Protests break out across the country in response to death of George Floyd

Monroe+citizens+peacefully+protest+at+the+Custer+Statue+downtown+Monroe%2C+Michigan.+Protests+and+rallies+broke+out+all+over+the+country+in+response+to+the+death+of+George+Floyd+by+former+officer+Derek+Chauvin.

Emilia McLeod

Monroe citizens peacefully protest at the Custer Statue downtown Monroe, Michigan. Protests and rallies broke out all over the country in response to the death of George Floyd by former officer Derek Chauvin.

George Floyd died of asphyxiation after being put in a kneeling hold by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. This sparked a racial outcry for change and countless protests across the country. (New York Times)

A series of protests and riots have broken out across the country as a result of the death of George Floyd, a black man who was killed when a white officer pushed onto his neck with his knee during an arrest for forgery. The protests began in Minneapolis, where Floyd was killed, one day after his death on May 25. Since the initial wave of protests, riots have also broken out in other major cities such as Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C.

 

While many of the protests were initially peaceful and continue to be peaceful, some violence and rioting has broken out. Images of rioters smashing and looting a Target store were circulated throughout social media. It is still, however, unclear as to which group of people started the violence and destruction. There is speculation of police and/or white supremacist groups starting the distruction and looting in effort to inflict more violence against the black people who are peacefully protesting. 

 

With police officers using tear gas and shooting rubber bullets at protesters, some police officers throughout the country are showing their support of the grieving communities of color. Police officers in Flint, Michigan, were filmed taking off their helmets and putting down their batons. The officers then began marching with the attendees of the protest to show their solidarity with the black community. Other officers in Miami, Florida took a knee during a rally with other protesters during a moment of silence to honor George Floyd. 

 

The police officer who killed George Floyd, Derek Chauvin, was fired as soon as the video footage of the arrest was released. Chauvin was later charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter. The protests rage on, however, in effort to not only charge the other three officers for standing and watching while Floyd was being murdered, but also to raise awareness about the constant police brutality that communities of color so often face.