George Floyd protests
The George Floyd protests were a series of protests against the American police state that began in Minneapolis, Minnesota on May 26, 2020. The civil unrest and protests began as reactions to the release of video documenting the brutal murder of African American George Floyd by Minneapolis police. Derek Chauvin, a Minneapolis Police Department officer, knelt on Floyd's neck for 9 minutes and 29 seconds, suffocating him as three other officers looked on and prevented passers-by from intervening. A video of the incident triggered protests broke across the country and globally. Both Democratic and Republican jurisdictions introduced draconian anti-protest laws including curfews.[1] Police reacted brutally to the protests in violation of international human rights.[2] President Donald Trump's reaction was poorly received and arguably fueled further protests and anger; Trump falsely claimed that Antifa was a "terrorist organization" encouraging violence, even though the most violent incidents, including shootings, tear gas, and the improper use of rubber bullets, were perpetrated by police and right-wingers against protestors. Due to public outrage, Chauvin and the other three officers involved were later arrested, and Chauvin was found guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter. Chauvin was only sentenced to 22 1⁄2 years imprisonment.