Civil Rights Groups on the Killing of George Floyd

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Shin Inouye, [email protected], 202.869.0398

MINNEAPOLIS – The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, Black Visions Collective, The Native American Community Development Institute, and UNIDOS MN issued the following joint statement on the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police:

“Nearly six years after Eric Garner cried out ‘I can’t breathe,’ another unarmed Black man uttered the same words as he was choked to death over several minutes by police officers in Minneapolis. George Floyd should be alive today — and there is no justification for this inhumane and lethal use of force.

“The officers involved in this killing have been rightfully terminated but they must still be criminally investigated. In addition, the Minneapolis Police Department must address the systemic racism and dysfunction that led to this unnecessary and horrific death. We welcome the news that the FBI is on the ground, but the Justice Department should conduct a civil rights investigation into this murder. Until every person is held accountable for the senseless violence their discriminatory acts produce, none of our communities are safe.”

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 220 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.