ATLANTA — The impact of George Floyd’s death last may in Minneapolis was felt all across the country, including more than a thousand miles away in Atlanta
Former Minneapolice Police officer Derek Chauvin is on trial for murder, accused of kneeling on Floyd’s neck for several minutes.
Activists in Atlanta who protested Floyd’s death last summer are now paying close attention to Chauvin’s trial.
“This is Minneapolis, but this is really American answering to this crime, and this is a time for them to show that we actually will hold people accountable,” said Hope Dennis, an activist and second Vice President of the Gwinnett County NAACP.
Dennis marched last summer in downtown Atlanta, and she said this trial could show if true change will come from the protesting.
“This could be make-it-or-break-it, because if this man is not held accountable as he should be - as it appeases us, the community and the Black community, and people that care about justice - what they saw this summer is nothing compared to what will happen when this trial is over,” she said.
She pointed out this trial comes as Georgia awaits the trials of three men charged with killing Ahmaud Arbery near Brunswick last year and the trials for two Atlanta police officers charged in connection with Rayshard Brooks’ death last June. Both cases also led to protests here in Georgia.
“It’s a reminder to us that our elected officials, we need to make sure they know we’re not stopping until we see transformative justice,” said Dennis.
“Policing needs to be torn down and built from the ground up. There must be a tendency towards public safety versus what we’ve come to know as policing policy,” said Atlanta NAACP President, Richard Rose.
Rose said he’s hoping Chauvin’s trial will open up more conversations about similar issues in Georgia.
“Those of us who have been in the civil rights community have been speaking out against police brutality, abuse, and their policies for generations. What I hope is that America can see it,” he said.