George Floyd’s coffin put on view for public as Democrats introduce federal police reform legislation
Pressure grows on on Monday for lawmakers to force change
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Members of the public were allowed to view George Floyd's coffin in his hometown of Houston, Texas, on Monday as global protests sparked by his death continued over the weekend. His body was on display for six hours to allow for the public viewing.
On Tuesday, a private memorial would be held in funeral with a 500-person limit. The reasoning behind the limit was to help everyone attending maintain social distancing guidelines during the service.
In response to Black Lives Matter protests across the nation, Congressional Democrats unveiled new legislation that would directly tackle police reform across the United States. But Republicans have urged caution about passing anything on the federal level addressing police reform and brutality.
On the state and local level, Minneapolis lawmakers pledged to dismantle its police department, promising to create, instead, a new system of public safety, while New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said he would cut the city's $6bn police budget and spend more on social services. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti also vowed to cut $100m to $150m of his city's police budget, just a few days after he planned to increase that same budget by 7 per cent.
All of this comes as Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer charged with second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter, made a virtual appearance in court on Monday.
The judge accepted prosecutors' $1.25m unconditioned bail, which changes to $1m with conditions. These conditions include Chauvin remaining a law-abiding citizen, attending all court appearances, refraining from taking any law enforcement and security jobs, and handing over all firearms.
Whether Chauvin would be able to post bail remains to be seen.
President Donald Trump has continued his rhetoric of "law and order" amid the protests across the country. He's accused the Democrats of pushing "defund the police" rhetoric, but prominent Democrats like former Vice President Joe Biden said they did not support the movement. Instead, Mr Biden advocated for funding community policing policies and other vital programmes.
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Houston says goodbye to George Floyd, but vows to fight on
"The atmosphere has changed. I think people have realised it can’t go on like this."
Richard Hall has the story:
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