10 June

A funeral service for George Floyd, the African-American man who died after being pinned down by a white police officer in Minneapolis, was held in Texas on Tuesday.

Floyd's relatives and friends took part in the service at a church in his hometown of Houston. It was broadcast live on TV.

His niece said in her speech that "laws were already put in place for the African-American system to fail." She added, "These laws need to be changed. No more hate crimes."

Former US Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, said in a 5-minute video message that people must not turn away from racism and systemic abuse.

Floyd's death sparked nationwide protests, which continued on Tuesday.

Some local governments have pledged to carry out police reforms. The mayors of New York and Los Angeles have revealed plans to slash police budgets and allocate more funds to provide social services for minorities, including African Americans.

NHK