FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
April 20, 2021
CONTACT:
Fernanda Durand | (214) 402-0186 | fernanda@communicationsshop.us
Nancy Treviño | (786) 201-8958 | media@presente.org
The Jury Has Spoken: George Floyd Was Murdered
Guilty verdict in Derek Chauvin Trial Must Mark the Beginning of a Path Towards the End of Police Brutality, Impunity and True Justice for People of Color
Presente.org and Alianza Americas released the following statement today regarding the guilty verdict reached in the trial of former Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin. Chauvin was charged with second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in Floyd’s death last year on May 25. When George Floyd was killed, communities from across our nation and beyond stood up to denounce state violence.
Oscar Chacón, executive director of Alianza Americas, issued the following statement on this decision:
“This verdict must signal the urgency to end police brutality and impunity against Black people across our nation. For too long, Black, people of Latin American origin and other ethnic and racial minorities have faced unjust persecution by law enforcement. Today’s verdict must mark the beginning of nation-wide changes in the way murders at the hands of police are treated. The world is watching, and the protests seen last summer were just the beginning of communities across the country saying enough is enough to the ways Black voices are ignored while their lives are in danger. It took two days for a jury to decide that George Floyd’s life mattered, but even this verdict will not bring him back. We send our condolences to the family and hope the result of this trial is a step towards justice. George Floyd’s life mattered, as do the lives of many other innocent people killed by police, which is an institution rooted in white supremacy. We will continue to fight to ensure an equal, safe country for all.”
Matt Nelson of Presente.org added:
“The people said it’s murder. We’re hopeful that today’s verdict represents a new standard of accountability for police officers who kill Black people. As we’ve stated before, state violence is a public health crisis and we cannot build a long-term movement to undo our inherently racist, violent, and unjust policing and jailing/prison system until we protect the most impacted. We will keep fighting to ensure that as long as police forces continue to be a part of our future, they are subject to greater community control, including control over their budgets, funding, policies, and most of all, their practices. We thank the organizers, activists, and those to have been out in the streets demanding justice since George Floyd was killed.”
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Presente.org is the nation’s largest online Latinx organizing group — and the nation’s premier Latinx digital organizing hub — advancing social justice with technology, media, and culture. Build Power. Change Culture. ¡Stay Presente!
Alianza Americas is a network of migrant-led organizations working in the United States and transnationally to create an inclusive, equitable and sustainable way of life for communities across North, Central and South America.