HOUSTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 09th June, 2020) Over six thousand mourners turned out to bid a farewell to George Floyd at the last official public memorial in honor of the African American, whose in-custody death sparked nationwide protests against police brutality and racial discrimination.
His gilded casket was on display on Monday for six hours at the The Fountain of Praise church in Houston, Texas, where Floyd grew up and will be interred on Tuesday after a private service.
"Let me just verify. Yes, it's 6,362 [visitors]. It was very peaceful and dignified," the ceremony manager told Sputnik as the motorcade with a casket was about to leave the venue.
Shuttle buses transported mourners to a heavily guarded event from several rally points. People were allowed inside the building in small groups to observe social distancing. Mindful of coronavirus risks, organizers carried out sweeping temperature checks at the entrance and made sure everyone has a face mask.
A Navy veteran stands tall at the end of a long line, braving a summer heat in a white parade uniform with numerous medals. "My name is 'I Can't Breathe'," he introduces himself echoing the last Floyd's words before the death under a Minneapolis police officer's knee.
The veteran believes injustice permeates America and needs to be confronted to make the country more humane to everyone, not just the black minority.
"I had a privilege to spend 28 years defending America. When I came back home, I saw injustice rampant in a systematic fashion, continuing to oppress people of color, continuing to separate people at the border, continuing to deny people healthcare," he says. "My plea to all sympathizers is 'Get off the fence and let's make America the democracy that it should be.' Not great again, because America is already great. America should go to where everybody is respecting everybody."
He calls for scaling down "police and militaristic brutality." "This is not 9/11, these are people that live around in our neighborhoods," the veteran says.
Ryan, a young African American, takes pride in his family's participation in the civil rights movement in the days of Martin Luther King and sees his duty to carry on the fight.
"We have made our voices heard but now it's time for action. It is now time to follow through. I call it the second coming of the civil rights movement. My ancestors and my family members have done their part, now it's time for my generation to finish it off," he says.
In a diverse queue a local university basketball team is followed by a black bickers club. "We have started to see change. It's so big that it even went to other countries. But I hate that Floyd had to lose his life for people to understand what's going on," a biker, who calls himself Square, says.
Two artists brought Floyd's portrait composed of a mosaic of smaller images, a gift to the bereaved family. "It's everybody who lost their lives to a police violence. And all these images came together to create George Floyd," they explain.
Houston, where Floyd spent a large part of his life, is a final leg of the farewell journey. Previously, memorial services were held in North Carolina, where Floyd was born, and in Minnesota, where he died in police custody.� All funeral expenses are handled by former professional boxer Floyd Mayweather, organizers confirmed.
Floyd's death has sparked a worldwide movement against social injustice. Mass protests have taken place in the United States, United Kingdom, Denmark, Germany, France, New Zealand, Australia and Canada, among others. Some of the protests turned into riots complete with violence against police and civilians and acts of vandalism, arson and looting.
