Pictured are fired Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin and Chauvin'S Black murder victim George Floyd, Chauvin now on trial for murder as activists in Cleveland will protest for justice for Floyd on Tuesday, April 6 at 5:30 pm on Market Square at the corner of West 25th Street and Lorain Avenue in ClevelandClevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com, the most read Black digital newspaper in Ohio and in the Midwest. Tel: (216) 659-0473.
Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com, the most read Black digital newspaper in Ohio and in the Midwest. Tel: (216) 659-0473.
Clevelandurbannews.com Led by the Oppressed People's Nation, Black on Black Crime Inc., and Refusefacism.org, greater Cleveland activists will protest for justice for Minneapolis police murder victim George Floyd at 5:30 pm on Tuesday, April 6, 2021 on Market Square across from the Westside Market at the coroner of West 25th Street and Lorain Avenue in Cleveland. (Editor's note: Activists will also rally against four bills pending in the Ohio state legislature that would penalize activists for protesting).
Speakers include East Cleveland Councilman Ernest Smith of the Oppressed People's Nation, Cuyahoga County Democratic Party Chair and Congressional Candidate Shontel Brown, organizers Art McKoy and Alfred Porter Jr. of Black on Black Crime and the Black Man's Army, Delores Gray of the Brickhouse Wellness Center, Joe Jones of Father's Lives Matter and Bill Swain and Carol Steiner of Refusefacism.org
Cleveland will rally for George Floyd and all like him who have been killed by police officers, including Sandra Bland, Tanisha Anderson, Tamir Rice, Eric Garner, Michael Brown, rapper Kenneth Ball, Michael Pipkens, Desmond Franklin, Malissa Williams, Timothy Russell, and more.
Face masks are required for what organizers said will be a peaceful event.
The George Floyd aspect of protest will be led by Councilman Smith and comes as the murder trial of fired Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin continues and Chauvin stands trial for the senseless murder of the unarmed Black man.
Councilman Smith said he looks forward to leading the rally and that "the senseless killing of unarmed George Floyd has shaken our nation to the core. Long live George Floyd."
Activists invited Smith to lead the protest because he is a long time activist turned Black elected official who has been in the trenches with them on excessive force issues, Civil and women's rights, and other matters impacting the Black community.
"Cleveland will be heard as the murder trial of the police officer who took the life of George Floyd continues" said Black on Black Crime President Alfred Porter Jr, also an organizer of the event.
Chauvin erroneously killed Floyd, a 46-year-old father of two, on May 25 following Floyd's arrest on a forgery charge, and over a $20 bill.
The city has settled a wrongful death lawsuit with Floyd's family for $27 million, the largest of its kind in U.S. history.
The arresting officer, Chauvin, who is White, held his knee on Floyd's neck for nine minutes before a crowd of bystanders as Floyd pleaded for his life and cried out that he could not breathe.
The disturbing video of the incident, taken by a bystander, has shocked the conscience.
Chauvin and the other three involved officers who were on the scene but did nothing to help Floyd, nearly all of them White, were immediately fired.
Chauvin faces charges of second degree intentional murder, third degree murder, and second degree manslaughter and is out of jail on a $1 million dollars bond, the other three former officers, some also out on bond are faces felony charges of aiding and abetting and second degree murder.
He and all of the police officers at issue have pleaded not guilty.
Protests in Minneapolis ensued behind the tragic shooting death of Floyd, and spread to over 2,000 cities and towns in all 50 states, and riots subsequently broke out in Minneapolis and in cities nationwide, including in Cleveland, Ohio.
