US President Joe Biden on Tuesday April 20 expressed his relief to George Floyd’s family after white policeman Derek Chauvin was found guilty of the latter’s murder. “We are all so relieved”Mr. Biden said in the telephone conversation. “You are an amazing family. I would have liked to be there to take you in my arms », he added. “Today marks a day of justice in America”, added Kamala Harris, first black vice president of the United States, during the same call.
“No one should be above the law, and today’s verdict sends that message. But that’s not enough “, then added the American president, during an official speech from the White House, during which he denounced at length the systemic racism in the United States. “The guilty verdict will not bring George back”, continued Joe Biden. But this decision may be the moment of a “Significant change”, he concluded, calling on America to come together.
The family of George Floyd, precisely, shared his emotion. “I can feel tears of joy, so moved that no family in history has ever come so far”, said in a video Rodney Floyd, one of George’s brothers, dedicating this verdict “To all those who have been in the same situation”. “Guilty! Justice Obtained in Pain Eventually Granted to George Floyd’s Family, reacted the family lawyer, Ben Crump. This verdict is a turning point in history. “
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“True justice goes beyond a single verdict”
“Today a jury in Minneapolis did the right thing”, wrote Barack Obama quickly. “But if we’re honest, we know that true justice goes far beyond a single verdict in a single trial.”, added the first black president of the United States, calling for ” the fight “ to fight against racism and police violence.
Today, a jury did the right thing. But true justice requires much more. Michelle and I send our prayers to the Floy… https://t.co/5vPmKrAB5V
“George Floyd had come to Minneapolis to seek a better life. In the end, it was his life that made our city better ”, Mayor Jacob Frey also tweeted. “Thanks to you, and thanks to the thousands, millions of people who have demonstrated across the world for justice, your name will forever be synonymous with justice”, said the Democratic Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, outside the Capitol shortly after the verdict.
Hillary Clinton, a 2016 presidential candidate, noted that George Floyd’s family and the Minneapolis community “Deserved the killer to be held responsible”. “Today it is. Forever, “Black lives matter”. “
In Minneapolis, tears of joy
“Guilty! ” : As soon as the verdict was announced on the megaphone, the crowd rejoiced in front of the court in Minneapolis, where the trial was held in recent days. More than 200 people gathered in anticipation of the news of the verdict, and immediately tears began to fall on more than one face.
A woman, tears streaming down her cheeks, expresses her relief: “Now we can finally start to breathe”, says Amber Young. “This year has been such a trauma. From now on I hope that we can heal our wounds ”, she adds. This African American woman now turns to another struggle: “We have to fight for Daunte Wright now”, in reference to the 20-year-old black man killed on April 11 by a white policewoman in the suburbs of Minneapolis.
For the NBA, “justice is done”
In recent months, the world of sport has vibrated in unison with the Black Lives Matter movement. For Adam Silver, the boss of the NBA, the professional basketball association in the United States, “Justice is done”. In a joint statement with Michele Roberts, director of the Basketball Players’ Association, the NBA boss pledged that his organization would continue its campaign for reforms in the justice and police force in the United States.
“The murder of George Floyd was a breaking point in the way we view race and justice issues in our country, and we are happy to see that justice appears to have been served.”, said the two men. The Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Lynx players also welcomed the verdict in a joint statement.
