Demonstrators In Germantown Protest Death Of George Floyd

GERMANTOWN, MD — More than 100 peaceful demonstrators poured into the streets of Germantown on Sunday to protest police brutality and the death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man who died at the hands of a white Minneapolis cop.

The protest was peaceful as people chanted "No justice. No peace," and held signs that read "How Many More Must Die?" and "Black Lives Matter."

"As an African women, I always heard that America was the land of the free," C.K., a protester, said. "Living in America though, does not correlate with that saying. This is why it is so important to show up to protests and/or use your voice. I felt so liberated walking alongside people from all walks of life with the same cry. All we want is to matter. And in that moment I felt like my voice finally mattered. Black people have been oppressed for over 400 years. America, please wake up."

Demonstrations erupted across the country after a video surfaced on Memorial Day that showed a handcuffed Floyd pleading for air as Officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck. In the now viral-video, Chauvin — who was later fired from his job and charged with third-degree murder — continued to press his knee down on Floyd's neck, even after he appeared to lose consciousness.

People held peaceful protests in dozens of cities, including in Washington, D.C. But as night wore on, some demonstrations turned destructive as people looted businesses and set fire to police cruisers.

In Germantown, Montgomery County police redirected traffic and allowed protesters to sit, march, and chant.

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— C. (@UgandanBaby) June 1, 2020

The move to take a knee was commended by people on Twitter, with some saying, "This made me cry!! This is all we want and need to see," and "I'm proud to be from here."

Others, however, thought kneeling before protesters wasn't enough.

"Kneeling before the angered masses is a cute gesture, but we need tangible, radical, systemic change to follow," one Twitter user said.

Another chimed in, saying: "These officers need to be held to a higher standard. He can kneel with you on Wednesday and then kill you on Friday. Peaceful protest has gotten us nowhere."