Alex Tyrrell reacts to the George Floyd verdict

Today a U.S. court returned a guilty verdict in the case of George Floyd's murder by a police officer. In response, the leader of the Green Party of Quebec issued the following statement;

I'm relieved to see that the police officer who killed George Floyd is facing justice. This is a very important small victory in a big fight against police killings of black people.

While justice was served in this case, it was largely due to the explicit images of Mr. Floyd's death that instantly provoked condemnation around the world.

Dans la très grande majorité des cas semblables, personne n’obtient justice. La lutte devrait continuer jusqu’à temps qu’aucun policier puisse prendre la vie de quelqu’un sans être tenu responsable devant la loi.

We need to put an end to this unhealthy culture of police impunity, of "independent" investigations with little credibility, and of bogus penalties for the few officers recognized as being at fault. The Chauvin case, in which his department's hierarchy turned against him, is an exception.

Whenever police abuse occurs without justice being served, the public's level of trust in the police service is reduced. This drop in confidence in the police leads to more problems and increased tensions between communities and the police, with the negative effects that flow from this climate of mistrust. Let's not forget that even when justice is achieved, the families of the victims remain broken.

Quebec has a lot to do to improve relations between police officers and the communities they serve. We too have major problems with police impunity, brutality and racism in the ranks. We need action now to protect lives, obtain justice and improve police-people relations. These include: credible, truly independent and public investigations, disarming some police officers, defining police in favor of related resources, and wearing body cameras.

Put an end to police killings of black people, police brutality and racism are integral parts of living together! Let's act now to build a more inclusive society!

Alex Tyrrell

Leader of the Green Party of Quebec