George Floyd latest: Memorials take place across the US

June 04, 2020

Family holds memorial service in Minneapolis
Merkel condemns racist ‘murder’ of George Floyd
Republican Senator questions whether to support Trump in the November election

All times in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC/GMT)

20:00 The three former police officers accused of aiding and abetting a murder in the death of George Floyd have had their bail placed at $1 million (€882,000) each, according to court records.

That figure could be reduced to $750,000 should they be willing to accept certain terms, such as not getting in touch with the Floyd family as well as another regarding firearms.

The police officer Derek Chauvin, who stands accused of second-degree murder, is set to appear in court next week.

19:22 An attorney for George Floyd vowed at a memorial service in downtown Minneapolis to get justice for the African-American.

Benjamin Crump, who is representing the Floyd family, said it was “not the coronavirus pandemic that killed George Floyd. It was that other pandemic,” Crump said. “The pandemic of racism and discrimination that killed George Floyd.” Crump promised “to get justice for George Floyd.”

Members of the deceased’s family were alongside the Reverend Jesse Jackson, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey along with several hundred others in attendance.

19:15 Authorities in Washington, Los Angeles County and elsewhere have lifted curfew orders as protests over the killing of George Floyd began to dissipate.

A wave of curfews were implement across the US last weekend as tensions mounted and protests gathered pace.

The unrest, including incidents of looting, arson and violent police crackdowns, largely reverted to those of a more peaceful nature recently.

In Washington, which has seen a stand-off between protesters and authorities outside the White House, Attorney General Bill Barr will seek a “low-profile footprint” and take down some barriers around the presidential building.

New York City also saw a somewhat more relaxed atmosphere, although it will maintain its curfew throughout Thursday.

Curfews have also lifted in the cities of San Francisco and Salt Lake City.

18:50 Mourners filed into a sanctuary in Minneapolis for the first in a series of a memorial services to take place across the United States to remember the life of George Floyd.

The afternoon service was set for North Central University and the civil rights leader, the Reverand Al Sharpton, was among those due to eulogize about the 46-year-old.

“He was a human being. He had family, he had dreams, he had hopes. The real duty of one with this type of assignment is to underscore the value of the human life that was taken, which gives the reason the movement was occurring,” Sharpton said prior to the service.

The memorial included an image which was projected above the pulpit of a mural of Floyd painted at the street corner where he was pinned to the pavement by a police officer. The message enshrined on the mural simply says: “I can breathe now.”

18:25 Protesters rallying against police brutality in the US have a “civic duty” to get tested for coronavirus, New York state Governor Andrew Cuomo said during his daily press briefing.

“I’m not a nervous Nellie, I’m just looking at the numbers,” he said, warning that some 30,000 came out to protest across the state.

“Many wear masks. But there is no social distancing,” he added. “Police are in their face.”

At the same time, Cuomo said his concerns would not affect the gradual reopening of the state’s economy, with construction and manufacturing to restart on Monday.

Earlier this week, Chicago health officials urged protesters in the US’ second most populous city to go into self-quarantine for 14 days, if possible.

On Thursday, Cuomo said he shared the outrage over the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis and that New York will observe a moment of silence over the tragedy.

18:15 A large statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee will be removed at the earliest available opportunity from Richmond’s Monument Avenue, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam has confirmed, promising the state will no longer “preach a false version of history.”

The bronze equestrian statue will be moved to storage while Northam and his colleagues work “with the community to determine its future,” the governor said at a press conference where the news received a huge round of applause.

“You see, in Virginia, we no longer preach a false version of history. One that pretends the Civil War was about `state rights’ and not the evils of slavery. No one believes that any longer,” Northam added.

18:00 The Russian Foreign Ministry urged the US authorities to respect citizens’ right to protest peacefully.

Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the Kremlin has taken note of the use of tear gas to disperse George Floyd protesters, as well as mass arrests. She also pointed to the suffering numerous journalists had encountered when trying to cover the rallies, including Russian reporters.

Zakharova said: “It’s time for the US to drop the mentor’s tone and look in the mirror,” in a reference to Washington’s assertion that Moscow doesn’t respect the rights of its citizens. She also challenged the US authorities to “start respecting peoples’ rights and observing democratic standards at home.”

17:50 US Senator Lisa Murkowski admitted she is unsure whether to back President Donald Trump’s reelection bid, questioning his response to nationwide protests over George Floyd’s death.

Asked if she supported Trump ahead of the polls in November, Murkowski said, “I am struggling with it. I have struggled with it for a long time.”

“He is our duly elected president. I will continue to work with him … but I think right now… we are all struggling to find ways to express the words that need to be expressed appropriately,” Murkowski told reporters on Capitol Hill.

17:30 German Chancellor Angela Merkel has condemned the “murder” of George Floyd.

Merkel said: “Racism is something terrible. This murder of George Floyd is extremely terrible. Racism is something terrible. Society in the United States is very polarised,” she told public broadcaster ZDF.

Read more: Prosecutors charge 3 more police officers

17:20 Mourners have converged in Minneapolis for the first memorial to George Floyd, whose death at the hands of police has sparked turbulent protests, both in the United States and elsewhere, against racial injustice.

He was killed when a police officer pressed his knee against Floyd’s neck for almost nine minutes. Floyd pleaded for mercy as he was struggling for breath, but to no avail.

An autopsy has since revealed Floyd suffered a cardiac arrest in what was officially deemed a homicide.

US Senator Amy Klobuchar (2nd R) speaks with Reverend Jesse Jackson (C) and Jonathan Jackson