Portraits of protest in America

“I can’t breathe.” These words have become a rallying cry for protesters across America who took to the streets after the death of George Floyd, an unarmed African-American, on May 25th. Floyd was killed by a policeman in Minneapolis who pressed a knee to his neck for nearly nine minutes. In a harrowing video of his last moments, Floyd could be heard gasping for air and repeating the words that are now being chanted in the streets. This slogan first became associated with police brutality in 2014 when Eric Garner, who was also African-American, died after being put in a chokehold by a white policeman in New York City.

Floyd’s death has ignited fury in America and beyond, not just at police brutality but at systemic racism in society. It comes at a time when the coronavirus pandemic is taking a disproportionate toll on ethnic minorities. In cities across America protests against racial injustice have gone on for days. Many demonstrations have been peaceful, others have garnered an aggressive response from police – many forces have used rubber bullets and tear gas. Some states have deployed the national guard; cities have imposed curfews. A police truck in New York drove into a crowd of protesters.