Hundreds of mourners, including the Rev. Al Sharpton and the mother of Eric Garner, took part in an emotional memorial service in Minneapolis Thursday afternoon to honor George Floyd, the man whose death in police custody sparked nationwide protests against police brutality and racial injustice.
The ceremony began with attorney Benjamin Crump calling some of Floyd’s family members to the front of the room to deliver remarks. They recounted their childhood, growing up with Floyd, who they said close friends and family members called “Perry.” Crump said the fight for justice for Floyd was also part of a greater fight to help “America be America for all Americans.”
Then, he introduced Sharpton to deliver the eulogy.
“George Floyd should not be among the deceased,” Sharpton said, beginning his remarks. “He did not die of common health conditions. He died of a common American criminal justice malfunction.”
As many cities enforced nightly curfews to clampdown on looting and limit out of towners from coming in to drum up chaos, police have clashed with protesters, firing rubber bullets and deploying tear gas to disperse crowds. Officers have also suffered violent attacks, most recently, as one New York City police officer on looting patrol was stabbed in the neck, and two others were shot in an “unprovoked attack” Wednesday night.
As businesses, already struggled from the pandemic, are looted, vandalized and burned to the ground, Trump has clashed with top officials on whether to send the military into cities to restore the peace.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Leave a Reply