Warning: This post includes a disturbing video of police brutality.

The murder of George Floyd has sparked protests across the country demanding justice and reform. The police officers involved in Floyd's death have all been arrested and charged. Derek Chauvin was charged with second-degree murder while the three other officers, Thomas Lane, Tou Thao, and Alexander Keung, were charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder.

Per TMZ, Ben Crump has released new footage of the murder revealing that Tou Thao was blatantly ignoring the pleas from bystanders to check Floyd's pulse. "Warning: This is beyond disturbing, even harder to watch than the first video," Crump stated.

The video clearly shows Tou Thao not only ignoring pleas of civilians to check Floyd's body but evidently trying to block the view of Chauvin kneeling on George Floyd's lifeless body. Crump said that the video is new and provides a slightly wider angle of what happened and provides more insight into Thao's conduct in that situation. It looks like Thao didn't bother to even look back.

"The protest of those bystanders, who refused to just stand by and let it happen, has reverberated around the world — fueling our protest against injustice and police brutality!! 8 minutes 46 seconds. The four ex-officers MUST be convicted of MURDER for this hideous atrocity! They MUST all be held accountable!!'" Crump said after releasing the video. 

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Warning: This is beyond disturbing, even harder to watch than the first video. “Get off of his neck! He’s not moving!” “You’re going to let him kill that man in front of you?” Tou Thao stood guard as Derek Chauvin MURDERED George Floyd ... while witnesses of the execution tried to stand up for JUSTICE, tried to save George’s life! The protest of those bystanders, who refused to just stand by and let it happen, has reverberated around the world — fueling our protest against injustice and police brutality!! 8 minutes 46 seconds. The four ex-officers MUST be convicted of MURDER for this hideous atrocity! They MUST all be held accountable!! #icantbreathe #georgefloyd #justiceforgeorgefloyd

A post shared by Ben Crump (@attorneycrump) on Jun 14, 2020 at 8:05am PDT

George Floyd died at the hands of police just a few weeks ago and his death has sparked widespread protests all across the United States. People are rightfully upset about what went down and they want to see some changes. Floyd has become a symbol of change in this country and it’s been beautiful to see so many people come together to combat injustice in all of its forms.

However, while some people want to help, it seems like there are others who wish to profit. According to TMZ, a Rhode Island man by the name of Munemo Mushonga has filed a trademark request for George Floyd’s name. In the trademark filing, it says he hopes to use Floyd’s name for “production and distribution of television shows and movies.”

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What is interesting about this filing is that Mushonga has no relation to Floyd and it doesn’t seem like he has any Hollywood connections either. Not to mention, one of the companies listed on the paperwork is a construction business in Miami.  In order for the trademark to be approved, Mushonga would need written consent from Floyd himself. Even a representative wouldn’t be enough.

If Floyd’s family isn’t on board, then this trademark filing will most certainly be denied. 

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Former NYPD spokesman and detective Michael DeBonis admits “we killed Eric Garner,” in a lengthy new post on Instagram.

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“In writing this post I’m fully aware that some of my cop friends may call me a traitor, a hypocrite or even unfollow me,” DeBonis wrote. “I’m ok with that because if you don’t agree with what I’m about to say then we definitely don’t see eye to eye when it comes to policing.”

DeBonis then says Garner’s arrest “was legal, the initial forced [sic] used to stop him from resisting was fine, but in the end … WE PUNISHED HIM FOR RESISTING ARREST … WE WATCHED HIM DIE … WE DIDN’T EVEN SIT HIM UP AND RENDER HIM BASIC AID.”

He adds, “It was a horrible injustice that is forever a part of our history. … I’m a hypocrite for saying this now, because I didn’t say it publicly then, but WE ALL need to hold ourselves accountable.”

DeBonis ends his post by ensuring his followers know he stills supports the police: “The Police are NOT the enemy … One bad cop doesn’t define who we are or what we have done for this city … WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HELP THESE COMMUNITIES?”

Garner died on July 17, 2014, after being put in a chokehold by the NYPD.

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Killer Mike has responded to the death of Rayshard Brooks on Instagram, saying he will continue to support grassroots organizations who are working to end police killings. 

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“#RayshardBrooks should be alive this morning,” Killer Mike begins his Instagram post. “He should be waking up (hungover or drunk in the tank depending on whether he was apprehended) and not dead. If I’m the Wendy’s worker who called the police, I feel like shit this morning because a call for a man sleeping in a car should not have ended with his killing. If I’m the people with the child in the car, I feel helpless and hurt. If I’m that child, I’m scared shitless of anyone with a uniform and a gun. If I’m the angry white or black guy who was filming and saying, ‘I watched y’all for twenty minutes,’ I’m wondering what else I could have done? I am mad as hell and I am saddened beyond consolation. At a minimum, we need a law that prevents shooting a person while they’re fleeing. If there is no weapon, fleeing from an officer should be a foot chase and radio race. If a person gets away, they get away. As I have said before, I will continue to look to and support grassroots organizations who are doing the work, day in and day out. If there are groups who you know are organizing to end police killings, @ them so we can follow and support.”

