George Floyd public memorial to be held in North Carolina on Saturday
George Floyd, the Minneapolis man whose death sparked nationwide protests against police violence against black people, will be memorialized Saturday in Hoke County, where his family lives.
Floyd’s sister Bridgette has spoken to Gov. Roy Cooper about her slain brother, and received his assurances for “justice in his name.”
Hoke County Sheriff Hubert A. Peterkin said the service in Raeford will include a public viewing from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. followed by a private service. The address is Cape Fear Conference B Headquarters at 10225 Fayetteville Road.
“I’m asking on behalf of the Floyd family for those who plan on attending the viewing/memorial service to be respectful to the sensitivity of the family’s time of grief,” Peterkin said in a press statement. “The memorial is about the life that Mr. George Floyd lived and this is a time to embrace the family with expressions of love and kindness.”
The service in Raeford is the second of three for Floyd. The first was in Minneapolis Thursday, the other will be Monday in Houston.
Thursday marked the sixth day of Raleigh protests in Floyd’s name. Riots raged in the city on Saturday and Sunday nights, escalating to the point of police using tear gas and rubber bullets while many downtown businesses were vandalized. Durham has seen comparatively peaceful demonstrations.
This story was originally published June 5, 2020 at 8:04 AM.