MINNEAPOLIS — Hundreds of people in the Minneapolis community gathered together Sunday to remember the life of George Floyd just days shy of the one year anniversary of his death.
“Something changed here in Minneapolis May 25 2020, that galvanized people all across America,” civil rights attorney Ben Crump said during an early evening rally. “But not only did it galvanize people all across America, it galvanized people all across the world to say that we are better than this. We’re better than this America. we have to have a more just America.”
Crump, Rev. Al Sharpton and Floyd’s sister, Bridgett Floyd, spoke to a crowd of supporters in the plaza of the Hennepin County Government Center. That’s where former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty in April of second and third degree murder, and second degree manslaughter in Floyd’s death.
“I will stand and be the voice for him, I will stand and be the change for him,” Bridgrt said. “I will stand and continue to be the legacy for him.”
The Floyd family and other activists are calling on lawmakers in Washington to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. If passed, that law would limit excessive force and change other policing policies.
“George Floyd is not going into history has a martyr. He is going into history as a game-changer,” Sharpton said. “When you went down on his neck, you broke the neck of police misconduct in this country. Because we are going to stay in the streets until we bring to law the George Floyd Justice in Policing act.”
Sharpton also used his speech to make a plea to those who oppose the law in Congress, which passed the House of Representatives in March, but is now stalled in the Senate.
“This is not anti-white, this is not anti-police, this is anti-wrong, this is anti-crime, this is anti-vicious, this is anti-insensitivity,” Sharpton said. “We are going to stand together until justice comes to this United States policing acts.”
Sunday was the first of three days full of events remembering Floyd. Monday is a virtual day of remembrance, with online events available across the country.
The Floyd family will meet with President Joe Biden on Tuesday, the anniversary of Floyd’s death.
