[ "This verdict is not a substitute for policy change."]
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'LET THIS BE A TURNING POINT': CHAUVIN CONVICTION SPARKS CALLS FOR
'TRUE JUSTICE'  
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Common Dreams Staff
April 20, 2021
Common Dreams
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_ "This verdict is not a substitute for policy change." _

People react after the verdict was read in the trial of former police
officer Derek Chauvin on April 20, 2021 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. ,
(Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images)

 

This is accountability, but not justice.

That was the widely shared
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contained in a tidal wave of reaction Tuesday after a jury in
Minnesota found
[[link removed]] Derek
Chauvin, a white police officer, guilty of murdering
[[link removed]] George
Floyd, an unarmed Black man, in Minneapolis last year.

Chauvin was charged with second-degree unintentional murder,
third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter. He will be
sentenced in eight weeks. His conviction follows more
recent instances
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violence
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have sparked
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Floyd's death led to a global wave of protests
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racial justice, an end to police brutality—particularly against
people of color—and sweeping reforms in law enforcement. The verdict
Tuesday prompted more demonstrations and calls for deep and lasting
change from a diverse range of racial justice campaigners, progressive
advocacy groups, and elected officials.

What follows is just a small selection of those comments and
perspectives:

BLACK LIVES MATTER:

Center for Constitutional Rights:

"Despite today's guilty verdict, true justice for George Floyd and the
other Black lives snuffed out by police has yet to be done... Derek
Chauvin will now serve a penalty for acts deemed exceptional. But his
behavior was not exceptional, and treating George Floyd's murder as a
consequence of extraordinary acts neither protects Black people nor
captures the unreformable depravity of our system of policing. His
murder is the predictable outcome of policing's origin in slave
patrols and the ongoing, constant threat to Black people of arrest,
incarceration, violence, and death."

CODEPINK:

Communications Workers of America:

"Today's verdict finding Derek Chauvin guilty of the murder of George
Floyd is a step toward justice for Floyd, his family members, and all
those who have been affected by his brutal murder. But it is not
enough. As we have seen in the past few weeks, the threat of police
violence continues to be a constant presence in the lives of Black and
Brown people in our country. We've heard all the pretexts and excuses
and promises to do better, but the fact remains that there has been no
reduction in the racial disparity in fatal police shootings over the
past five years."

Vera Institute of Justice:

"The verdict is an important step toward police accountability for a
brutal act of violence. While the outcome of this trial was just, it
won't bring George Floyd back, lessen the suffering of his family, or
keep our communities safe from racism and police violence. A system
rooted in racism and white supremacy won't deliver the accountability
or safety we deserve. There is more work to do."

LINDSEY ALLEN, GREENPEACE USA:

"While this is a milestone, there is so much more work to be done to
dismantle white supremacy and overhaul the systems that allow for
racist police and vigilante violence against Black and Brown people in
the first place... The verdict falling during the week of Earth Day
connects our movements in protest and reminds us that there is no
climate justice without racial justice. As an environmental community,
we must speak out in the face of white supremacy, systemic injustice,
and their fatal consequences. Fighting for a green and peaceful future
includes speaking out against the unjust, racist, and systemic
violence facing Black people in the U.S."

STOSH COTLER, BEND THE ARC: JEWISH ACTION:

"Derek Chauvin will still have his life, while the families of George
Floyd, Daunte Wright, Adam Toledo, and so many others continue to
mourn... We rise in solidarity with Black and brown people—including
Jews of color—resisting in the Twin Cities, in Brooklyn Center, in
our Jewish communities, and across the country. At the same time,
Republican-led state legislatures across the country are moving
forward legislation that would criminalize Black and brown-led
protest, from the recently passed H.B. 1 in Florida to bills
introduced in Minnesota just this month. We condemn these
anti-democratic measures and call on leaders and elected officials to
protect the rights of protesters."

ABIGAIL DILLEN, EARTHJUSTICE:

"This conviction must mark the beginning of true change in our
country, where the criminal justice system has consistently failed to
hold police officers accountable for the unwarranted killings and
brutality that have disproportionately taken the lives of Black people
and other people of color in traumatized communities... Although
today's verdict marks an important step forward, we call on leadership
at every level of government to advance urgently needed policing
reforms that bring about true racial justice and equality."

