Police Brutality: Floyd laid to rest in his hometown

George Floyd's funeral was held in his native Houston yesterday after mourners paid their respects to the African American whose death in custody ignited global protests against racism and calls for reforms of US law enforcement.

Reverend Al Sharpton delivered an emotional eulogy at the funeral before Floyd was laid to rest next to his mother Larcenia Floyd.

Thousands of well-wishers filed past Floyd's coffin in a public viewing a day earlier as a court set bail at $1 million for the white officer charged with his murder last month in Minneapolis.

Many made the sign of the cross as they approached the open casket to say a last goodbye, while others took a knee or bowed their heads in silent prayer for a man who has become emblematic of America's latest reckoning with racial injustice.

Derek Chauvin, the 44-year-old white officer who was filmed pressing his knee on the handcuffed Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes, made his first court appearance on Monday.

The 19-year veteran, who appeared by videolink from prison, faces up to 40 years if convicted on charges of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter.

Chauvin did not enter a plea and the Hennepin County District Court judge set his bail at $1 million with conditions, or $1.25 million without.

The conditions would require him to surrender his firearms, not work in law enforcement or security in any capacity, and have no contact with Floyd's family.

Three other policemen involved in Floyd's arrest appeared in court last week to face a charge of aiding and abetting his murder.

All four officers have been fired.

'BRINGING US TOGETHER'

In Houston, mourners waited patiently in stifling Texas heat, wearing face masks because of the coronavirus outbreak.

"It's bringing us together as a country," said Kevin Sherrod, 41, who was accompanied by his wife and two sons, aged eight and nine.

"Being here with my boys means a lot," Sherrod added. "It is a time in history and they will remember they were part of it."

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden flew to Houston on Monday for a private meeting with Floyd's family.

"He listened, heard their pain, and shared in their woe," said Benjamin Crump, the Floyd family attorney. "That compassion meant the world to this grieving family."

Floyd's death, the latest in a litany of similar deaths of black men at the hands of police, has unleashed protests for racial justice and against police brutality in the US and beyond.

Some US cities have already begun to embrace reforms -- starting with bans on the use of tear gas and rubber bullets.

'WE HEAR YOU'

Democrats unveiled a wide-ranging police reform bill, one of the chief demands of demonstrators who have taken to the streets for the past two weeks in the most sweeping US protests for racial justice since the 1968 assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.

The Justice in Policing Act, introduced in both chambers of Congress, would make it easier to prosecute officers for abuse, and rethink how they are recruited and trained.

"The protests we've seen in recent days are an expression of rage and one of despair," House Democrat Steny Hoyer said. "Today, Democrats in the House and Senate are saying: 'We see you, we hear you, we are acting.'"

It is unclear what support the proposed reforms might find in the Republican-controlled Senate -- or whether President Donald Trump would sign such legislation into law, reports AFP.

Trump has adopted a tough approach to putting down the protests and he voiced his support for the police at a roundtable on law enforcement at the White House on Monday.

"There's a reason for less crime. It's because we have great law enforcement," he said. "There won't be defunding, there won't be dismantling of our police."

Trump suggested yesterday that an elderly man seen bleeding from the head after he was pushed to the ground by US riot police was faking.

"I watched, he fell harder than was pushed. Was aiming scanner. Could be a set up?" Trump asked on his massively followed Twitter account.

AROUND THE WORLD

Floyd's death triggered protests across the globe, particularly in countries with a history of colonialism and involvement in the slave trade.

In Britain, a protest was held at Oxford University to demand the removal of a statue of Cecil Rhodes, a 19th century businessman in southern Africa long accused of imperialist exploitation.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson yesterday acknowledged anger at racial injustice. But he warned he would not tolerate violence, after clashes in central London near his Downing Street office left 35 police officers injured and public monuments vandalised.

Mayor Sadiq Khan ordered a review of London statues and street names which largely reflect Britain's empire in the reign of Queen Victoria, reports Reuters.

"It is an uncomfortable truth that our nation and city owes a large part of its wealth to its role in the slave trade and while this is reflected in our public realm, the contribution of many of our communities to life in our capital has been wilfully ignored," Khan said.

The British parliament held a minute's silence at 11:00 am to mark Floyd's death.

In France, the family of a black Frenchman who died in police custody called for a nationwide protest on Saturday and spurned a government offer of talks.