Barack Obama calls for ‘justice’ after protests over George Floyd’s death in police custody

Barak Obama

Former President Barack Obama tweeted a statement Friday following a night of violence over Monday's death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.AP

Former President Barack Obama joined the chorus demanding accountability and change following the death of 46-year-old George Floyd on Monday while in the custody of Minneapolis police.

Obama tweeted his statement Friday after violence marred protests across the country Thursday evening.

"It’s natural to wish for life ‘to just get back to normal’ as a pandemic and economic crisis upend everything around us. But we have to remember that for millions of Americans, being treated differently on account of race is tragically, painfully, maddeningly ‘normal’ - whether it’s while dealing with the health care system, or interacting with the criminal justice system, or jogging down the street, or just watching birds in a park.

"This shouldn’t be ‘normal’ in 2020 in America. It can’t be ‘normal.' If we want our children to grow up in a nation that lives up to its highest ideals, we can and must be better.

“It will fall mainly on the officials of Minnesota to ensure that the circumstances surrounding George Floyd’s death are investigated thoroughly and that justice is ultimately done. But it falls on all of us, regardless of our race or station - including the majority of men and women in law enforcement who take pride in doing their tough job the right way, every day - to work together to create a ‘new normal’ in which the legacy of bigotry and unequal treatment no longer infects our institutions or our hearts.”

Obama’s tweet references recent race-related incidents, including the death of Ahmaud Arbery, who was shot while jogging in Georgia in February, and Amy Cooper, who called police earlier this week after being asked by an African American birdwatcher in Central Park to keep her dog on a leash, per park regulations. Like Floyd’s death, both of the incidents mentioned above were caught on video.

The four officers seen on video ending Floyd’s life have been fired. CNN reports more than 500 Minnesota National Guard soldiers arrived in Minneapolis Thursday as protestors set a police station on fire.

Minnesota Public Safety Commissioner John Harrington said Friday that state investigators arrested Derek Chauvin, the white officer who was seen on video kneeling on Floyd’s neck before his death.

Mike Rosenstein may be reached at mrosenstein@njadvancemedia.com.

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