RAHNA EPTING, MOVEON:

"The Derek Chauvin verdict is a welcome measure of accountability.
Yet, the truth is that Chauvin being convicted for killing George
Floyd is, unfortunately, the exception in this country, not the rule.
In order to truly achieve justice, we must fundamentally transform
public safety. We must reimagine a society that truly protects and
takes care of one another, and treats one another with dignity and
respect. And we certainly must ensure that no police officer ever
again is empowered to brutally inflict harm upon anyone and callously
take their life."

IVÁN ESPINOZA-MADRIGAL, LAWYERS FOR CIVIL RIGHTS:

"No one is above the law. Yet time and time again, officers engaging
in unlawful misconduct are spared from legal consequences simply
because they are part of law enforcement. At LCR, we are committed to
bringing civil rights lawsuits on behalf of people of color affected
by police misconduct. Today, we call on prosecutors to similarly do
their part by holding police officers responsible for misconduct.
Prosecutors across the nation—including here in Massachusetts—must
stop shielding officers who act beyond the bounds of their authority
and rain violence upon communities of color. Prosecutors must track,
expose, and prosecute officers and police departments that engage in
brutality, racial profiling, and other civil rights violations."

KASSANDRA FREDERIQUE, DRUG POLICY ALLIANCE:

"Over the course of the trial, the defense brought in one witness
after another not to prove Derek Chauvin didn't kill George Floyd, but
instead to prove that George Floyd was under the influence of drugs at
the time of his death and in previous law enforcement encounters...
This verdict, for once, gives us hope that the days of this excuse
still working are numbered. But the fight is not over. Make no
mistake, this will happen again and there will be other officers who
try to escape all accountability. We must work to end the drug war, so
that drugs can never again be used as an excuse to rob people of their
dignity, their humanity, or their lives."

GEORGE GOEHL AND BREE CARLSON, PEOPLE'S ACTION:

"No verdict will bring George Floyd back, or deliver justice to his
family and others who have suffered state-sanctioned police violence.
Today, we breathe a sigh of relief as the Floyd family and the people
of Minneapolis are offered some shred of accountability. We have a
long road ahead, and we know that convicting one guilty person cannot
bring justice for generations of oppression. True justice begins with
defunding the Minneapolis police department and diverting that funding
to programs to make communities healthy and whole, and it will be
complete only when our country finally and permanently ends
state-sanctioned murders of Black people."

JOHN GORDON, ACLU OF MINNESOTA:

"While this verdict brings a certain rare form of accountability for
police, achieving this outcome for Mr. Floyd is only one step in
addressing police abuse of power, disparate treatment, and excessive
force against Black and Brown communities. We still must radically
change policing in Minnesota and across the country, increase
accountability and transparency, and create policies that combat
racism in policing. The jury's decision to convict Derek Chauvin does
not negate the fact that Mr. Floyd's tragic murder is part of a
horrifying local and national pattern of officers using excessive
force against people of color."

DEBRA GORE-MANN, GREENLINING INSTITUTE:

"Today we experienced a small measure of justice... But we shouldn't
fool ourselves into thinking that one conviction of one cop for a
killing the whole world witnessed on video will change a fundamentally
racist and dysfunctional system. The whole law enforcement system must
be rethought and rebuilt from the ground up so that there are no more
George Floyds, Daunte Wrights, and Adam Toledos. But even that is just
a start. Policing doesn't operate in a vacuum. Systemic racism exists
in policing because systemic racism exists in America. We must
fundamentally uproot the disease of racism in our society and create a
transformative path forward."

Massachusetts AG Maura Healey and Nevada AG Aaron Ford, Democratic
Attorneys General Association:

"Today, there was accountability for George Floyd's murder. But the
work for justice continues... Today, we recommit to working to end the
injustice of police killings without consequence—disproportionately
affecting Black, Brown and other communities and families of color. We
applaud our colleague AG Keith Ellison and his team for their
leadership and commitment to justice for George Floyd and his family.
To those marching in the streets for continued justice and progress,
know that we stand with you in the fight for reforms, and are working
to make sure systemic change happens at the state and federal level."

