Published 10:15 IST, June 9th 2020
US Marine veteran protests with 'I can't breathe' taped on mouth as his shoes melt in heat
A US Marine veteran stood outside the Utah State Capitol in full uniform for 3 hours, in the heat, with black tape over his mouth which read - "I can't breathe"
- World News
- 3 min read
In a remarkable silent protest against the tragic death of George Floyd, a US Marine veteran stood outside of the Utah State Capitol on Friday in full uniform for three hours under the sun, with black tape over his mouth which read "I can't breathe."
Those were the last words of George Floyd while a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for more than eight minutes, leading to Floyd's death. A widely-circulated video of the incident has sparked nationwide protests against racial injustice and police brutality.
On Thursday, thousands of protesters demonstrated outside the Utah State Capitol. On the following day, the Marine veteran protested alone in the same spot.
Speaking to a local news channel, Todd Winn explained why he chose to demonstrate in support of the ‘Black lives matter’ movement in this way. Winn said he taped his mouth to silence his "privileged" voice as a veteran. Through his demonstration, Winn hopes to magnify the voices of numerous others protesting against police brutality.
Winn’s shoes melted as he knelt in the heat
The veteran stood in the sweltering heat, holding a sign, demanding justice for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tamir Rice, and several others. As the temperature crossed 90 degrees in Salt Lake City, images show that Winn's shoes begin to melt in the heat while he knelt in protest against racial injustice.
Winn faced criticism from some fellow veterans and strangers on the internet for expressing solidarity with protestors. Winn told the local media that he supports all Americans' right to speak their mind and to disagree with his message or methods. He agreed that military personnel should not demonstrate or support any political issues but added that he perceives this human issue, not a political one. Winn emphasised that his decision was morally and ethically correct. Stating that he has no ill will towards the police, Winn suggested improvements in handling escalation of force, tactics training, and procedure.
Protests over George Floyd’s death
George Floyd, a 46-year-old African American man was arrested by the local police for unspecified charges on May 26. A tussle broke out between George Floyd and the police officials, which resulted in Floyd’s death after being subdued for several minutes by an officer. In a video that went viral on the internet, the officer was seen pressing his knee against Floyd's neck who was seen gasping for air before turning motionless.
George Floyd's death has triggered mass unrest in various parts of the US. As per reports, police officer Derek Chauvin and three other officers - Thomas Lane, Tou Thao, and J Alexander Kueng - were later fired by the Minneapolis Police Department. Chauvin has been charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
Updated 10:15 IST, June 9th 2020