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Indian Express
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
In Photos: Thousands gather in US cities to mark 5 years since George Floyd's murder
On the fifth anniversary of George Floyd's murder, thousands gathered across Minneapolis and Houston to honour his memory and renew calls for racial justice and police reform. Activists, families, and community leaders also criticised the Trump administration for recent actions they say undermine progress made since Floyd's death. In Minneapolis, events centred around George Floyd Square—the intersection where former police officer Derek Chauvin fatally pinned Floyd to the ground for 9 1/2 minutes in 2020. Mourners laid flowers, lit candles, and left tributes at the site near Cup Foods, where Floyd was killed. Across the street, activists served food at a former gas station that has served as a community space since 2020. A mock pig's head wearing a police cap was mounted in the street as a stark symbol of protest. Events began Friday with music, a street festival, and a 'self-care fair,' and culminated in a Sunday evening candlelit vigil featuring gospel music, speeches, and a short march led by a brass band. Many advocates expressed frustration with the pace of change despite promises from city officials to overhaul policing. The global protests that erupted after Floyd's death spurred hope for national police reform. While the Biden administration has sought increased federal oversight of abusive police departments, many now fear those efforts are being reversed. Just days before the anniversary, the Trump administration moved to cancel federal settlements with Minneapolis and Louisville—agreements that aimed to restructure their police forces following the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. Trump has also declared an end to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives across the federal government, and is pushing state and local agencies to do the same using federal funding as leverage. Republican-led states have ramped up efforts to dismantle DEI policies in public institutions. (With inputs from AP)
New Indian Express
26-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Thousands mark 5th anniversary of George Floyd's murder as they call for justice and decry Trump
MINNEAPOLIS: Police reform and civil-rights activists joined thousands of ordinary people Sunday to mark the fifth anniversary of George Floyd's murder and decry the Trump administration for actions they say set their efforts back decades. The Rev. Al Sharpton said at a graveside service with the dead man's family in Houston that Floyd, 46, represented all of those 'who are defenseless against people who thought they could put their knee on our neck.' He compared Floyd's killing to that of Emmett Till, a 14-year-old Black child who was abducted, mutilated and slain in Mississippi in 1955 after being accused of offending a white woman. 'What Emmett Till was in his time, George Floyd has been for this time in history,' Sharpton said. Site of his death Events in Minneapolis centered around George Floyd Square, the intersection where police Officer Derek Chauvin used his knee to pin Floyd's neck to the pavement for 9 1/2 minutes, even as Floyd cried 'I can't breathe.' By midday Sunday, a steady stream of people were paying their respects at a memorial in front of Cup Foods, where he was killed. Across the street, activists had set up a feeding area at an old gas station that has often served as a staging area since Floyd's death. In the middle of the street, a fake pig's head was mounted on a stick. The head wore a police cap. Events started Friday with music, a street festival and a 'self-care fair.' It culminated Sunday evening when hundreds gathered at the square for a candlelit vigil that included a worship service, a gospel concert and speeches calling for racial justice. A brass band then led the crowd on a short march through city streets.
Hindustan Times
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
5 years later: The murder of George Floyd and its impact on Minneapolis
Some things have changed for the better in Minneapolis since Memorial Day 2020, when a police officer murdered George Floyd. Some have not. Sunday marked five years since white Officer Derek Chauvin used his knee to pin the Black man's neck to the pavement for 9 1/2 minutes, leading to his death. A tidal wave of racial justice protests erupted in U.S. cities. Demonstrators chanted Floyd's dying words: 'I can't breathe.' The protests were mostly peaceful at first but some turned violent, and parts of Minneapolis have yet to recover from the rioting, looting and arson. And the city is still struggling to decide what should become of the intersection where Floyd was killed. The Minneapolis Police Department has faced some changes under court supervision that aim to reduce racial disparities. Violent crime, which spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic and after Floyd's death, is mostly back around pre-pandemic levels, although homicides are inching up. The intersection where a crowd of concerned onlookers urged Chauvin and other officers to heed Floyd's dying cries quickly became known as George Floyd Square. A large sculpture of a clenched fist is just one of the tributes to Floyd. He died steps from the Cup Foods convenience store that has since been renamed Unity Foods. The area draws visitors from around the world. One visitor last week was Alfred 'A.J.' Flowers Jr., a local activist, who said the police killings of young Black men before Floyd's murder only fueled the frustration and rage that erupted on the streets five years ago. It's significant that the Black community tends to come together at 'places where we die, whether it's by our own hands or by police violence,' Flowers said. A majority of City Council members support building a pedestrian-only mall where Floyd drew his final breaths, but Mayor Jacob Frey and many property and business owners oppose the idea of closing the area to all vehicles. Any final decisions remain a long way off. In the meantime, businesses in the neighborhood are struggling and crime remains high. Flowers urged authorities to provide more support for Black-owned businesses, housing, education and crime prevention to improve the local economy. The shell of the 3rd Precinct police station, which was allowed to burn during the unrest in 2020, has been the subject of intense debate. The City Council last month voted to proceed with a plan to build a 'Democracy Center' there that would house voter services and a community space. The former chief of police has said he doesn't regret the decision to abandon the structure. The slogan 'Defund the Police' caught fire after Floyd's death, but it never came to pass. While a majority of council members initially backed the idea, what appeared on the city ballot in 2021 was a more modest attempt to reimagine policing. Voters rejected it. The police force lost hundreds of officers following the unrest. From nearly 900 in early 2020, the ranks fell to less than 600 as officers retired, took disability or went to work elsewhere. Staffing started to recover last year. Officers are now back engaging with the community at George Floyd Square, which became a 'no-go zone' for police immediately after Floyd's death. Flowers acknowledged there have been 'significant strides' in community-police relations. Police Chief Brian O'Hara said his 'officers are starting to heal." 