Black Lives Matter Protests Archives

Derek Chauvin Found Guilty In George Floyd Murder

A month after the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin into the murder of George Floyd last May began, a unanimous jury delivered a verdict on Tuesday, finding Chauvin guilty of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter. The verdict offered a sign of optimism that America was progressing toward a future in which people of all races would be treated fairly and equally and where police officers would be held accountable for their actions.

George Floyd Case Trial Begins in Minneapolis

One of the most closely-watched and important trials in a very long time began on Monday in Minneapolis, in the Hennepin County District Court, as the murder trial for former police officer Derek Chauvin, who is being charged with murder in the death of George Floyd last summer, started. The death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, resulted in nationwide protests against police brutality and calls for equal treatment of Black people, igniting the Black Lives Matter protest movement.

What’s Going On In Kenosha, Wis.?

In the late afternoon on August 23, 2020, in Kenosha, Wisconsin, a town of about 100,000 halfway between Chicago and Milwaukee, while responding to a 911 call about a domestic incident in the area, a Black man named Jacob Blake was non-fatally shot seven times in the back. The incident reignited the Black Lives Matter protests and riots that had roiled America since the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

Defunding the Police?

On Sunday, nine out of 13 Minneapolis City Council members announced that they intended to defund and dismantle the police department. According to the council, they said that they were looking into shifting the funding for policing to community-based strategies, and would not try to “glue it back together” after dismantling the force.

The Latest on the George Floyd Case

The police officer responsible for the killing of George Floyd, Derek Chauvin, has now been charged with second-degree murder by the state’s Attorney General. The state’s Attorney General, Keith Ellison, said that “the evidence available to us now supports the stronger charge.” With this, the bail has increased the $1 million.

Why the Looting of Stores Must Stop

For the past week, violent protests have roiled countless cities in the U.S., throughout all 50 states and D.C., in protest of police brutality against African Americans, especially with regard to George Floyd’s case. Although many protests remained peaceful, especially those organized in smaller cities, some, like those in downtown Minneapolis, New York, Los Angeles, and more involved rioting, arson, and looting of stores.

Should Troops be Mobilized on US Soil to Quell Protests?

President Trump recently said that “if the city or state refuses to take the actions that are necessary to defend the life and property of their residence, then I will deploy the United States Military and quickly solve the problem for them,” implying that if governors did not act to his liking to quell the increasingly violent protests and riots that have broken out across America in response to Floyd’s killing, he would call on the military to police U.S. streets.

The Killing of George Floyd

In Minneapolis, on May 25, 2020, Memorial Day, at around 8:00 p.m. CDT, Minneapolis police responded to a forgery call on Chicago Avenue South, located south of downtown Minneapolis. George Floyd, an African-American man, was accused of allegedly using a forged $20 bill at a grocery store. According to the police, Floyd was in a car and seemed to be “under the influence,” and he “physically resisted” when ordered to exit the vehicle. After getting him into handcuffs, officers called for an ambulance as he “appeared to be suffering medical distress.” No weapons were used during the arrest by either party.