Protests in the Wake of George Floyd's Murder
On May 25, George Floyd, an African American man suspected of trying to use a counterfeit $20 bill, died in Minneapolis, Minnesota, after a white police officer knelt on his neck for more than 8 minutes. Floyd was handcuffed face down on the street and repeatedly told the officer that he could not breathe. Bystanders recorded the incident, and the video quickly spread across almost all social media platforms, sparking national outrage over police brutality. This outrage provoked nationwide protests, starting in Minnesota. Protesters in Minnesota demanded that all officers involved in Floyd’s death be appropriately charged. Protesters, armed with nothing more than signs, marched through Minneapolis. These protests did spread beyond Minnesota, however, as every state in the nation has held protests in response to the tragedy. Some of the larger cities that held protests include New York City, Newark, Denver, Chicago, and Atlanta. Hundreds of American cities and towns have conducted demonstrations so far, and that number is continuing to grow.
People of all walks of life have come together in protest. These protests have truly unified the American people who continue to come together in support of the Black Lives Matter Movement. Since the start of the protests, there have been many riots, but peaceful protesters are eager to make sure that their message of equality and justice is not lost amid the violence. Peaceful protesters want to make it clear that the purpose of these protests is to bring justice for George Floyd and the countless others who have been senselessly killed based on the color of their skin. They also want the people who are for the cause to remain unified and fight for equality together.
In response, some police officers have tear-gassed and arrested protesters, while others around the country have taken a knee in solidarity with the movement. In Los Angeles, LAPD police officers took a knee with marchers in front of the LAPD Headquarters. Also in Los Angeles, protesters and members of the Army National Guard knelt together during a demonstration. This uprising has also spread further than just cities in the U.S. Countries such as Germany, England, France, Italy, Japan, Brazil, and many others that have held their own demonstrations.
The death of George Floyd has sparked worldwide outrage, and unified people all over the globe for the common goal of justice and equality.
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