Brooks died Friday night after a confrontation with police in a Wendy’s parking lot. The Atlanta police chief has since stepped down.

“Let us Continue to #PlotPlanStrategizeOrganizeMobilize! If you are in ATL and want to know who is doing the work already brother Kalonji Changa (@whohetalkingto) is. His org is Commumitymovementbuilders.org. A true organizer he ain’t polite! He is effective! His org does the work. Please @ others that do as well!,” Killer Mike continued.

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Following President Trump declaring that the far-left anarchist movement Antifa would be treated as a terrorist organization and the socio-political upheaval stemming from the death of George Floyd, petitions calling for the KKK to be classified as a terrorist group have gone viral, racking up millions of signatures in just four days.

The Change.org petition calls for the Ku Klux Klan, a white supremacist organization, to officially be listed and recognized as a terrorist group by the government. One of many, another petition calling for the KKK to be classed as a terrorist group is at 178,000 signatures, and another one is approaching the million mark as well.  

“Ever since the inception of the Ku Klux Klan in December 24,1865 they have terrorized American citizens for the color of their skin and opposing views,” the petition explains. “This group has a long history of murder & intimidation of people based on color and religion. Black Americans have suffered the most under this terror group.”

The KKK is currently classified as a domestic extremist group in the U.S. since there is no definition for a domestic terrorist organization. The State Department clarified that in order for a group to be listed as a terrorist organization, it must be a foreign organization that engages in terrorist activity that threatens the security of the country or its citizens. By that definition, Trump also may not be able to classify Antifa as a terrorist group.

When asked about the petitions, a spokesperson for the State Department said they do not discuss any specific designations or internal deliberations. 

Sign the petition here.

George Floyd’s murder launched the word into a state of outrage. The video showing Derek Chauvin kneeling on Floyd’s neck and eventually killing him sparked the international explosion of large-scale protests, activism, and media coverage. Chauvin has finally been sentenced with second degree murder and could receive up to 40 years. Although he will be in jail for a while, Minnesota is not among the states that have laws in place preventing employees convicted of work-related felony crimes from receiving pensions, so he may have a considerably large pension to look forward to in a few years.

Chauvin, 44, will be eligible to file for pension when he turns 50. A CNN analysis based on his tenure, contract details, 2019 payroll data, Minneapolis Police Department salary schedules and pension plan guidance suggests that he would receive payments of approximately $50,000 a year or more if he decided to wait till age 55 to file.

Over a period of 30 years, Chauvin’s benefits could increase to $1.5 million or more, and likely even more than that once any increases in cost of living are factored in. If he received significant amounts of overtime in the past, he stands to gain even higher payments.

Public pensions, which are funded through taxpayers as well as workers and investment returns, are almost impossible to rescind from workers.“Neither our Board nor our staff have the discretion to increase, decrease, deny or revoke benefits. Any changes to current law would need to be done through the legislative process,” stated a spokeswoman.

The possibility of Chauvin receiving such a large benefit will likely serve as a call to action for system reform as people will continue to demand the defunding of police departments and improved money distribution to social services including youth, special needs, and community development.

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Dave Chappelle returned to the stand-up stage in a new surprise Netflix special about the recent police killing of George Floyd, subsequent protests against police brutality and systemic racism, and everything in between. The special aired without promo in the early hours of the morning on Friday (June 12th), and sees the comedian laying into the media for how they’ve handled the murder of George Floyd and begging America to get on board with these protests.

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Dave begins the special by describing why this police killing of a Black American in particular was the last straw. “When I watched that tape I understood this man knew he was going to die,” he said, noting that it took him a week to finally be able to watch the horrific footage. “People watched it, people filmed it and for some reason that I still don’t understand, all these f*cking police had their hands in their pockets. Who are you talking to? What are you signifying? That you can kneel on a man’s neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds and feel like you wouldn’t get the wrath of God? That is what is happening right now. It’s not for a single cop, it’s for all of it, f*cking all of it. I don’t mean to get heavy but we gotta say something.”

He goes on to ridicule CNN’s Don Lemon for famously calling out certain rich and powerful celebrities who hadn’t spoken out on this issue at the time. “[Lemon] says, ‘Where are all these celebrities? Why are you not talking?’ This n***a said, ‘Everybody.’ I was screaming at the TV, ‘I dare you to say me, n***a, I dare you!’ Has anyone ever listened to me doing comedy? Have I not ever said anything about these things before? So now all of a sudden this n***a expects me to step in front of the streets and talk over the work these people are doing as a celebrity.”

