London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Jul 15, 2025

Thousands march in Floyd's hometown

Thousands march in Floyd's hometown

An estimated 60,000 people marched to City Hall in George Floyd's hometown of Houston, Texas, on Tuesday to protest his death in Minneapolis police custody last week that triggered nationwide protests.
Many of the marchers wore T-shirts with Floyd's picture on it as they chanted, "What's his name? George Floyd!" and "No justice, no peace!"

The mayor's office said 60,000 people gathered downtown to honor Floyd, a 46-year-old black man who died after a white police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes in Minnesota on May 25. The officer, Derek Chauvin, now faces charges of third-degree murder and manslaughter.

Floyd grew up in Houston and lived most of his life Houston's historically black Third Ward neighborhood, about a mile south of the park where the march began. He moved to Minneapolis in recent years for work.

Before beginning the 2.5-mile march to City Hall, rapper Bun B asked the crowd to kneel for 30 seconds of silence in memory of Floyd.

"We gonna sweat today ... but we ain't gonna shed a drop of blood in Houston, Texas," he said, calling for a peaceful protest.

The crowd then marched to City Hall, where they heard from relatives of Floyd and others.

Floyd's funeral is scheduled to be held in Houston next Tuesday. A public viewing for Floyd will be held on Monday at the Fountain of Praise Church in Houston, USA Today reported.

Rappers Trae Tha Truth and Bun B, whose given names are Frazier Thompson III and Bernard Freeman, respectively, coordinated with Floyd's nephew Brandon Williams in organizing the march. Floyd and Thompson were longtime friends.

Trae the Truth told the crowd at City Hall, "We didn't have no idea if there was gonna be 10 people or 10,000."

The march wasn't an official city event, but Mayor Sylvester Turner and Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo participated.

"If any person doesn't understand the pain of the African American community, I ask them to come out here and look at the pain in their eyes and the tears they shed," Acevedo told a local TV reporter at the march. "And I am proud to admit I have shed tears with them."

Given the continued threat of the coronavirus, the mayor urged the public to wear face masks and do their best to social distance.

At City Hall, several of Floyd's family members, including his brothers, thanked the crowd and repeated pleas for a peaceful protest.

"They expecting you to act like a fool," one relative said. "We all we got. We all we need."

Relatives also asked the marchers to continue the fight for change.

"We know this is just beginning; this is going to be a marathon," Floyd's cousin said.

US Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, who represents portions of Houston where Floyd was raised, drew cheers when she said she will introduce "revolutionary legislation" Thursday with a bill in the name of George Floyd. The legislation will call for a sea change in police departments across the nation, she said.

"It is time for a revolution of change for the dignity of all of us, no matter what our color," Lee told the crowd.

The Reverend William Lawson, who has fought for civil rights for decades, spoke of his days of marching with Dr Martin Luther King and others.

"It's not just black people who are angry. It is the world that is angry," Lawson said. "You have been heard. ... Maybe nobody had heard you before. But with the death of this one simple Houston man, you have been heard."

He called for marchers to "make some noise" and to remember their pain and passion before November's election.

"The next thing you need to do is not march, it's to register to vote," said the 91-year-old founder of Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church in Houston. "We have a president and he needs to be removed from office."

Houston largely has been free of the violent protests in cities across the US, with some attributing that to the legacy of Floyd himself.

"The people who knew George the best help set the tone for Houston. They knew what he was about. He truly was a gentle giant, a sweet guy," said David Hill, a Houston community activist and pastor at Restoration Community Church, who knows the Floyd family.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
President Trump Visits Flood-Ravaged Texas, Praises Community Strength and First Responders
From Mystery to Meltdown, Crisis Within the Trump Administration: Epstein Files Ignite A Deepening Rift at the Highest Levels of Government Reveals Chaos, Leaks, and Growing MAGA Backlash
Trump Slams Putin Over War Death Toll, Teases Major Russia Announcement
Reparations argument crushed
Rainmaker CEO Says Cloud Seeding Paused Before Deadly Texas Floods
A 92-year-old woman, who felt she doesn't belong in a nursing home, escaped the death-camp by climbing a gate nearly 8 ft tall
French Journalist Acquitted in Controversial Case Involving Brigitte Macron
Elon Musk’s xAI Targets $200 Billion Valuation in New Fundraising Round
Kraft Heinz Considers Splitting Off Grocery Division Amid Strategic Review
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
EU Proposes New Tax on Large Companies to Boost Budget
Trump Imposes 35% Tariffs on Canadian Imports Amid Trade Tensions
Junior Doctors in the UK Prepare for Five-Day Strike Over Pay Disputes
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Biden’s Doctor Pleads the Fifth to Avoid Self-Incrimination on President’s Medical Fitness
Grok Chatbot Faces International Backlash for Antisemitic Content
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
×