FactualTributes began Thursday afternoon in Minneapolis during a ceremony in front of the body of the 46-year-old African American, who was smothered by a white police officer on May 25.
After the time of anger and riot, here comes the time of mourning and more political demands. This is how the situation developed, albeit still timidly, ten days after the death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old African American, who was suffocated during his arrest by a white police officer from the city of Minneapolis (Minnesota). It has provoked unprecedented protests and riots in every city in America since 1968, the year of the assassination of Pastor Martin Luther King.
Tributes will culminate on Tuesday June 9 with the funeral of the victim in Houston, Texas. They started on Thursday afternoon June 4 in Minneapolis, at a ceremony in front of the body of George Floyd; it’s where the city’s mayor, Jacob Frey, fell in tears, one knee on the ground. The city was silent for 8 minutes 46 seconds, the time of the victim's torture. "Free your knees from our neck", then launched Pastor Al Sharpton.
At the same time, in New York, Brooklyn gathered, in the presence of the victim's brother, Terrence Floyd, who lived there for a long time.
Authorities are seeking to regain control. The meeting is organized, volunteers offer bottles of water, iced coffee while two police officers offer masks. "We are very well received"explains one of them.
The crowd gradually arrives: African-Americans, Latinos but also many white people. A lot of women. A black pastor, master of ceremonies, leads the crowd, channeling the painful passions. "Let us pray together", he begins. Then we sing. "Stop the violence, we don't need it. " And now he wants to make the crowd pronounce the symbol of peace; “Come on, I want to hear the word peace from everyone. " But it's not easy. So to the slogan " peace " succeeds the most popular one of " No justice, no peace ".
" Power to the people "
The guarantor of the peaceful nature of the demonstration is Terrence Floyd, who cannot speak. " You're not alone ", chants the crowd. "I want to thank God", finally begins Mr. Floyd. "I was furious, I was angry, but I want to thank God. It wasn't his fault, it was his will. I want to thank God, because at the end of the day, my brother left but the name of Floyd is still alive. " He explains : “I am proud of the protests. I am not proud of the destruction ", before demanding " Power to the people ". “Not just my people, not just your people, but to all the people, each of us. "
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