Members of George Floyd's family, and others who lost loved ones in police encounters, joined activists and citizens in Minneapolis on Sunday for a march ahead of the first anniversary of his death on May 25.
Hundreds of people gathered for the rally in front of the courthouse in downtown Minneapolis where Derek Chauvin's trial concluded a month ago, many carrying signs with pictures of Floyd, Philando Castile and other black men killed by police.
Amid chants of 'no justice, no peace!' and 'Say his name,' Gov. Tim Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter watched alongside a dozen of Floyd's family members as speakers called for justice for families of black men slain by police.
'It has been a long year. It has been a painful year,' Floyd's sister Bridgett told the crowd at the 'One Year, What's Changed?' rally Sunday.
'It has been very frustrating for me and my family for our lives to change in the blink of an eye - I still don't know why.'
Tuesday will mark one year since Floyd, who was black, died after former Minneapolis police officer Chauvin held his knee on Floyd's neck as Floyd pleaded for air.
Chauvin, who is white, was convicted of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter on April 20.
Floyd's death sparked worldwide protests and calls for change in policing in the U.S.
George Floyd's sister, Bridgett Floyd speaks onstage next to Floyd family attorney Ben Crump during the 'One Year, What's Changed?' rally hosted by the George Floyd Global Memorial to commemorate the first anniversary of his death, outside the Hennepin County Government Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Floyd family attorney Ben Crump speaks on stage between George Floyd's sister, Bridgett Floyd and Reverend Al Sharpton during the rally hosted by the George Floyd Global Memorial
Peaceful demonstrators wearing Black Lives Matters T-shirts listen to speakers at the rally in Minneapolis. Floyd died on May 25, setting off a wave of protests around the world
Reverend Al Sharpton speaks onstage as George Floyd's sister, Bridgett Floyd and Floyd family attorney Ben Crump stand in the background. Sharpton called on the U.S. Senate to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act
The crowd carried signs bearing the names of other black men who have been killed by police including Philando Castile
The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act would ban the use of chokeholds and establish a national database of police misconduct
Protestors also bore signs with the name of Daunte Wright, the black man who was killed in Minneapolis by a police officer as the Derek Chauvin murder trial was happening nearby
Rev. Al Sharpton greets Bridgette Floyd, sister of George Floyd, as people attend a rally outside the Hennepin County Government Center on Sunday in Minneapolis
Attorney Ben Crump, left with back turned, greets Minnesota Governor Tim Walz at the rally Sunday
The nonprofit that organized the rally was launched by Floyd's siblings in September 2020 to help combat racial inequities in black and brown communities
The 'One Year, What's Changed?' rally brought out thousands in Minneapolis on Sunday
Speakers at the event included several local activists, Floyd family attorney Ben Crump, the Rev. Al Sharpton, who called on the U.S. Senate to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.
The legislation, which would bring about the most significant changes to policing on the federal level, would ban the use of chokeholds and establish a national database of police misconduct.
'We want something coming out of Washington. We want something that will change federal law,' Sharpton said.
'There's been an adjournment on justice for too long. It's time for them to vote and make this the law.'
The George Floyd Memorial Foundation, a nonprofit based in Fayetteville, North Carolina, where Floyd was born, is hosting a series of events in Minneapolis this weekend and early next week to honor Floyd on the anniversary.
Those events include the rally and a march downtown on Sunday that will be led by Floyd's family and other families of victims of police violence.
The nonprofit was launched by Floyd's siblings in September 2020 to help combat racial inequities in black and brown communities in their brother´s honor.
Other events in Minneapolis ahead of the anniversary include a virtual 'day of action' that encourages people to organize remotely and two panels with the families and other activists on Monday, followed by a community festival and candlelight vigil on Tuesday.
Artist Dennis Owes, 31, left, from Ghana puts the last touch to his portrait of George Floyd during a rally on Sunday, May 23, 2021, in Brooklyn borough of New York
Terrence Floyd, brother of George Floyd, speaks during a rally on Sunday in Brooklyn
'If you keep my brother's name ringing, you´re going to keep everybody else's name ringing,' Terrence Floyd told the crowd
The crowd was sparse but passionate at the Brooklyn gathering to commemorate the death of George Floyd
People wearing clothes with the names of slain black men attended the rally in Brooklyn Sunday
Floyd encouraged those who attended the rally to continue to let the names of slain men 'ring out'
In New York on Sunday, Floyd's brother, Terrence, attended a Brooklyn gathering in his brother´s memory organized by Sharpton and told supporters not to forget his brother or victims of racist violence.
'If you keep my brother's name ringing, you´re going to keep everybody else's name ringing,' Terrence Floyd said.
'Breonna Taylor, Sean Bell, Ahmaud Arbery, you could go through the whole list. There´s a lot of them.'
Executive director Jacari Harris said the group has received donations from the Minneapolis Foundation, Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation and athletic shoe and apparel retailer Finish Line, among others.
Despite large grants from corporations and other organizations, Harris said the average donation to the nonprofit was $47.
Harris said the group has also funded an initiative in Fayetteville to help reduce homelessness, a scholarship program for law school students and an internship program at Texas A&M University, where Floyd went to school.
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