Three years ago the murder of George Floyd sent shockwaves throughout the US and the rest of the world.
The 46-year-old’s death sparked a chain of protests against police brutality in the US and across the globe. The Black Lives Matter movement, which originally launched in 2013, picked up momentum once again in the wake of the protests.
Floyd, 46, was filmed repeatedly saying “I can’t breathe” as Chauvin knelt on his neck for nine minutes on 25 May 2020. The unarmed man lost consciousness and was pronounced dead in hospital an hour later. George Floyd had been arrested for a non-violent crime prior to his death.
Former police officer Derek Chauvin is currently serving a prison sentence for violating George Floyd’s civil rights and for murder and manslaughter. He was found guilty of Mr Floyd’s murder during a Minneapolis trial in April 2021.
Tou Thao, 36, J Alexander Kueng, 28, and Thomas Lane, 38 who were present during his arrest were charged with “deliberate indifference to serious medical needs.”
They each face up to 25 years in prison for violating Mr Floyd’s civil rights.
All over the world people came out in their thousands in the summer of 2020 to protest Floyd’s murder.
In the UK many protests were organised by the Black Lives Matter (BLM) and Stand Up to Racism movements.
As well as providing solidarity to protests in the United States, many of the protests in the United Kingdom highlighted issues with racism faced from law enforcement in the United Kingdom and in daily life.
We’ve taken a look back at some of the protests held in London that summer.
1. Actor John Boyega speaks to the crowd during a Black Lives Matter protest in Hyde Park on June 3, 2020
The murder of George Floyd sparked a wave of protests worldwide. | Getty Images
2. A protester raises a clenched fist during a Black Lives Matter protest in Hyde Park on June 3, 2020
In the UK many protests were organised by the Black Lives Matter (BLM) and Stand Up to Racism movements. | Getty Images
3. Wilfried Zaha of Crystal Palace stands as players from Crystal Palace and Brentford take a knee in support of the Black Lives Matter movement
Taking the knee spread across the sporting world as a statement against racism during the summer of 2020 | Getty Images
4. Activists, some wearing face coverings or face masks as a precautionary measure against COVID-19, hold placards as they attend a Black Lives Matter protest in Hyde Park
The Black Lives Matter movement, which originally launched in 2013, picked up momentum once again in the wake of the protests. | AFP via Getty Images