#GeorgeFloydProtests: Cops Stand in Solidarity With Protesters
As protests intensify in US over George Floyd’s death, many cops have knelt and walked in solidarity with protesters
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Video Editor: Mohd Ibrahim
As protests intensify across the United States over the death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man who choked under the knee of a white Minneapolis police officer, several cops have knelt and walked in solidarity with demonstrators, condemning Floyd’s death.
In several parts of the country, protests turned violent – stores were looted and vandalised and vehicles set on fire. In several videos that have gone viral, officers can also be seen baton-charging and pushing protesters, pulling down protesters’ masks and pepper-spraying them, even firing teargas shells and rubber bullets at the protesters.
However, in several places like Washington DC, New York, Las Vegas, Santa Cruz, Benicia, Trenton, and Flint, videos of cops taking a knee and joining peaceful protests went viral.
In South Texas, policemen were seen handing out pizza boxes to peaceful demonstrators. Outside a North Dakota police station, photos of a white officer helping some protesters hold up a placard saying, ‘One Race - The Human Race’, went viral.
In Flint, Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson put his helmet and baton down to join protesters. He told peaceful protesters that he wanted to make it a ‘parade not a protest’. ‘You tell us what you need to do’, he shouted. When the crowd cheered, ‘walk with us’, he did.
Some policemen in New Jersey were praised by netizens for marching along with protesters condemning George Floyd’s death. Camden County police chief, Joe Wysocki, also joined a march in Camden. Police Chief Andy Mills and Mayor Justin Cummings were also caught on camera kneeling in downtown Santa Cruz.
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