On Tuesday, June 2, 2020, Congressman Al Green released the following statement:

“I am both proud and humbled to attend this peaceful demonstration in honor of George Floyd, who tragically died on May 25, 2020 after a Minneapolis police officer mercilessly kneeled on Mr. Floyd’s neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds,” said Congressman Al Green. “This inhumane and unjust action was an example of cruel and unusual punishment. It was a human rights violation – the right to life – and for that, the involved officers should be prosecuted and punished by the court of law.”

Congressman Green – whose vocal advocacy for civil rights predates his presidency over the NAACP Houston Branch decades ago – added, “Our message to these officers in Minneapolis and law enforcement agents across the length and breadth of our nation who dare engage in such hate-filled, violent behavior is simple: Being fired is not enough; you must be prosecuted and punished. While I offer my sympathies to this grieving family during this time of tragedy and tumult, I felt it my duty to be physically present in support of the pursuit of justice for their loved one – George Floyd. His life mattered, and the public response to his demise is the supreme personification that Black lives matter.”