Published 13:34 IST, June 10th 2020
George Floyd's death: Hundreds pay tributes, family says 'He'll change the world'
In the funeral, the loved ones vowed to continue their fight against the discrimination and racial prejudice and honoured late George Floyd.
Mourners, family members, and the loved ones along with hundred others streamed into the memorial service of George Floyd, the African American whose death from a White officer’s chokehold sparked the ‘Black Lives Matter Movement’ worldwide against the racial injustice and Police brutality. As the family paid tribute to the “gentle soul” whose life was claimed “by evil racial prejudice”, in presence of activists and mourners, Floyd’s brother Rodney said that “Floyd would change the world” and that “everyone is going to remember him”.
In the funeral, of which, clips emerged online, the loved ones vowed to continue their fight against the discrimination and racial prejudice and honoured late Floyd with eulogies. Further, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner announced that he would sign an executive order that would be made it illegal for the police officers to exercise chokeholds, as per reports. As the crowd gathered at the church in Houston, Texas, after Floyd’s burial in a cemetery in suburban Pearland beside his mother, mourners at the Fountain of Praise church delivered messages and Eulogy that included Rev. Al Sharpton and a video message from Joe Biden.
In an address to the congregation, amid the musical tributes, Rev. Sharpton walked to the altar as he played Joe Biden’s Eulogy.“We can’t turn away. We must not turn away,” Joe Biden said in his address to the congregation. “We cannot leave this moment thinking we can once again turn away from the racism that stings at our very soul, from systemic abuse that still plagues American life.” Further, an eight minutes and 46 seconds silence was observed, the length of time the white police officer's chokehold on George’s neck.
George Floyd’s story has been the story of black folks, civil rights leader Al Sharpton said in a eulogy that streamed online. It’s time for us to stand up in George’s name and say, get your knee off our necks, he added.
Niece of George Floyd, Brooke Williams, was heard asked the crowd, when has America ever been great? as she paid tribute to her uncle at the funeral. As long as I’m breathing, justice will be served for Perry, she said. That officer showed no remorse while watching my uncle’s soul leave his body. He begged and pleaded many times just for you to get up, but you just pushed harder. Why must the system be corrupt and broken? she questioned.
“Justice will be served,” says Trump
While the funeral was broadcasted on leading news stations and live-streamed, President Donald Trump called Floyd’s death “very sad and tragic” and vowed, “justice will be served”. Radio stations across the US and other countries observed moments of silence, traders at the New York stock exchange paused exactly for eight minutes and 46 seconds, as per reports.
Outside the memorial church, thousands of marchers assembled wearing the t-shirt emblazoned with “I Can’t Breathe” and “Black Lives Matter”. George Floyd’s life mattered, and black lives matter, Ben Crump, the civil rights attorney representing Floyd’s family, was quoted saying. In a powerful moment, demonstrators in cities across the US shouted the names of all the victims in unison who had been killed by law enforcement officers to date.
Updated 13:34 IST, June 10th 2020