Latest news with #RiseandRemember
Saudi Gazette
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Saudi Gazette
Thousands remember George Floyd on fifth anniversary of death
HOUSTON — Americans across the country remembered George Floyd five years after he was killed by police, with special gatherings in the city where he grew up and the one where he died. The murder of Floyd, a black man, in Minneapolis by police officer Derek Chauvin led to nationwide protests against racism and police brutality. On Sunday, Floyd's family gathered in their hometown of Houston near Floyd's gravesite for a service led by the Rev Al Sharpton, while Minneapolis held several commemorations. What many hailed as a national "reckoning" with racism after Floyd's death, though, seems to be fading as President Donald Trump starts to roll back police reforms in Minneapolis and other cities. The Associated Press reported that thousands of people, including police reform and civil-rights activists, gathered on Sunday for the anniversary. In Minneapolis, a morning church service and evening gospel concert were part of events to mark the events of 25 March 2020, at the annual Rise and Remember Festival in George Floyd Square, the intersection where Floyd was murdered and which has since been named to honor him. "Now is the time for the people to rise up and continue the good work we started," Angela Harrelson, Floyd's aunt and co-chair of the Rise and Remember nonprofit, said in a statement about the festival. In Houston, where Floyd grew up and where he is buried, local organizations held poetry sessions, musical performances and speeches by local pastors. Rev Sharpton, a civil rights leader, held a press conference and memorial service with Floyd's family, as well as elected officials and friends. They called for changes begun in the wake of Floyd's to continue, especially pushing President Donald Trump to keep up federal police reform agreements. Floyd was murdered in 2020 during a police arrest in Minneapolis when Chauvin, a white police officer, stood on his neck for more than nine minutes. The killing — captured on a bystander's phone camera — sparked global outrage and a wave of demonstrations against racial injustice and police use of force. Chauvin has been serving a 22-year prison sentence after he was convicted of murdering the 46-year-old. Other officers were convicted for failing to intervene in the killing. In a post on X, Rev Sharpton said Floyd's death had "forced a long overdue reckoning with systemic racism and galvanized millions to take to the streets in protest". "The conviction of the officer responsible was a rare step toward justice, but our work is far from over," he said. In the wake of Floyd's death, under former President Joe Biden, the justice department opened civil investigations into several local law enforcement agencies, including Minneapolis, Louisville, Phoenix and Lexington, Mississippi, where investigators found evidence of systemic police misconduct. The department reached agreements with both the Louisville and Minneapolis police departments that included oversight measures like enhanced training, accountability, and improved data collection of police activity. But last Wednesday, the Trump administration said those findings relied on "flawed methodologies and incomplete data". Administration officials said the agreement were "handcuffing" local police departments. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, though, said this week that his city would still "comply with every sentence, of every paragraph, of the 169-page consent decree that we signed this year". Since returning to office, Trump has also taken aim at Diversity Equity & Inclusion (DEI) measures intended to reduce racism, sexism and other forms of discrimination. Early in his tenure, Trump signed an executive order to eliminate DEI policies in the federal government, some of which were the result of protests during what is often called "Black Lives Matter Summer", held after the deaths of Floyd and others, Critics including Trump say such programs can themselves be discriminatory. Addressing West Point on Saturday, he said that in ending DEI in the military the administration was "getting rid of the distractions" and "focusing our military on its core mission". Meanwhile, the mayor of Washington, Muriel Bowser, removed Black Lives Matter Plaza, a strip of road that was emblazoned with the phrase near the White House. This week, a famous mural of Floyd in Houston was destroyed as part of a building demolition, as well, according to Houston Public Media. Recent surveys suggest Americans believe there have been few improvements for the lives of black people in the US five years after Floyd's passing, including a May survey from Pew Research Center in which 72% of participants said there had been no meaningful changes. The number of Americans expressing support for the Black Lives Matter movement has also fallen by 15% since June 2020, the same survey suggests. — BBC
Qatar Tribune
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Qatar Tribune
Americans remember George Floyd on fifth anniversary of death
Americans across the country are remembering George Floyd five years after he was killed by police, with special gatherings in the city where he grew up and the one where he died. The murder of Floyd, a black man, in Minneapolis by police officer Derek Chauvin led to nationwide protests against racism and police brutality. On Sunday, Floyd's family gathered in their hometown of Houston near Floyd's gravesite for an event led by the Rev Al Sharpton, while Minneapolis held several commemorations. What many hailed as a national 'reckoning' with racism after Floyd's death, though, seems to be fading as President Donald Trump starts to roll back police reforms in Minneapolis and other cities. In Minneapolis, community members planned a morning church service, a candlelight vigil and an evening gospel concert on Sunday to remember Floyd. The events were a part of the annual Rise and Remember Festival taking place in George Floyd Square, the intersection where Floyd was murdered and which has since been named to honour him. 'Now is the time for the people to rise up and continue the good work we started,' Angela Harrelson, Floyd's aunt and co-chair of the Rise and Remember nonprofit, said in a statement about the festival. In Houston, where Floyd grew up and where he is buried, local organisations planned poetry sessions, musical performances and speeches by local pastors. Floyd was murdered in 2020 during a police arrest in Minneapolis when Chauvin, a white police officer, stood on his neck for more than nine minutes. The killing - captured on a bystander's phone camera - sparked global outrage and a wave of demonstrations against racial injustice and police use of force. (Agencies)
Toronto Sun
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Toronto Sun
Thousands mark 5th anniversary of George Floyd's murder as they call for justice
