Image Credit: By Chad Davis from United States – George Floyd, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=91953213

George Floyd was a 46-year-old Black man who was killed on 25 May 2020 in Minneapolis, USA, during an arrest by police officers. His death occurred after one officer, Derek Chauvin, knelt on his neck for over nine minutes while he was restrained and handcuffed on the ground. Floyd repeatedly said he could not breathe before losing consciousness.

The incident was recorded on video and quickly spread around the world, leading to widespread outrage and grief. It sparked global protests against police brutality and racial injustice, becoming a defining moment for the modern civil rights movement, including renewed momentum for Black Lives Matter.

In the aftermath, Chauvin was convicted of murder and manslaughter in 2021, while the other officers involved faced separate legal proceedings and scrutiny. Floyd’s death continues to be referenced in discussions about policing, systemic racism, and reform efforts in the United States and beyond.