Iowa City rally planned for Saturday in tribute to George Floyd

Hillary Ojeda
Iowa City Press-Citizen

Iowa City activists will hold a rally at noon Saturday for George Floyd, a black man who died Monday after a Minneapolis police officer held his knee on Floyd's neck for several minutes.

After several days of protest in Minneapolis, and across the country, Public Safety Commissioner John Harrington announced the officer's arrest

On Thursday morning Lujayn Hamad, 18, and her sister Raneem Hamad, 20, decided they had to do something.

"Honestly, it's been really heavy. It's been name after name, video after video," said Lujayn Hamad, referencing black people killed by law enforcement whose names have made news headlines.

Police use-of-force ranks among the leading causes of death for young men of color in the United States, according to a joint study from the University of Michigan, Rutgers University and Washington University.

Mourners gather at a memorial for George Floyd on the corner of 38th and Chicago in Minneapolis Wednesday, May 27, 2020. George Floyd died on the corner after being restrained by Minneapolis police officers on Memorial Day. A video taken by a bystander shows a Minneapolis police officer with his knee on Floyd's neck.

Reading posts on social media and talking to friends, Lujayn Hamad said she and her sister felt like they had to either numb themselves to the stories or take action.

"So we decided to hold the rally," she said. "Because it's very possible that it could happen to any of us and our family members." 

Floyd, 46, died Monday evening after a white officer kneeled on his neck as he said he couldn't breathe.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey fired the four officers involved. Former officer Derek Chauvin, who is seen in the video as the officer kneeling on Floyd, was arrested Friday. 

A video of Chauvin kneeling on Floyd's neck was posted online by bystanders. 

The organizers for the Iowa City rally are distributing flyers that read, "In solidarity with George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Yassin Mohamed. Say their names." 

In February, Ahmaud Arbery was killed while jogging when a father and son pursued him. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation later charged Gregory McMichael and Travis McMichael with his murder. 

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is also investigating the death of Yassin Mohamed. Officials say an Evans County Sheriff’s Office deputy shot and killed him after an altercation. 

The rally will take place at the Pentacrest at noon and the organizers are encouraging everyone in attendance to practice social distancing and to wear masks. To help people who may not have access to masks and other supplies, Lujayn Hamad created an online fundraiser that has already raised more than $1,000. 

The money will also go toward funding their drive, in a "vehicle protest," to Minneapolis after the Saturday rally. 

Mazahir Salih, Iowa City Mayor Pro Tem and Center for Worker Justice community organizer, said the killings are "unacceptable by any means."

Salih was sending a request to the city Friday to close several streets to through traffic for the rally on Saturday. If approved, the request would close parts of Clinton, Iowa, Washington and Jefferson to through traffic but allow any people participating in the rally who want to stay in their cars to rally from the designated streets.

Social gatherings of more than 10 people are still prohibited until May 31, under Governor Kim Reynolds' emergency proclamation to limit the spread of COVID-19. 

Organizers in Des Moines were also planning a rally at the Des Moines Police station Friday at 6 p.m. in honor of George Floyd.