Guardian Newsroom: The Killing of George Floyd

The killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer has sparked widespread protests across nearly 40 American cities. After Eric Garner, Michael Brown, Walter Scott and many others, Floyd is the latest black man to die at the hands—or guns—of the US police. But could the sheer scale of these protests, often defying curfews, lead to a turning point in America’s racial politics?

The fallout comes at a time when the Covid-19 pandemic has already exposed the racial inequalities at the heart of US society—the death rate and economic devastation as a result of the pandemic are disproportionately affecting African Americans and communities of colour. While Donald Trump refers to protesters as “anarchists” and looters, and threatens to send in the army he spends no time discussing police brutality or highlighting the systemic racism at its heart.

These protests or on a scale unlike anything the US has seen since the 1968 student revolts. But will they be enough to finally see a change to a cycle of American state brutality that has repeated itself year upon year, generation upon generation

Discussing the latest developments will be Guardian US Southern Bureau Chief Oliver Laughland, Guardian reporter Kenya Evelyn, Guardian writer Chris McGreal who reported from Minneapolis, and Guardian columnist and lawyer Malaika Jabali. During this live-streamed event you will have an opportunity to put your questions to the panel in real time.

A percentage of profits from this event will be donated to relevant charities.

Running time: 60 minutes

This event will be hosted on a third-party live streaming platform BlueJeans, please refer to their privacy policy before purchasing a ticket to the event. After registering, you will receive a unique link 24 hours in advance to access the event online.

If you require closed captions to be available on this event notify us on your booking form when making your purchase.

This event is streaming globally.