George Floyd Death: Trudeau joins Black Lives Matter protest in Canada, kneels for 9 mins

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau joined the Black Lives Matter (BLM) rally on Friday, June 5, in a show of strength to victims and families participating in the protests across the country's border. 

Trudeau's act of solidarity comes after the tragic death of George Floyd, who was assaulted by a former Minneapolis cop Derek Chauvin who pinned Floyd to the ground and placed a knee on his neck for close to 9 minutes while he interrogated him, resulting in the tragic death of the victim under the cop's brutality.

Read: George Floyd Death: Wife of former Minneapolis Officer Derek Chauvin files for divorce

Canadian PM joins Black Lives Matter rally outside Parliament Hill

Trudeau joined the protest and took a knee during the BLM protests in Ottawa on Parliament Hill on Friday, along with demonstrators. The Canadian PM who was seen wearing a black cloth mask was asked to kneel by other protestors as a sign of support. Although Trudeau declined to comment or give an interview after the incident, earlier in the day, he had stated to a global news daily that the country was watching the events unfolding in the US. He held nothing back as he discussed his US Counterpart's use of teargas against protestors to clear the way for a photo opportunity as 'horror and consternation'.

Trudeau reportedly clapped and nodded along with some of the other speakers asserted that there was no middle ground when it came to racism. The crowd around him cheered him on and shouted at him to stand up to US President Donald Trump in the face of this barbaric act. Notably, although many celebrities across the world have been outspoken about their support for the movement, global leaders have maintained caution despite widespread protests.

Read: Minneapolis protests: People come out in support of George Floyd's death in police custody

Image credit: @CFosee Twitter

What is the George Floyd incident?

Floyd, 46, on Monday, May 25 was detained for questioning regarding a possible crime in progress. The incident which was caught on video showed a police officer identified as Derek Chauvin pinning Floyd down to the ground when things escalated and holding his knee to Floyd's neck for more than 8 minutes as he continued to interrogate him. 

The video which sparked outrage in the US, also shows Floyd pleading in his last moment with the officer to let him go, as he could not breathe. The accused police officer has now been charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter in the death of George Floyd. 

In the aftermath of the incident, citywide protests broke out in Minneapolis on May 26 evening, where George Floyd died. Protestors chanted and carried banners that read, “I can’t breathe” and “Jail killer KKKops.” The protesters eventually marched about 5 kms to a city police precinct, with some protestors reportedly damaging windows, squad cars and spraying graffiti on the building.

Tensions and violence continue to escalate in the area with relentless protests demanding justice for Georgy Floyd and his family. Meanwhile, John Harrington, Commissioner of Minnesota Department of Public Safety (MDPS), announced that Chauvin has been taken into custody by the criminal bureau and a trial for the case will begin soon.

Read: 'Game of Thrones' star Richard Madden & Froy Gutierrez join 'Black Lives Matter' protests

What is the Black Lives Matter movement?

Black Lives Matter is an international human rights movement that campaigns against systematic violence, discrimination faced by the African-American community in the US. Thought it was founded in North America sometime in 2013, it has grown into a dynamic organisation with branches all over the world, with a singular motive of fighting racism and oppression towards black people everywhere.

Read: Video of dog holding ‘black lives matter’ placard at US protest takes internet by storm