A ten-minute film spread around the world shows how George Floyd is pushed down to the ground with a police knee pressed against his neck. The arrest led to the death of the 46-year-old man and has become the starting point for a new wave of protests against police violence in the United States.

In Los Angeles, Black Lives Matter staged protests the night of Thursday, planning a new tomorrow.

"That constable knew he had complete power and felt he had the right to steal George Floyd's life, as if George Floyd was not a human being," says Melina Abdullah.

She is a professor of Pan-African Studies at California State University and believes that the explanation for the recurring police violence against African Americans in the United States has its roots in slavery.

- We have to get rid of that system. We need to reconsider what it means to ensure public safety, ”she says.

Instead, she believes that a large part of the money spent on the police system today should be spent on social initiatives, such as social workers and measures against mental ill-health.

The protests in Minneapolis have degenerated for two nights in a row, leading to violence and fires. The night of Friday, Mayor Jacob Frey announced a local state of emergency. Melina Abdullah does not believe that the protesters are to blame for the violence.

- They have the right to be upset when nothing happens, nothing changes.

- I wouldn't call it crawling. I would call it revolt, rebellion. Dr. King said that rattlesnakes are the language of the unheard. We need to change our view of what this is all about.

In Los Angeles, they have considered the risks of further spreading the corona virus and, among other things, have asked protesters to keep their distance and wear mouthguards.

- But anyway there are things that are worth the risk. I have three kids. I think my children are more threatened by the police than the coronavirus.

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