Thousands bid adieu to Floyd amid clamour for police reforms

HOUSTON, June 9

Thousands of mourners braved sweltering Texas heat on Monday to view the casket of George Floyd, whose death after a police officer knelt on his neck ignited worldwide protests against racism and calls for reforms of US law enforcement. He to be buried on Tuesday.

American flags fluttered along the route to the Fountain of Praise church in Houston, where Floyd grew up, as throngs of mourners wearing face coverings to prevent spread of Covid formed a procession to pay final respects.

Solemnly filing through the church in two parallel lines, some mourners bowed their heads, others made the sign of the cross or raised a fist, as they paused in front of Floyd’s open casket. More than 6,300 people took part in the visitation, which ran for more than six hours, church officials said.

Fire officials said several people, apparently overcome by heat exhaustion while waiting in line, were taken to hospitals. “I’m glad he got the send-off he deserved,” Marcus Williams, a 46-year-old black resident of Houston, said outside the church. “I want the police killings to stop. I want them to reform the process to achieve justice, and stop the killing.”

Meanwhile, the demonstrations entered the third week on Monday. Democratic presidential candidate Joe Bidenmet Floyd’s relatives for more than an hour in Houston. —Reuters

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