May 24 2021 People gather in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on the one-year anniversary of the death of African-American man George Floyd, foreign media reported. Freud’s death sparked mass protests across the United States calling for a change in police violence against African-Americans, but legislative action appears to have stalled.
Demonstrators gathered outside the Hennepin County Government Center, where police officer Xiao Wan was on trial, to commemorate Freud and demand action against police violence and racism.
The George Freud Memorial Foundation, founded by Floyd’s sister Bridget Freud, said the event was intended to “demonstrate our continued call for accountability and reform, because the right to equal justice should not be conditional or based on a person’s skin color.”
On May 25, rallies and events will be held across the United States to mark the first anniversary of Freud’s death.
American civil rights leader Al Sharpton was reunited with the Floyds in Minneapolis on Wednesday. The Freudians, he said, “have not only suffered, but have always been righteous in this matter.”
“The verdict against Shawan is a step in the right direction, but it’s just a step,” Sharpton said before the rally. “We have a long way to go. I am glad that we are on the right path and that we must continue on that path. ”
At the same time, some activists question how much has changed in the year since Freud’s death.
“Every time you turn on the news, black people are beaten or murdered by the police — they’re unarmed,” said James Shores, a Minneapolis resident who attended the rally. “We don’t get the justice we deserve.”
U.S. President Joe Biden will host Floyd’s family at the White House on May 25. The Biden administration has urged Congress to pass police reform legislation before the first anniversary of Freud’s death, but that effort has stalled and lawmakers could miss the May 26 deadline.
Democratic Senator Cory Booker was involved in bipartisan negotiations on the bill, known as the George Floyd Judicial Policing Act. He said on the 23rd, although “meaningful progress” has been made, but no agreement has been reached.
Racial justice activists also point out that police violence against African-Americans has continued since Floyd was killed a year ago, prompting repeated calls for action.
