House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) reacted to the conviction of former Minneapolis, Minnesota, police officer Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd on Tuesday with the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) by thanking Floyd for “sacrificing” his life for justice.
“Thank you, George Floyd—for sacrificing your life for justice,” Pelosi said.
“For being there, to call out to your mom—how, how heartbreaking was that? Call out for your mom. ‘I can’t breathe,'” she added.
She continued to say, “but because of you and becuase of thousands, millions of people around the world, who came out for justice, your name will always be synonymous.”
Members of the CBC surrounded Pelosi to react to the jury finding Derek Chauvin guilty on all counts in the death of George Floyd.
Major cities across the country and the Capitol braced for rioting in anticipation of the verdict this week.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said he would call on the California National Guard to prepare for possible rioting after the verdict. The District of Columbia National Guard also activated 250 members to support local law enforcement “in response to potential First Amendment demonstrations.”