Shanene Herbert, the American Friends Service Committee's Healing
Justice program in Saint Paul:

"The brutal murder of George Floyd is the consequence of a racist
system that disproportionately targets people of color for violence,
imprisonment, and premature death... No matter the outcome of the
trial, young people of color are living every day with the ongoing
trauma of police violence, the militarization of our cities, tear gas
invading their homes, and brutality against protestors. Instead of
this constant dehumanization, we need resources to help us heal and
rebuild the beloved community we all deserve."

MARGARET HUANG, SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER:

"Today's verdict is an acknowledgement that police officers cannot get
away with murder, but we still have a long way to go to achieve the
justice demanded by so many protesters in the last year... The fact
that justice was done in this case cannot allow us to forget about
the deaths of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, Dion
Johnson, among many others. But this case galvanized a movement for
justice that has expanded across the country, rooted in longstanding
demands for a reimagining of a criminal legal system built on
anti-Black racism and white supremacy. Lawmakers at the state and
federal level must begin holding officers accountable for police
violence."

FARHANA KHERA, MUSLIM ADVOCATES:

"The jury's guilty verdict is a long-overdue measure of justice for
the Floyd family... Now, all the other officers involved in Floyd’s
killing must also be held accountable. And we must hold accountable
all the other officers involved in the killings of Daunte Wright, Adam
Toledo, Breonna Taylor, Muhammad Muhaymin, Jr. and the many, many
other Black people and people of color who have been harmed and killed
by the police. Further, we must all take drastic, immediate action to
overhaul the law enforcement and justice systems that have allowed
this violence to continue for so long."

KARISSA LEWIS, MOVEMENT FOR BLACK LIVES:

"George Floyd should still be alive, full stop. Derek Chauvin's guilty
verdict doesn't fix an irredeemable, racist system of policing rooted
in white supremacy that will continue working against and harming
Black people just as designed... This repeat cycle of police killings,
trials, and no real substantive systemic change has to stop. Now is
the time for a complete reimagining of public safety in the United
States, so that no more fathers, mothers, daughters, sons, children,
siblings or loved ones are lost to the hands of state violence."

MISKI NOOR, BLACK VISIONS:

"We know that true justice would be served only if George was still
here with his family, loved ones, and community. We believe in a world
where Black people don't have to feel this pain and wonder why these
things keep happening... It is both individuals and institutions that
bear responsibility for the loss of George' s life and the pain his
family experiences, so we feel a guilty verdict is an important step
for the community and we know that Chauvin is not the exception but
the rule. No one conviction, training, or reform can interrupt the
rotten foundation of the institution of police and policing."

Becky Pringle, National Education Association:

"While the jury reached the right decision and did in fact convict
former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin of George Floyd's
murder, we are again joining together to make sure all of us feel safe
in our schools, neighborhoods, and communities... As the one-year mark
of George Floyd's murder approaches, we must continue to come together
to demand accountability and justice for all and to demand that our
elected leaders—especially those who have taken an oath to serve and
protect us—to respect our rights, no matter our race, background, or
where we live."

Roxana Rivera, 32BJ:

"As a union representing mostly Black and Brown workers, our members
cannot escape a dangerous reality that they too could become a victim
of police brutality, even as they risk their own lives keeping us safe
on the frontlines as essential workers who clean and secure buildings.
Many must travel to and from work during off-hours and fear being
harassed and brutalized by the police... We must ensure this ruling
signals an end to the cycle of violence against our Black and Brown
communities, and the beginning of long overdue reform of our broken
policing and criminal justice systems."

RASHAD ROBINSON, COLOR OF CHANGE:

"Nine minutes and 29 seconds will forever be supplanted in our hearts
and memory. Now we must look at the road ahead. Our fight for racial
justice continues as we fight to fundamentally alter a system that
continues to threaten, harm, and kill Black people. So we use this
moment to push for real change because the fight for accountability
and justice in America is far from over. The Chauvin trial may be
over, but what comes next will be the consequential moment in our
history. We need to do more than raise our voices; we must demand
action now... Color of Change is all in for the fight for justice and
will continue to advocate for systemic change."

