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Chauvin Conviction a Potential Turning Point in Police Accountability

Today, Our Voices Yelling ‘Black Lives Matter’ Were Heard

Today, former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was convicted in the murder of George Floyd. In response, leaders at Community Change said:

“Today’s conviction of Derek Chauvin in the murder of George Floyd finally marks a break in a system of injustice that has allowed officers to act with impunity and without recourse. We celebrate this moment as a potential turning point in police accountability.” Community Change Co-President Dorian Warren said. “We all want to feel safe in our communities and live without fear that those sworn to serve and protect will kill us just for existing. While this is a victory, it is also a tragedy that Chauvin murdered George Floyd over $20. It is a tragedy that since the Chauvin trial began on March 29, at least 64 people have died at the hands of law enforcement around the country, with Black and Latino people representing more than half of those deaths. Community Change continues to demand that we no longer invest in a police state complicit with centuries-long discrimination against people of color, and instead, invest in human infrastructure that builds a path toward economic equity for Black Americans.”

“Today, our collective voices that have been yelling Black Lives Matter since the killing of Trayvon Martin in 2012 are finally being heard. Last summer, ordinary citizens from Minneapolis to rural Kentucky to Paris stood together to demand justice, accountability, and sweeping cultural change. Our voices will only get louder from here,” Community Change Director of Black-led Organizing Seft Hunter said. “We will continue to hold police and policymakers accountable, and take on-the-ground action including peaceful protests, strategic organizing, and voter mobilization on all of the issues that affect Black lives until we bring about bold, transformative systemic change.”

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