Individuals of all backgrounds descended on the city of Minneapolis on Tuesday to remember the life of George Floyd, and reignite public calls for police reform in the US.
The rallies, captured in part by Sputnik, showed Americans rallying behind the associated racial justice movement.
"He is me, he is my brother, he is my father, he is my uncle, my nephew. He is you. If it were you on the ground I would be doing the same thing," a mourner who identified himself as 'Jay' told Sputnik on Tuesday.
"It’s been a troubling year, a long year," Floyd's sister, Bridgett, remarked in downtown Minneapolis. "But we made it ... The love is here. George is here."
Rev. Tommy Russell expressed to Sputnik that "peace everywhere" is the primary goal of such demonstrations in Minneapolis.
"I spent all the year here at this corner, coming to meet with people, talking with them, ministering, just loving upon them," he said. "Because we could all use a hug and some love right now. But most of all we want to posture peace everywhere."
"Love is greater than hate. I think we are going to be all right," Russell added.
Dr. Andrew Baker, chief medical examiner for Hennepin County, recently testified that, despite Floyd's heart disease and prior drug use, those aspects were not the primary factors that led to his death in 2020.
"My opinion remains unchanged," Baker said as his testimony concluded. "It's what I put on the death certificate last June. That's cardiopulmonary arrest complicating law enforcement subdual, restraint and neck compression."
Derek Chauvin, the Minneapolis officer whose knee was kneeling on Floyd for 9 minutes, 29 seconds, has been found guilty of all three charges related to the May 25, 2020, murder of Floyd.
Chauvin is facing up to 75 years behind bars: up to 40 years for second-degree unintentional murder; up to 25 years for third-degree murder; and up to 10 years for second-degree manslaughter.