Floyd family calls for peace as nation grapples with outrage over Floyd's death
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - The brother of George Floyd spoke out Monday in Minneapolis calling on the nation to respond to Floyd's death in police custody, with peaceful protests not violence and vandalism.
"My family is a peaceful family...Let's switch it up, do this peacefully, please," said Terrence Floyd, standing amidst flowers and signs at a memorial where his brother died.
"The family has called for peace. The family has called for peace," said Rev. Kevin McCall standing beside Terrence Floyd, "The power is in the numbers. Don't stop protesting. Throw up the peace sign."
The death of Floyd has sparked protests nationwide. Images of peaceful protests have been mixed with scenes of violent clashes where vandalism and looting that has left business owners with graffiti, lost merchandise, and broken glass.
Many black community leaders are speaking out to condemn the violence, but also say peaceful protesters and criminal conduct should not be confused or conflated.
"We can't lump everybody into one group. Like we can't say all white folk are bad and all black folk are good. It's both," said Pastor Anthony Jenkins of Taylor Memorial United Methodist Church in Oakland.
"You have to separate the principled protesters from people with other kinds of motives that have nothing to do with the reason why the majority of African-Americans are trying to speak truth to power," said James Taylor, a Professor of Politics and African American studies at the University of San Francisco.
Professor Taylor says the protesters' message calling for justice is in danger of being overshadowed by opportunists who use the moment to steal or act violently.
"They have infiltrated the black anti-police brutality movement and now the African-Americans are having to discipline and confront these people themselves on the ground," said Taylor.
There have been images of peaceful protesters trying to stop vandalism. In Los Angeles, one video shows a proteser with a sign standing in front of an REI store and trying to stop a man from smashing the glass door.
The nation is facing a question of how should government officials respond.
"Modern policing is about to go through a radical reevaluation in light of what we're seeing," said Taylor, "National law enforcement will have to come out and speak and offer some direction and leadership."
"I am your president of law and order and an ally of all peaceful protesters," said President Trump during a Rose Garden speech Monday evening.
The President promised to use military force to stop violence and enforce curfews.
"If a city or state refuses to take the actions that are necessary to defend the life and property of their residents, then I will deploy the United States military and quickly solve the problem for them," said President Trump.
The statements struck some, even in the President's own party, as the wrong approach.
"From the White House, I'd like to see some more compassion, quite frankly," said Jonathan Madison, an Oakland attorney and Bay Area Republican Party Vice-Chair.
Madison said the image of the police officer's knee pressing on George Floyd's neck was deeply distressing.
"If you're an African-American father like me, you think that could be my son and so it deeply affects me," said Madison, "Not every one of us will have a picture perfect idea of what it is to be in another's shoes, but to have empathy and sympathy and compassion...I'd like to hear more compassion coming out of the White House. That's what our country needs right now."
"A lot of people are just focusing on the looting and the destruction of small businesses, but they're missing the biggest tragedy which is that a young man's life was taken," said Madison, "There is a very big risk in amping up the pressure or amping up the rhetoric because it could do more than suppress the looting. It could suppress the movement. We don't need the looting. We do need the movement."
Terrence Floyd said nothing can bring his brother back, but he urged people to use their voices and their votes to find a peaceful path for change.
"Let's stop thinking our voice don't matter and vote," said Floyd.