ANC declares Black Friday to mark killing of George Floyd by police

The African National Congress (ANC) has declared this Friday as Black Friday to mark the killing of George Floyd by police in the US town of Minneapolis more than a week ago.

The death has sparked widespread protests in America and solidarity protests across the world.

The first of a series of memorials for Floyd was held in Minneapolis on Thursday.

Addressing the media via video link, ANC deputy secretary-general Jessie Duarte said: “The alliance starting on Friday, the 5th of June 2020 at 19h00, through an event to be addressed by the ANC President [Cyril Ramaphosa]…. will launch its [their] campaign of solidarity with the people of the US. It will start our own Black Friday where henceforth we are called upon to wear black on Friday for the next three weeks.”

In the video below, ANC and its Alliance partners Cosatu, SACP brief media on their upcoming campaign against racism:

MEDIA STATEMENT AND THE LAUNCH THE ANTI- #RACISM CAMPAIGN BY: The Alliance Political Council and Secretariat deepened Alliance engagements & consultation in the face of the #coronavirus #COVID__19 pandemic, especially following confirmation of the first positive case in SA. pic.twitter.com/T9A2E2hfsg

— African National Congress (@MYANC) June 4, 2020

Meanwhile, civil rights leader, Reverend Al Sharpton, led the eulogy at the first memorial service to remember and honour the life of Floyd in Minneapolis in the United States on Thursday.

This on the same day that three former police officers involved in his killing make their first court appearance, after additional charges were announced against all four on Wednesday, including a second degree murder charge.

All this as largely peaceful protests continued, with striking scenes of solidarity on the streets of a nation that also heard from a former US President – his first televised remarks since Floyd’s brutal killing last week.

In the video below, SABC News correspondent in New York, Sherwin Bryce-Pease, gives an update on the situation in the US: