Justice for George Floyd

A US jury has found the former Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin, guilty of murdering George Floyd.

The jury’s decision — convicting Chauvin of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter after deliberating for about 10 hours — capped the most prominent policing trial in decades.

Derek Chauvin, who was handcuffed immediately after the verdict, was found guilty of killing George Floyd when he knelt on the man’s neck for 9 minutes and 29 seconds.

The conviction stood out against decades of impunity for most police excessive-force cases.

The Trial
Americans anxiously awaiting a verdict in the trial of Derek Chauvin reacted with jubilation and relief after the jury found the former Minneapolis police officer guilty of murdering George Floyd.

“No family in history ever got this far. We were able to get a guilty charge on all counts…This right here is for everyone that’s been in this situation,” said Rodney Floyd, brother of George Floyd.

Some black activists have however noted that the conviction of one individual is just a small measure of justice when “America still has a system that remains plagued with centuries-worth of racism in the law and in practice”.
I Can’t Breathe
“I can’t breathe,” were the words George Floyd uttered with his hands handcuffed behind his back, while Derek Chauvin kneeled directly on his neck, refusing to move for 9 minutes and 29 seconds.

George Floyd’s murder sparked a widespread protest both within and outside America under the hashtags #IcantBreathe and #BlackLivesMatter.