Amid the anger, violence and grief evident in the massive protests shaking the country after the death of George Floyd, images of calm are beginning to emerge as the mood shifts to more peaceful calls for change.
The country’s most significant demonstrations in a half-century were initially marred by the setting of fires and smashing of windows, but Friday marked the third day of more subdued demonstrations.
In New York, a health care professional riding a bus leans out a window to greet protesters as they break curfew and march along 34th Street. In San Antonio, some protesters lie on their stomachs with their hands behind their backs, like Floyd in his last moments. In Austin, Texas, two police officers hold up their hands in support during a Black Lives Matter rally. And in Portland, Maine, demonstrators gather at a rally to peacefully protest and demand an end to institutional racism and police brutality,
Floyd, who was black, died last week after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee into his neck for several minutes even after Floyd stopped moving and saying he could not breathe. The shocking scene was caught on video and seen around the world, sparking the protests and calls for change.