George Floyd Murder Suspect to Appear in Court in Minnesota

The man accused of murdering African American George Floyd, whose death sparked global protests, is to appear in court for the first time.

Derek Chauvin, a white policeman, knelt on Mr Floyd's neck for almost nine minutes while he was being arrested in Minneapolis on 25 May.

Mr Chauvin, who has since been sacked, will face a judge in Minnesota remotely on murder and manslaughter charges.

Three other officers were also fired and charged with aiding and abetting.

Mourners in Houston, Texas, where Mr Floyd lived before moving to Minneapolis, are due to view his body on Monday during a six-hour public event at The Fountain of Praise church

On Tuesday, a private funeral service will be held in Houston. Memorial services have already been held in Minneapolis and North Carolina, where Mr Floyd was born.

It is believed a family member escorted Mr Floyd's body on a flight to Texas late on Saturday.

Democratic US presidential candidate Joe Biden is expected to visit Mr Floyd's relatives in Houston to offer his sympathies. Aides to the former vice-president said he would also record a video message for Tuesday's service.

The public farewell will follow social distancing requirements, with only 15 guests allowed in the church at a time, local media report.

Those in attendance will be required to wear gloves and masks before entering.

Anti-racism protests started by Mr Floyd's death are now entering their third week in the US. Huge rallies have been held in several cities, including Washington DC, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

With the rallying cries "Black Lives matter" and "No Justice, No Peace", the demonstrations are among the largest US protests against racism since the 1960s. Saturday's gatherings included a protest in the Texas town of Vidor, once infamous as a stronghold of the Ku Klux Klan white supremacist group.

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Episodes of looting and violence have, however, been reported among the peaceful rallies, and President Donald Trump threatened to call up troops to quash the protests.

Security measures were lifted across the US on Sunday as unrest started to ease. New York ended its nearly week-long curfew, and Mr Trump said he was ordering the National Guard to start withdrawing from Washington DC.

On Sunday, nine of 13 Minneapolis City Council members pledged in front of hundreds of protesters to dismantle the local police department and instead create "a new model of public safety that actually keeps our community safe".

It is not yet clear what form the changes will take, or how soon they can happen.

Democrats in Congress are expected to present sweeping legislation on police reform on Monday.

Protesters in European cities including London and Rome also gathered to show their support for Black Lives Matter over the weekend, while anti-racism protests in Australia were attended by tens of thousands.

In the city of Bristol in the UK, protesters tore down a statue of Edward Colston, a prominent 17th Century slave trader.

SOURCE: BBC