The Death of George Floyd: A Turning Point in American History
The eight minutes that Minneapolis police officer Dereck Chauvin pressed his knee against George Floyd's neck is becoming one of the defining moments in American history. Floyd is not the first African-American victim of police brutality, but his case has sparked protests that have gone beyond the borders of the country. To analyze the historical situation that this nation is experiencing, Fundación Alternativas has gathered journalists and political analysts in a virtual session this Tuesday.
"The eight minutes of agony George Floyd spent before his death have unleashed a great wave of solidarity. These are very harsh images to which the population has reacted with great anger," said Amanda Mars, delegate of the newspaper El País in Washington. Mars said that the use of cameras during police interventions, which has been implemented over the last six years, has made the problem of police brutality visible. "Reforms have been underway for some time to end this scourge, but it is likely that Floyd's case will mark a turning point," she said.
African Americans are still the ones who suffer most from police brutality. "The United States has been founded on the genocide of indigenous peoples and the enslavement of African Americans. Racism is still very much present and many things still need to be changed," said Nicole Pearson, an American activist, writer and professor.
Segregation of black people in cities is still a reality today. "Clearly there is no longer legislation that segregates on the basis of race, but in Washington, which has a large black population, they have been driven out of the center and are concentrated in the most dangerous neighborhoods. This trend can also be seen in schools," said Carlos
Franganillo, a former Washington correspondent for Spanish Television. "That is the root of the problem and it has been going on for decades," he explained. Franganillo also said that the free possession of weapons puts police forces under a lot of pressure. "They don't know who is armed and who isn't, and they respond to the slightest threat with a lot of violence," he said.
"There is a lot of weariness about this situation. The Democrats have introduced new reforms to better monitor police actions, but we have to keep fighting. These protests indicate that democracy in the United States is very powerful," stressed Alana Mocerini, professor of international relations at the European University of Madrid.
The strong protests and demonstrations have been guided by the Black Live Matters movement, founded in 2013.
"Thanks to their actions over the last few years, mentality has gradually changed. The case of George Floyd is perceived as intolerable by American society," explained African-American activist Nicole Pearson. "Black Lives Matters has created a greater culture and awareness in recent years. Americans are very aware that they must fight for their rights and go out into the streets," said journalist Amanda Mars. The Floyd case will be very much in evidence in the upcoming November elections. "I hope there will be a large turnout. I think the mobilisations are a symptom of the strength of American democracy," concluded Mocerini.
