The working class of America faces a triple crisis at this moment. The first is the police murderous violence that continues against the African-American people. The second is the on-going uncontained epidemic of the COVID-19 in the USA, which affects hardest the same vulnerable members. Finally is the on-going economic crisis where the economy of the USA has faltered at least since the 2008 financial crisis. It is difficult to disentangle each strand. This article focuses upon the most immediate crisis: that of the intense and life-threatening crisis for African-Americans in the United States today. The long aftermath of slavery is a legacy still not fully acknowledged by the predominantly white ruling class of the USA.
What happened?
On May 25, 2020 Mr. George Floyd – an African American man – became the latest victim of racist murder by racists in police uniform.[1] This time the deed was done in Minneapolis, where four police officers arrested Mr. Floyd. Three of them calmly watched as their fellow-officer, Derek Chauvin murdered Floyd:
“George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, after a deli employee called 911, accusing him of buying cigarettes with a counterfeit $20 bill. Seventeen minutes after the first squad car arrived at the scene, Mr. Floyd was unconscious and pinned beneath three police officers, showing no signs of life… Derek Chauvin, the officer who can be seen most clearly in witness videos pinning Mr. Floyd to the ground. Mr. Chauvin, who is white, kept his knee on Mr. Floyd’s neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds… Our video shows that Mr. Chauvin did not remove his knee even after Mr. Floyd lost consciousness, and for a full minute after paramedics arrived at the scene. The three other former officers, Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao — all of whom can be seen.. participating in Mr. Floyd’s arrest.”[1]
On a later bystander’s video, which went viral, numerous citizens are heard begging Chauvin to let Mr. Floyd go. Even more heart-rending, early on in the long 8 minutes 46 seconds – Mr. Floyd himself is heard desperately saying “I can’t breathe”. For about 2 minutes before Chauvin lifted his knee from Floyd’s neck, he had been motionless. Mr, Floyd’s death was followed at bewildering speed by an intense chain reaction. Yet Chauvin was well known to the police department and the City as a violent man:
“Excessive force complaints against Minneapolis officers have become commonplace, especially by African-American residents. One of the officers involved in Mr. Floyd’s death, a 19-year veteran of the department identified as Derek Chauvin, 44, had several complaints filed against him, three of which led to reprimands for his language and tone. Mr. Chauvin shot a man who was trying to grab an officer’s gun in 2008, according to The Pioneer Press. He was also present at two other shootings, one of them fatal, but it was unclear if he fired his weapon in those cases, according to Communities United Against Police Brutality, a local organization advocating police reform.”[2]
The initial city response to Floyd’s was obfuscatory, to say the least. All four officers were fired, but not arrested:
“In a statement following the Monday night incident, the Minneapolis Police Department said they were responding to “a report of a forgery in progress” and claimed Floyd’s death was caused by an unspecified “medical incident.” Shortly after video of the incident emerged and spread rapidly across social media, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey announced the firing of four officers who were on the scene.”[3]
Democratic party notables including Senior Senator Amy Klobuchar for Minnesota mildly called merely for an “investigation”. Only after considerable public agitation, and the Floyd family insistence on arrests, – was Chauvin finally arrested. Even then he was charged with 3rd-degree murder and not 1st-degree murder. At the time of writing (June 3rd), the other three co-murderers were finally to be charged – again finally the Minnesota state bowing to mass pressure.
Download the entire article as a PDF.
[1] Matt Furber, John Eligon and Audra D. S. Burch, ‘Minneapolis Police, Long Accused of Racism, Face Wrath of Wounded City’, NY Times, May 28, 2020
[2] Jake Johnson, ‘A Disgusting Display’: Police Fire Rubber Bullets, Stun Grenades, and Tear Gas at Demonstrators Protesting Killing of George Floyd,’ Common Dreams, May 27, 2020, https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/05/27/disgusting-display-police-fire-rubber-bullets-stun-grenades-and-tear-gas
[3] Jake Johnson, ‘A Disgusting Display’: Police Fire Rubber Bullets, Stun Grenades, and Tear Gas at Demonstrators Protesting Killing of George Floyd,’ Common Dreams, May 27, 2020, https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/05/27/disgusting-display-police-fire-rubber-bullets-stun-grenades-and-tear-gas