Silent Zoom Vigil For George Floyd Planned On North Fork

NORTH FORK, NY — A silent Zoom vigil, "For Liberty and Justice for All," will be held on Saturday in response to the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis on Monday. A video of Floyd with a police officer's knee on his neck as he begged for help and said, "I can't breathe" and cried out for his mother have sparked a wave of emotion across the world.

The silent vigil, presented by the Southold Anti-Bias Task Force and the North Fork Unity Action Committee, will be held Saturday at 6 p.m. (Sign in information is on the flyer below.)

Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was charged Friday with third-degree murder and manslaughter in connection with the death of Floyd after his arrest Monday.

Chauvin is the officer who was seen with his knee on Floyd's neck during the arrest. Floyd, 46, later died after saying that he was struggling to breathe during the arrest, video shows.
Bystanders were heard telling Chauvin to get off Floyd.

"This is by far the fastest we've ever charged a police officer," Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman announced at a news conference Friday.

Agents with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension arrested Chauvin at 11:44 a.m. Friday.

"This remains an active and ongoing investigation," the BCA said in a statement. "The BCA continues to work in partnership with the FBI to gather all facts and information related to this case."

Floyd's death sparked three subsequent nights of protests, each more violent and destructive than the last. Dozens of businesses on Lake Street and elsewhere in Minneapolis have been burned and looted. Protests also have occurred in other cities across the nation.

A protest was also held in Brooklyn Friday.

Hundreds, if not thousands, of protesters descended on Atlantic Avenue entrance to the Barclays Center. They chanted "George Floyd" in addition to cries of "Hands up! Don't shoot!" and "Black Lives Matter."

A cloud of pepper spray descended over the rally, police armed with batons violently took down protesters and some rally goers set fires — all scenes that played out in real time on social media.