, whilst in a chokehold, in the hands of New York Police.
Are The Police Friends or Enemies?
We're not to suggest that all police officers lack morality, or fail to fathom the basics of humanity, but institutional racism and power trips have been highly disputed for years. When an incident occurs deemed "unjustified" by most people, the police are usually assigned to desk duties or suspensions - why not jail or criminal convictions?
On May 26th peaceful protests ensued, but it quickly escalated into violence as groups of individuals embarked upon the streets to loot and damage property, set fires and vandalise police precincts. The protests spread throughout thirty American states prompting president Donald Trump to deem ANTIFA, an anti-fascist movement, as a terrorist organisation.
To his 81 million followers, President Trump said: "The United States of America will be designating ANTIFA as a Terrorist Organization."
In signs of hope, on May 29th, officer Chauvin was arrested and charged with murder in the third-degree and second-degree manslaughter. His arrest didn't dampen the rage and anguish felt by many angered by the despotism, and thousands began to protest aggressively forcing the National Guard to surface.
Solidarity went beyond the borders of the USA as protesters gathered in the United Kingdom, with some activists at the US Embassy in Battersea, and the iconic Trafalgar Square. Hundreds also marched through Manchester City centre chanting "Black Lives Matter", with similar protests occurring in Cardiff, Wales.
Is the violence a requirement for governments to pay heed and finally rid the police of those who give it a bad name? How can we identify and stop police officers who use their assigned powers, initially to "protect and serve", from intimidating and harming the pleading? Please stay safe and stand united in order to bring about change - #WhenWillItStop.
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