Published 11:43 IST, June 3rd 2020
'Justice for George Floyd' petition becomes most signed Change.org petition of all time
A petition seeking ‘justice for George Floyd’ has now reportedly become the biggest change.org US petition of all time as it has crossed over 12.9 million signs
A petition seeking ‘justice for George Floyd’ has now reportedly become the biggest change.org US petition of all time. The petition was set up in the wake of the death of an African-American man who died in police custody. White police personnel who was videoed pressing his knee down Floyd’s neck despite desperate calls for him to stop has since been charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter.
As the incident triggered a wave of protests across the globe, including Minneapolis, Minnesota, the petition seeking justice for Floyd also received support. The petition now has more than 12.9 million signatures at the time, however, when it had hit 5.8 million an update posted informed that it became the largest change.org US petition of all time.
The post written by the campaign coordinator, Kellen, said, “Over 5.8 million people have signed this petition, which means this is now the biggest Change.org US petition of all time. And it's working. One of the four men responsible for this horrific murder is in custody. Our message is loud and clear: we will not stop until there is justice for George”.
Kellen further added, “District Attorney Mike Freeman needs to hear from us now to make sure the other three involved officers are held accountable. Five million voices can't be silenced and I want to share all your stories with him”.
Trump calls the incident ‘grave tragedy’
Meanwhile, protest over the death of George Floyd continue in the United States. George Floyd died in police custody and his tragic death has angered millions across the world. Demonstrators reportedly said that the focus of the protests is the alleged institutional bigotry in American police forces. In viral footage, the police officer, who has now been arrested, could be seen kneeling over Floyd’s neck while he was struggling for breath while being handcuffed. All four police officers involved in 46-year-old’s arrest have been fired and the Federal Bureau of Investigation has launched a federal civil rights inquiry.
Moreover, US President Donald Trump reportedly not only called the entire incident as “grave tragedy” but said he understands the Americans are filled with “horror, anger and grief”. However, the US President ensured that even though he stands as an “ally” to justice, his administration will stand against the violence that has rocked the country for several days. He further also noted, “healing not hatred, justice not chaos”, to urge Americans to refrain from the “mayhem” and ensuring that he understands the ‘pain’ of peaceful protests.
(Image credit: AP)
Updated 11:43 IST, June 3rd 2020