“Please I Can't Breathe!” The Murder that has Sparked the Movement

Thurgood Marshall
Jun 2, 2020
3 min read

As the month June begins Thurgood Marshall Pre-Law Society would like to take the time to address this past week's events and how they have impacted not only the black community but society as a whole.

On May 25th Minneapolis police officers received a 911 call from a local deli employee accusing a black man of buying cigarettes with a counterfeit $20 bill. This black man, a 46 year old George Floyd was arrested by 4 Minneapolis police officers shortly after. 17 minutes after his arrest, George Floyd was unconscious while being pinned by the neck, showing no signs of life. Multiple videos from bystanders and security cameras show the events leading up to his death including Floyd cooperating with officers once arrested and Floyd calling out to officers stating that he could not breathe and pleading for his mother. All this while officer Derek Chauvin's left knee was directly on Floyds neck while 3 other officers remained. The video of the encounter also shows Floyd stating "My stomach hurts. My neck hurts. Everything hurts. I need some water or something, please. Please!"

Bystander video showing officer Chauvin on Floyds neck proceeded to go viral and the days following Floyd's death have sparked feelings of sadness and distress as well as outrage and frustration for black Americans around the United States. By Tuesday May 26th Minneapolis police chief, fired all four men involved in the arrest and by May 29th the the main officer Derek Chauvin was officially arrested with charges of 3rd degree murder while the remaining 3 officers await further investigation. The deaths of black men and women at the hands of the police are all too familiar in American History. Before Floyd was the death of Breonna Taylor. And before Ms. Taylor was Laquan McDonald, Eric Garner, Michael Brown, Sandra Bland, Tamir Rice, Walter Scott, Alton Sterling and Philando Castiles. The list of names goes on and on.

Slews of protest and marches started in Minneapolis but have now spread throughout the country in places like New York, Tennessee, California, Georgia, Chicago, Boston, etc, as participants demand justice for the senseless killing of black people at the hands of the police. Protests for basic human rights and equality for American citizens draw a strong resemblance to those protests and marches of the Civil Rights era. The United States has a long standing history of discrimination and inequality amongst minorities and it is easy to forget that history has a way of repeating itself. While the peaceful demonstrations around the the country have brought awareness to the continuous cycle of discrimination there has been sightings of violence and looting as well as agitation from state police departments. State police officers have been seen using excessive force to “quell” the disruption. Statewide curfews have been called into effect as well as the assistance of the National Guard. It is important at this time we first differentiate between the terms “Riot” and “Rebellion” as one paints a picture of anarchy and violence amongst citizens while the other represents the true meaning behind the movement which calls for unity and overall change.

The Black Lives Matter movement is an ever growing tree. The current situation we face is a leaf on this tree. Let us use this time now to not only protest, but educate others and further inform ourselves. The death of George Floyd and the resulting protests isn’t just about Police Brutality, but the fight to end racial injustice, systematic oppression and privilege in America.

#“Stop Killing Us.” #BlackLivesMatter

Participating and being a part of the ongoing movement comes in all forms. Here are several ways to contribute:

Donation Links:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/georgefloyd

https://secure.everyaction.com/zae4prEeKESHBy0MKXTIcQ2

Petitions and Call Centers:

Text FLOYD TO 55156

Text ENOUGH to 5516

Text JUSTICE to 55156

Bail-Out Funds:

ACTIONNETWORK.ORG

MASSBAILFUND.ORG