Mayor Lee Brand released the following statement on the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25, 2020 and the varying reactions to this national tragedy:
“The killing of George Floyd was senseless and unjustifiable, and I condemn both the actions and the inactions of the police officers in Minneapolis who caused it and didn’t stop it. The death of yet another African-American man at the hands of people sworn to protect him is one more example of the deep wound in our nation that continues to weep in spite of our sincere attempts to bring healing and understanding to this problem.
“Instead of choosing to let this latest outrage deepen the racial, political and economic divides in our country during this most challenging time, I call on our community to join together to unite against injustice. It is natural to feel pain, anger, bitterness and frustration. Every community, including Fresno, should express those strong emotions and demand that we all do better, and I support the right to come together as one voice to march and demonstrate and pray for justice, just as our community did last night, in peaceful and respectful ways.
“But we can’t let this simply fade away. Let us join together and focus on supporting what is objectively right and denouncing what is objectively wrong, whether it is racism or intimidation in any form. Let us keep the conversation going in the weeks and months ahead because Fresno has an amazing history of uniting to care and connect with each other during the worst of times. My hope is that this injustice will strengthen our resolve to end these kinds of senseless tragedies once and for all.”