Over a weekend packed with protests from coast to coast over the murder of George Floyd at the hands of police, and arrests of demonstrators in the hundreds, former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick kick-started a legal defense fund for Minneapolis protestors.
The Know Your Rights Camp Legal Defense Initiative, an offshoot of Kaepernick’s nonprofit organization, was set up for protestors and will provide legal support to those arrested and charged during demonstrations, according to its website, “When there is an injustice within our community, it is our legal right to address it, by any means necessary. If you, or a loved one is in need of legal assistance, or has been arrested while fighting injustice in the Minneapolis area, please complete the form below with as much detail as possible.”
In fighting for liberation there‘s always retaliation. We must protect our Freedom Fighters. We started a legal defense initiative to give legal representation to Freedom Fighters in Minneapolis paid for by @yourrightscamp
For representation or to donate https://t.co/q0pzAObCiG
— Colin Kaepernick (@Kaepernick7) May 29, 2020
The days-long protests are a response to the May 25 killing on George Floyd, who died after former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin pinned his knee on Floyd’s neck during an arrest. Chauvin kept his knee and body weight on Floyd’s neck, though Floyd was not resisting, for nearly 9 minutes. Floyd died at the scene.
In protesting Floyd’s death, demonstrators set fire to a Minneapolis police station on Thursday, May 28. By the start of the weekend protests had spread throughout the country.
