People are gathering in Minneapolis today for a family memorial service for George Floyd, who died in Minneapolis police custody last week.
The event is private for the family, friends and people invited by the Floyd family. It will start at 11:00 AM. and be livestreamed for the public to watch.
Civil rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton will be delivering the eulogy for Floyd, 46. He died May 25, after a Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee into the neck of Floyd, who was handcuffed, for nearly nine minutes.
On Thursday morning, as the body of Floyd arrived before his memorial service, police officers including Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo took a knee outside North Central University’s Trask Word and Worship Center.
Inside the sanctuary, a golden casket was flanked by white and purple flowers, and an image was projected above the pulpit of a mural painted at the street corner where Floyd was pinned to the ground by police. The sanctuary normally seats 1,000, but because of the coronavirus outbreak, the capacity was reduced to about 500.
Anthony Thornton, who lives about five blocks away, watched from a nearby lawn chair. He arrived at 7 a.m.
“It’s a historical thing,” Thornton said.
Anthony Thornton, who lives about 5 blocks away, set up a chair near the site of the Minneapolis memorial service for George Floyd. He’s been here since 7 a.m.
“It’s a historical thing,” Thornton said. pic.twitter.com/KsM7SUhA8u
— Mara Gottfried (@MaraGottfried) June 4, 2020
Thornton plans to take photos and videos for his family around the country. He said he’s contemplating who he’d want to give the eulogy at his own funeral.
“Hate, whether you’re black, white, green or brown, is no good in America,” he said. “The whole of America has seen enough of this.”
Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter in Floyd’s death. Three others are charged with aiding and abetting murder and manslaughter; they’ve also been fired from the Minneapolis police department.
This report includes information from the Associated Press.