The brother of George Floyd pleaded with protesters not to use violence, saying it is “not going to bring my brother back at all.”
Floyd’s brother Terrence spoke Monday in Minneapolis at the site where Floyd was pinned down last week by a white police officer who put his knee on Floyd’s neck for more than eight minutes.
His death, captured on video, has sparked protests across the United States, some of which have turned violent.
Terrence Floyd urged people not to use violence and to instead create change at the ballot box.
“Let’s switch it up, y’all. Let’s switch it up. Do this peacefully, please," he said.
The crowd chanted “One down, three to go,” referring to the four officers involved in Floyd's arrest.
One of the officers, Derek Chauvin, has been charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter, while the other three have been fired, but not charged with a crime. Protests are demanding that all four officers face charges.
Terrence Floyd said his family is “a peaceful family. My family is God-fearing.” He added, “I know (George Floyd) would not want you all to be doing this.”
Protests across the United States have followed a similar pattern in dozens of cities with thousands of people turning out to peacefully protest, but later the protests turn into unrest. Police have used shields, batons and tear gas, while some demonstrators have set fires and smashed storefronts.
On Monday, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced a curfew beginning at 11 p.m., joining nearly 40 cities, including Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, Detroit and Philadelphia, that have imposed nighttime curfews.
