Justice for George Floyd

Jewish Voice for Peace statement: Justice for George Floyd

On Monday George Floyd, like Eric Garner five years before him, was suffocated by a policeman, who put his knee on George’s neck for five minutes and killed him.

Police are killing Black people. And months into a global pandemic, it’s abundantly clear that our healthcare system is killing Black and Brown people. George Floyd repeatedly said to the police, “I can’t breathe.” His life mattered. 

Jewish tradition teaches us that the loss of a single life is the loss of a whole world. At JVP we are in shared mourning with everyone who is impacted by this senseless death – with our Black community members, with our movement allies and partners, with every parent who woke up to this news with fear and terror. We join together to fight for a future where Black people can be free from violence, to live long abundant lives. 

Rest in Power, George Floyd. May your memory be a blessing.