Morgan MooneA peaceful crowd gathered on the U.S. Capitol grounds to protest Floyd’s death and share their hope, solidarity and determination in fighting for justice and universal human rights.
by Joseph Young
The death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police sparked nationwide protests against police brutality.
On May 25, Floyd, an African-American man, died while he was handcuffed and lying face down on a city street during an arrest for allegedly using a counterfeit $20 bill. One of the arresting police officers, Derek Chauvin, a 44-year-old white Minneapolis police veteran, kept his knee on the right side of Floyd’s neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds. That includes 2 minutes and 53 seconds after Floyd became unresponsive, according to the criminal complaint filed against Chauvin, who was arrested for third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Three other officers — Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng, and Thomas K. Lane — also participated in Floyd’s arrest, with Kueng holding Floyd’s back, Lane holding his legs, and Thao preventing bystanders from intervening as he stood nearby.
On May 30, people gathered on the U.S. Capitol grounds in Washington, D.C., to protest Floyd’s killing. The peaceful crowd at the Capitol Reflecting Pool and Ulysses S. Grant Memorial shared powerful messages of hope, solidarity and determination in fighting for justice and universal human rights.
Journalist Joseph Young documented the protest with these photos.
Joseph Young is a photographer and journalist living in Washington, D.C. His photography and journalism has appeared in The Washington Post Magazine, The Washington Times, Washington Afro-American Newspaper and The Washington Informer. His photographs are in the collection of the Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum.
Community Based News Room publishes the stories of people impacted by injustice and aspiring for change. Do you have a story to tell? Please contact us at CBNR. To support our Community Based News Room, please donate here.
