George Floyd

George Floyd.

Black.

Unarmed.

Innocent.

Murdered.

This week our world lost another innocent man to police brutality. After having the police called on him, George Floyd's life came to a tragic end due to the ignorance and lack of professionalism from one of their officers. This officer was videoed with his knee pressed against George Floyd's neck for up to seven long minutes, all whilst this innocent man was crying out in pain, crying out for his mother, repeating the words "I can't breathe!" Yet this officer stayed silent with his head held high. Soon enough George Floyd's life faded away, and this officer walked away, still alive.

A message needs to be spread to the world because ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. There have been many shootings of innocent black people from officers, so many that half of them are forgotten. But this week the world was fortunate enough to witness the TRUTH behind racial police brutality. To watch this poor grown man die, suffering, and to see the face of his killer during this incident shows all too well that this officer did not care one single bit. He was barely fazed. What he did was MURDER. This officer knew full well what he was doing, and now just his face sickens the world.

It is time for CHANGE. I know life will never be racism free. I know that I, as a black woman, will have to learn to live with judgement, but that does not mean we can't fight for our rights! Martin Luther King Jr fought, Malcolm X fought. It is 2020 and we are still fighting! At what point will this end? At what point can a black man/woman be stopped by the police for reasons other than visual profiling?

George Floyd will go down in history as a symbol of change and hope. He had to suffer for the world to truly open their eyes and his suffering will be remembered. He is proof of the brutality that American citizens of colour have to deal with every day. Luckily, I live away from the United States so issues with police brutality towards blacks are on a completely different level to the issues faced in America, but we are one. Every black person came from the same place, we all share the same colour, we all deal with prejudice and racism.

Because of this murderer, people are more afraid than ever. Because of this murderer, people are more angry than ever. Riots have now broken out in Minneapolis just so we can be heard for once! Tear gas has been thrown in the faces of these protesters and flames have been spread. What should have been simple has turned into death and manic. Who would have thought 2020 could have gotten worse than it already is? First, we are trapped inside hiding away from a deadly disease, now the whole world is protesting for justice.

It is time to work together, no matter what race you are, what culture, and fight for the rights of innocent black people being racially targeted by the police force.

This stops now! The innocent should live, not die!

~Ella