As jury selection begins in the trial of former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin for George Floyd’s murder, Minnesota AFL-CIO President Bill McCarthy issued the following statement:
“We have full confidence in Attorney General Ellison and his team to prosecute this case and to see that George Floyd’s family receives justice.
“We also support Minnesotans’ freedom to peacefully exercise their first amendment rights during the trial. George Floyd’s death and the subsequent show of force against peaceful protesters are still fresh in Minnesotans’ minds. We urge local authorities to better engage the community to both ensure security and protect free speech.
“As the trial moves forward, we should all remember that George Floyd should still be alive today and that we must work together to advance racial and economic justice so our communities, state, and nation can truly heal. The Minnesota AFL-CIO is committed to dismantling systems of oppression, explicitly white supremacy, and anti-blackness, and achieving intersectional race and economic justice in our organization, our local unions, our workplaces, and across our labor movement.
“As further efforts for more accountability from law enforcement and broader racial justice continue, Minnesota’s Labor Movement stands in solidarity with all people who are subjected to discrimination, oppression, indignity and inequity.”