Monday, May 25th 2020 - As the United States began to re-emerge from its lockdown in the midst of the covid-19 pandemic, the world bore witness to the brutal killing of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer. The video footage of Floyd, which has been rightly described as a 'modern day lynching', sparked outrage and incited protests throughout the country. Strict curfews were imposed in most cities, however, hardly deterring protesters and despite being attacked with tear gas, tasers, and in some cases getting shot by police. From the White House, threats of military action from Donald Trump sparked stronger resistance as protesters continued unflinchingly. They demanded justice and freedom from the oppression of systemic racism and violence towards people of color. All across the world, crowds of people mobilized for the cause, and in Auckland City, NZ, despite the government's restrictions over crowds and physical distancing, we were there too.
We did this in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, and in loving memory of George Floyd. Rest in Peace.
