Members of the so-called progressive ‘squad’ of House Democrats reacted to the Derek Chauvin guilty verdicts on Tuesday by calling for further actions and claiming ‘this is not justice.’
Chauvin was found guilty on all counts – second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter – in the death of Floyd on Tuesday afternoon after just 10 and a half hours of deliberation.
Rep. Cori Bush, a Democrat from Missouri, gave a press conference with fellow members of the Black Caucus following the Chauvin verdict in which she simply called it a ‘step’ to further racial equality.
‘This verdict is a step. It’s a popping of the lock to be able to get to the place where we can open the door and really start to do the work to save lives,’ Bush said.
‘And so, this egregious murder that happened, we can call it murder now, this egregious murder that happened it should not be that it has to look like that in order for us to have some type of semblance of what people call justice.’
Bush continued: ‘This was accountability, but it is not yet justice. Justice for us, it’s saving lives.’
Scroll down for video
WASHINGTON D.C.: Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO), center, and Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) walk with their arms around each other as members of the Congressional Black Caucus walk to a news conference following the verdict in the Derick Chauvin murder trial
WASHINGTON D.C.: Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO), center, and Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) walk with their arms around each other as members of the Congressional Black Caucus walk to a news conference following the verdict in the Derick Chauvin murder trial
WASHINGTON D.C.: Progressive Democrats Cori Bush and Ayanna Pressley hug after hearing the verdict for Derek Chauvin
WASHINGTON D.C.: Progressive Democrat Cori Bush gives a press conference about the verdict in the trial of Derek Chauvin
Ayanna Pressley was filmed in a pink blazer crying as she hugged Bush after the two heard the announcement of the verdict.
‘The moment we heard the verdict, we held each other. This feeling is not easy. But all of us will carry each other through this,’ Bush tweeted.
Pressley tweeted: ‘Black men, I love you, and you deserve to grow old.’
Ilhan Omar, whose district covers the entity of Minneapolis, said that the verdicts felt ‘different for our community’ and that ‘justice feels new and long overdue.’
‘Rejoice, my beloved community. Grateful to @AGEllison, jurors, and everyone who made this possible. Alhamdulillah! [Praise be to God],’ Omar tweeted.
However, Omar called the verdicts a ‘minuscule step on the path to justice’ and wrote a list of a series of police reforms and other goals she hopes can be met towards racial equality.
Among those goals, Omar called for an ‘independent agency to investigate police misuse of force’ and to ‘criminalize violence against protesters,’ as well as calling on officials to ‘demilitarize police departments’ and ‘disband and deconstruct failed police departments.’
Ilhan Omar, whose district covers the entity of Minneapolis, said that the verdicts felt ‘different for our community’
Omar also tweeted about a number of steps and goals to addressing racial inequalities and police injustices
Progressive Congresswoman Cori Bush tweeted about hugging Ayanna Pressley after hearing the verdict announcement on Tuesday
Progressive Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley also responded to the verdict announcement on Tuesday
Progressive Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib also responded to the verdict announcement on Tuesday
Omar also called for a number of other measures and police reforms including: ending traffic stops for minor equipment violations, federal investigations into departments who utilize practices like arrest quotas, banning all racial profiling, restoring felony voting rights, and end mandatory minimum sentencing laws.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez went onto Instagram Live to address the verdict.
‘This is not justice, and I’ll explain to you why it’s not justice,’ Ocasio-Cortez said.
‘It’s not justice because justice is George Floyd going home tonight to be with his family. Justice is Adam Toledo getting tucked in by his mom tonight.’
She added: ‘Justice is when you’re pulled over, there not being a gun as part of that interaction because you have a headlight out. Justice is your school system not having or being a part of the schools-to-prison pipeline.’
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez went onto Instagram Live to address the verdict
Ocasio-Cortez said that ‘it’s not justice because justice is George Floyd going home tonight to be with his family’
Rashida Tlaib said that ‘George Floyd was murdered by a police officer, and our country must not look away from that fact’ and that the ‘fight for justice continues.’
‘This verdict is relief & accountability for the murder of George Floyd. But the fight for justice continues,’ Tlaib tweeted.
‘Justice would be Gianna having her father today. Justice is investing in our communities, not police. Justice is no more Black lives lost to police violence.’
Jamaal Bowman gave a ‘huge shout out to all of the organizers who have over the last several years demanding justice.’
‘This is a good day, obviously,’ Bowman said.
He added: ‘Accountability usually doesn’t happen. You know, we constantly die at the hands of police and rarely do you see accountability.’
‘To see accountability here is exactly what needed to happen.’
