Lisa Brailey plays the violin during a vigil Monday night in Derby.
As major American cities descended into another night of outrage and chaos, about 20 people gathered on the Derby Green Monday night to say a prayer for peace, justice and equity in light of the killing of 46-year-old George Floyd.
“I wanted to be here tonight specifically in honor of Mr. George Floyd. He was killed by a police officer, a Minneapolis police officer, on Memorial Day. It’s important to remember the man behind all this,” said Lisa Brailey, who organized Monday’s vigil in less than 24 hours using Facebook community pages. “I’m here to remember, somberly and respectfully, thoughtfully and sacredly, the memory of someone who seemed like a really great person.”
Floyd died after Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin knelt on the back of Floyd’s neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds in full view of the public.
Floyd’s death was caught on camera, in which he could be heard telling officers he could not breathe. “They’re going to kill me,” he said.
Floyd had been picked up after a store clerk called police suspecting Floyd had just passed a phony $20 to buy a pack of cigarette a convenience store.
Floyd was handcuffed as Chauvin pressed his knee into his neck. Chauvin was subsequently charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Several other police officer stood and watched.
The death caused people to take to the streets across the U.S. to protest police brutality.
During Monday’s vigil, people sang songs, said prayers and lined a low wall in front of the Derby Green Gazebo with candles.
Participants drew an image of Floyd with sidewalk chalk. They kneeled on the ground for the same awful amount of time that Chauvin leaned into Floyd’s neck.
People attending took to their knees for almost 9 minutes.
“I felt it was important to do this because so much of what is being reported in the media is negative. I wanted to have a purely positive event, and I also wanted to have a Derby event. I wanted something in this town,” Brailey said. “I have strong feelings that national events do have local relevance.”
Laura Brezina, a former chair of the Derby Cultural Commission, was among those in attendance.
She said she was there to show Derby that people are willing to reach out. Solidarity with Africans-Americans is important.
Brezina said she’s never felt the fear of police that black people have experienced.
“It’s not fair that I haven’t felt that fear, and it’s sad,” she said. “A guy had a knee in the back of his head. I’m not going to stand there and watch it. I’m going to stop it. Nobody should have to experience that.”
Pastor Joshua Multunas of the Walnut Tree Hill Community Church on Ninth Street led the group in prayer.
“There’s a lot of brokenness. I just want to lift our country up, and the family of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery as well,” Multunas said.
On Facebook, Brailey said she planned to return to the Derby Green Tuesday at about 8:15 p.m. to hold the event again.
