On Monday after a week of civil unrest, George Floyd’s brother, Terrence Floyd, went to the spot where his brother was killed by police officers on the evening of Monday, May 25. A group of well wishers and peaceful protesters came together at the site, now covered in flowers and chalk drawings, paintings, and protest posters. Terrence Floyd spoke to the crowd using a small bullhorn, imploring protesters to “educate yourself” and to vote.
“That’s how we gonna hit them,” he told the crowd, saying that protesting and looting and fires only served to raze the areas law enforcement allowed protesters to burn and loot. Analogizing looting and the righteous anger and destruction to getting drunk, Floyd said that when the dust settled many would wonder what had actually been accomplished. Terrence Floyd and others then kneeled at the site where his brother had been forcibly detained, lead a prayer, and then contemplated silently for around 10 minutes before moving on to a memorial for George.
Floyd told reporters that he understood the anger felt by those in the community around him. He asked the crowd to imagine how much anger and sadness he and his family felt around the death of George. “I’m outraged too. I feel sometimes, I get angry, I want to bust some heads too. I want to get […] just go crazy. But I’m here because my brother wasn’t about that. My brother was about peace. You’ll hear a lot of people say he was a gentle giant.”
Terrence Floyd has been very courageously talking with journalists during this painful time, making sure people know how loved and important his brother George was to people.
You can watch video of the event below.