First Thing: rallies in Minneapolis mark anniversary of George Floyd murder
Vivian Ho
Good morning,
Rallies have been taking place in Minneapolis to mark the anniversary of George Floyd’s murder. The world watched in horror one year ago on Tuesday as former police officer Derek Chauvin placed his knee on Floyd’s neck during an arrest and ignored his cries for help. After a summer of demonstrations nationwide, Chauvin went on to be one of the few police officers in the US to be prosecuted and convicted for killing a person while on duty.
Demonstrations and marches are expected across the country throughout the week. The anniversary comes as the US Senate considers the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, the most ambitious police reform effort in decades. The legislation, which passed in the House in March, would ban chokeholds and “qualified immunity” for law enforcement, which protects police officers from being personally sued by victims and their families for alleged civil rights violations.