Greenpeace Response to Conviction of Derek Chauvin

In response to the conviction on all three counts of Derek Chauvin, the police officer who killed George Floyd, Greenpeace USA Chief Program Officer Lindsey Allen said:

"The conviction of Derek Chauvin is a rare occurance in a system that seldom holds those enforcing state-sanctioned violence accountable. While this is a milestone, there is so much more work to be done to dismantle white supremacy and overhaul the systems that allow for racist police and vigilante violence against Black and Brown people in the first place.

"When another police officer murdered Daunte Wright during the Chauvin trial, on April 11, just miles from where Mr. Floyd was killed, the systemic violence against Black people was laid acutely bare. As the trial forced people in Minnesota and around the country to relive George Floyd's murder during the trial, Daunte Wright's killing serves as a painful reminder of the daily and systemic threat of police violence on Black and Brown people.

"The verdict falling during the week of Earth Day connects our movements in protest and reminds us that there is no climate justice without racial justice. As an environmental community, we must speak out in the face of white supremacy, systemic injustice, and their fatal consequences. Fighting for a green and peaceful future includes speaking out against the unjust, racist, and systemic violence facing Black people in the US.

"Our hearts are with the families and loved ones of George Floyd, Daunte Wright, and Adam Toledo, and the many others killed at the hands of police."