Washington D.C. – Earlier this week, Minneapolis resident George Floyd was murdered by 4 police officers in the most recent example in a pattern of overuse of force by the police against people of color. The Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF) stands in solidarity with our Black brothers and sisters in condemning the tragic death of Mr. Floyd. SALDEF demands justice and a thorough and swift investigation of the case.
“We are horrified and deeply saddened by the senseless murder of George Floyd by officers sworn to protect their community”, said SALDEF Executive Director Kiran Kaur Gill. “SALDEF and the Sikh American community, stand against injustice, discrimination, and racism. We call on Mayor Frey, U.S. Attorney MacDonald, Hennepin County Attorney Freeman and Chief Arradondo to conduct a thorough and expeditious investigation and file appropriate charges into the death of Mr. Floyd.”
“As Sikh Americans we must do our part to support and stand with communities suffering from systemic oppression, harassment and violence. We must also stand against Anti-Blackness and the multi-generational roots it has in our community both here and in South Asia. We must actively work to eliminate the biased treatment and policing of our communities and train officers on issues of unconscious bias. This must be accompanied by accountability to the communities whose trust they have lost,” said SALDEF Board Chair Kavneet Singh. “It is incumbent on our community to acknowledge that our presence and success as a community here in America is the direct result of the Civil Rights work of the Black, Latinx and other minority communities in the last century. We must now show our support and be true partners to all who are seeking equality and justice.”