George Floyd Memorial Service Was a Call For Reform
Minneapolis, MN (KROC-AM News) - The family of George Floyd was joined by Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and other local and state officials, along with a number of entertainment celebrities for the first of a series of memorial services for George Floyd this afternoon in Minneapolis.
While the mourners gathered inside a sanctuary on the campus of North Central University, a crowd of people gathered outside to listen to an audio feed from the service for the 46-year-old man who died in police custody with an officer’s knee pressed against this neck last Monday. Family members shared memories of their loved one before the Reverend Al Sharpton delivered a eulogy that also served as a rallying cry for change.
During his address, Sharpton referenced the civil rights struggles of the past while calling this the “era to deal with policing and justice reform.” He told the mourners he's more hopeful than ever, saying it's a different time and a different season, and that it is time for America to build accountability in the criminal justice system.
Sharpton closed out the service by calling on everyone, both at the service and elsewhere, to stand in silence for 8 minutes and 46 minutes. According to investigators, that is the amount of time George Floyd was pinned to the ground with the officer’s knee pushing on his neck before he died.
Additional services in memory of Floyd are scheduled in North Carolina and his hometown of Houston, Texas.