The death of George Floyd (46) while being arrested in Minnesota has rocked the world. He was an African American man and a police officer tried to arrest him for allegedly using a fake $20 note. There was a scuffle and Floyd apparently died from injuries. However, the sequence of events makes critics think the officer committed an intentional act of violence. It seems Floyd had difficulty breathing as the officer knelt on the victim’s neck for nearly nine minutes. "I can't breathe," were the last words of Floyd. Many people it was an inhuman action and it led to protests all over America.

The authorities had to call in the National Guard in Minneapolis and 17 states. The police officer Derek Chauvin is a white man and faces criminal charges.

ABC News says there were demonstrators in the hundreds outside a number of U.S. embassies in Europe and across the world. They chanted the slogan “Black Lives Matter” and carried placards with the same message. This happened over the weekend outside U.S. embassies in London and Berlin. The protesters wanted to show solidarity with those in America and chanted “I Can’t Breathe.” The resentment of the black community was obvious and the incident in Minnesota gradually turned into an international event.

Relevance of 'Black Lives Matter' to George Floyd

The protesters wanted to highlight the issues of people of color through the brutal killing of George Floyd at the hands of a white police officer. In London, the protesters organized a “Black Lives Matter” demonstration. It started in Trafalgar Square before proceeding to the U.S.Embassy.

The protesters set off the protests by taking a knee for nine minutes. That is the duration of the action Derek Chauvin took with immobilizing Floyd. London’s Metropolitan Police arrested some people but they related to offenses of non-compliance with social distancing regulations.

ABC News mentions the protests in Germany.

Here the protesters used novel ideas related to soccer to extend support to the Americans. In Canada, the cities of Vancouver and Montreal saw protesters chanting the slogans that one heard in the US. There were gatherings in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, but police in riot gear dispersed them. Elsewhere, in Iran and China, the state run media and foreign ministers were critical of the way America handled the protests. In short, the incident received widespread coverage in the international media and drew attention to the disparity that exists in America even today between whites and non-whites.

Death of George Floyd led to violence

According to NBC News, people in several cities in the US took to the streets to protest the death of George Floyd.

Some of these protests led to violence. However, cities around the world witnessed peaceful protests. They wanted to show solidarity with those who feel agreived. The authorities charged the police officer with serious offenses but unrest continued across America. In Berlin, the protesters selected the U.S. embassy. They also held placards that echoed their sentiments of injustice against the black community.

People are upset at the way George Floyd lost his life

George Floyd died in police custody in Minnesota and another person, a 19-year-old demonstrator, died when the police fired into a crowd in Detroit.

David Toborowsky dedicated one of his '90 Day Fiance' posts to the memory of George Floyd. The issue is a sensitive one and celebrities used the #BlackOutTuesday hashtag to swamp social media feeds as part of their outrage.
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED