Houston: The family of George Floyd, the African-American man whose death in Minneapolis police custody triggered nationwide violent protests, joined a diverse crowd of nearly 60,000 people and marched peacefully through the streets of downtown Houston to pay tribute to him.
Floyd, who died after a Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee into his neck for several minutes, grew up in Houston, Texas. From rappers to pastors to politicians, the diverse crowd heard from emotional speakers at the march held to pay homage to Floyd.
Chanting “hands up, don’t shoot” and “no justice, no peace”, the crowd, estimated to be over 60,000, along with 16 members of Floyd’s family, some of whom flew down to Houston, marched about a mile from Discovery Green Park to City Hall under the scorching sun. But when the sun went down, things took a slight turn.
Around 7 pm, several water bottles were thrown. Police then moved in on the crowd near Avienda de las Americas and made several arrests, many of which were for blocking roadways, Khou11.com reported.
Floyd’s family spoke at the rally, telling protesters of their appreciation for their support and asking them to not be violent in any protests in which they participated. (PTI)