George Floyd’s brother delivered a message of unity after the Friday sentencing of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.
“I just want to reiterate: not just black lives matter, all lives matter,” Philonise Floyd said while speaking outside the courthouse after the hearing concluded.
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“We need to stand up and fight. Can’t get comfortable because when you get comfortable, people forget about you,” Floyd added in his remarks.
Derek Chauvin was sentenced to 22.5 years in prison for the May 2020 death George Floyd. Chauvin was convicted in April 2021 of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in Floyd’s death.
The video of the incident was widely shared and led to months of nationwide protests and rioting that resulted in billions of dollars in damage.
“This was nine-and-a-half minutes of cruelty,” prosecutor Matthew Frank told the court. “This was not the typical second-degree murder.”
Philonise Floyd emerged as an outspoken member of the Floyd family in the months that followed his brother’s death, calling for the conviction of all the officers involved. He was also an outspoken critic of the violence that occurred across the country.
“If I’m not over here messing up my community, then what are y’all doing?… That’s not gonna bring my brother back at all … Let’s do it a different way,” he said after the first week of rioting and looting. (‘All Lives Matter’: Massachusetts Mayor Apologizes For Road Sign Message, Investigation Underway)
Members of the Floyd family, including his young daughter, gave impact statements before the sentencing of Chauvin.
Chauvin himself also gave brief remarks, offering condolences to the Floyd family.