WASHINGTON — More than 100 people gathered at Lafayette Square Tuesday evening to remember the life of George Floyd on the anniversary of his death.
In April, a jury found Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin guilty of killing Floyd during a stop on May 25, 2020. A viral video showed Chauvin pressing his knee against Floyd's neck for more than nine minutes.
“A lot of us were really angry," said independent photojournalist Sean Michael Love of Black House News. "A lot of our emotions were really heightened when we saw his execution honestly.”
Despite Chauvin's conviction, Love, and other protesters said justice still does not exist for people of color in America.
Many people who attended Tuesday's protest by the White House said they still believe the country's police departments should be abolished or demilitarized altogether.
“They’re still killing Black people every day," Love said.
Another person, who goes by the name “Beyoncé,” said there are many more corrupt officers that need to be brought to justice.
“That is just one “bad apple” removed from the system,” she said.
The Lafayette Square protest lasted close to two hours. Many attendees recited speeches and poems prepared specifically for the event.
While the group says it plans to continue its fight for racial justice, some people added the effort can take a mental toll on people who participate.
Love said it was an emotional experience returning to the spot that he had been to for so many protests in the past following George Floyd’s death.
“This space right here, there’s a lot of trauma,” he said.