Published May 25, 2025 • 3 minute read People gather at the site where George Floyd was killed during the Rise and Remember event at George Floyd Square on May 25, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Photo by Stephen Maturen / Getty Images 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 setting their efforts back decades. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account 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.' Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. By midday Sunday, a steady stream of people were paying their respects at a memorial in front of Cupp 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. RECOMMENDED VIDEO Events started Friday with concerts, a street festival and a 'self-care fair,' and were culminating with a worship service, gospel concert and a candlelit vigil on Sunday. 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.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Slow pace of change 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 U.S. 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. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 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.' The future? 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.' Toronto Blue Jays Crime Columnists Sunshine Girls Ontario
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Americans remember George Floyd on fifth anniversary of death
Americans across the country are remembering George Floyd five years after he was killed by police, with special gatherings in the city where he grew up and the one where he died. The murder of Floyd, a black man, in Minneapolis by police officer Derek Chauvin led to nationwide protests against racism and police brutality. On Sunday, Floyd's family gathered in their hometown of Houston near Floyd's gravesite for an event led by the Rev. Al Sharpton, while Minneapolis held several commemorations. What many hailed as a national "reckoning" with racism after Floyd's death, though, seems to be fading as President Donald Trump starts to roll back police reforms in Minneapolis and other cities. In Minneapolis, community members planned a morning church service, a candlelight vigil and an evening gospel concert on Sunday to remember Floyd. The events were a part of the annual Rise and Remember Festival taking place in George Floyd Square, the intersection where Floyd was murdered and which has since been named to honour him. "Now is the time for the people to rise up and continue the good work we started," Angela Harrelson, Floyd's aunt and co-chair of the Rise and Remember nonprofit, said in a statement about the festival. In Houston, where Floyd grew up and where he is buried, local organisations planned poetry sessions, musical performances and speeches by local pastors. Floyd was murdered in 2020 during a police arrest in Minneapolis when Chauvin, a white police officer, stood on his neck for more than nine minutes. The killing - captured on a bystander's phone camera - sparked global outrage and a wave of demonstrations against racial injustice and police use of force. Chauvin has been serving a 22-year prison sentence after he was convicted of murdering the 46-year-old. Other officers were convicted for failing to intervene in the killing. In a post on X, Rev Sharpton said Floyd's death had "forced a long overdue reckoning with systemic racism and galvanized millions to take to the streets in protest". "The conviction of the officer responsible was a rare step toward justice, but our work is far from over," he said. In the wake of Floyd's death, under former President Joe Biden, the justice department opened civil investigations into several local law enforcement agencies, including Minneapolis, Louisville, Phoenix and Lexington, Mississippi, where investigators found evidence of systemic police misconduct. The department reached agreements with both the Louisville and Minneapolis police departments that included oversight measures like enhanced training, accountability, and improved data collection of police activity. But last Wednesday, the Trump administration said those findings relied on "flawed methodologies and incomplete data". Administration officials said the agreement were "handcuffing" local police departments. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, though, said this week that his city would still "comply with every sentence, of every paragraph, of the 169-page consent decree that we signed this year". Since returning to office, Trump has also taken aim at Diversity Equity & Inclusion (DEI) measures intended to reduce racism, sexism and other forms of discrimination. Early in his tenure, Trump signed an executive order to eliminate DEI policies in the federal government, some of which were the result of protests during what is often called "Black Lives Matter Summer", held after the deaths of Floyd and others, Critics including Trump say such programmes can themselves be discriminatory. Addressing West Point on Saturday, he said that in ending DEI in the military the administration was "getting rid of the distractions" and "focusing our military on its core mission". Meanwhile, the mayor of Washington, Muriel Bowser, removed Black Lives Matter Plaza, a strip of road that was emblazoned with the phrase near the White House. This week, a famous mural of Floyd in Houston was destroyed as part of a building demolition, as well, according to Houston Public Media. Recent surveys suggest Americans believe there have been few improvements for the lives of black people in the US five years after Floyd's passing, including a May survey from Pew Research Center in which 72% of participants said there had been no meaningful changes. The number of Americans expressing support for the Black Lives Matter movement has also fallen by 15% since June 2020, the same survey suggests. Trump administration to scrap police reform measures in some US cities Chauvin sentenced for violating George Floyd's rights Minneapolis police 'engaged in pattern of racism'
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Yahoo
Weekend of events remembering legacy of George Floyd on 5-year anniversary
The Brief A weekend of events is planned in Minneapolis on the five-year anniversary of Floyd's death. On Saturday, community members participated in a community walk and "Rise and Remember" street fair. A service and candlelight vigil is planned for Sunday. MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Making their voices heard throughout the streets, a crowd gathered at George Floyd Square to start a day of remembrance and recognition on Saturday. What they're saying Civil rights advocate Alberder Gillespie helped organize the walk. She tells FOX 9 it was a way to let the world know they are still with Floyd and his family, while remembering his life and celebrating the progress that has been made. "As an African American woman, we've always had to celebrate even in the midst of our pain. It's the thing that gives us what we need to continue going. There's got to be joy in the struggle," said Gillespie. Throughout the day, vendors and community organizations filled the streets. One of them was Home Base, a group dedicated to supporting those in need and the unhoused. "We just want to make sure we are helping people and getting things out into the community that's needed," said organizer Jessica Murphy. The organization hopes to serve hundreds here by offering free clothing and blankets, an act of kindness and love in a place that means so much to so many. "I think people are just in their feelings and remembering, and it's so important that people keep doing the work," said Murphy. What's next The street fair and festival will continue on Sunday, along with a morning service and evening candlelight vigil.
