MILWAUKEE (AP) - Hundreds of people marched through downtown Milwaukee on Friday calling for justice for a black man who died in police custody in Minneapolis.
George Floyd died Monday after officers arrested him for allegedly trying to pass a counterfeit $20 bill at a convenience store. Cell phone video from a passerby shows Officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on Floyd’s neck for nearly eight minutes. Floyd, who was handcuffed, can be heard saying he can’t breathe before he goes limp.
Chauvin was fired Tuesday and charged Friday with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Three other officers at the scene have been fired.
Floyd’s death has touched off riots Minneapolis and has sparked protests across the country.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that hundreds of people rallied in front of the Wisconsin Black Historical Society in Milwaukee on Friday to denounce Floyd’s death.
The protesters marched through downtown Milwaukee holding signs that read “I can’t breathe” and “Black Lives Matter.” They walked onto Interstate 43, shutting down part of the freeway. WDJT-TV reporters tweeted that police told them to leave or they would be arrested. The station’s reporters later tweeted that traffic was flowing again by 3:30 p.m.
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