‘America is on trial’: Family of George Floyd speaks before trial

Family and lawyers representing Floyd’s kin held a moment of silence before the first day of Derek Chauvin’s trial.

Family and lawyers representing George Floyd kneeled for eight minutes and 46 seconds in front of Hennepin County Courthouse in Minneapolis on Monday. The span of time represented how long officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on Floyd’s neck before the unarmed Black man’s death in police custody in May of 2020, and came just minutes before Chauvin’s trial on charges of murder and manslaughter was set to begin. “Today starts a landmark trial that will be a referendum on how far America has come in its quest for equality and justice for all,” said Ben Crump, a civil rights lawyer. “The whole world is watching.”