Honolulu Mayor comments on nationwide protests over alleged police killing of unarmed black man in Minneapolis

Demonstrators rise their hands as they march during protests on May 30, 2020 in Washington DC, over the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, who died after a police officer kneeled on his neck for several minutes. Demonstrations are being held across the US after George Floyd died in police custody on May 25. Jose Luis Magana / AFP

 

By Alfred Acenas
EBC Hawaii Bureau

HONOLULU (Eagle News) – Mayor Kirk Caldwell took to Twitter on Saturday morning, May 30, “Watching what unfolded around our country last night felt like looking through a window into another reality. The death of George Floyd is a tragedy for our country in a time where tragedy seems to be almost commonplace.”

Mayor Caldwell also stressed, “It’s long past time to address systemic racism in our country, but as Bernice King said yesterday, much like her father, the pathway to do this is through non-violent means.”

 

Official Photo Kirk Caldwell, Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu.

 

King is the youngest daughter of late civil rights leaders Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King. She was five years old at the time when her father was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee in April 1968.

“As these events continue to unfold, I want to offer my sincere Aloha to all those who are in pain,” Caldwell continued. “And to the members of the law enforcement community who are working to keep our communities safe for everyone.”

The mayor concluded, “Finally, to my fellow mayors, including Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, who are experiencing violence in their cities, your leadership is needed now more than ever, and I stand with you in restoring peace and justice in your cities.”

 

Meanwhile on Friday, May 29, more than a hundred gathered at the State Capitol in Downtown Honolulu to protest the alleged killing of Floyd by Minneapolis police earlier this week.

 

(Eagle News Service)