PHOTOS | 2020 in pictures: May | Gallery | CNN
12/21/2020, 6:46:38 PM
The death toll from the pandemic continued to rise in May, but that did not stop protesters from flooding the streets after the tragic death of George Floyd. Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, died in police custody in Minneapolis. His last moments were recorded on video, in which a policeman is seen kneeling on his neck for more than seven minutes. Floyd begged for help as he remained immobilized, saying he couldn't breathe. What happened was reminiscent of the 2014 death of Eric Garner, who uttered the words "I can't breathe" while an officer applied a neck restraint maneuver in New York. Floyd's death ignited a racial reckoning in America. Demonstrations also took place in other countries. The protests were mostly peaceful, but in some cities there were cases of violence, in which protesters clashed with the police and shops were looted and burned. In some areas, people tore down statues of men who once defended or traded in slavery. | PHOTOS | 2020 in pictures: May | CNN