Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is calling George Floyd a martyr.
During a Monday appearance on "MSNBC Live," Pelosi told Craig Melvin that Floyd’s death has sparked a movement calling for change that needs to be addressed.
Floyd, a black man, was killed by a white police officer in Minneapolis. His death has caused nationwide protests to erupt that demand anti-police brutality measures be put in place.
“The martyrdom of George Floyd has evoked such a response of peaceful demonstrators calling for the change that they know our country needs as we go forward,” she said. “It's a prayerful moment. It's a transformative moment. We have a responsibility to take advantage of it.”
Pelosi discussed the “Justice in Policing Act” that the House Democrats unveiled on Monday as well as what activists calling for the defunding of police departments actually want to see happen.
The legislation proposes a major overhaul of police oversight and procedures. If enacted, it would limit legal protections for police, create a national database of excessive-force incidents and ban police from using choke holds among other changes.
And when it comes to calls to “defund the police,” Pelosi said money needs to be spent “in a way that gives the most protection to the American people, protection for their safety, protection for their rights.”
“What we're doing is talking about how we change policy to make our policing more just,” she said. “We take an oath to protect and defend the American people. Their safety is our top priority.”
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