George Floyd’s Family Petitions UN to Help Disarm Police in the United States


The family of George Floyd has sent a letter to the United Nations to ask for its help in disarming police officers in the United States after Floyd’s death.

The family and his legal team released the letter on Monday sent to the United Nations.

The group sent a letter on June 3 to one of the international body’s working groups asking for support for the end of the provision of military equipment and military-type training for police, the teaching of deescalation techniques, independent prosecutions and autopsies for “extrajudicial” police killings, and more.

“When a group of people of any nation have been systemically deprived of their universal human right to life by its government for decades, it must appeal to the international community for its support and to the United Nations for its intervention,” Floyd’s family attorney Ben Crump said in a press release.

The Minneapolis Police Department announced last month that the FBI would be part of the investigation into Floyd’s death.

On May 28 the United Nations issued a statement, just three days after Floyd’s death. The statement included the names of other black people who died in police custody in the U.S.

U.N. Commissioner on Human Rights Michelle Bachelet is quoted in the statement:

This is the latest in a long line of killings of unarmed African Americans by U.S. police officers and members of the public,” Bachelet said. “I am dismayed to have to add George Floyd’s name to that of Breonna Taylor, Eric Garner, Michael Brown and many other unarmed African Americans who have died over the years at the hands of the police — as well as people such as Ahmaud Arbery and Trayvon Martin who were killed by armed members of the public.”

“The US authorities must take serious action to stop such killings, and to ensure justice is done when they do occur. Procedures must change, prevention systems must be put in place, and above all police officers who resort to excessive use of force should be charged and convicted for the crimes committed.”

“The role that entrenched and pervasive racial discrimination plays in such deaths must also be fully examined, properly recognized and dealt with,” she added.

While saying she understood the anger unleashed by Floyd’s killing, Bachelet urged people in Minneapolis and elsewhere to protest peacefully.

Sources: NBC, UN



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