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'Something changed here' | Family, community remember George Floyd in Minneapolis rally and march

George Floyd's family was joined at the memorial rally by attorney Ben Crump and prominent civil rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton.

MINNEAPOLIS — Nearly a year after George Floyd's murder, his family and a crowd of others remembered him with a rally and march in downtown Minneapolis. 

Tuesday will mark exactly one year since Floyd was killed. Ahead of the anniversary, family and activists planned weekend marches in three major U.S. cities: one in New York, another in Houston, and a third in Minneapolis.

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump said in a press release that the Floyd family will be led by George Floyd's sister, Bridgett Floyd. She is the founder of the George Floyd Memorial Foundation, which is planning several more anniversary events in Minneapolis.

"Tuesday will be a year (since George Floyd's murder)," said Bridgett, addressing a crowd outside of the Hennepin County Government Center. "It has been a long year. It has been a painful year. It has been very frustrating for me and my family. For your life to change in the blink of an eye, I still don't know why."

"Something changed here in Minneapolis May 25, 2020 that galvanized people all across America. But not only did it galvanize people all across America, it galvanized people all across the world, to say that we're better than this," said Crump. "We're better than this, America."

RELATED: 'God always gives me the strength': George Floyd's sister reflects on one year since his murder

Crump, who represented the Floyd family, was joined by prominent civil rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton. 

Rev. Sharpton spoke Sunday after Crump, calling Floyd's murder "one of the greatest disgraces in American history."

"What happened to George Floyd, what happened to all of these families that are gathered, is something that we must stop," Sharpton said. "That is why people all over the country, and all over the world, stood up and said, 'Enough is enough.'"

Sharpton went on to say that the conviction of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin wasn't enough, calling for federal legislation.

"George Floyd should not go down in history as just someone with a knee on his neck," Sharpton said. "George Floyd should go down in history (as someone) that broke the neck of police racism, police brutality and police illegality. That's how we're going to put George's name in history."

The schedule of events is available online and includes a virtual day of action Monday and a Celebration of Life Tuesday in downtown Minneapolis.

While former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty last month of murdering George Floyd, the case isn't over yet. Chauvin is still awaiting his June 25 sentencing, and the other three former officers charged in Floyd's death have not yet been to trial. Proceedings for their trial have been delayed until March 2022. 

In public events since Chauvin's guilty verdict was announced, Floyd family members have said that justice was served — but that their fight for police reform isn't over. 

RELATED: 'We are able to breathe again' | George Floyd's family reacts to Chauvin verdict, calls for police reform

 

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