Kristina Roth, Amnesty International USA:

"Of course, true justice for George Floyd would require him to still
be alive... Not only did Derek Chauvin deny George Floyd his human
rights, he also showed utter disregard for George Floyd's humanity. We
must acknowledge the racist roots of law enforcement in this country
if we are to address the systemic failures of policing and bring about
meaningful public safety for those that have been historically
overpoliced. This must include shrinking the size and scope of law
enforcement in daily life, eliminating qualified immunity that creates
a barrier to redress for victims of unlawful policing, demilitarizing
law enforcement, and enacting strict limits on the use of force
altogether."

LINDA SARSOUR, MPOWER CHANGE:

"Today's verdict might come as a relief, but to act in solidarity with
Black communities, we must remember that it is decidedly the
exception, not the rule. And we must continue to take action in honor
of the life of George Floyd, and all lives lost to white supremacy,
policing, and incarceration by fighting for a world without these
roots of injustice."

LEE SAUNDERS, AFSCME:

"We cannot let today's verdict allow us to become complacent about the
challenges we face. We have to do better. Black people in America are
exhausted with fear and anxiety every single day. Today's verdict is
appropriate punishment for a single crime. But to honor the memory of
George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Adam Toledo, and so many others whose
only 'crime' was being Black, we must work with greater effort and
urgency than ever to bend the arc toward racial justice."

SHARI SILBERSTEIN, EQUAL JUSTICE USA:

"Today, so many people are exhaling with relief for the thousands who
cannot: George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Duante Wright, Adam Toledo, and
so many more. A legal system that has been over-applied to Black and
brown people and dramatically under-applied to law enforcement has now
convicted one police officer. The verdict is deeply meaningful for
being so rare. But we cannot mistake this for a transformative moment.
We still pour billions more dollars into policing than into proven
health-based violence prevention. Black people are still not safe when
they're pulled over, jogging, even surrendering. And our nation has
not been accountable to the harm of centuries of racist policies
embedded in our justice system and far beyond it."

ERICA SMILEY, JOBS WITH JUSTICE:

PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN:

DISTRICT ATTORNEY CHESA BOUDIN, SAN FRANCISCO (D):

REP. JAMAAL BOWMAN (D-N.Y.):

REP. CORI BUSH (D-MO.):

MAYOR CHOKWE ANTAR LUMUMBA, JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI (D):

REP. AYANNA PRESSLEY (D-MASS.):

REP. ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ (D-N.Y.):

REP. ILHAN OMAR (D-MINN.):

"While today's conviction is a necessary condition of justice, it is
not sufficient. For centuries, Black people have faced violence at the
hands of the state in our country. For centuries, systemic
inequalities in the form of housing, income, education, and criminal
justice have plagued our country—holding us back from our creed of
liberty and justice for all. Let this be a turning point, where we
finally create a society that reflects the belief that all men and
women are created equal. Let this be the moment where we implement a
broad anti-racist agenda to root out the inequalities that continue to
plague us."

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT.):

"The jury's verdict delivers accountability for Derek Chauvin, but not
justice for George Floyd. Real justice for him and too many others can
only happen when we build a nation that fundamentally respects the
human dignity of every person. The trauma and tragedy of George
Floyd's murder must never leave us. It was a manifestation of a system
that callously devalues the lives of Black people. Our struggle now is
about justice—not justice on paper, but real justice in which all
Americans live their lives free of oppression. We must boldly root out
the cancer of systemic racism and police violence against people of
color."

CITY COUNCIL MEMBER KSHAMA SAWANT, SEATTLE (SOCIALIST ALTERNATIVE):

REP. RASHIDA TLAIB (D-MICH.):

OHIO CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE NINA TURNER (D):

"This needs to be a turning point for America. It does not end
here—far from it, but it's a damn good feeling to exhale and feel
that some semblance of justice was served. My heart is with the Floyd
family. If you ever doubt the power of movements, please remember
today."

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