Activists and family members met ahead of the one-year anniversary of the Black man's murder at the hands of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.
Around 1,500 people rallied in Minneapolis in the US on Sunday ahead of the one-year anniversary of Black man George Floyd's death.The peaceful event on Sunday was the beginning of a three-day-long commemoration, which will culminate on Tuesday, May 25, when the nation will be marking a year since Floyd died in police custody.
Tuesday will mark 365 days since the unarmed 46-year-old Floyd was killed when former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin held his knee on Floyd's neck for around nine minutes.
Chauvin was found guilty of murder and the incident reignited the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement as protests took place around the world.
Members of Floyd's family, activists and other families of victims of police violence joined citizens in front of the courthouse in downtown Minneapolis where the Chauvin trial concluded a month ago.
Many carrying signs with pictures of Floyd, Philando Castile and other Black people killed by police.
The crowds shouted: "no justice, no peace!" and "Say his name" — chants linked to the BLM movement.
"George Floyd should not go down in history as just someone with a knee on his neck. George Floyd should go down in history [as a person] that broke the neck of police racism, police brutality and police illegality. That how we will put George’s name in history," Reverend Al Sharpton, one of the leaders of the Black Lives Matter movement, said at a Sunday rally which preceded the march.
'It has been a painful year,' says Floyd's sister
Several local activists, members of Floyd's family and family attorney Ben Crump spoke at the event.
Floyd's sister Bridgett told the crowd on Sunday, "It has been a long year. It has been a painful year."
"I will stand and be the voice for him," she said. "I will stand and be the change for him."
Veteran campaigner Reverend Al Sharpton told the crowd that Floyd's killing was "one of the greatest disgraces in American history."
"What happened to George Floyd, as well as so many others, is driving change not only across America but the world," he said.
"They thought that they could get away with it, and you went to the streets, Black and white, young and old, in the middle of the pandemic" to call for justice, Sharpton said.
Further events honoring George Floyd
In New York on Sunday, Floyd's brother Terrence attended a Brooklyn gathering in his brother's memory organized by Sharpton. He asked supporters to keep the name of his brother "ringing" for other victims of police violence. "Breonna Taylor, Sean Bell, Ahmaud Arbery, you could go through the whole list. There's a lot of them."
Other events in Minneapolis ahead of the anniversary of George Floyd's death include a virtual "day of action" that encourages people to organize remotely. Two panels with Floyd family members and other activists are planned for Monday. On Tuesday, there will be a community festival and candlelight vigil.
Local Muslim leader pitched to support palestine
A representative of a local Muslim community asked the Black live Matter movement to raise it voice in support of the Palestinians in their fight against Israeli occupation. "None of us are free until all of us are free," she said and was greeted with applause and cheers.
