Thousands marched in Minneapolis, northern United States, on Sunday, behind a white coffin covered with red roses, to demand "justice", ahead of the trial of a white policeman, today, Monday, who killed African-American George Floyd.

And the diverse crowd, which remained silent all the time during the tribute to Floyd, forty black, who died on May 25, 2020, suffocating under the knee of Police Officer Derek Chauvin, did not break his silence except to chant the phrase "No justice, no peace!"

The protesters marched in the vicinity of the local government headquarters that will host the trial from Monday, carrying a sign reading Floyd's last words, "I can't breathe."

The building appeared to be a fortified camp, with barbed wire and concrete blocks, measures taken in anticipation of gatherings at the sidelines of the hearings.

Thousands of policemen and National Guard have also been mobilized.

And many demonstrators at the rally expressed their fear that the policeman, Shuven, would emerge from the trial with impunity.

"I hope our legal system allows for all of the evidence to be presented and he is found guilty," said Billie Jean Fanknight, a 43-year-old black woman.

She added that if the opposite happens, "I want more people on the streets, and this should be a reminder."

"I hope we get justice," said Ali Jecox, a 36-year-old African American, noting that the conviction of policemen is rare in the United States.

Demonstrators in Minneapolis demand justice in Floyd's murder case (French)

Racial wounds

Nine months after Floyd was killed in an accident that reopened deep racist wounds in the United States, the policeman accused of killing the black man is appearing in court in Minneapolis in a trial that will be exceptional in many ways.

On May 25, the white policeman pressed his knee on the neck of Floyd, who was lying on the ground on his stomach and handcuffed, for 9 long minutes during which he did not care during which he begged the black forty and his repeated calls "I can not breathe", and continued the pressure even after he fell into a coma .

The video of Floyd's death - which was filmed by a girl crossing the street and broadcast it on the Internet - caused a shock that reverberated from New York to Seattle, and it also occurred in capitals of the world such as London and Paris and even to Sydney, where angry crowds took to the streets to demand justice, by phone. Black Lives Matter is the name of the anti-racism Black Lives Matter movement.