'I think they're starting to be proud of what they do again, getting back to the reasons they got into this profession in the first place,' he told reporters last week. President Donald Trump's administration moved Wednesday to cancel agreements to overhaul the police departments in Minneapolis and Louisville, Kentucky, both accused of widespread abuses. Frey, the mayor, decried the timing of the announcement as 'political theater' in the week before the anniversary of Floyd's murder. National reform advocates also denounced the administration's move. But O'Hara and Frey pledged Minneapolis would move forward, with or without the White House. The police department is also operating under a consent decree with the Minnesota Human Rights Department. The decree proposes addressing race-based policing and strengthening public safety by ensuring officers only use reasonable force, never punish or retaliate, and de-escalate conflicts when possible, among other aims. The mayor and chief noted that Minneapolis got high marks in a report released Tuesday by a nonprofit that monitors various cities' compliance with consent decrees. Activists cautioned that Minneapolis has little to brag about. 'We understand that change takes time,' Michelle Gross, president of Communities United Against Police Brutality, said in a statement last week. 'However, the progress being claimed by the city is not being felt in the streets.'
Boston Globe
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
How has Minneapolis changed since the murder of George Floyd 5 years ago?
The Minneapolis Police Department has faced some changes under court supervision that aim to reduce racial disparities. Violent crime, which spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic and after Floyd's death, is mostly back around pre-pandemic levels, although homicides are inching up. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up A place of pilgrimage Advertisement The intersection where a crowd of concerned onlookers urged Chauvin and other officers to heed Floyd's dying cries quickly became known as George Floyd Square. A large sculpture of a clenched fist is just one of the tributes to Floyd. He died steps from the Cup Foods convenience store that has since been renamed Unity Foods. The area draws visitors from around the world. One visitor last week was Alfred 'A.J.' Flowers Jr., a local activist, who said the police killings of young Black men before Floyd's murder only fueled the frustration and rage that erupted on the streets five years ago. It's significant that the Black community tends to come together at 'places where we die, whether it's by our own hands or by police violence,' Flowers said. Advertisement The fate of George Floyd Square A majority of City Council members support building a pedestrian-only mall where Floyd drew his final breaths, but Mayor Jacob Frey and many property and business owners oppose the idea of closing the area to all vehicles. Any final decisions remain a long way off. In the meantime, businesses in the neighborhood are struggling and crime remains high. Flowers urged authorities to provide more support for Black-owned businesses, housing, education and crime prevention to improve the local economy. The shell of the 3rd Precinct police station, which was allowed to burn during the unrest in 2020, has been the subject of intense debate. The City Council last month voted to proceed with a plan to build a 'Democracy Center' there that would house voter services and a community space. The former chief of police has said he doesn't regret the decision to abandon the structure. The demise of defund the police The slogan 'Defund the Police' caught fire after Floyd's death, but it never came to pass. While a majority of council members initially backed the idea, what appeared on the city ballot in 2021 was a more modest attempt to reimagine policing. Voters rejected it. The police force lost hundreds of officers following the unrest. From nearly 900 in early 2020, the ranks fell to less than 600 as officers retired, took disability or went to work elsewhere. Staffing started to recover last year. Officers are now back engaging with the community at George Floyd Square, which became a 'no-go zone' for police immediately after Floyd's death. Flowers acknowledged there have been 'significant strides' in community-police relations. Advertisement Police Chief Brian O'Hara said his 'officers are starting to heal.' 'I think they're starting to be proud of what they do again, getting back to the reasons they got into this profession in the first place,' he told reporters last week. Remaking policing President Donald Trump's administration moved Wednesday to cancel agreements to overhaul the police departments in Minneapolis and Louisville, Kentucky, both accused of widespread abuses. Frey, the mayor, decried the timing of the announcement as 'political theater' in the week before the anniversary of Floyd's murder. National reform advocates also denounced the administration's move. But O'Hara and Frey pledged Minneapolis would move forward, with or without the White House. The police department is also operating under a consent decree with the Minnesota Human Rights Department. The decree proposes addressing race-based policing and strengthening public safety by ensuring officers only use reasonable force, never punish or retaliate, and de-escalate conflicts when possible, among other aims. The mayor and chief noted that Minneapolis got high marks in a report released Tuesday by a nonprofit that monitors various cities' compliance with consent decrees. Activists cautioned that Minneapolis has little to brag about. 'We understand that change takes time,' Michelle Gross, president of Communities United Against Police Brutality, said in a statement last week. 'However, the progress being claimed by the city is not being felt in the streets.' Associated Press videographer Mark Vancleave contributed to this story.
