American midfielder Weston McKinney, during a
German football league match, showed his solidarity
with the African American citizen, George Floyd, who
was killed by the police a few days ago.
McKinney, a dark-skinned American midfielder,
appeared in a special emblem reading “Justice for
George” during his Schalke match against Werder
Bremen in the Bundesliga competition, on Saturday.
In video clips that rocked the United States, George
Floyd breathed his last breath after being subjected to
violent treatment by a policeman in Minnesota, despite
his pleas that he could not breathe.
The footage shows the policeman hiding his knee above
the neck of the victim, a black man lying on the floor,
urging a law enforcement man to no avail, until he later
died.
During the footage filmed in Minneapolis, the victim
could be heard saying: “Please, please, I cannot breathe.”
Then he added: “My stomach hurts. My neck hurts.
Everything hurts.”
Minnesota and other cities in the United States witnessed
massive demonstrations, to protest against police racism
and the persecution of black citizens.
On Thursday, the governor of Minnesota summoned the
National Guard to help restore security after two days of
violent protests in Minneapolis, due to Floyd’s death.
The governor, Tim Walls, has commanded the National
Guard to assist the police, as local and federal officials
seek to ease the racial tensions sparked by the arrest of
George Floyd, 46, on Monday evening, leading to his
death.
