George Floyd’s Brother Calls For Peaceful Protests, Political Action

TOPLINE

George Floyd’s younger brother Terrence Floyd urged protesters in Minneapolis on Monday to protest peacefully and to vote in the wake of violent demonstrations that have gripped the city since his brother’s death.

KEY FACTS

Key Background

Protests have erupted in cities across the nation in response to the death of 46-year-old Floyd last Monday, who was seen on video saying “I can’t breathe” as officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for several minutes. Dozens of cities remain engulfed in protests, some of which have featured looting and rioting, even after Chauvin was arrested and charged with manslaughter and third degree murder.

Key Quote

“He was a gentle giant. He was about peace, unity,” Terrence Floyd said of his brother during a Good Morning America interview on Monday. “The things that are transpiring now, they may call it unity, but it’s destructive unity. That’s not what he was about. That’s not what my brother was about. Channel your anger to do something positive.”

News peg

Floyd’s comments are part of a broader effort by activists at protests in cities across the country to discourage violence and push for legislative change. In Brooklyn on Sunday, organizers were able to get NYPD officers to kneel in solidarity with protesters and de-escalate a later confrontation with limited violence.