On Friday, Oregon Ducks head coach Mario Cristobal released a statement in response to the death of George Floyd and the nationwide protests that have broken out in response.
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I learned a lot from listening to our Leadership Council today. pic.twitter.com/soLEtIPQXF
— Mario Cristobal (@coach_cristobal) May 29, 2020
“Posting on social media isn't enough. We must carry out these principles and values in our daily lives," said Cristobal in the statement.
“We are responsible for using our voices for change. We are responsible for protecting those that don't feel safe or are afraid to share their perspective. We are responsible for creating a new normal.”
Sunday, the Duck's head coach is putting his money where his mouth is by his actions.
Two days after making the statement, Cristobal was seen at a Black Lives Matter protest outside the Federal Courthouse in Eugene, Oregon by Henry Houston of the Eugene Weekly.
I’m at the #BLACK_LIVES_MATTERS rally outside the Federal Courthouse in Eugene. A ton of people are here even @oregonfootball coach Mario Cristobal. pic.twitter.com/VPJWO1Zn51
— Henry Houston (@hwhouston1) May 31, 2020
The death of George Floyd went viral last week after a video showed police officer Derek Chauvin using his knee to pin Floyd's neck to the pavement for eight minutes and 46 seconds, two minutes and 53 seconds of which happened after Floyd became unresponsive, per a criminal complaint against Chauvin.
The officer ignored Floyd's pleas for him to stop: "I can't breathe... Please, the knee in my neck, I can't breathe."
The lack of charges brought upon Chauvin nor the other three officers standing by the Minneapolis Police Department sparked nationwide outrage leading to national protests and riots against police brutality and public pressure to arrest the four officers.
Chauvin has since been arrested and charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
Floyd’s family said in a statement with their attorney, Ben Crump, that they “expected a first-degree murder charge.”