George Floyd anniversary: Joe Biden meets family as US embassies fly Black Lives Matter flag
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Your support makes all the difference.The family of George Floyd, whose murder sparked protests around the world, met president Joe Biden at the White House for almost an hour to mark the anniversary of his death.
“If you can make federal laws to protect the bird which is the bald eagle, then you can make federal laws to protect people of colour,” George Floyd’s brother, Philonise, told reporters after the meeting.
It comes as the US president missed the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act deadline, which he originally set for 25 May. To mark the anniversary, embassies around the country were authorized by the State Department to fly the Black Lives Matter flag “advance racial equity and access to justice on May 25 and beyond”.
Mr Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who knelt on Mr Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes. A jury of 12 found Chauvin guilty on three counts; one count of second-degree murder, one count of third-degree murder, and one count of manslaughter.
The former police officer has not yet been sentenced but faces up to 40 years in prison. The state attorney general, Keith Ellison, has requested the judge consider ‘aggravating factors’ when handing out a sentence, which requests “an upward sentencing departure”.
Following the murder of Mr Floyd, protests broke out in the state, across the nation, and internationally, as thousands of people took to the streets to decry police brutality.
Mr Floyd’s family is marking a year since his death with a series of events, including the Saturday rally held alongside other victims of police killings, a day of action, and a candlelit vigil on Tuesday, 25 May – a year to the day he was killed.
Good morning, this liveblog will be following the latest developments as George Floyd is remembered a year after his murder.
George Floyd's family holds rally, march in brother's memory
The family of George Floyd have held a memorial rally and march in his memory a year after he was killed by a Minneapolis police officer.
The George Floyd Memorial Foundation is hosting a series of events in Minneapolis this week in Mr Floyd’s honour.
George Floyd's family holds rally, march in brother's memory
Members of George Floyd’s family, and others who lost loved ones to police encounters, have joined activists and citizens for a march as part of events marking the one-year anniversary of Floyd’s death
What will Derek Chauvin’s sentence be?
As the anniversary of Mr Floyd’s death approaches, his killer is yet to be sentenced. Derek Chauvin was found guilty by a 12-person jury in April on counts of second- and third-degree murder, as well as a count of second-degree manslaughter. Our reporter Danielle Zoellner takes a look at how long Chauvin could spent in prison.
How long will Derek Chauvin get in prison and what does the George Floyd verdict mean?
How many years will Derek Chauvin get in jail?
Key moments from the Derek Chauvin trial
Independent reporter Josh Marcus, who covered the Chauvin trial, has rounded up some of the key moments from the trail that saw George Floyd’s killer found guilty of three counts: second- and third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter
Catch up on the key moments in the Derek Chauvin trial
Catch up on biggest moments in Derek Chauvin murder trial
How George Floyd’s death has changed the Metropolitan Police
The death of Mr Floyd prompted strong reactions around the world. In Britain, the deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, Sir Stephen House, says the case has changed the way he views policing. He explained that in the last year, police in London have “been looking at ourselves critically and asking hard questions about whether our progress was happening quickly enough and across a broad enough front”.
How George Floyd’s death has changed the Metropolitan Police | Sir Stephen House
Over the past 12 months, we have been looking at ourselves critically and asking hard questions about whether our progress was happening quickly enough and across a broad enough front. It wasn’t
Most Americans think the country is racist
The majority of Americans see the country as racist, in a poll conducted a year after the death of Geroge Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer.
The Axios-Ipsos Hard Truths Civil Rights & Social Justice poll showed 75 per cent of respondents agreed that “Black Americans are more likely to experience potentially dangerous interactions with the police”.
75% of Americans say the country is racist on anniversary of George Floyd murder
Only 19 per cent of Republican voters believe that America needs to continue to change to give Black Americans equal rights
George Floyd’s brother encourages people to ‘stay woke’ as family mark a year since his death
Terrence Floyd has encouraged people to “stay woke” a year after the murder of his brother at the hands of Minneapolis police office Derek Chauvin.
“This is just the beginning. The change has started. A lot of negatives were turned into positives in this year, but we have a long way to go,” said Terrence Floyd, speaking from the George Floyd rally in Brooklyn, New York, on Sunday.
“Now that your eyes are open and you know what my culture goes through, I want my culture to stay woke but I want the other cultures that’s supporting us to stay woke.”
Harriett Sinclair has the story.
George Floyd’s brother encourages people to ‘stay woke’ as family mark a year since his death
‘Don’t just open your eyes, stretch, yawn and think that it’s over’
Has anything actually changed for black and brown people?
White House press secretary Jen Psaki was asked today if anything has “actually changed” for black and brown people in the US after what Joe Biden called a “wake up call to the nation”.
“The president is still very much hopeful that he will be able to sign the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act into law,” Psaki said.
“It’s hard for me to assess from here community to community where we have seen progress made, certainly the death of George Floyd, the tragic death of George Floyd has unfortunately elevated into the public eye… the need to put reforms into place.”
She said they’re hopeful that activism and engagement will get the legislation over the line.
TraeThaTruth dedicates Billboard award to DMX and calls out Kentucky attorney general over Breonna Taylor
The Houston rapper received the second “Change Maker Award” at the 2021 Billboard Music Awards for his activism in the Texas city, calling out the Kentucky attorney general over the Breonna Taylor charging decision.
“One last thing too, Daniel Cameron, we still gonna need justice for Breonna Taylor,” he closed out his acceptance speech with.
Mr Cameron is the attorney general in Kentucky where a grand jury indicted one of the three officers in the shooting of Ms Taylor.
Joe Biden ‘eager to listen’ to Floyd family in private meeting
White House press secretary said that Joe Biden’s meeting with the family of George Floyd on the 1-year anniversary of his death would remain private, but that he’s “eager to listen to their perspectives and hear what they have to say”.
Attending the meeting would be Floyd’s daughter Gianna, her mother Roxie Washington, as well as Bridgett Floyd, Philonise Floyd, Rodney Floyd, Terrance Floyd and nephew Brandon Williams.
“He wanted this meeting to be private in order to have a real conversation and preserve that with the family,” Psaki said. “He has a genuine relationship with them and the courage and grace of this family, especially his daughter Gianna, has really stuck with the president.”
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