Racism is still rife in 2020 in every country. The United States is notorious for its history of police brutality and hundreds of unarmed POC are murdered every year, especially African Americans.

On May 25th in Minneapolis, Minnesota, a shop worker called the police on George Floyd for a suspected fraudulent $20 bill. Floyd was unarmed and did not resist the arrest by the police officers yet he was still met with hostility and guns in his face. As they attempted to put him in the car Floyd fell to the ground, explaining to them that he was claustrophobic. After a second attempt was made, ex-officer Derek Chauvin arrived on the scene and he pulled Floyd out of the passenger seat where he fell to the ground again, handcuffed and face down. The four officers present (including Officers Thomas K. Lane, Tou Thao, and J. Alexander Kueng) then proceeded to hold Floyd down, with Chauvin using his knee to hold him by his neck with considerable force.

This happened for over eight minutes.

Floyd had told Chauvin about his inability to breathe and was in great distress, pleading to the officer to let him go. Six minutes into the incident Floyd became un-responsive and even after bystanders urged the officers to check his pulse (of which they could not find) Chauvin did not remove his knee until the ambulance arrived, where George Floyd was taken to the Hennepin County Medical Center.

He was pronounced dead an hour later.

George Floyd was murdered by Derek Chauvin. A man who has previously claimed the lives of people in both 2006 and 2010 and had ten complaints made against him throughout his career. Yet no prosecutions were made. Chauvin was charged with third-degree murder on May 29th; a charge that describes the killings made as ‘unlawful’ and without intention. There is significant proof which shows that this killing was not an accident. George Floyd begged Chauvin to move his knee, pleading to him that he couldn’t breathe. He knew what he was doing and he did not stop.

George Floyd and his family need justice. Derek Chauvin needs to be charged with first-degree murder and sentenced to a life in prison.

It is up to us to support the Black Lives Matter movement as much as we physically can. While we may be unable to protest as people are doing across America, we can use our voices to demand change. We can sign petitions, raise awareness and make donations.

We owe it to every single black individual who has been murdered at the hands of those in power. White individuals have extreme privilage over POC and we will never have to face police brutality based on the colour of our skin. Instead of sitting back comfortably in the protection our skin colour gives us, we must stand up and fight against the crimes being inflicted on those who are unable to.

Over the course of two days, June 9th and 10th, I will be completing a walk of 30 miles; one mile for every name on the list pictured below. I urge you to support me by donating as much as you can. All of the money raised will go to three places; the George Floyd Memorial Fund (in the hopes that his family are able to gain justice), The Black Curriculum (a uk-based organisation that strives towards providing black british history and education in schools) and Campaign Zero (an american organisation working towards ending police brutality and providing research-based policing solutions).

I also encourage you to do something similar. These disgusting crimes have gone on for far too long in every country and just because we aren’t involved directly does not mean we cannot fight against it.

Please give as much as you can.

Thank you,

Niamh Beattie.

Black Lives Matter.