Justice For George Floyd Petition, Largest Of All Time, Declares Victory With Derek Chauvin Guilty Verdict

WASHINGTON, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Kellen S., the 15-year-old from Oregon who started the viral Justice for George Floyd petition, declared victory on her petition today after a Minneapolis jury convicted Derek Chauvin on three counts of murder. With nearly 20 million supporters, the Justice for George Floyd petition was the largest of all time and helped spark a larger racial justice movement worldwide.

"Almost a year ago, I called for Justice for George Floyd. Millions of you stood with the black community and other people who wanted to see Derek Chauvin convicted. It was not just my fight. It was all of ours," said Kellen S. "This is a victory for all of us but most of all George Floyd and his family. I hope this will set a precedent for future police brutality cases. We will not tolerate racism and abuse of power! Thank you to all who have followed and supported this petition. I couldn't have done it without you. And thank you to Change.org for your amazing support."

"We unite in solidarity with signers, petition starters, our members and Black colleagues," said Nick Allardice, Acting CEO of Change.org. "We join their call for justice and accountability. The lives of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, Breonna Taylor and so many more mattered. Black lives matter."

For nearly one year after George Floyd's death, supporters mobilized to bring attention to police brutality around the country. In July and August 2020, Change.org launched "A Monumental Change: The George Floyd Hologram Memorial Project," during which a hologram of George Floyd temporarily replaced spaces that were formerly occupied by racist symbols of America's dark Confederate past. Last week, Change.org also released a video featuring poet Adán Bean reciting his powerful poem 'In honor of George.'

The momentum behind the Justice for George Floyd petition brought new attention to racial justice in the United States and worldwide. Millions signed petitions for Breonna Taylor, Elijah McClain and other victims of police brutality, making racial justice the largest-growing petition topic on Change.org in 2020. In 2021, the call for systematic change has continued with petitions calling for Justice for Daunte Wright and numerous clemency petitions addressing systemic racial inequality in the criminal justice system.

George Floyd's legacy lives on with a petition started by T.C. Matthews calling for the passage of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, historic legislation that would ban chokeholds and no-knock warrants, among other systemic police reforms. The bill has passed the U.S. House, and this verdict and the public support behind the legislation represented by the petition could send a loud message to the U.S. Senate to take up debate on the bill.

For more information, including signatures and comments from millions of petition signers supporting Justice for George Floyd, visit Change.org/George. For media inquiries, please contact Amanda Mustafic at [email protected].

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SOURCE Change.org, Inc.