Several hundred Americans marched through downtown Minneapolis paying tribute to George Floyd ahead of the first anniversary of his murder, vowing to carry on the fight against racially motivated police brutality.
The peaceful event on Sunday was the beginning of a three-day-long commemoration, which will culminate on Tuesday, May 25, when the nation will be marking a year since Floyd died in police custody. There were no violent incidents during the Sunday rally or the march.
“George Floyd should not go down in history as just someone with a knee on his neck. George Floyd should go down in history [as a person] that broke the neck of police racism, police brutality and police illegality. That how we will put George’s name in history,” Reverend Al Sharpton, one of the leaders of the Black Lives Matter movement, said at a Sunday rally which preceded the march.
Attorney Ben Crump, who legally represents scores of police brutality victims, urged to continue the fight until “a Black baby born to a Black mother has the same exact rights as a White baby born to a White mother, the most educated, articulate, out fluent White mother.”
Minneapolis plans more commemorative events for Monday and Tuesday ranging from discussion panels to live music performances. The anniversary of Floyd’s death is being marked across the United States with President Joe Biden expected to meet with the African American’s family in Washington, DC on Tuesday.