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“Answer me: Do you want to see a celebrity right now?” he continued. “Do we give a f*ck what Ja Rule thinks? Does it matter about celebrity? No, this is the streets talking for themselves, they don’t need me right now. I kept my mouth shut. And I’ll still keep my mouth shut. But don’t think my silence is complicit…Why would anyone care what their favourite comedian thinks after they saw a police officer kneel on a man’s neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds?”

Dave also ripped into the right-wing media by calling Fox News’ Laura Ingraham “a regular-ass white b*tch with a platform” and “a c*nt” for insisting Drew Brees has a right to his opinion about politics while telling LeBron James to “shut up and dribble” in 2018 for his activism. Next, Dave targeted Trump-supporting “free thinker” Candace Owens for her insensitive and disrespectful comments about George Floyd.

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“I’ve seen Candace Owens try to convince white America, ‘Don’t worry about it. He’s a criminal anyway,’” Dave says. “I don’t give a f*ck what this n***a did. I don’t care what this n***a did. Candace Owens, that rotten b*tch, she’s the worst. I can’t think of a worse way to make money. She’s the most articulate idiot I’ve ever seen in my f*cking life.” He goes on to drag her for suggesting that Black America had “chosen” Floyd to be their hero despite his past.

“‘Why does the black community make him a hero? Why did you choose him as a hero?’ We didn’t choose him; you did,” he tells Candace. “They killed him and that wasn’t right, so he’s the guy. We’re not desperate for heroes in the black community. Anyone who survives this nightmare is my god damn hero.” Watch the full special, titled “8:46,” below:

In response to growing online pressure, Walmart has announced that it will no longer keep Black beauty products in locked display cases. The policy, intended by the corporation to prevent shoplifting, was previously implemented in 4700 stores. “We have made the decision to discontinue placing multicultural hair care and beauty products in locked cases,” the company said Wednesday in an emailed statement and tweet.

Although the policy has been standard practice for a while, it recently became the focus of social media criticism from people noticing the double standard between Walmart’s approach to products intended for white shoppers and those marketed towards the black community. The backlash largely began after the issue was highlighted by CBS Denver reporter Tori Mason. However, criticism of Walmart is nothing new. The company also recently came under fire for its negligence towards the coronavirus and an insensitive Paul Walker tweet.

Walmart’s decision to unlock Black hair products comes amidst growing protests against racial injustice andGeorge Floyd’s death that several companies have released public statements and implemented policy changes to express solidarity with. In addition to repealing their ‘multicultural’ hair-care lockdown, Walmart Chief Executive Doug McMillon has announced that the company, in partnership with the Walmart Foundation, is pledging $100-million to create a racial equity center. 

Just days before resigning from his position as CEO of CrossFit, Greg Glassman made some inconceivable remarks about the late George Floyd on a phone call with a gym owner in Minneapolis, where the man was killed by police. On Tuesday (June 9th), Glassman officially announced his resignation after some thoughtless tweets about Floyd, in which he’d mocked the gravity and pervasiveness of police brutality and systemic racism against Black people in America, sparked immense outrage. Glassman acknowledged that his remarks had “created a rift in the CrossFit community and unintentionally hurt many of its members” and decided to step down as CEO.

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However, it turns out that he’d spewed even more ignorance about Floyd’s murder on a phone call with a Minneapolis gym owner just days prior to his resignation. The owner had asked Glassman why the company had yet to make a statement on Floyd’s death. “We’re not mourning for George Floyd,” he responded. “I don’t think me or any of my staff are. Can you tell me why I should mourn for him?”

“Now, I gotta say something or I’m a f*cking racist, and now this gym is gonna look like it’s reparations or something,” he said, referring to the plans he’d already had to build CrossFit gyms in “blighted neighbourhoods” free of charge, prior to the protests. When asked how he felt about these protests, he responded, “I love the rebuilding, I love the helping. I’d like to make an anonymous donation to the rebuild. But I don’t want any of it going to or supporting anything that looks like pro-rioting.”

He then comments on Floyd’s death, insisting that it was not a crime motivated by racism. “What is the indication that this thing had anything to do with race?” he asks. “I think we can make this short, pray, there is none, because it had nothing to do with race.”

Since George Floyd lost his life at the hands of four police officers on May 25, not only has his death sparked activism across the world, but it's also caused some to mock the way he died. There was a cruel challenge going around social media where people would take photos of themselves kneeling on the necks of friends and family members, and even Crossfit issued an apology after their CEO tweeted "Floyd-19." Now, Anytime Fitness in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin is issuing an apology after they shared the George Floyd-inspired "I Can't Breathe" kneeling workout.