FLOYD MOURNED AT MEMORIAL SERVICE
MINNEAPOLIS — Hollywood celebrities, musicians and political leaders gathered in front of the golden casket of George Floyd at a fiery memorial Thursday for the man whose death at the hands of police sparked global protests, with a civil rights leader declaring it is time for black people to demand, “Get your knee off our necks!”
The service — the first in a series of memorials set for three cities over six days — unfolded at a sanctuary at North Central University as a judge a few blocks away set bail at $750,000 each for the three fired Minneapolis police officers charged with aiding and abetting murder in Floyd’s death.
“George Floyd’s story has been the story of black folks. Because ever since 401 years ago, the reason we could never be who we wanted and dreamed to be is you kept your knee on our neck,” the Rev. Al Sharpton said in a fierce eulogy. “It’s time for us to stand up in George’s name and say, ‘Get your knee off our necks!’”
Floyd, a 46-year-old out-of-work bouncer, died May 25 after a white police officer, Derek Chauvin, put his knee on Floyd’s neck for several minutes. Chauvin has been charged with murder.
The service drew the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sen. Amy Klobuchar and other members of Congress, including Reps. Ilhan Omar, Sheila Jackson Lee and Ayanna Pressley. Among the celebrities were T.I., Ludacris, Tyrese Gibson, Kevin Hart, Tiffany Haddish and Marsai Martin.
“All these people came to see my brother,” Philonise Floyd told the crowd at the memorial in awe as he recounted their childhoods. “That’s amazing to me that he touched so many people’s hearts because he touched our hearts.”
After the Minneapolis event, his body will go to Raeford, North Carolina, near where he was born, for a public viewing and private family service. Next, a public viewing will be held Monday in Houston, where he was raised and lived most of his life. Then a 500-person service will take place Tuesday.
Lower bail sought
At the court hearing Thursday, defense attorneys argued for lower bail. Attorney Earl Gray, representing Thomas Lane, told the court that Chauvin was the senior officer on the scene and that when Floyd died it was only Lane’s fourth day on the job. It was also Officer J. Alexander Kueng’s fourth day as an officer.
Attorneys for Kueng and officer Tou Thao told reporters that they declined to comment on the case for now out of respect for Floyd’s family on the day of his first memorial service.