George Floyd Trial Sparks Memories of Last Summer's Protests

By LARAB AHMED and ZANIB CHEEMA

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As the trial of Derek Chauvin, the police officer who knelt on George Floyd’s neck, continues, we are reminded of the protests last summer in response to Floyd’s death. These demonstrations, which gained renewed strength after the death of Breonna Taylor, brought much attention to the issue of excessive use of force by police, particularly in African American communities.

We interviewed students who had attended the protests. Zain Ashraf, a 16-year-old junior, attended a demonstration at the intersection of Foster Avenue and Flatbush Ave in Brooklyn, an area where about half the residents are African American or West Indian.

“There was a large group of people walking on the road,” he said. “I was walking on the side with a couple of friends. It felt really nice to be a part of something because the more voices there are, the more chances there are to be heard. Many people had signs and many were just shouting ‘BLM’ [for ‘Black Lives Matter’].”

Ashraf feels Floyd’s death could’ve been avoided. “Floyd stated that he couldn't breathe,” he said. “You could see from his face that he wasn't able to, yet the officer continued to keep his knee held down on him even after he was showing no movement. Justice should be served.”

Iqra Waheed, a senior at James Madison High School, attended a protest in Iselin, New Jersey. “I felt like I was a part of the historical events you'd read about in a textbook,” she said. “My cousins were going and my sister as well, and I really wanted to go to see and be a part of a great cause in bringing change.”

Momana Mahmood ’21 also attended the march on Foster Avenue and Flatbush. She found it interesting to see different races coming together on this issue. “Citizens shouldn’t be scared to go out, worrying whether they'll come home alive or not,” she said. “It's important for these voices to be heard. It gives society a chance to see the feelings and tension behind it all in the black community.”

According to the New York Times, the George Floyd protests might have been the largest in our nation’s history. “About 15 million to 26 million people in the United States have participated in demonstrations over the death of George Floyd and others in recent weeks,” the Times reported in July, 2020. 

Rumal Chowdhury, 19, a freshman at CCNY, attended one of the biggest rallies in New York City on July 26, 2020. 

“This rally was incredible,” he said. “It also took place at one of my favorite places in NYC: the Brooklyn Bridge. There were huge crowds. The bridge was practically filled with people marching for the rights of black lives.”

“There were hundreds of cyclists on the bridge and there were also people who just walked,” he said. “I’d say it was heartfelt. I myself felt different types of emotions during the rally. Overall, everybody seemed angry deep down. The death of Georgy Floyd definitely sparked a fire and was sort of the last straw, I’d say, for many.” 

Chowdhury said the protests were well-organized: “They all started at a specific time so people knew when and where to go. The protests were just like how you saw them on the news. They were peaceful, and people marched for hours. People would march screaming ‘no justice, no peace.’ It was a sentimental experience.” 

Naima Shahzad, a 16-year-old junior, also attended the Foster-Flatbush protest. Some of the nation’s protests turned violent, and several cities saw looting and rioting. However, Shahzad said she did not see any of this at the protest she attended.

“No, I haven’t experienced that first hand nor have I witnessed it,” she said. “My honest opinion is that I believe people rioted out of the anger that they felt towards injustice, which I guess you could say is justifiable, but at the same time, there are other ways to deal with this situation and get the government to hear us without the rioting and looting.” 

The Foster-Flatbush demonstration was not as massive as some that made the news in Manhattan, but it wasn’t small either, she said.

“This might sound weird, but this protest seemed more authentic and real,” Shahzad said. “It wasn’t too big or crazy. People showed real emotions. I myself have seen people cry at these protests because it does in fact take over an emotional part of your mental state. I just really felt a different type of vibe and energy in this protest. It was as if our broken community came together as one.”