Black Lives Matter
Black Lives Matter
Kyla Berges: I see a clear distinction of
how black and white people are treated in
America.
Protesters: No justice, no peace
Nabihah: Thousands of people have been protesting
in the US city of Minneapolis following the
death of George Floyd.
Nabihah: On May 27th police there say they
responded to a call about a customer attempting
to use a counterfeit $20 bill.
Nabihah: A ten minute video was filmed of
George Floyd, a 46-year-old man, groaning
as a white police officer knelt on his neck.
He was then taken to hospital where he was
pronounced dead.
Four police officers have since been fired.
The former officer filmed holding George Floyd
down has been charged with murder.
President Donald Trump described the incident
as a ‘terrible, terrible thing.’ Adding
that he’s asked the justice department to
speed up an invesgtitaion into what’s happened.
But he’s also drawn criticism from protesters
for some of his tweets about the situation
in the past few days.
Protesters: Hands up, don’t shoot.
Nabihah: Protests turned violent in Minneapolis
as many sought to express their anger in what
they see as the latest act of police brutality
against African-Americans. Kyla Berges has
been protesting
Kyla Berges: I feel heavy as a black American
I’m terrified. And there’s absolutely
no excuse for an aarmed police officer to
put their entire body weight on a man’s
neck when he was unarmed.
Protesters: No justice, no peace.
Dulche: It could have been me. It makes me
feel like the system has failed me for 300
plus years. And what do I have to do to make
it change?
Esabelle Levine: As a bi-racial white skinned
woman in this country, I do not understand
what if feels like to wake up in the morning
and fear for my life based on the colour of
my skin. And that’s my privilege and I’m
very aware of it now more than ever.
Nabihah: George Floyd’s death is a reminder
of other African-Americans who have died.
Khalil Gibran Muhammad is a professor at Harvard
University, specialising in race and public
policy.
Professor Khalil Gibran Muhammad: The refrain
of ‘I can’t breathe’ brings to mind
the death of Eric Garner, also killed by police
officers, in the city of New York in the summer
of 2014 for allegedly selling loose cigarettes.
He was also put in a chokehold that eventually
led to his death, as he pleaded on the streets
that he could not breathe.
Nabihah: Eric Garner’s death caused nationwide
protests. The police officer involved was
fired but not prosecuted. Most recently, Ahmaud
Arbery was shot and killed by a father and
son, who are white, while jogging in Georgia.
They and one other man have been arrested.
For more than two months, police did not charge
them until the shooting gained widespread
attention in the national media and provoked
outrage.
26-year-old Breonna Taylor was allegedly shot
and killed by police at her apartment in the
US state of Kentucky after they raided the
wrong address. The FBI is investigating.
Nabihah: So why does this keep happening?
Khalil Gibran Muhammad: Over and over again
we see video evidence of the excessive use
of force by police officers for African-America
men and women who are deemed ‘suspects’
of crimes that are not violent and do not
involve weapons. And on average are three
times more likely to be killed by the police
than whites.
Nabihah: Others in the community are hopeful
things can change
Pastor Osheta Moore: I am seeing white Americans
who ask questions and want to be a part of
change. And so I really hope we can rally
together because Big Floyd should be here,
but he’s not. And that’s wrong.