Korea Herald
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Korea Herald
Thousands mark 5th anniversary of George Floyd's murder as they call for justice and decry Trump
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Police reform and civil-rights activists joined thousands of ordinary people Sunday to mark the fifth anniversary of George Floyd's murder and decry the Trump administration for actions they say set their efforts back decades. The Rev. Al Sharpton said at a graveside service with the dead man's family in Houston that Floyd, 46, represented all of those "who are defenseless against people who thought they could put their knee on our neck." He compared Floyd's killing to that of Emmett Till, a 14-year-old Black child who was abducted, mutilated and slain in Mississippi in 1955 after being accused of offending a white woman. "What Emmett Till was in his time, George Floyd has been for this time in history," Sharpton said. Events in Minneapolis centered around George Floyd Square, the intersection where police Officer Derek Chauvin used his knee to pin Floyd's neck to the pavement for 9 1/2 minutes, even as Floyd cried "I can't breathe." By midday Sunday, a steady stream of people were paying their respects at a memorial in front of Cup Foods, where he was killed. Across the street, activists had set up a feeding area at an old gas station that has often served as a staging area since Floyd's death. In the middle of the street, a fake pig's head was mounted on a stick. The head wore a police cap. Events started Friday with music, a street festival and a "self-care fair." It culminated Sunday evening when hundreds gathered at the square for a candlelit vigil that included a worship service, a gospel concert and speeches calling for racial justice. A brass band then led the crowd on a short march through city streets. Even with Minneapolis officials' promises to remake the police department, some activists contend the progress has come at a glacial pace. "We understand that change takes time," Michelle Gross, president of Communities United Against Police Brutality, said in a statement last week. "However, the progress being claimed by the city is not being felt in the streets." Activists had hoped that the worldwide protests that followed Floyd's murder on May 25, 2020, would lead to national police reform and focus on racial justice. Under President Joe Biden, the US Justice Department had aggressively pushed for oversight of local police it had accused of widespread abuses. But the Trump administration moved Wednesday to cancel settlements with Minneapolis and Louisville that called for an overhaul of their police departments following Floyd's murder and the killing of Breonna Taylor. Trump also has declared an end to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives within the federal government, and his administration is using federal funds as leverage to force local governments, universities and public school districts to do the same. And Republican-led states have accelerated their efforts to stamp out DEI initiatives. In Houston, Sharpton castigated the administration's settlement cancellations, saying they were "tantamount to the Department of Justice and the president spitting on the grave of George Floyd." "To wait to the anniversary and announce this, knowing this family was going to be brought back to the brokenheartedness of what happened shows the disregard and insensitivity of this administration," he said. "But the reason that we will not be deterred is that Trump was president when George Floyd happened and he didn't do anything then. We made things happen. And we're going to make them happen again." Detrius Smith of Dallas, who was visiting the Floyd memorial site with her three daughters and five grandchildren, told one granddaughter about how people globally united to decry racial injustice after Floyd's murder. "It just really feels good, just really to see everybody out here celebrating the life, and the memories of George Floyd and just really remembering what happened," Smith said. "We want to do everything we can to work together so everybody can have the same equal rights and everybody can move forward and not have something like that to continue to happen in this nation." Gail Ferguson of Minneapolis visited the site of Floyd's death on Sunday, as she has done every year on the anniversary of his death. Ferguson, who is a professor at the University of Minnesota's Institute of Child Development leading an anti-racist parenting intervention program for white parents of young white children, said Floyd's murder brought attention to what she calls a racism pandemic. "It exposed white supremacy, and it exposed the fragility and the passivity that can be part of the culture of whiteness," she said.
