HIS named painted on a sea wall, calls for justice outside the US consulate – Scotland remembered George Floyd today as protests over his death in the US continue.
Floyd died after being physically restrained by a white police officer. Derek Chauvin placed his knee on Floyd's neck as he lay handcuffed on the ground for almost nine minutes.
He has been charged with third degree murder and manslaughter and is due in court next week.
Floyd, a 46-year-old father-of-two, was arrested over claims he had used a counterfeit note to pay for cigarettes.
Protests and riots have ensued across the US ever since as black Americans call for urgent change to the institutionalised racism they say continues to affect, and even end, their lives. While the Black Lives Matter movement seeks justice for Floyd, it also does so for the many others brutalised and killed in shootings and assaults.
Placards and posters have been placed at the US consulate in Edinburgh, while Floyd's name was rendered in graffiti along the sea wall near Portobello.
Meanwhile, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon shared wisdom from author Toni Morrison, tweeting: "'If you can only be tall because somebody is on their knees, then you have a serious problem' – the words of the late, great Toni Morrison. Racism is an evil that none of our societies can claim to be immune from. But we must stand against & eradicate it. #BlackLivesMatter."
She also shared a post from Glasgow University condemning the "brutal killing" of Floyd in Minneapolis.
"If you can only be tall because somebody is on their knees, then you have a serious problem” - the words of the late, great Toni Morrison. Racism is an evil that none of our societies can claim to be immune from. But we must stand against & eradicate it. #BlackLivesMatter
— Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) June 1, 2020
Speaking at her daily coronavirus briefing, Sturgeon – whose Glasgow Southside constituency is amongst the most ethnically diverse in Scotland – said "no country, no society, is immune from racism and we all have issues to look in the mirror about and confront".
Describing racism as "an evil that has no place in our society", the FM stated: "I know people the length and breadth of the country and I include myself in this number, feel extremely strongly about these issues."
And, expressing solidarity with those seeking to demonstrate, she cautioned: “Right now, it is the case, unfortunately and regrettably, that large gatherings of people could pose a risk to health and indeed to life. Unfortunately, that’s the case whether it is a peaceful protest or a football match or any other gathering where people are coming together in close proximity.
“What I would say to those who want to protest, and I say this as an ally and supporter, is we need to find ways of allowing people to make their voices heard and to make the points that many of us want to be made and to be heard right now, but to do so in a way that's safe and is not putting people protesting or wider communities at risk.”
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