Weekend rallies planned in Wilmington to protest George Floyd's death

For the last several days, protesters in cities across the nation have rallied to demanded justice for George Floyd, a handcuffed black man who cried "I can't breathe" as a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for eight minutes.

WATCH:Wilmington protest held in response to George Floyd's death

This weekend, Wilmington residents will join them, adding Delaware's largest city to the growing number of municipalities that are seeing protests in the wake of Floyd's death.

The first rally, planned for Saturday at Rodney Square, is being organized by Food Not Bombs Wilmington and the city's Black Lives Matter movement.

Organizers said the peaceful event, which will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., is intended to show solidarity with Floyd's family and the ongoing protests in Minneapolis. It's being called the "I can't breathe" rally, said Derrick Johnson, a community activist better known around Wilmington as "Pastor D."

"We're sick and tired of the vestiges of the Jim Crow era," Johnson said. "There has to be a voice in the community that says, 'No, we won't go back, we will not accept this.' In this rally, we are standing in solidarity with not just blacks, but whites across the country who (decry) these situations."

RELATED:Minneapolis police at center of George Floyd’s death had a history of complaints

The second event, set for Sunday, will also protest Floyd's death, but it's not immediately clear who is organizing that rally. A Facebook page called "Protest For George Floyd" says it will be held at 6 p.m. outside Wilmington's Louis L. Redding City County Building at 800 N. French St.

A description for that event says "Bring out your signs. We’ll protest, march, chant, until we get the change we demand" but provides little other detail. The Facebook page did not immediately respond to Delaware Online/The News Journal's inquiries about the protest.

Organizers for Saturday's rally also ask attendees to bring signs, but remind protesters to "adhere to state COVID social distancing and protective mask guidelines."

Wilmington's planned protests come days after Floyd's death on Monday while in the custody of Minneapolis Police.

Officials said Floyd had been detained because he matched the description of someone who tried to pay with a counterfeit bill at a convenience store, and the 46-year-old resisted arrest. A bystander’s disturbing video shows Officer Derek Chauvin, who is white, kneeling on Floyd’s neck as he begs for air and slowly stops talking and moving.

Throughout the eight minutes that Chauvin keeps his knee on Floyd's neck, Floyd can be heard saying again and again, "I can't breathe." The words are reminiscent of Eric Garner, the black man who died in Staten Island after a New York Police Department officer wrapped his arm around his neck and wrestled him to the ground.

In that case, Garner repeated "I can't breathe" 11 times before becoming unconscious. Garner's mother said Floyd's death on Monday was "déjà vu."

WATCH:Rev. Al Sharpton and Gwen Carr address crowd where George Floyd died

Chauvin and three other officers who stood by while Floyd slowly died were fired almost immediately after video of the incident was shared on social media. On Friday, prosecutors announced Chauvin had been charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter for Floyd's death.

An investigation into the other three officers is ongoing.

In Wilmington, Johnson said he hopes Saturday's event will send a message that the community is fed up.

"No other group of men — white, Hispanic — has to wonder daily whether a cop is going to be lawful with them or kill them," Johnson said. "It's horrible, but this is the plight of African American men, and it's come to a head."

Send story tips or ideas to Isabel Hughes at ihughes@delawareonline.com or 302-324-2785. For all things breaking news, follow her on Twitter at @izzihughes_