Michael Minasi / KUTX
As the 2020 pandemic shutdown entered its third month last May, a nervous and exhausted world witnessed George Floyd s death at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer. The act was brazen, committed while several other officers idly stood by, and fully captured on video. Like so many of the men of color killed by police who came before him, Floyd was unarmed.
Massive amounts of people worldwide flooded the streets to protest, COVID-19 be damned. The outrage was not limited to victimized populations of color who have long viewed the police as problematic. People from all walks of life stood together. Some demonstrations turned ugly; in many cities, including Austin, police pushed back with violent aggression, leaving both protestors and bystanders injured. This all started in late May, but protests and their reverberations continue to this day.